By: Thrive Locally
Richardson Studio, a portrait photography studio in Bloomington, Indiana, has launched its first 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience, inviting women in their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond to join an inaugural portrait series celebrating their stories, individuality, and who they are today.
The studio is currently photographing the women who will make up its first 40 Over 40 volume. Each participant will have the opportunity to step in front of Michelle Richardson’s camera for a personalized portrait experience, share her story, and ultimately be celebrated alongside the other women in the collection at an exhibition gala.
For Richardson Studio owner and photographer Michelle Richardson, the project reflects a philosophy that has shaped her work behind the camera for years. Portrait photography can be more than documenting a milestone. It can be an opportunity to recognize and celebrate who someone has become.
Celebrating Women at 40 and Beyond
By the time a woman reaches 40, she may have spent decades building a career, raising a family, growing a business, navigating change, pursuing goals, caring for others, or reinventing herself entirely.
Yet women are often more accustomed to being the person taking the photograph, planning the family session, or supporting everyone around them than intentionally stepping in front of the camera themselves. Richardson Studio’s 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience gives women an opportunity to change that.
Rather than focusing on looking younger or turning back the clock, the experience celebrates women exactly where they are now. Each portrait session is an opportunity to document the confidence, personality, style, strength, and individuality that have developed through years of living.
That idea is central to Michelle Richardson’s approach to portrait photography. She wants the women she photographs to walk away with more than a beautiful portrait. She wants them to see themselves with renewed confidence and appreciation for who they are today.
Inside Richardson Studio’s 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience
For many women, stepping in front of a professional camera can bring immediate questions. What will I wear? How should I pose? What do I do with my hands? What if I’m not photogenic? At Richardson Studio, clients don’t have to figure those details out alone.
The studio’s portrait experiences focus on preparation and hands-on direction. Clients receive personalized photoshoot planning and wardrobe guidance before stepping in front of the camera. Professional hair and makeup create a polished look while still letting each woman feel like herself.
During the photoshoot, Richardson directs posing, expressions, body language, and movement while using the studio’s signature professional lighting to create a variety of finished portraits. The approach removes the pressure of knowing how to perform for a camera and gives each woman the freedom to enjoy being photographed.
Richardson Studio has refined this process through more than 20 years of portrait photography and 6,466 completed sessions with people of different personalities, comfort levels, ages, and reasons for wanting to be photographed.
The First 40 Over 40 Volume Is Now Underway
The launch marks the beginning of Richardson Studio’s inaugural 40 Over 40 volume, and the studio is now welcoming women who want to be part of the first collection.
Each participant brings her own personality, experiences, accomplishments, and story to the project. Together, their portraits will create a collection celebrating what it looks like to be a woman at 40, 50, 60, 70, and beyond.
For some participants, the experience may mark a personal or professional milestone. For others, there may be no major occasion at all. That is part of the point.
Women do not need to wait for a wedding, anniversary, graduation, business launch, or another traditional milestone to create a portrait of themselves. Reaching a point in life where they want to celebrate who they are can be reason enough.
More Than 20 Years Behind the Camera
The 40 Over 40 project builds on more than two decades of portrait photography at Richardson Studio. The Bloomington-based studio has completed more than 6,466 portrait sessions, earned more than 300 five-star reviews, and comes from three generations of professional photographers.
For Michelle Richardson, that experience goes beyond technical skill. Her ability to connect with the person in front of her camera and bring out her personality has become central to Richardson Studio’s approach to portraiture.
That experience now comes together in 40 Over 40, a project designed to celebrate each woman as an individual and create portraits that reflect who she is today.
Celebrating the Women Behind the Portraits
The first 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience will culminate in an exhibition gala celebrating the women who participated in the project.
The event will bring the portraits together in one exhibition, giving participants the opportunity to see their photographs displayed alongside the other women featured in the inaugural collection. More importantly, the evening will celebrate the stories behind the portraits and the experiences, accomplishments, and journeys that have shaped each woman.
For Michelle Richardson, the exhibition is an important part of the 40 Over 40 vision. The project is not only about what happens in front of the camera. It creates an opportunity for women to celebrate themselves, share their stories, and be recognized alongside a community of women doing the same.
The gala will mark the completion of Richardson Studio’s inaugural 40 Over 40 volume, bringing the women, their portraits, and their stories together for an evening dedicated to celebrating everyone who helped bring the first collection to life.
Women 40 and over who would like to be part of Richardson Studio’s inaugural 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience are invited to learn more and apply to participate by visiting the website.
