Why Old Friends Always Tell Each Other they Look the Same
Have you ever wondered why when old high school friends see each other after many years, we always say something like, “You haven’t aged a bit!” or “You look the same as you did in high school!”
There’s something about old friends. Something amazing that seems to dissolve the concept of time; and numbers, like champagne bubbles, effervesce away. “Ageless” becomes something far more lovely than a fear-inducing marketing word for anti-wrinkle moisturizer!
My theory is that old friends can easily see that part of us that for now and ever will be exactly the same. Old friends don’t have to look that hard to see the woman behind the age, complete with her well-lived life full of ups and downs, as well as some of the best days of her life spent without wearing sunscreen.
Whether I’ve known you forever, or for less than a week, “this” is what I try to find as a photographer of women of all ages. My superpower (yes, I just said that – I decided if people 25 years younger than I do have superpowers then I must have one too) is ferreting out that part of you, that doesn’t change, whether you’re 8 or 80 years old.
So of course as soon as Kim walked in the studio last week for her session, I wasn’t surprised. If she’d had a million pricks and prods by the world’s best plastic surgeons, she couldn’t have looked more like herself than if it were 1980. If the bright blue eyes had been missing it would have been weird, but even if her hair had been dyed purple, I would have still seen the same person.
With one of the most gorgeous smiles ever on her face (her father was a dentist, but the magnificence of her smile is more than that), the only thing I had to work at was getting a few of Kim, NOT smiling. Well, that and the fact that she is 6 feet tall, which meant I had to spend a lot of time standing on a stool.
In the initial questionnaire, Kim explained her reason for wanting to come to me to be photographed: “Because I’m cool with being 55 and happy with me. Might as well capture that…I do have daughters and they need a pic of Mom!”
So firstly, she wants her twin young adult daughters to have beautiful photographs of her. But as with every client the other reasons Kim wanted to be photographed became more clear (I’m trying not to say “in focus” too much – minor peeve), as we moved forward.How much she would enjoy the process of being photographed only became apparent after we began our work together.
She wanted to have the full experience, pampering and empowering photoshoot experience, I am passionate about providing! Kim’s make up artist for the day, Jatia G., and my assistant for the shoot, Essie, and I fussed and fluffed dear Kim like Disney woodland creatures over Snow White. The pleasure was ours too.
Below is a short slideshow video for Kim. My plan is to do more of these for clients. I think it may be a fun way for them to share their shoot (or just to keep for themselves.) What do you think?
Read Kim’s testimonial.
Hey there, beautiful.
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