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Why the 40 Over 40 Photoshoot in Manchester Is More Than Just a Portrait Session?

  • vilija skubute
  • 7 days ago
  • 4 min read


What makes the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience so different from any other photoshoot?


The answer is not simply beautiful portraits. It is not just the professional hair and makeup, the styling, or even the luxury experience in the studio.

To explain what makes this project truly unique, I have to start at the very end.


Four different women portraits from 40 over 40 portraits photoshoot session with vilija skubute photography/Manchester
Women portraits form 40 over 40 photoshoot project.

It Ends With a Celebration


Imagine walking into a gallery exhibition and seeing your portrait beautifully printed on the wall, alongside your own story.

Your family is there. Your closest friends are there. Other incredible women you've met throughout the project are there too.

Everyone has gathered to celebrate you.

It almost sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?

Yet that is exactly how the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience finishes.

Every woman who takes part becomes part of something much bigger than a single photoshoot. Once all 40 women have been photographed and have shared their personal stories, the project culminates in a professional gallery exhibition where each participant's portrait and story are displayed.

It is a celebration of courage, resilience, beauty, wisdom and life itself.


I've Seen the Impact First-Hand


This is now 40 Over 40 – Volume II.

Which means Volume I really happened.

Forty remarkable women stepped in front of my camera. They laughed, cried, shared memories, spoke about challenges they had overcome, and celebrated the women they had become.

When exhibition day finally arrived, every participant was invited to see her portrait displayed as a piece of art.



Watching them walk into the gallery was unforgettable.

Some became emotional seeing themselves on the wall. Others stood proudly with their families. Children hugged their mothers. Husbands admired their wives. Friends took photographs together.

For one evening, the spotlight belonged entirely to these incredible women.

As a photographer, I realised something very important that day.

Women need experiences like this.

Not because they need another photograph.

But because they deserve to feel seen.

They deserve to be celebrated.

They deserve to remember that they are important too.

That realisation is exactly why I created 40 Over 40 – Volume II.


40 over 40 photosession Min Manchester is morethan Just a Photoshoot


This project is exclusively for 40 women aged 40, 50, 60 and beyond.

Every woman has lived a unique life.

Some have built successful careers.

Some have raised families.

Some have changed countries, started businesses, survived illness, rebuilt after loss, discovered new passions or simply kept going through life's many ups and downs.

Every story matters.

Before your photoshoot, we'll meet for a personal consultation where we'll talk about you.

We'll discuss your style, your ideas, what you would love your portraits to say, and any worries you may have about being photographed.

This isn't about trying to fit into someone else's idea of beauty.

It's about creating portraits that genuinely reflect who you are.


Three diffrent Women portraits from 40 over 40 portraits photoshoot with Vilija Skubute Photography/manchester
Women portraits from 40 over 40 portraits photoshoot with Vilija Skubute Photography/Manchester.


Your Story Matters


One of the most meaningful parts of this experience is telling your story.

During the project, every participant is invited to reflect on her life journey.

Who are you today?

What moments shaped your life?

What achievements are you most proud of?

What challenges taught you your greatest lessons?

And perhaps the most powerful question of all:

If you could meet your 20-year-old self today, what advice would you give her?

The answers are often inspiring, moving, honest and deeply personal.

These stories become part of the exhibition, allowing visitors to see not only beautiful portraits but also the incredible women behind them.


The Photoshoot


Many women tell me before their session,

"I'm not photogenic."

"I don't know how to pose."

"I've never liked photographs of myself."


The wonderful thing is...

You don't need to know any of those things.

That is my job.

Throughout the photoshoot, I'll guide you every step of the way.

I'll show you how to stand, where to place your hands, how to move naturally, where to look, and how tiny adjustments can completely transform a portrait.

I'll explain how light works and how the camera sees you, so you never feel awkward or unsure.

We work together as a team.

The result isn't stiff posing or forced smiles.

Instead, we create relaxed, authentic portraits that capture your personality, confidence and beauty.

Most women leave saying exactly the same thing:

"That was so much more fun than I expected."


Women portrait form 40 over 40 portrait session with Vilija Skubute Photography/ Manchester.
Women portrait form 40 over 40 portrait session.

Seeing Yourself in a New Way


After your session, we'll meet again for your image reveal session.

Together, we'll choose your favourite portraits—the images that make you stop and smile because you finally see yourself the way others see you.

Strong.

Beautiful.

Confident.

Authentic.

These are the portraits you'll treasure for years to come.


Then Comes the Grand Finale


After all 40 women have completed their journeys.

Only this time, not in the studio.

In the gallery.

Your portrait is displayed professionally alongside your story.

Your loved ones are invited.

The other participants are there too.

The exhibition becomes a celebration—not just of photography, but of forty extraordinary women and the lives they have lived.

That is what makes the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience so different.

It doesn't end when the camera is put away.

It becomes part of your story.

If you're over 40 and you've been waiting for the right moment to celebrate yourself, perhaps this is it.

Because after spending so much of life looking after everyone else, maybe it's finally time for someone to celebrate you.


Check all the information about 40 over 40 photoshoot in Manchester.



 
 
 

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