40 Over 40 – “I Am”

March was Women’s History Month and I was able to celebrate with my photography exhibit – 40 Over 40 – “I Am” that was on display at the Hillside Square Gallery in Montclair, New Jersey.

The opening reception took place on Saturday, March 12th and despite the unexpected winter storm so many were able to join and celebrate life beyond 40.

Why I Created This Project – 40 Over 40 – “I Am”:

Once upon a time, I was an accountant with a creative soul working in corporate finance for twenty years. I took a leap of faith to follow my passion and now I have a contemporary portrait studio in Montclair, New Jersey.  Going into its fifth year of business, my studio has won Gold for Best Photographer for Best of Essex 2019 – 2021.  My studio also received silver merit, placing sixth with a portrait in the International Portrait Masters competition in 2021.  Whether for headshots, maternity, family, contemporary glam or boudoir, I love working with clients who feel they aren’t photogenic and creating legacy portraits and empowering experiences for them.   

In this exhibit – 40 Over 40 – “I Am” – forty women over the age of forty responded to my open project call.  They booked a portrait session with me and then allowed me to use a portrait for this exhibit.  They also share their stories and chose their portrait title “I am… ”.  Their involvement makes this project a beautiful collaboration celebrating all of our achievements, experiences, lessons learned etc.  I was 40 years old when I decided to become a full time entrepreneur and open my own photography studio.  Therefore, this is truly a passion and celebration project of mine.  Thank you to all the participants for trusting in me and joining me in sharing this incredible journey.  

“I am living life.”

To view a video of the opening reception please see below:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/J1OavI7TGj4

To see some of the portraits please go to my instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/celestinaando/