Inside the Empowering Factory Photography 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience, Where Women Over 40 Become the Main Character Again
Karen Russell, Harmony Lopez, Ariel Lopez, Audra Watt, Goldy Locks, Shannon O’Neil, Alex Holli, Carmen Bohoy, Missy Lavieri, Anna Marie, Nikki Anderson, Carol F Loveridge, Markey Blue, Teresa Crosslin, Shelia Phillips, Lisa Waterson, Vicky Whitefield, Shannon Harris, Paula Slow, Gina Hughes, Diana Weisman.
There was a certain kind of magic in the air on Wednesday, April 29, in Old Hickory, Tennessee. You could feel it the second guests pulled onto the grounds of Tremont Mansion. Maybe it was because this night had been nearly a year and a half in the making. Maybe it was because forty women from all over the world had traveled to be there, coming from Spain, France, Minnesota, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, and beyond. Or maybe it was because everyone in attendance understood they were walking into something much bigger than a gala. This was a celebration of survival. Reinvention. Beauty. Legacy. And women are finally deciding it was their turn.
Many of these women first discovered the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience after seeing the first gala explode in such a powerful way. They watched women their own age being celebrated in a world that often seems obsessed with youth, filters, and twenty-something influencers. In a culture constantly pushing the next Kylie Jenner or Kim Kardashian headline, these women saw something refreshingly different: real women with real stories being elevated in a massive way. Women with battle scars. Women who had actually lived life. Women who had something meaningful to say.
And for one full day, that spotlight belonged entirely to them.
The experience begins long before anyone steps in front of the camera. Each woman reserves an entire day devoted solely to herself, something many admit they’ve never done before. They arrive at The Factory Photography by Goldy Locks and are immediately immersed in what many call “the best day ever.” Professional hair and makeup begins the transformation process. Wardrobe consultations help them style what they’ve brought from home. Then comes the famous stroll through Goldy’s Dream Closet, filled with gowns, jackets, accessories, hats, shoes, and statement pieces that can be mixed with their own wardrobe to create something uniquely personal.
Then the music starts.
Favorite songs fill the room. Drinks are poured. Stories begin flowing. Women laugh. They cry. They revisit old memories. They process heartbreak. They celebrate wins. They dream about the future. It becomes equal parts therapy session, celebration, girls trip, and Hollywood production set.
And the stories walking through those doors are profound.
There were women currently undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments who wanted to document their strength before their next chapter. Women who had recently escaped domestic violence situations and were finally breathing freely again. Empty nesters rediscovering themselves after decades of raising children. Women who had lost 30, 40, even 100 pounds and wanted to celebrate their commitment to healthier lives. Realtors. Nurses. Doctors. Homemakers. Plumbers. Nail technicians. Accountants. Bookkeepers. House cleaners. Entrepreneurs. Every race. Every religion. Every background. Every story mattered here.
And that mission feels deeply personal for Goldy Locks.
Long before she became known as a photographer, television personality, rock frontwoman, and professional wrestling personality, Goldy was a child model at just three years old. As she got older, she began recognizing dangerous behavior in the modeling world from predators and told her father she refused to return to one particular photographer because something felt wrong. Instead of forcing her back, her fmother took her to a thrift store where they purchased an old 35mm camera that would unknowingly alter the course of her life forever.
She began photographing everyone she could, cheerleaders, athletes, dancers, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, quinceañeras, family celebrations. Years later she would find herself at Paisley Park Records, initially digging through discarded scraps of fabric for costume design inspiration before an unexpected arrest somehow turned into a full-time opportunity creating costumes and photographing rising artists connected to the Minneapolis music scene and Prince’s creative world.
Then came Los Angeles.
Goldy built a studio photographing celebrities, red carpets, movie stars, and Hollywood elite. Then professional wrestling found her, and once again she lived both in front of and behind the camera, creating ring gear, sewing entrance jackets, and photographing stars from WWE, WCW, and TNA Wrestling.
That entire lifetime of experience is what women receive when they walk through the doors of her studio.
Goldy teaches women how to pose, how to feel comfortable, and how to own the room. She reminds them that they are the star of their own story. Some want visible scars edited out. Others want every scar visible because it tells the truth of what they survived.
Many women bring parents for legacy portraits. Others bring children. Some bring spouses. Some bring best friends. Some bring beloved pets because family comes in many forms. There’s even been a python, a kangaroo, and a baby lynx, though Goldy jokes the lynx left her with battle scars of her own after learning exotic cats do not have the same claws as house cats.
Then came gala night.
As piano music floated through the historic Tremont Mansion, women who had never met embraced like lifelong friends. They hugged, cried, laughed, networked, and bonded over shared experiences of motherhood, divorce, toxic relationships, career reinvention, grief, and triumph.
