Doing Something for Yourself After 60: Encarna’s Photoshoot

This week, in honor of International Women’s Day, I wanted to shine a light on some of the incredible women I’ve had the privilege of photographing.

Today, I’d like to tell you about Encarna.

I met Encarna in Spain when she came to do a photoshoot with me.

A woman in her 60s, with a presence that immediately stands out: bold, wise and deeply authentic.

But behind that strength, there is also a powerful story.

For many years, Encarna lived through extremely difficult moments.

Her daughter suffered a serious accident at sea when a boat propeller struck her while she was swimming.
This led to many years of hospital visits, treatments, and recovery.

And throughout all of it, Encarna was there.

Present.
Strong.
Supporting her daughter through every stage of that long and painful journey.

When things finally began to settle and her daughter was doing better, life brought another difficult moment: her husband passed away.

For many years, Encarna had been focused on others: her daughter, her family, and navigating life’s challenges.

So one day, she decided to do something for herself.

Something she jokingly described as a little “selfish”.

She decided to do a photoshoot for herself.

And what a beautiful experience it was.

Encarna is a bold woman, full of wisdom and with a very strong personality.

One of the things that connects us is our shared fascination with scars.

For her, scars are not something to hide.

They tell a story.
They speak of survival, transformation and resilience.

In fact, she even wrote a fascinating academic thesis about scars.

During the photoshoot, I felt a quiet strength in her presence: a depth, but also an incredible sense of freedom.

She was finally allowing herself to take space.
To exist in the moment.
To do something just for her.

After the session, something truly beautiful happened.

Encarna loved the experience and her photos so much that she decided to gift a photoshoot to her daughter.

A very special session, because at that time her daughter was pregnant.

It became a moment filled with emotion, transmission and life.

Photographing women like Encarna reminds me why I love this work so much.

Because behind every portrait, there is a story.

A story of courage.
Of loss.
Of resilience.

And above all, a story of life.

If you’d like to learn more about Encarna, you can also watch the interview I did with her.

The interview is available on my website and on my YouTube channel.

Une conversation profonde et inspirante.

Encarna is an incredibly strong woman and I feel deeply honored to have been able to capture a part of her story.

Maybe one day you will also feel the desire to do something for yourself.

Many women believe that photoshoots are only for younger people.

But the truth is quite the opposite.

Every woman deserves to be celebrated at any age.

And often, the most powerful sessions happen when a woman finally decides to choose herself.

Who knows…

Maybe the next inspiring story I share here will be yours.