Freya Najade

Thelma and Dennis. Palm Springs, California

Freya Najade (b. 1977, Germany) completed her Masters Degree December 2009 with distinction in documentary photography at the University of the Arts London (London College of Communication). She was a finalist for the 29th Annual Spring Photography Contest of the Photographer’s Forum Magazine, the AOP Student Award 2009 and the International Photography Awards (2008 and 2009). Publications of her work include BJP (British Journal of Photojournalism), Spam Magazine and Testcard. She currently lives and works in London

About the Photograph:

“Thelma and Dennis are both protagonists of my project ‘If you are lucky, you get old’. In this series I try to  show that old age is much more complex than commonly thought of. I got to know Thelma while at a dance in one of the senior centers in Palm Springs. She agreed to let me photograph her inside her home. In it she wears one of her favorite dresses for her children to remember her as a nice old lady. She truly taught me something about old age and love. Dennis who is in the other picture shows me his flight costume that he uses to fly kites. I particularly like this picture because Dennis looks so strong, excited but in the same time also vulnerable. All characteristics I associate with old age.”