At Santa Clara City Hall, a collection of powerful, poignant photographs recently graced the walls. The “50 Over 50” exhibit, displayed during a special event on April 3, was the culmination of a visual project first envisioned by M&R Gallery of Photography, the St. George-based purveyors of fine art portraiture.
Owned by master photographers, Melody Averett and Rhonda Miller, M&R has offered a range of high-end photographic services—including the creation of portrait photos transformed into museum-quality painted canvases, evocative black and white photography, business headshots and “classic” photography—since 2008. While the pair usually focuses their lenses on families, couples, children, graduates and the like, in the new exhibit the photographers—both of whom are over 50—were compelled to shine a light on their peers.
“At one point we realized that older women were underserved,” Melody notes. “We tend to put ourselves on the back burner; to ‘hide’ behind our children, our families and our spouses. We create our purpose or intention by the achievements that are outside of us, not within us.”
With a goal of celebrating and empowering this demographic, M&R launched 50 Over 50 on their website, to immediate and overwhelming response. Participants were offered a package that included a preliminary consultation, a professional hair and makeup session, the photo shoot, the production of a fine art matted portrait—and, perhaps most importantly, the chance to be honored with their fellow subjects at the City Hall event.
In keeping with M&R’s business model, the photographers first held a “design session” with each woman wishing to be photographed. They asked questions about their lives, triumphs, challenges, passions, hobbies, families and more, honing in on the uniqueness of each.
Says Rhonda, “We wanted them on board as far as what they envisioned. We wanted to get them dreaming about what they’d like to see in their portraits.”
“We just let them dream,” Melody confirms. “We had women bring in musical instruments and pets; some who teach self-defense came in their gear. We really tried to capture what everyone was passionate about.”
Admittedly, the process of being transformed for—and sitting in front of—the camera can be intimidating. A few subjects were not used to wearing makeup or having their hair styled, circumstances that Melody and Rhonda handled with their usual aplomb and nurturing manner.
“One of the things we told our makeup artists and hair stylists was that they needed to listen to each woman about how she felt; to not do too much,” Rhonda says. “Then after the photo shoot, the most powerful part of the process was watching each woman view her photos for the first time. To see their expressions, and the tears flowing down their faces as they saw their portraits…it was amazing. Most of them had no idea how beautiful they truly are.”
Though the April exhibit was only in place for a single evening, the first 50 Over 50 project is now archived on the M&R Photography website. And if you ask the studio’s owners—both of whom have undergone the hair and makeup transformation prior to sitting for the cameras themselves—it will not be the last time they’ll highlight accomplished women in their prime.
“We’re actually starting our next 50 Over 50 now,” Rhonda reports. “There are so many amazing women in our community; they’ve just propelled us to keep going. We hope others will want to participate in the future.”
“When we first came up with this project,” Melody adds, “we thought it would be about us empowering women. But what we found is that the women have really empowered us.”
For more information about M&R Gallery and the 50 Over 50 project, visit mandrgallery.com.
" ...Most of them had no idea how beautiful they truly are.”
