What have I Learned from Photographing 40 Women Over age of 40, 50, 60 and above?

When I set out to photograph40 over 40, I thought I was creating a portrait project. What I didn’t expect was how deeply this experience would reveal something about what women truly need.

Collection of women portraits who participated in 40 over 40 portrait photoshoot/ Manchester by Vilija Skubute

I have welcomed women from every walk of life into my studio — teachers, doctors, bus drivers, entrepreneurs, mothers, grandmothers, creatives, carers, women who have built businesses, raised families, and rebuilt themselves after loss. Each of them arrived with her own story, her own reason for stepping in front of the camera.

What I quickly learned was that photographing someone is never just about arranging a pose or capturing flattering light. The photoshoot becomes a conversation, a space where stories unfold in quiet layers. I was listening, I asked questions, not just to fill the silence, but to understand where they had come from, what they had walked through, what they hoped to see reflected back at them.

Some spoke easily, their laughter filling the room as they recounted milestones and triumphs. Others shared quieter, more fragile truths: the grief of loss, the courage it takes to start over, the complicated pride in having survived. Each session became part portrait, part storytelling, part gentle unravelling of who they were beneath the surface.

And while every narrative was singular, a powerful common thread began to emerge: women crave moments that are entirely for themselves — not as a luxury or indulgence, but as something essential.

portrait from 40 over 40 portrait photoshoot with Vilija Skubute/ Manchester

For many of the women, the session was the first time in years they had done something purely for themselves. Decades had been spent pouring energy into others — raising children, supporting partners, excelling in demanding careers, serving their communities. Their calendars were full, their identities often intertwined with the needs of those around them. Sitting in the makeup chair or stepping onto the backdrop felt almost foreign at first, as if pleasure and stillness required permission. But as the shoot unfolded, something shifted. They allowed themselves to pause, to soak in the care being offered, to enjoy a moment that asked nothing of them but presence. In that pause, you could see the joy return: a quiet reclaiming of their right to occupy space, to be admired, to delight in their own reflection.

Some arrived with heavier stories folded carefully into their hearts — grief after the loss of a loved one, the quiet battle of illness, the aftermath of separation or upheaval. They carried resilience in their posture, even when their voices trembled. For them, the portrait session became more than an afternoon in front of a lens; it was an act of defiance against the shadows of hardship. Every click of the shutter felt like a small ceremony, honouring the paths they had walked, the scars they bore, the strength they had gathered along the way. By the end, their images were not only beautiful photographs but also testaments: proof that they had endured, that they were still here, standing tall, ready to meet whatever came next with dignity and courage.

Portraits from 40 over 40 photoshoot with Vilija Skubute Photography

Others came seeking something subtler — a way back to themselves. They were in seasons of change: children grown and leaving home, careers shifting direction, relationships evolving, new beginnings looming just beyond the horizon. They spoke of wanting to recognise the woman they once were, or perhaps to discover a new version waiting to emerge. Within the studio walls, the camera became more than a tool; it became a mirror of possibility. As they moved, adjusted, laughed nervously and then freely, you could see self-assurance flicker and strengthen. The process helped them trace the contours of their own identity again, to hear their voice growing clearer, to trust that they still belonged fully in the story of their own lives.

And then there were the women who stepped into the studio for no other reason than to celebrate life itself. Some marked milestone birthdays — turning forty, fifty, sixty — moments that felt too significant to let slip quietly by. Others arrived buoyed by a hard-won success: a business finally thriving, a creative dream realised, a personal challenge overcome after years of persistence. And there were those who simply wanted to honour the season they found themselves in, without fanfare or justification — the calm after a storm, the quiet contentment of standing firmly in their own skin.

Portrait from 40 over 40 Portrait session with Vilija Skubute Photography/ manchester

Behind every image, whether born from healing, rediscovery, or sheer delight, there was a reason — often tender, sometimes bold, always deeply human. That, more than anything, struck me as the heart of this project. Portrait photography, I learned, is never just about producing beautiful pictures. It’s about holding space: creating a place where women can pause, exhale, and see themselves clearly, perhaps for the first time in years. It’s about witnessing their stories and reflecting them back with care, reminding them that they are worthy — not only of celebration, but of being truly seen.

This project began as an idea to showcase women over forty, but it has grown into something much more: a reminder that every woman deserves to be seen, honoured, and photographed not for who the world expects her to be, but for who she truly is. And that, I’ve learned, is the real power of a portrait.