It is an honor to serve as the awards juror for NCOA’s 2023 photography contest, Aging Well for All – Celebrating the Strength and Wisdom of Women. I found the awards process to be quite inspiring. As I spent time studying these images, I came to feel that I had become friends with a group of confident, caring individuals engaged in aging well.

The photographs were judged on both content and craft. I looked for images that tell a story and evoke an intellectual and emotional response from the viewer. The formal elements – composition, use of light and shadow, color and contrast, background/foreground/depth of field, tonal quality and sharpness of image were carefully evaluated. Creative use of these elements was also taken into consideration. There were additional photographs I wish I could have included in the awards.

Each award-winning photograph is visually compelling and draws the viewer into a narrative which is being depicted. The details of the stories being told remain a mystery to us, yet we are intrigued, curious and caught up in the imagined lives of the subjects. Whether they are interacting with family, friends and community, engaged in work, play or creative pursuits or immersed in the natural world, the subjects of these photographs seem to inhabit their own lives in an intentional and meaningful way. Indeed they continue to embrace their lives and contribute to their families and communities as they age.These photographs suggest to me that we are all connected in the Dance of Life as we pursue our goals toward aging well and endeavor to help others to age well.

Carol Lukitsch