Getting older is something that each of us deal with in our own way. Whether you are a kid growing into a teenager, or making your way through your adult life to your golden years, we are all evolving as the years go by.
When you are young it is easy to forget that those older folks have lived a long life full of many different experiences and events. They might even know a thing or two that you don't.
We can honor the wisdom of age through photography by creating portraits of older people which reflect their unique personalities and life experience.
Some have had a serious life, full of hardship and challenge.
While others may have spent a lifetime searching for something.
We all have our own personality and quirks as kids and into our old age. Just because we get old doesn't mean we can't have a sense of humor.
Some folks have built a lifetime in a job or career which becomes so much a part of them, that it is a natural extension of their identity. Try to take a photo that shows this part of their lives and tells their story, like this barber.
Or this shopkeeper in Bolivia.
Similar to the idea of storytelling with just a few parts of a body or scene, we can depict the experience of age through small details like hands, feet, or other features.
Getting older can sometimes feel like confinement, longing for a breath of fresh air. A photo can visually tell the story of someone's experience literally and symbolically.
There can be beauty in age. Wrinkled faces and lines tell the story of a life well lived.
As we get older, it is natural to reflect on a lifetime of memories, regrets, joys, and challenges. A photo can help to bring these thoughts into focus.
Don't forget when approaching your elders, it is polite to ask their permission to photograph them. You might also ask them to tell you about themselves or something interesting that you may not know.
Essence of Photography is a series of tips, tutorials, and visual inspiration on a variety of photography skills and techniques.
You can practice these skills and more by purchasing a deck of Photo Cards from Zoom In Reach Out, a non-profit with a mission of teaching to see the world from a different perspective.
All photos in this article were posted to the Aminus3 Photography Community and are copyrighted by their respective photographers.
Click on any photo to see a larger version or to leave a comment for the photographer.
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