In photography, old is beautiful.
Now you probably thinking, “You’re just saying that because your old! We all know that people are most beautiful when they are young.” Yes, there is certainly beauty in youth. But I am talking about things: buildings, automobiles, furniture, objects like radios, clocks, etc. When I am out scouting for locations to shoot at, looking for backgrounds, or shopping for set decorations and props, old things are much better than new things.
For one thing, everything old develops a patina with age that is difficult to get without it just getting old by itself. Think of a copper roof that gets that green patina from oxidation. There is a certain beauty to the way things deteriorate. It is very organic. Like that photographer that photographs Abandoned Places.
Another possible explanation is that all of the old things we see are the survivors. See an old Victorian mansion on the corner. Architecturally superb and well constructed. But all houses built in the 1870s were not so nice. Lesser houses were torn down. An good example of survival of the fittest.
So how come there aren’t a bunch of old, over-the-hill supermodels strutting there stuff on the runways? That has more to do with marketing and target demographics than beauty. Young women spend most of the money on new clothes. Older women not so much. Most of the advertising you see is aimed at the youth market.
So here is my photography tip: search for old stuff. Find locations with old buildings. Scour flea markets and yard sales looking for old-fashioned dresses and “stuff” to fill your set with. Old can be from any period: the the 1930s, the 1950s or the 1980s. as long as it is at least 20 years old. The older the better.
