Women accounted for only three percent of the cinematographers working on the top 100 grossing films of 2015. Vulture recently spoke with three prominent women in the business about their experiences working in this male-dominated field: Natasha Braier (“The Neon Demon”), Maryse Alberti (“Creed,” “The Wrestler”), and Rachel Morrison (“Dope,” “Fruitvale Station”). The trio sounded off on why they were inspired to DP, if it feels as though meaningful strides towards gender equality are taking place, and how they are treated on set.

Below you’ll find some highlights of the feature, which can be read in full over at Vulture.

Their origin stories as DPs:

Alberti: “I came to this country from the deep south of France when I was 19. I had been to the movies twice in my life, and there was no TV in my house growing up. I arrived in New York, and then traveled around the States for three years taking pictures. Eventually, after I came back to New York, a friend asked me to be a photographer on an X-rated movie — it paid $75 a day, which was a good rate, and I shot on 35 mm. That was my entrance into that world. Afterward, I started to shoot docs, and parallel to that, I met Christine Vachon and Todd Haynes, who gave me my first fiction film, ‘Poison.’”

Braier: “I started doing black-and-white photography when I was 17 — I had my dark room and everything. At some point I understood there was something called director of photography in the movies, and I thought oh, that could be really interesting. So I went to film school.”

Morrison: “I kind of grew up with a camera in my hand. When I was studying photography I became interested in conflict photojournalism, and that got me interested in lighting. Then I realized there was this amazing thing called cinematography where you could kind of tell more complete stories photographing for film. So I ended up going to AFI grad school for that.”

When they became aware of being a woman in a male-dominated field:

Alberti: “One of my first films was ‘Zebrahead.’ I remember the producer asking me, “Can you handle the big lights?” And I thought, Do I want to be sarcastic, or do I want the job? So I said, ‘I don’t handle the big lights, I just tell big men where to put the big lights and they do it.’”

Braier: “I didn’t know so much at the time — I was too young, too naïve, and I didn’t have family that worked in the film industry. My parents were always very supportive and believed that I was talented in different forms of art, because that’s what my teachers would say. So I never felt that it was weird to be a woman, even if there were only two percent of women who were doing my job. It was only through the process that I learned I was a bit of a black sheep, in a way.”

Morrison: “I mean, yes, I found that I was the exception, not the rule. But I have to say that for a long time I felt like that was actually kind of a good thing, because I stood out. I really never saw it as a deficit — I always saw it as a positive, in a way.”

Whether they think the playing field is becoming more female-friendly:

Alberti: “I think women have made progress in cinematography, contrary to women directors, who I think have regressed. There are many more women cinematographers than when I started.”

Braier: “I never really experienced being a woman as a handicap, though of course I am aware that it is harder to get the jobs than it would be if I were a guy. But I never really experienced it firsthand, like, oh, because I’m a woman I suffered this indignation or that. But it’s now, being 40, that I’ve realized the price that you pay as a woman for doing this job, and I’ve realized why there aren’t so many women who’ve arrived where I’ve arrived at my job.”

If the mostly male crews who have worked mostly with male DPs treat them differently as a woman:

Alberti: “Male crews know that women cinematographers are here to stay, and there will be more of us. If they’re professionals, they behave as such. But maybe five years ago, I would interview a gaffer and he’d be like, Don’t worry, little lady, I’ll take care of it. Okay, you’re dismissed! The only difference I’ve really noticed is that people are going to hug you and kiss you more than they would a man. But I always start a movie by being very firm and very hard and very, very serious, and then I can relax a little more once I’ve gained respect. That’s part of the job — you have to earn the respect of your crew. As important as it is to learn the techniques of cinematography, you also have to learn how to deal with the movie set, with show business.”

Braier: “There is a difference, for sure. I was lucky to always find and choose the right people to work with in my crew, so 99 percent of the time I’ve had very good experiences in terms of being a woman and being respected by the men that are working for me. But there is something very interesting to analyze, which is that film sets are kind of army-like: there are things that have to work for the machinery to work. We’re all under the paradigm of time-is-money, and influenced by the pursuit of efficiency… A guy can get away with just giving orders, but a woman cannot really give orders to men, since half of the men have mommy issues and aren’t going to like it. They’re not very good at receiving orders from a bossy woman and you don’t want to be a bossy woman. It’s a horrible energy when you’re trying to dominate the masculine. So you have to learn as a woman how to be a leader as a woman, not try to be a man. That’s tricky.”

What needs to happen to create an environment that’s less hostile to women EPs:

Alberti: “It is progressing — that’s my feeling. Especially with indie filmmakers and movies made on smaller budgets. But there do need to be more studio films featuring women DPs. We just need to keep on fighting, and keep on working maybe a little bit harder than men. But I’m optimistic.”

Morrison: “I do feel incredibly optimistic that that shift is taking place, and that it really is just a matter of time. I think people like to have role models and they like to see that it’s a path they can take, since a lot of us didn’t necessarily have that. We just sort of had to forge our own way. But there was a time when you said the word doctor and people pictured a man, and that just isn’t the case anymore. Hopefully within ten years, when you say DP, there’s not this assumption that that means a burly dude.”

Note: If you’re a female cinematographer you may want to check out a new, supportive group called CINEMATOGRAPHERS XX, which will “help the crews behind the camera be more reflective of the stories they create, and provide a resource for producers and directors looking to find qualified cinematographers that identify as women.”