THE WORTHY PROJECT - WHY WOMEN OVER 40 ARE WORTHY OF LUXURIOUS PHOTO EXPERIENCES
During the time I was in the beginning, middle and end of my Worthy Project, I was asked "Why women over 40?" Well, the first reason was simple, I too am a woman over 40, and I wanted to be an example of someone who was worthy of being seen, not just on my cell or my family and friends mobile phones. I think like many (most) women, we are the one's taking the pictures, as we love our family and friends and want pictures of them, but we often neglect ourselves in the same frames. We are more comfortable behind the camera, because women who want their picture taken, well those women are conceited, selfish and self centered......nope!
Women often HIDE behind the camera, because we think we don't look like someone who should be in front of the camera. That is for young women, youth, beauty. But women over 40 ARE beautiful and they are a force to be reckoned with. It is time to think about what it means to be an “older” woman and are proving that age is just a number and beauty is ageless. We think our friends are beautiful. But find it harder to see ourselves the way others see us.
I saw first hand transformations during my photo experiences with the participants of the Worthy Project. They just couldn't believe that they LIKED the way they looked regardless of their current size, wrinkles or other perceived imperfections. We forget that we are not supposed to look 20, we aren't 20! We've had life experiences that make us who we are today. One of the things that I saw and heard time and time again was that women over 40 liked themselves! The felt that the years of life experiences made them who they are today, more confident, resilient and humbled by what life had thrown their way. Their ability to face life's challenges head on and use their experience, support systems (often other women) and confidence to tackle what they need to do and do it well.
With more and more diversity being discussed and seen in our advertising, social media and entertainment regarding race and gender, age and ageism still has a ways to go. We still think men with grey hair is a sign of power and strength and women with the same greys have "let themselves go" and look old. Changing attitudes and societies perception of age and women over 40 has been an amazing opportunity and experience. By photographing women over the age of 40 I hope to help support the notion of BEAUTY HAVING NO EXPIRATION DATE and show women that they are WORTHY of having beautiful portraits taken of themselves and for they and their families to enjoy the amazing photographic legacy that they are leaving.
