As we get older, many of us feel we become less visible or perhaps even invisible. No one notices us and we seem to make little impression upon those around us. Well, several photo projects and photographers are trying to change that, by making sure that modern older adults are seen with all their vitality and uniqueness, and underscoring the important wisdom that older adults can share as all the world’s populations are aging.

First, consider the 1 in 6 by 2030 project, a multi-year, international photography project undertaken by photographers around the world to document what life is like as a 72-year-old in today’s world. Recognizing that by the year 2030, one out of every 6 people around the world will be age 60 or older, this project aims to visualize what that means in this unprecedented moment in our history. The age of 72 was selected as the touchstone for these photos, as that is the median life expectancy around the world. Begun in 2023, the first batch of stories and photos has already been published, featuring men and women from the United States, Greece, Brazil, Morocco, the Netherlands, Uganda, Nigeria, and Taiwan. They are engaged in the mundane and the age-defying, breaching stereotypes and dispensing priceless wisdom along with their stunning photographic portraits. They’ve dealt with illness and lost loved ones, and yet persevere with a positive attitude for the most part. As one featured subject states proudly, “I just made 72. The wheels of time have changed most things. The one thing time has not touched is my capacity for life and living. At 72 I still feel alive in every sinew and bone within me.” To see and read more about these visually delightful portraits from seniors around the globe, look here and here.

French photographer Julie Glassberg has also made it her mission to document older adults who defy expectations and pursue dance and relationships in dance clubs in France. Combatting the stereotypes and invisibility that often plague the older members of society, she has set out to photographically document these socially engaged and engaging seniors as part of a larger project to uncover what is a mystery to many: what it’s like to be an older person in today’s world. You can read more about her photographic work here.

Finally, consider a recent photo op-ed from The New York Times. Part of a larger series entitled, “Can America Age Gracefully,” by The Times, this photo presentation, entitled “An Aging America Needs…To See and Be Seen,” focused on 13 renowned older photographers who were asked to visually show themselves and their work at their later stages of life. In particular, they were asked to photograph what in their lives makes them feel “seen.” Not only do they share beautiful photographs, but they also share the wisdom they’ve acquired as still working, creative members of society. As one states, “It’s easier to work with no fear — that is where I’m at right now in my 70s. I don’t care what anyone thinks, because I’m not after money, fame, or fortune. There’s no reason to be fearful of anything. When you can do that, great things happen.” Take a look at their photographs and their creative insights here.