MICHELLE HYSLOP
FIGHTING THE SIGNS OF AGEING
We often hear phrases such as ‘fight the signs of ageing’ in marketing campaigns. These damaging phrases evoke the idea that women are to continuously be at war with themselves and must fight against the natural ageing process. It’s disappointing that creating self-doubt is still such an overused marketing tool.
I’m aiming to challenge the status quo of how we often see older women portrayed. At first glance this image may look polished, however, on closer inspection you see skin spots, wrinkles, and laugh lines - all signs of being alive and having lived.
Referencing colours of war with a steel blue background and bathing this woman in primary red light represents strength, power and confidence. She is not fading into the background.
ABOUT MICHELLE
As a photographer with more than 15 years of experience, I understand the challenge of each photoshoot is to capture beautiful imagery while conveying the meaningful message behind it. This is illustrated in my work which focuses on people in various styles from photojournalism to studio lit portraits.
My work has featured in many New Zealand publications and I enjoy working with people and businesses to develop photographic solutions specific to their requirements.
My business ethos stems from my social and environmental sustainability values of minimising our impact on the environment and playing a part in positively influencing our local community. The kauri dieback project was a way of using my skills to share information and amplify the voices and stories of people affected. The purpose was to help the public gain a better understanding of what is at stake.