PHOTOS: Men Over 50

Finding a theme that speaks to you personally and exploring it in depth can have rich results. We have previously featured Charles Thomas Rogers's series of men in jockey shorts. And you can see his monograph, Pause, a collection of images he made with one very inspiring model.

We recently discovered in a small corner of his web site another theme (obsession?) for Charlie: men over 50.

Click on the image below to see the portfolio of men over 50:

The Advocate: I love your dedication to plain, old school jockey shorts. Since you have
a special section on your site of men over 50, can we assume this is a category of special interest to you as well?
Charles Thomas Rogers: In a way, yes. It started as an openness to photographing guys who were not traditionally considered as obvious photographic subjects. I've always been drawn to older men, even in my friendships, so it was pretty predictable that I'd choose them as subjects as well. I like to photograph a man who looks like he's lived, and he can bring the story of his life, the hardships and triumphs, into my photos without my ever needing to know the specifics of his story. I devoted that section on my site to men over fifty because I don't think they get to see themselves in photos enough.

And how old are you, by the way?
I'm 42.

What can you tell us about shooting men over 50 that is different from younger guys, say in their 20s and 30s?
Older men are much more likely to know what their flaws are, which can be both a good and a bad thing for me.

How have you found your over 50 men? Or have they found you?
They find me the same way anyone else does: I post my work on the web and some people will follow me back to my website, or whatever social networking platform is easiest for them. I don't think there's quite the stigma about aging that there used to be -- I remember a friend talking to me about his "expiration date" -- but I do think that some older men feel safe contacting me because they've seen men their age in my images.

Are you looking for more men-over-50 models?
Always. The best way to contact me is probably to email me at charlie@charlesthomasrogers.com, though I'm also reachable on Facebook, @charlietography on Twitter and @charlierogers72 on Instagram.

See our previous Men Over 50 portfolios by Tommy+Allan:

Men Over 50

More Men Over 50