It's no secret that our society has some really messed up ideas about women and age. When 37 year-old Maggie Gyllenhaall is deemed "too old" to play the love interest of a 55 year-old man, you know there's some serious sexism and ageism at work.
Photographer Emily Stein is trying to change that. She met her 73-year-old neighbor Nora by chance while walking down the street, and made her star of her newest photography series. Called "Hello I'm Nora," the gorgeous photos aim to show the vibrantly different sides of Nora's personality — and confronting sexism and ageism while doing it. Check out some of the most gorgeous pictures below, and head to Stein's website for the rest!
Here's Nora, casually killing it in a bikini and flowered bathing cap.
#goals.
More into "Anna Karenina" glam? Here's a major snow queen look.
"I've grown up around very beautiful women who have no idea of their own beauty and are always being critical of themselves and trying to match up to the 'female ideals,'" Stein told DAZED. She hopes her photos of Nora will challenge — and expand — the traditional idea of beauty in our society.
Stein describes Nora as "an exceptionally beautiful woman who has no idea of her own beauty ... I am learning so much from her."
We want to learn how to set rollers like this.
And here's Nora posing in lingerie — because despite what people think, women can be in touch with their sexuality at any age.
Stein says she likes photographing subjects on both extremes of the age spectrum because she thinks the young and old have a similar "honesty and … openness to them — maybe the young haven't built up their barriers or become hardened to the world yet, and the old have learned to let things go and let their barriers down again."
But even thought Nora is exceptionally beautiful, she's been subject to a lot of the same insecurities as everyone else.
"She looks incredible and has had an amazing outlook on life," says Stein. "However, she has the same thoughts about herself as the rest of us: 'I've always been plain,' 'I am not photogenic at all.'"
"It would be a great thing if we could see more women modeling of all ages, so we all become more content with our bodies as they get older," says Stein.
We couldn't agree more. Because, of course, beauty has NO age limit.
h/t Self.