Missy Lavieri, Goldy Locks, Joseph Knight, Melissa Drew, Gail
The venue itself became part of the story. Owned by Alex Hollis and Shannon O’Neil, Tremont Mansion is one of Tennessee’s most versatile hidden gems. The historic estate hosts everything from weddings and corporate retreats to celebrations of life, movie nights, luxury events, murder mystery experiences, and large-scale productions. With its sweeping staircases, chandeliers, lush grounds, carriage house, and historic charm tied to the era of Andrew Jackson, it feels like stepping into a movie set. And fittingly, guests stayed so long that Alex and Shannon graciously allowed the evening to run well over schedule because nobody wanted to leave. Women sat tucked into the atrium sharing meals, telling stories, building friendships, and Goldy reportedly had to ask guests multiple times to head home. A week later, several women unexpectedly reunited at the Kentucky Derby and sent Goldy photos of their reunion, proof again that this had become far more than a photoshoot.
Historic Treemont Mansion owners Shannon O’Neil & Alex Hollis
One of the evening’s most unique elements replaced traditional gala excess with something far more meaningful. Instead of overspending on elaborate catering, each woman was asked to bring a favorite dish beautifully presented on a white plate, bowl, or platter, complete with garnishes and family flair. These recipes were professionally photographed for 40 Over 40 Fabulous Fare, a new print-on-demand magazine featuring personal stories and cherished recipes. Proceeds from the publication benefit YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, along with proceeds from gala ticket sales and portrait purchases.
Gina Hughes, Goldy Locks, Carmen BoHoYo, Markey Blue, Audra Watt, Carol Loveridge
That partnership matters deeply to Goldy because she has seen firsthand what the YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee does for women rebuilding after domestic violence. The organization helps provide housing, job resources, stability, and a safe place to land when life completely falls apart.
Karen Russell, Goldy Locks, Diana Weisma, Shannon Harris, Shelia Phillips
And perhaps one of the most empowering moments happens after the formal portraits are complete.
Goldy often looks at women after hours of shooting and jokingly says, “Baby… take it off.”
What follows are tasteful boudoir and artistic nude portraits that many women never imagined themselves doing, but almost always say yes to. Not for a husband. Not for a partner. Not for anyone else. For themselves.
One of the most memorable stories to emerge from the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience belongs to Karen Russell, a woman Goldy describes as elegance, faith, strength, and fearlessness wrapped into one human being. Karen has earned more pageant titles later in life than most people could count, proving that confidence and reinvention don’t come with an expiration date. Before her session, she and Goldy had a heartfelt phone conversation about doing intimate portraits, and what made the conversation so powerful was Karen’s intention behind it. These photographs weren’t for a husband, a boyfriend, or anyone else’s validation, they were entirely for her. Goldy laughs as she recalls thinking how beautifully layered Karen is, noting that this is a woman who proudly has the words “prayer” and “God” in her email address, yet fully embraces celebrating herself in a tasteful, artistic way. It became an important reminder that faith, femininity, sensuality, and self-love do not have to exist in separate lanes. Karen, now 67 and absolutely radiant, said it best: “I’m single, 67, and I did that picture for myself… lol. Not a husband or a lover. I thought it spoke about being beautiful and not something I had to be ashamed of.” With her signature raven-black hair cascading perfectly around her face and a warmth that immediately puts people at ease, Karen radiates the kind of beauty that can only come from experience. She left Goldy with words that perfectly embody the spirit of the entire movement: “Life is about choices, and sometimes we only have the choice of being strong. My favorite coping mechanism is empowering women.”
Goddess Karen Russel – Faith. Strength. Beauty. Unapologetically Hers.
That spirit is exactly what this movement represents.
Women posting their portraits online. Updating professional branding photos. Launching businesses. Writing books. Appearing on billboards. Starting modeling careers after 40. Reintroducing themselves to the world.
Nikki Anderson, Goldy Locks, Anna Marie, Paula Slow, Lisa Watterso, Teresa Crosslin
Goldy often says she feels like she gains new best friends every week. After difficult experiences with female friendships growing up, she calls this chapter a healing one, proof that women supporting women can be extraordinarily powerful.
James & LeeAnn Crabtree, Karen Russell, Goldy Locks
And as the final guests lingered beneath the chandeliers of Tremont Mansion, heels in hand, mascara slightly smudged from happy tears, exchanging phone numbers, recipes, business cards, and promises to see each other again, it became clear this was never simply about beautiful photographs on mansion walls. It was about giving women permission to take up space in a world that often tells them to shrink. It was about documenting survival, celebrating reinvention, and proving that life after 40 is not a quiet fade into the background, it can be the most vibrant, daring, sensual, successful, and deeply meaningful chapter yet. In Goldy Locks’ world, women are not aging out of relevance; they’re stepping fully into their power. And judging by the women who traveled across the globe to be part of this movement, the world is finally starting to pay attention.
At its core, the 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience is simple.
It creates a day on the calendar that belongs entirely to you.
No children. No work obligations. No partners. No distractions.
Just you.
And sometimes that alone changes everything.
__________________
My website: www.TheFactoryPhotography.com
How to book a 40 Over 40 Portrait Experience: