Elderly?

Portrait: The Elderly

Tell the story of an elderly person through the power of your camera. Capture the lines of their life.

Such a wonderful subject, but I don’t know that I really know anyone who is elderly. I know what is meant by ‘elderly’, the stereotype, but nobody I know really qualifies. So, again, this challenge photo takes us back to Cornwall. This time to Trelissick House, near Truro, with its incredible view of the Fal Estuary. The house as it is today was begun in the 1750s and then enhanced by successive owners over the next 150 years. It was given to the National Trust in 1955, with the proviso that it remained the family home. In 2012, the family moved and National Trust took full possession. It is an incredible house that takes full advantage of every drop of sunlight.

This family was just entering the Conservatory from the terrace as I entered it from the sitting room. A son and his wife, with his mother. She’s probably in her late 70s. There’s a joy in her face that is hard to resist.

Her reaction to the room’s incredible light and grace speaks to who she is. I am so pleased she walked into my shot with her family.