Photographer Anastasia Pottinger’s series Centenarians features exquisite black-and-white portraits of people who are over 100 years old. It all started when a 101-year-old woman offered to sit for her, with one caveat – she would do anything as long as she couldn’t be identified through the images. When Pottinger later reviewed the work, she knew that she had something special and it encouraged her to continue down this path.
We can see all of the brilliant details on these anonymous subjects’ bodies. Light and shadow work together to reveal every fold, wrinkle, and spot in Pottinger’s strategically-cropped images. The up-close view results in an nearly abstract appearance; as we admire the beautiful patterning and subtle lines within the composition, for a moment we forget that we’re looking at pictures of people.
These portraits might remind you of aging loved ones and how their bodies transform with time. They could also make you wonder about how you’ll look when you’re older. Either way, Centenarians is a moving series that nearly everyone can feel some sort of emotional connection to.
