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Turning 50: The “50 over 50” project and how it helped me cope with change

Turning 50 threw me in ways I could never have imagined. It was the first time I felt and experienced aging, and I struggled with it. My brain freezes; the hot flashes and the dark circles under my eyes put me on a rocky, tumbling road of insecurity and fear. But, as with any route we take, I like to believe that even the negative ones lead you somewhere good.

This one leads me to my passion project to change how we and the world view women over 50. My main difficulty with turning 50 was learning. I am a product of the Cosmopolitan age, where beauty was represented as youthful. Even my older heroes back then were such because they still represented vitality and a youthful appearance; they were sexy, long, and lean. So I want to age well like them, I thought. But I’m none of that, and I had to define beauty for myself. 

So what is my project, you ask? I want to create 50 beautiful portraits of women over 50 and tell a story. In doing that, I hope to show the world that beauty doesn’t diminish with age and to highlight all the great things women over 50 have to offer – endurance and wisdom. 

I got my February O Magazine recently and was delighted to see the topic of women over 50 and how they become invisible. I can relate to the challenges highlighted in the article – shopping for makeup in a world that caters to the young. The article aligned so well with my 50 over 50 projects. It’s like Oprah, and I were on the same page!  

I launched my 50 over 50 project quietly in January with women in my inner circles, and I’m putting it out there now for everyone else. Although this is a personal project, I want the women participating to experience the same Vanity Fair-styled photo session as my regular clients. I included special pricing, too–the cost contributes towards the overhead. Period. I pick up the rest.

I want to photograph women of all colors and backgrounds. Are you a woman over 50? Got a story you want to share with the world? Join my project, and let me help you tell your story. 

Angela Atelier is a New Jersey-based portrait and personal branding photography studio in Perth Amboy, NJ, empowering women everywhere to live their best life. Want to learn more about how we help women discover themselves through portrait photography? Contact us to schedule your complimentary consultation.