Two things people dread most – turning 40 and having their picture taken – converge in Forty@40. Conceived by Plano, Texas, photographer and artist Larry Lourcey, the project seeks to capture middle age at its most beautiful, bold, vulnerable, and creative.



Self-portraits – one per week -- interspersed with images of friends and acquaintances who turned 40 in 2009 – are published on the artist’s blog and Facebook page. The images are often humorous, sometimes poignant – always honest.



“When I turned 40 in March I figured I could either run and hide, or embrace it,” Lourcey said. “I’m a big fan of musician Ari Hest, who did a project where he recorded a new song every week for an entire year. I decided to take this concept and put a photographic spin on it.”



Lourcey’s self-portraits -- high art with a little middle-aged crazy thrown in -- showcase his skills as an artist and photographer, along with his sense of humor.