Reader’s Note

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When I first picked up my camera for this project, I thought I was simply putting together a beautiful photo series of these 40 amazing women I knew and admired, who were absolute rockstars in their own ways. All I had to do was orchestrate a great photoshoot and compile the pictures into a book. But almost immediately, I found myself getting pulled into something deeper. The logistics alone were a full-time job. Juggling with calendars, scheduling all the shoots (40 of them!), mood-boarding, arranging hair and makeup, managing spreadsheets, phone calls..it was a lot.

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But then, the women started to arrive, and everything changed. They came with their stories, their histories, their heartbreaks and victories. Some I already knew. Others

took me by surprise. And just like that, all my anxieties melted away. This, right here, was why I had started the project in the first place. Not just to photograph women

over 40, but to show the world what strength, wisdom, and beauty really look like.

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But when it really took off, I lost someone I loved. My friend Julie, who stood by the idea of Sheroes, even before it was anything, passed away. I could not believe it. Just a few weeks earlier, I had photographed her for this very book. She was so excited about it that she wanted me to go all out with a big launch for this book. With her death, I lost the will to continue. It took me a lot of time and support from family and friends to return to it. So, I returned and decided to dedicate it to her.

 

This is a tribute. To Julie. To the women in these pages. To every woman who has ever been told her best years are behind her.

With love,

Ambika