Ted is one of the first people that I photographed for Tender Souls. 

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The photos I took here include the time I spent with him in his temporary soap production studio (also known as his apartment), and his transition to an art studio which now serves as his full time workspace for the production of his soap line. 

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The more you get to know Ted the more you realize how many different lives he’s lived. He leaves himself open for the next "wow moment", the moments that give him life. You can see "the wow" on his face as he’s telling you about his travels and many different career paths he’s taken. Originally from New York, Ted has served our country in the military, practiced massage therapy, taught meditation on the side, and now is the proud business owner of a hand made soap line.

 

“I woke up one day and I realized that I'm 66 years older. Not old but older. I never want to get old.”

 

Ted lives his life looking for his next wow moment. He lives in the present, constantly redefining himself and along the way helping those he runs into. He may donate 60 bars of soap to people in need, teach someone how to center themselves in meditation, or educate a neighborhood drug dealer about the health consequences of substance abuse. Ted shows us all what getting older can look like if you focus on the present.