These photos of couples married for more than 40 years capture the beauty of life long love.

Photographer Tracey Buyce’s mum died in 2007, less than four years later she lost her father. They had been married for 46 years.

The couple lost their 2-year-old son early in their married life and Buyce’s mother turned to alcohol to deal with the grief, but her husband stood by her.

Tracey’s parents on their wedding day.

“To me, loving someone is loving them through both the best and the worst of times, as well as being able to see the good in that person when they are unable to see it in themselves,” Buyce told the Huffington Post.

“The happy times are easy, it’s persevering through the challenging times that creates longevity and growth in a marriage.”

Read more: Marriage is f*cking hard work.

Inspired by her parents commitment, the New York-based photographer created a blog and asked people to nominate couples who had been married for more than 40 years, so that she could photograph them and find out secret to a lasting marriage.’

Martha and George, married 70 years.

“Marriage is complex, full of ups and downs and joys and sorrows,” she said. “Marriage is your own little universe that just the two of you create.”

Here are some of the beautiful photos she took:

50 years of marriage...

Norbert and Mary, married 71 years.

Norbert and Mary, married 71 years.

Norbert and Mary, married 71 years.

Norbert and Mary, married 71 years.

Martha and George, married 70 years.

Martha and George, married 70 years.

Martha and George, married 70 years.

Martha and George, married 70 years.

Gloria and Walter, married 65 years.

Gloria and Walter, married 65 years.

Henry and Jeanette, married 53 years.

Henry and Jeanette, married 53 years.

Russ and Elinor, married 63 years.

Russ and Elinor, married 63 years.

Russ and Elinor, married 63 years.