Exactly Who We Are: The Portraiture of Jana Marcus

The Babblery

Exactly Who We Are: The Portraiture of Jana Marcus

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So what happens when a photographer, a mature woman herself, welcomes older women into her studio to get the full glamour treatment? In this episode, we explore how a session with Santa Cruz photographer Jana Marcus inspired and thrilled the women who took part. Even though beauty is supposed to be a superficial attribute, seeing themselves as beautiful, strong, and desirable had a deep and lasting effect on these women.

“When the photos were done, I just cried,” says Kimberly Blake Nixon. “I couldn’t believe how beautiful they look compared to how not very beautiful I felt at the time.”

Thanks to Jana Marcus as well as Kimberly Blake Nixon, Shannon Murray, Kristi Melani, Sharon DeJong, Gail Borkowski, Jacqueline Morgan, and Kimberly Scott for sharing their experiences.

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Listen in! [Click for transcription]

For more information:

40 Over 40 Portraits by Jana Marcus
Line of Blood by Jana Marcus
Transfigurations by Jana Marcus
“Transfigurations” Stanford University Lecture by Jana Marcus

About The Babblery:

The Babblery features conversations with and about women in the 21st century. In each episode, we explore how our physical and social gender informs our experiences at work, at home, and in the wider world. Rather than focusing on issues, we focus on lives: working, parenting, playing, voting, advocating, and creating as women. Visit The Babblery at https://babblery.com/. The Babblery is produced by Suki Wessling with support from KSQD.