Photography has always been a male domain. Even outside the misogynist world of glamour and fashion, it has been a path generously sprinkled with testosterone. The expectations from a “good Muslim woman” in conventional Bangladeshi society involve greater respect for social norms. The aggression inherent in journalistic photography would normally rule it out as a career option. The path was lonely, tenuous, and distinctly uphill. Luckily for us, these were obstacles Sayeeda Khanum had little regard for. Alone and defiant, she became the sole woman in an otherwise entirely male profession. Besides the rigour of a popular weekly magazine and the cut and thrust of news events, Sayeeda developed endearing relationships with the greats of her time - her intimate images of the film maestro Satyajit Ray with his family, being some of the most outstanding. She continues to be a torchbearer for women in a profession men have long tried to monopolise.