Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. —Winston Churchill
Five years can seem like a long time, but having the time to mature can make some things all the more beautiful
I sometimes joke that I know I’m getting old when the even the best scotch in the world is half my age. While that’s not entirely true on either end of the equation, there’s a point at which one no longer thinks that they’re improving with age. There’s no definitive point at which that occurs. Some start feeling old when they hit 30. Others still feel young at 70. Only you can determine how you are going to feel at any given stage of your life.
The kids were watching a cooking show recently wherein Bo Derek was a guest judge. Yes, the same Bo Derek that raised more than eye brows when she appeared in the 1979 movie 10 opposite Dudley Moore. The difference between her look then and now, more than 35 years later, was astonishing. Derek, who turns 60 later this year, had not bothered to attempt to conceal her age nor the marks of a lifetime of experience. She was still beautiful, but in a way defined by maturity.
Our model for this set of portraits, who I’ll simply refer to as K. in order to keep stalking to a minimum, hadn’t quite hit that 25-year-old mark when life led her to do other things. She changed occupations, had new experiences, and even attempted to settle down a bit. There were ups and there were downs and there were lessons learned that one would rather read about than experience. She comes back now, five years since she was last in front of the camera, more mature, wiser for the experience, and even more beautiful than before.  She’s sporting some amazing new ink on her back, and a revised attitude toward life. The difference is significant.
We have Owen Tate to thank for the take on K.’s hair and make-up, a slight revision from what he did for a contest last month. I found the violet color on her lips and the just-rolled-out-of-bed look to her hair a refreshing difference from her older pictures.
I don’t mean to imply that every young model should take five years off and mature. I’ve missed having K. in front of the camera and I can’t say that going through some of the same experiences would make as positive a difference as it did with K. Not everyone would necessarily survive. Yet, that five years’ difference is a positive for K. I’m hoping this set of portrats might prove inspirational for others we’ve not seen in a while to take a moment and try again.
Beauty doesn’t stop at any given age. Beauty grows with us if we let it. Don’t ever hide because of a few years difference. Embrace your beauty and enjoy.