100 years of life's happiness, captured in unique portraits that reflect an entire century. Photographer Karsten Thormaehlen has succeeded in creating a very special testimony to time with his project, for which he photographed centenarians all over the world. His portraits are sensitive, honest, aesthetic and at the same time so full of magic that they captivate and touch the viewer in equal measure. On the occasion of our 120th anniversary, Thormaehlen has continued his impressive series of portraits.
Thormaehlen's passion for portraits of the over-centenarians arose from his very first encounter with a centenarian for test shots on a freelance project in the summer of 2006. At the time, he was quite taken aback by how bright, hospitable and humorous the lady was despite being 102 years old.
A big challenge for him was to capture character traits - more inner values - with the camera. So that when you look at them, positive feelings arise, you remember your grandparents, for example. Characteristics such as elegance, style, sympathy, humour are ageless, but have to be translated pictorially. A smile is always and everywhere perceived as beautiful, no matter how aged the person it comes from.
