Local photographer creates exhibition for female founders to be seen
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An ex-Nanny from Buckingshamshire, who is now a well respected creative director and personal brand photographer, after she embraced her passion and turned it into a business, has taken her craft to a new level, and has hired an exhibition space where she will celebrate 30 entrepreneurs, through their portraits, later this year.
Joanna Wood, 47, from Winslow, whose photos of entrepreneur Sara Davies have recently featured in the Daily Express, is known for supporting small business owners to find the confidence to stand in front of the camera, showcasing the people behind the businesses. ‘Unmasked’ is her event which takes this to another level. Set to showcase vulnerable portraits of 30 solo entrepreneurs, as a culmination a creative process Joanna has taken them through to get confident revealing their true selves on camera the exhibition will present raw, striking photography. Each photograph will also be accompanied by a story that the entrepreneur has shared - about what part of themselves they were keeping hidden.
Joanna describes it as “a live exhibition and storytelling experience that puts truth, visibility, and raw entrepreneurial courage front and centre” Alongside the exhibition of photos the event is also hosting 6 entrepreneurial speakers who will also be sharing unfiltered stories of success, fear, healing, power and purpose.
Joanna has been driven by her experiences of working with women in business who often struggle to be centre stage, and this exhibition, whilst not only for women, is a nod to this. Her passion for authenticity and inclusion has also ensured she has welcomed and encouraged solopreneurs of all races, genders, ages and sexual orientations to come together to share their stories and be a part of her upcoming photoshoot and exhibition, as ethos of ‘Unmasked’ is to connect people from all walks of life.
She said: “I created this after a networking event where I was chatting with other entrepreneurs about how as women we often felt like we were wearing different masks, each for different parts of life - and what we hide behind - especially as business owners. Not long after I came across a quote from Rylan Clark where he said he wore a mask, referring to him having 2 different personas - one for public and one when he’s at home. My brain started whirring! That was the moment things clicked. How many of us mask who we are to fit in, especially in business, or put on a front that isn’t really us - we often feel like we have to show up as someone else, or hide parts of us -and so Unmasked has been created as an antidote to this.”
Joanna’s personal experiences and her own struggles, with grief and mental health challenges also underpins this work as she feels she often sees things others don’t. She said,“I ask the questions most wouldn’t. I have an innate ability to read people and I think this understanding, and empathy helps others to see I get it, and they then drop their guard and relax into being who they really are’.
Over the years Joanna has herself hidden away due to fears derived from comparison and being afraid to express her true self, but as well as encouraging others to be seen she has also stepped up herself and has recently taken on her first public speaking engagement, keen to show her clients she is now also ready to walk the walk.
Unmasked’ takes place in Birmingham - Jewellery Quarter | 17th October 2025 | 2pm - 7pm | £99 a ticket
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