Photographer Takes 'Powerful' Goddess-Inspired Pictures of Women Over 70, Inspired by Her Late Grandmother (Exclusive)

"It’s transformed my life in ways I never expected," says photographer Ruby Jean

NEED TO KNOW

• Photographer Ruby Jean’s Goddess Project celebrates women over 70 with ethereal photo shoots inspired by her late grandmother
• The project offers scholarships and has gone viral, sparking conversations about representation and ageism
• Ruby says the experience has transformed her life and highlights the wisdom and resilience of older women

A photographer in Southern Maine is shining a new light on womanhood.

What began as a passion project during the COVID pandemic has become a viral sensation known as the Goddess Project, a photo shoot specifically for women over 70.

Ruby Jean, 32, went viral after uploading a TikTok video featuring shots from her grandma's 90th birthday photo shoot in which she was dressed ethereally in goddess-like costumes.

"She was someone who always had a really full calendar, lots of places to go and people to visit, and COVID really took all that away from her," Ruby exclusively tells PEOPLE. "She was stuck at home a lot. She also loved getting dressed up to go out to dinner or to usher shows at the university where she volunteered, and I could see how much the isolation was affecting her."

Having been a wedding photographer pre-COVID-19, Ruby now found herself with a lot of free time and a TikTok video that reached over 1 million views.

While it wasn't the first photo shoot she did with her grandma before her passing, it was that photo shoot that sparked a new passion in her.

With a clientele of all ages, Jean started getting more goddess-like costumes and reaching out to family and friends, especially older women.

To make the opportunity accessible to all, Jean offers a fundraising and brand partnership component that enables her to provide full and partial scholarships to her clients.

"I realized how much this meant to people to see this type of representation," she says. "Initially, that wasn't why I started doing it—I just thought it was fun. I was in my mid-20s and wasn't really thinking about the impact it would have on women all over the world."

"But people shared so much with me in comments and messages about how emotional the work made them feel and how much they loved seeing this kind of representation," she adds. "It really made me realize how powerful it was and gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and keep learning."

The idea even led to a gala, which she says has "been the most amazing experience of my life."

"There's such an ease about these women that surprised me a little," she says. "They have this air of not caring what anybody thinks, which is something amazing for all of us to look forward to. But they also have so much wisdom and so many stories."

"Many have been through things you can't even fathom, and they're still here laughing and sharing beautiful, positive stories about their lives," continues Ruby. "It's really wonderful to witness."

While she says that some women come in "feeling hesitant or nervous, while others need no reassurance at all," she says, "they always leave feeling like it was more fun than they imagined."

"I've been told they feel powerful and beautiful, and their families are usually overjoyed—not only seeing someone they love be pampered, but also having this physical heirloom to cherish for years to come," she says.

The Goddess Project has even inspired Ruby to take classes on ageism and to volunteer for a project where she provides free rides to older adults, taking them to and from their doctor's appointments.

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"It's transformed my life in ways I never expected," she says.

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