A Million Dollar View

This ongoing project is an image series that carefully observes identity through photography. It is a portrait of a woman facing the consequences of aging who begins to redefine herself as a character beyond prejudices, in the presence of my camera lens.

Seeing a 'Million Dollar View' in the context of this years theme 'closer' - my photographs will contribute to the conversation of relationships, as the project has grown into being a careful observation beyond prejudices and stereo types.

This ongoing project is an image series that explores past lives and identity through photography. It is a portrait of a woman facing the consequences of aging who begins to redefine herself as a character in the presence of my camera lens.

Henny is her name. Well, actually, she was born Hendrika Catharina Louise. She also had a ”show name” for whenever she hosted fashion shows in her "fashion boutique". That was Juliette, because it sounded French and she liked that.

Henny lives on the 6th floor of a concrete apartment building by the sea. She lives alone with Bella, her dog – her husband passed away six years ago. Together, she and her husband had moved in because of the apartment’s ”million-dollar ocean view". They wanted to live high and feel free, she told me one afternoon while smoking a cigarette in her kitchen.

Henny’s late husband had worked as a portrait photographer and she as a fashion stylist.

From introducing me to this part of her life, Henny and I started to explore her surroundings and capture a piece of her fabulous past. We slowly, but steadily created a space that allowed us to evolve her as a character by styling her in her old fashion pieces and embracing her perception of herself. With Henny in the role of the stylist/model and me as the photographer – a dynamic reminding her of her late husband, Peter – the photoshoots became playful explorations of their shared past.

During this time Henny has become independent; living alone without her husband - and in some ways she has also become independent of me.

Henny is suddenly finding herself in love again. Unexpectedly a young man has entered her life and she is secretly fantasizing about marrying him one day. (This being the first out of three marriages actually wearing a white dress). Her new love is moving in with her and filling out this unusual space that I have passionately maintained for almost five years.

"At my age I never expected this new chapter in my life. In my mind my story was already done and I was okay with that" Henny said to me last week.

I will continue to look closer and explore the story of Henny as she enters the new chapter of her life.