WISE: the photography project honouring our elders
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It began as a simple thought: what are we doing to remember and celebrate our elders?
And then it grew: what could we do to honour our elders, the mark they’ve left on the world and our lives?
That’s how WISE, a new photography project from Heartstory’s Jeremy Byrnes was born – and now, he’s on a mission.
Aiming to capture the wisdom and character of at least 50 members of Canberra’s older generation, Jeremy and the Heartstory team have launched WISE with the hope of holding a special exhibition and book to share the photographs and stories of the people behind the lens in September 2025.
Hoping that the exhibition and book will act as a time capsule for a generation he says “is being fast forgotten”, Jeremy’s passion project is all about paying tribute to the legacy of the older generations.
“I love photographing older people. They have a different sense of value about life,” he says.
“I think a lot of people don’t realise that our older generation has this wealth of information and history that I think is worth celebrating and sharing with the world.”
Calling for Canberrans in their 60s and beyond to sit for a special photography session, for an hour Jeremy (a national award-winning portrait photographer) will photograph and talk to participants as he gets to know them in a space of their choosing.
Explaining that he wants to leave the session open and flexible to cater to their suitability, during the portrait session he’ll also be recording a short interview with the participants, which he plans to play on a loop during the exhibition.
“I think having that space to just talk with them, find out who they are, and photograph them in a space that they’re comfortable with is important,” he says.
“I’m also interviewing them and asking them a couple of questions that can add another layer to a still image because the sound of old people’s voices just warms my heart so much.”
Asking questions like what they’re most proud of so far, what advice they would give their teenage self, and how they would like to be remembered, Jeremy admits in the sessions he’s already done, he’s teared up a few times.
Stressing the importance of sharing stories and knowledge between generations, he’s most excited to meet some new people and find out what makes them tick.
“If this became my thing, where I just photographed oldies, that would be amazing. I’m always looking for that richness when I’m photographing. I want that tapestry, and I want to connect to my photographs because that’s what makes it important and feel special to me,” he says.
“I always want it to be fresh. I always want it to be new. And that’s what makes taking photographs really special, fun and important.”
Jeremy is looking for a diversity of ages, backgrounds, and genders for the project, and encourages couples and individuals who like the idea of telling their stories and having their portraits taken to apply.
You can also apply for your family members (with their permission) and you’re welcome to take advantage of the opportunity and join in with the shoot.
And while there’s a cost for the portrait session, $100 seems a small price to pay to see a portrait featured in the WISE exhibition, and the opportunity to take home a signed photographic exhibition print to keep.
And if it goes well, Jeremy hopes to do it all again in the future.
“The older generation has this lifetime of history and knowledge and accumulation of experiences that is just this amazing tapestry of what makes them who they are,” he says.
“I wanted to do a project that’s solely focused on that and have an exhibition to celebrate that.”
For more information, visit heartstoryphotography.com.au/wise
