One of the distinguishing characteristics of White as a teacher was his encouragement of women as photographers. White sought out and personally coached many aspiring female photographers, who found his openness to a variety of styles and techniques exactly what they were looking for at a time when most men had highly autocratic views. Ralph Steiner recalled that "he didn't press hard for absolute perfection, but always found something to praise, won him the worship of a lot of ladies." By 1915 there were roughly twice as many women as men at the school. This ratio did not change until the 1930s.