http://threewinksstudio.com/category/celebrating-life/

This is a series of photos of SLC metro area residents, one for each year of age. As I scrolled through them, it struck me that many of them look older than their actual age, particularly those in their twenties and thirties.

Now, it could be just a quirk of the draw, or the way the photos are lit. It could have something to do with the smaller genetic pool in Utah. Maybe it's just my warped perception.

So, a poll: Do the people in the photos look their age? With your answer, please state whether you've lived in Utah most of your life or outside of Utah -- a local or non-local.

There were a few exceptions, like the 23 year old, but she turned out to be from Seattle, lol! In general I agree with you...

But I think they look a bit older because of the climate.

My 2 years younger sister moved to Utah after she got married. She rapidly began to look older than me. We all think it is the dry air, and I am still in PNW on the coast where it's just the right kind of humidity for me.
But then also, she has four kids, I have none, that'll age ya!
And she has always been thinner, so my skin is bit more padded. We've always had a 20-40lb difference, currently it's 20, and I'd love to keep it there.

My mother looks younger than all her sisters, and she's older than them. Mom has lived in Indiana since 1982, and they all stayed in Utah and Idaho.

I don't know if it's their Last Millennium clothing or what...

I agree that some of the 20-30-somethings look a bit ridden hard and put away wet, but I think the thing that makes almost all of them look "old" are their personal styles: definitely not au courant and when they're trying to be hipsters the look is **pushed** too hard to look sincerely their own, if you know what I mean.

Clue phone 1: goatees, Imperials, and three-days'-growth will not make you hip if you are a □.

Clue phone 2: wearing clothes designed to cover Magic Jesus Jammies will always make you look like you are wearing your grandmothers' hand-me-downs.

Yes, to me they look their age (but 21 and 37 looked older to me).

Lived in Utah most of my life and a little outside (currently live in Colorado and also lived in California and Massachusetts).

I have kids in their late-teens/early adulthood and teach (and have taught) with colleagues who are primarily in their 20s and 30s who are mostly from out-of-Utah. So according to my perception and experiences, I feel the people in these photos look their age.

Fun poll.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2012 11:44AM by toto.

Maybe a little more than half, and I didn't see any babyfaces over 20.

I've lived half my life in Utah and half in Colorado.

Hard to stay young looking when you are grandparents at age 40 lol.

Jumping into the mainstram of life too soon ages some Mormons.

A couple of years ago, a SLC columnist wrote an article complaining that, at age 43, she had taken a package to the post office in Salt Lake and the clerk asked if it were for her grandkids. She said "Only in Utah would a 43 year old be asked if she was mailing something to grandkids." Except ... from her photo in the column, she looked like she was about 53 - a reasonable age to be a grandparent. Now, granted, it might just have been a really bad photo but there might also be something to Utahns looking older than their age.

Was it Ann Cannon?

This may be a skewed sample, after all people who go out of their way to have studio photos taken are probably reasonably photogenic off the bat. When I see youngish families from Utah visiting in CA, the parents look older to me than their actual ages, I think partly because they began parenting too early. And sometimes because they have already gained too much weight vs. non-LDS peers. Overweight LDS couples who are late 20s to early 30s can look mid 40s to me.

Lived in UT for the past 15 of 50+ years. I think it was a mixture that you would find anywhere. Some people look WAY older than their age, some younger, and some pretty close to what you would guess.

The 21 year old looks late 30s
22 late 20s
24 looks older
27 looks younger
37 looks mid 50s- same with 42
50 looks younger

Most look "roughly" their age to me.

"37 looks mid 50s"

That's what I thought too! It's his completely-in-place hair; it screams 'I'm uptight' - just like Bednar's hair. Neat hair is a personal pet-peeve of mine. ;-)

However, when I isolate his hair and ugly tie out of the photo, he suddenly looks attractive to me, very attractive and he also looks his age. (It's the groomed hair that I dislike, not his age - 37 or 50s). He has very nice hands too... I wonder if he works out?... ok, I'll stop now. ;-)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/16/2012 12:39PM by spaghetti oh.

Garment friendly clothes.
Too short hair
Women having kids in late teens
Poor, 2 kids, and husband going to college and having 2 part time jobs.

That's a good recipe for looking a little shopworn.

The air quality on the Wasatch Front is terrible for skin- It can definitely age you if you don't take proper care of your skin.

Lol this is almost 3 years old now. I know this because I went to high school with the 29 (now 31) year old. I agree that most look older than their age, but deedee has hardly aged since high school! Yes she has aged, but not much!

Overall I think they look pretty good, but one thing I'm noticing is a lot of sun damage, particuarly in the eye area (crow's feet and sagging lids.) Fair Utahns need to ramp up the sunscreen use.

I say it's hard to judge what Utahn's of a particular age look like from one sample photo. I'm 51 and am regularly told I look early forties.

I hadn't thought of the weather influence...

when we first moved here I met a guy in his early 30s who looked nearly 50. Granted, he had 4 young kids running around him and screaming so it seemed about right.

I wonder if it's the lifestyle and what's acceptable too? i.e. I've seen women and men in their late 50s and 60s who look incredibly hot, but they also have a joie de vivre and an exuberance with life that encourages an active lifestyle, trying new healthy foods, etc...

I've also seen women and men in their mid-20s who look like they're waiting to die--completely checked out. So maybe that makes a difference?

I was thinking what you said.They were all nice looking people but their light was hidden.

In my personal experience, I think people generally tend to look older than they are if they have kids. The key to the fountain of youth is to never have children. haha.And that's why I think a lot of utahns look older.

I think mormonism encourages the young kids to dress like old people.

young girls with nice shapes wearing shapeless clothing down past their knees, long sleeves, and no make up, make them look old and dowdy.

young boys in white shirts, ties, suits. Casual wear is long baggy shorts and all with the same haircut. Emulating old men.

What a waste of youth.

Interesting project. I didn't feel inspired the way I think the photographer was hoping. I was too distracted by the wacky velvet chairs and plain clothes, and odd body language. I prefer black and white, especially to reveal character in people's faces.

That aside, I think the young ones look very aged. I don't know if its a coincidence, or just the pool of people she used. I did notice that many of them were her photographer friends, and spouses of photographer friends. I hate to be overly critical, because I like the idea of the project. She mentioned another "Utah co photographer", in particular, who has a similar successful project. This looks like a spinoff.

Ftr, I grew up in the 'Tah, and have been away for over 15 years.

I also think that her lighting was suspect. She could have used much more flattering lighting, but chose not to. She also could have lightly photoshopped the pics. I think she was going for a more "real" look. Hopefully her subjects like that look.