Tough Beauties

PHOTOGRAPHER MANDIRA BAHL TELLS THE STORY OF NEW YORK’S OLDEST AND LARGEST WOMEN’S MOTORCYCLE CLUB 

- Dan Havlik

INSPIRED BY MARILYN MONROE’S QUOTE, “I don’t mind living in a man’s world, as long as I can be a woman in it,” photographer Mandira Bahl set off in early 2017 to document the lives and rides of Sirens MC, New York City’s oldest and largest women’s biker group. We recently caught up with Bahl to find out more about the project and how she became interested in telling the story of these “Tough Beauties.”

Shutterbug: Give us a little background on yourself as a photographer. 

Mandira Bahl: I was born and brought up in India. I graduated in social communication media with photography as my major and also held a solo photo exhibition. This was followed by intensive individual coaching by professional experts. I interned with a few publications and NGOs where I applied my skills of photography, journalism, research, and documentation. I decided to do a specialization in photojournalism for which I completed a course in Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism from the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York. Telling stories has always been an important aspect, which found its expression through photographs and text. It started as a hobby and soon became what I now call a never-ending journey of visual storytelling.

SB: Tell us about the Tough Beauties project and how you got interested in the subject matter.