The Luminaries Project

A portrait project that celebrates the achievements, wisdom and beauty of women over 40. This project features women who feel like they’ve lived many lives already and also like they’re just getting started.

Hi, I’m Dallas!

Hi! I’m Dallas. I recently entered my 40s and I’m seeking inspiration and role models for the next decade of my life.

As a photographer, I find exploring a question through my artistic practice can be transformational and healing.

I love to meet and learn from extraordinary women who are making change and inspiring others in our community. This project shines a light on these women through creative portrait photography.

Why Luminaries?

This project focuses on women who are illuminating the way for others.

Many annual roundups of people of note tend to be stuck at the intersection of achievement and youth. I’m interested in celebrating the contributions and ideas of people who have lived longer, have plentiful experiences to draw upon and perhaps even richer stories to share.

Because midlife is just the beginning.

Because your stories, your innovations, your activism, your artistry, your compassion and your humanity matter.

Feature on Global News

“Every once in a while, we learn about people who inspire us. A lot of the time, the focus is on young people who have achieved success early on. But a local photographer is looking to change that conversation with a new project. Dallas Curow joined Global News at Noon for more on her project 'The Luminaries.'"

Tell me more about the project!

The Luminaries Project is a portrait project featuring 40 women.

I’m in the process of photographing 40 charismatic, interesting, resilient women who have lived and work every damn day to light the way for others and create a brighter future.

These portraits are being shot at various locations, depending on the vision of each portrait and the person featured. Some will be shot in my own studio, while others may be done on-location in the city or even in your home.

The goals of this project:

  • To create a collection of exquisite portraits

  • To celebrate the lives lived by extraordinary women over 40

  • To challenge outdated societal preoccupation with youth

  • To combat misogynistic perceptions that women “age out” of certain professions

  • To champion the achievements of women in Canada and inspire our younger counterparts

Moodboard

Here is the moodboard I created to show you what’s inspiring the look and feel of this project.

  • Bright colours

  • Editorial aesthetic

  • Powerful vibe

Colour palette

This is the colour palette I will be incorporating into all the images for this project. Isn’t it fun?

We will bring in these colours through our use of locations, backdrops, styling, makeup and props.

Components

Each shoot will have several components:

  • 1-3 beautiful portraits of you, selected by me

  • Interview (10-20 questions, to be sent to you by email), excerpts of which will be featured on social media or my blog)

  • Behind the scenes videos of your shoot to be shared on social media and/or in a video about the project

Requirements

In order to join the project, each participant must be:

  • Available for a portrait session (approximately 60 minutes) to be scheduled at a mutually convenient time

  • Willing to sign a (very straightforward) contract that outlines the terms of the project

  • Willing to sign a model release for both photo and video

Nominate someone

Deliverables (what you’ll receive)

  • 30-60 minute session

  • Five beautiful portraits of you

  • Print release (so you can print and keep your portrait forever)

The end product

What is my goal for the end product of this project?

  • A cohesive body of work that celebrates amazing women with a diverse range of lived experiences

  • A series of social media posts: your portrait accompanied by your bio and choice snippets of our interview

  • A gallery show and perhaps even an opening party? A girl can dream, right?

  • Press coverage to help amplify the words and achievements of the participants and the message of the project

 FAQs

  • Absolutely not! I will guide you every step of the way.

  • Please do. Send me an email and tell me all about them! I’m trying to include a broad range of individuals in this project so I can’t guarantee I’ll include your friend/colleague, but in case they are a perfect fit, I would love to hear about why you think they are amazing.

  • Yes! Upon request, I will curate a proofing gallery of the best images from our shoot. You are welcome to select additional images and purchase them for a rate of $50 per image. I will then edit and retouch them and deliver them to you in a private gallery.

  • I will be your art director and take care of all the creative aspects of our shoot together. However, there may be some collaborative components, too. In most cases you will be bringing your own clothing, but I will help you select the best pieces for our working colour palette. I have a lot of locations in mind, but depending on the nature of your job, I may ask you to weight in on location options. I may ask you how comfortable you are doing your own hair and makeup, or recommend professionals if you’d like some support in that area. Basically, we’ll talk!

  • Emily Phung is the principal artist I am recommending for this project, as she is really familiar with the moodboard and vibe! If Emily is not available, I would highly recommend. If Emily is not available, I would recommend Astrid of Eclectica Beauty, or Kendra of Sero Beauty Co. or Janna of Behind the Blush.

  • Nope. This is a personal, creative project for me. I try to do one major project a year but this is by far the biggest and most exciting one I’ve done in my career. Creative projects keep me stimulated and fulfilled as an artist. They also give me an opportunity to do one of my favourite things: meet new people (like you!) You are generously giving me your time, which is precious. In exchange, I will give you a fun and easy experience during our shoot, and you will also receive 5 high resolution digital files of the imaged I select and edit for the project. As mentioned above, there is the option to purchase additional images if you’d like me to curate a proofing gallery for you to choose from.