Tauranga photographer Charmaine Marinkovich sets out to change stereotypes of womanhood in middle age with her 40 over 40 female portrait exhibition, where she challenges the idea that photos need to be Photoshopped or filtered in order for women to feel beautiful.
In her 30s Deb Griffiths worried about what others thought of her.
Sure, she had a great body, she says, but a photoshoot she commissioned photographer Charmaine Marinkovich to do was more for recognition.
"It certainly
wasn't about me embracing myself."
Fast-forward 10 years and she's been on a big growth journey.
It was the right time to have Marinkovich take her portrait again - but this time for different reasons - and a public exhibition.
Marinkovich is the award-winning portrait photographer behind 40 over 40, which first showed in the Bay of Plenty in 2020.
The second instalment to be held at Tauranga's The Art Lounge in November is a collection of "raw and real" female portraits of New Zealand women.
In the first exhibition, she allowed her subjects to choose their photo. This time she's surprising them.
Marinkovich has specialised in photographing women for nine years and is slowly moving away from Photoshop. This year's exhibition features none at all, other than a background tidy, and converting the images to black-and-white.
"It's letting go of perfection ... I want to see her eyes that tell a story.
"More than anything, I want [the women] to see themselves," she says, explaining that females are notoriously hard on themselves, especially when it comes to the disconcerting close-up.
"Being photographed is interesting because they can't see what I see.
It's like looking into a mirror with no reflection coming back to you," she says, explaining that a person's own perceived flaws might be beautiful to others.
"Using Photoshop to adjust a person never sat well with me. I want women to look at their portraits and know it's a true representation of who they are."
Griffiths, 43, from Mount Maunganui, says the adage "with age comes wisdom" is true, and this time she's embracing her imperfections.
"Sure, I may have noticed that I have big boobs or a little bit of a tummy bulge, but it's me at this moment, and that's what I want to capture."
When fellow women see the exhibition she hopes they see it as "a moment for women to shine in a safe space".
"Forty courageous women have stepped into their feminine energy, into their personal power."
A second chance
Participation by fellow exhibition model Bridget McKinley sees her celebrating a revival following several "life-changing events", including a skiing accident five years ago.
She was just getting back into dancing - a passion she'd put aside while raising her four sons - when she suffered five fractures to her tibia and crushed her tibial plateau while skiing at Cardrona in Wanaka.
She had to learn to walk again in the midst of four surgeries and an infection.
"It taught me a lot of resilience," she recalls.
She's since returned to performing arts - modelling and acting - and part of her photoshoot for the 40 over 40 exhibition was her moving in a skirt that billowed in the air.
Now 50, she's doing the things in life that bring her joy, saying that "life can change in an instant".
"It is a luxury getting older ... With the younger generation coming through with their social media and filters, this exhibition will show that you can still be beautiful, even with your wrinkles, marks, and scars."
Our organic self
Marinkovich's portraits are full of self-expression and movement. "Edgy, but classic."
Each photo includes a small blurb about the models, who self-referred to take part from throughout the country and were then given professional hair, makeup and wardrobe help at Marinkovich's home studio.
A former wedding photographer, the single mum of four trained in portraiture under renowned photographer Sue Bryce.
Occasionally people do find their photos confronting, she says.
"But I say 'if you look back 10 years ago, what do you think of yourself?' And they go 'actually, I look all right'. We know that, so let's keep embodying that acceptance."
Fellow international award-winning Bay of Plenty photographer Donna Beck, 52, agrees. One of her specialties is tasteful nude or semi-nude boudoir photos.
"For many women, it is often part of their self-care, self-love journey. The majority of my clients are aged 50-plus."
And forget the glamour shots of the 1990s, she says.
"Boudoir sessions are highly creative and artistic. Gone are the tacky days of feather boas, long gloves and rose petals on the bed."
Photos are a way for women to put their needs before everyone else's - aka "the burnt chop syndrome".
"Mum serves the family dinner and gives herself the burnt chop.
"When the kids have left home, we don't even know who we are anymore and we've always been 'Mum'.
"The experience I offer also helps to remind women that we are sensual and sexual."
"Our age means nothing," says Marinkovich.
"Do whatever it is you want to do. We talk about it a lot, but how many actually embrace it?"
# The 40 over 40 Portrait Exhibition is open to the public from November 5-10 at The Art Lounge NZ, 117 Willow St, Tauranga. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.
