Interview by Anna Robertson

We are enthralled with young, beautiful people in love, but you have dedicated your series to photographing the love that has aged as beautifully as the people who share it. Why did you choose to pursue this series?

Since working on Oblivious, which had an old couple as the protagonists of one of the project’s chapters, I kept noticing that magazines are only filled with images of young, beautiful, “perfect” people; and how those images of young people often have a sexual subtext, which isn’t the case in the representation of the elderly. But I find older people beautiful as well, and I felt the need to show it. I also wanted to show that they’re still capable of intimacy, passion, and desires.

Humans are so obsessed with stopping aging. The Global Anti-Aging Market was reported to be worth $250 billion and estimated to be worth $331 by 2021. How can we become less afraid of aging?

How I see it is that there is a lot of beauty in aging.

First of all, and it may sound old-fashioned, but wisdom comes with aging. Life experience gives you a deepening in your life and that gives you sincere happiness and intensity. Knowledge is power so you also feel stronger when you’re getting older. They do everything not to look older, which makes them think they can delay or stop the aging process. In the meantime, they cannot fully enjoy the beauty of aging, which is a very natural process. I always say I have a beautiful son (9 years old), I mean I pass on life! I think that’s the purpose of life, just look at nature.

These are intimate, beautiful images, and because of the nature of the series, they require a great deal of trust between your models and you. Did it take a long time before everyone was comfortable with you in their space?

It took me a while for me to find the people for my project. But then I told them how beautiful they are and I’m kind and patient to them. I ask them to trust me so I can tell this story. And I explained to them why I think this story is important to be told.

What was your favorite moment in working on this series?

I thought the best moment was when the model, half naked in front of the window with grey hair, saw herself on the laptop while shooting, and said she didn’t know she was so beautiful.

WCW Questionnaire:

Describe your creative process in one word.

Intentionality

If you could teach a one-hour class on anything, what would it be?

That you as a photographer have the means to communicate. That you have a voice, an independent voice and through visual stories you can talk about what matters. Maximize your inner thing, getting close to your subject, transcend the situations you’re in, isolating and distilling a certain reality. Photography is a means of communication, it’s a visual language. As a photographer, you’re editing life, editing is selecting reality. If you have a clear intention, then you have a clear execution. Photography is all about editing engagement. Photography is a verb, the process of engaging.

What was the last book you read or film you saw that inspired you?

De Lange Droogte (The Long Drought) from Cynan Jones

What is the most played song in your music library?

Max Richter “On the Nature of Daylight”

How do you take your coffee?

I drink thee (-: