Are you over 40 (or over 50, for that matter) and feel like you are invisible? Whether you are feeling the onset of Perimenopause or Menopause, noticing the maturation of your physical features, an empty nester, or feel ignored or overlooked in public and social settings, there is an overwhelming feeling of not being seen and irrelevant for many women over 40.

Women aging and Society

Aging isn’t easy on anyone, but there is a well-known social phenomenon called Invisible Woman Syndrome that can make it particularly hard on women. The feeling of not being seen is often acutely felt by middle-age women.  At the half century mark, men are typically viewed as being at the top of their professional and personal lives, often leading organizations and companies and are viewed as accomplished and experienced.  The feeling can be contrasted by others, who view women’s value their physical appearance.

 

The Photography Industry

Being in the photography industry, it can be easy to fall into the “I need to change the way you look so you feel better about yourself” mentality, fraught with over Photoshopping and editing. That type of work isn’t who I am and I work with the mindset that just because you can, doesn’t mean you should, when editing. I highly respect and love photographing women in their best light as authentically as I can. I champion any woman who will trust me enough to get in front of my camera and put photos of themselves online in the form of business portraits, profile pictures, website photos, and beauty portraits.

It’s the ones who don’t reach out that weigh heavy on my heart. The ones who see others showing up online and think, “I need to wait to have pictures of myself done after I’ve lost weight”. Or “I’m not good enough to have photos of myself”.

 

 

Beyond headshots – Empowered Over 40 Portraits

This goes beyond headshots and branding pictures. Many women won’t get photos of just themselves. It’s no secret that you’re the one who is taking the photos of everyone else. You’re the memory catcher. Aside from your wedding or family photos, you rarely have photos that you’re proud to have of yourself anymore. But there’s no denying it – time isn’t slowing down.

What if you had the opportunity to step into the spotlight? To know that even though you don’t need a transformation, you can still enjoy a makeover? To give yourself permission to be captured exquisitely and exactly as you are…confident and unique?

After I turned 40, I really wanted to reach out to these women who are over 40, 50, 60 and beyond and let them know that they have value and need to be seen. This is the essence of my Empowered Over 40 Portrait session. These are beauty portraits, Boudoir photos, mother and daughter photos, that you can keep to celebrate your ever evolving seasons. These portraits allo you to be seen. Does this sound good to you?

 

You are already enough

Let’s celebrate that. But if you need a reason:

• You just got through that really hard time in your life and you’re living for yourself again.
• You always put everyone else ahead of you and usually hide from the limelight
• You’ve never hared what others think, you’ve been taking care of yourself for a while now
• You blinked, time has flown by, and you’re in a whole new era of your life

 

See what we recently captured of Tracy, over 50, and had never had her makeup professionally done (not even on her wedding day)!

If you are interested in an Empowered Over 40 Session, Inquire Here

or reach out to me directly: hello@melissaraelynnphotography.com

Enjoy these highlights from Tracy.

M