Christine Ansorge, Nonagenarian (Portrait 2020)

The elderly are often negatively stereotyped, especially in Western cultures. People who are over ninety years of age are often thought of as suffering from ill health, loneliness, dependency and poor physical and mental functioning. It is these stereotypes that play a powerful role in shaping how we think about and interact with the elderly, as well as how these people see themselves. By photographing nonagenarians it is my aim to challenge negative perceptions of ageing. The subjects you see are all independent, alert, healthy and active members of their community. Each portrait shows a life that has been fully lived while hands add narratives of their own telling of events, of work and of life. It is my hope that people will look at my portraits and view a glimpse of the rich life behind each pair of nonagenarian eyes.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.