My Third Round of Modeling Digitals: This Time, I Added Swim!

I am so excited to finally get a chance to share my newest modeling digitals with you! This is now my third round of digitals, and what feels different this time around is how much more confident I am becoming with the entire process.

A lot of that confidence has come from the discussions and learning opportunities I’ve had through Model Hack. If you aren’t familiar, Model Hack is an online community for models to learn more about the industry, connect with other models, and take part in Zoom calls, workshops, and classes designed to help us grow and strengthen our skills.

I had been messaging back and forth with photographer Sylvia Binder for a while before I finally committed to booking a shoot with her. Even though I had photographers closer to me, I decided to make the drive down to San Diego. This time, I knew I wanted to include swim digitals, which felt like a pretty big step for me! I felt that working with another woman would help me feel more at ease, especially for the swim portion of the shoot. Sylvia assured me that she would guide me through the process, help me feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera, and make sure we captured the images my agency needed.

When I look back at where I was when I started this journey last summer and where I am now, the growth feels pretty remarkable. If you’re new here—or you’ve been following along and want to revisit where it all began—I invite you to read my earlier post, My Dreams Are Coming True! I’m Officially Signed With a Modeling Agency, where I shared all of the excitement of signing with my current modeling agency.

You can also look back at My First Modeling Digitals: How I Prepared and What I Learned, where I shared my very first set of digitals, how I prepared for the shoot, and what I learned from the experience. It’s really fun for me to look back at those images now and see my progression from that first round of digitals to where I am today!

I decided it was time for another round of new digitals because I felt really empowered after learning more about the little details I could improve. I now have a much better understanding of the different elements that come together to create strong modeling digitals. Choosing simple clothing that complements your figure is important, as is understanding how to pose and move your body naturally. Facial expressions matter, too! Even details like keeping your makeup fresh and natural and styling your hair in a way that complements your face can make a difference. I definitely felt more prepared and comfortable going into this shoot knowing what I wanted to accomplish.

It was so much fun working with Sylvia! She immediately made me feel good in front of the camera and was hyping me up throughout the shoot. When I shared that I was 49 years old, she even asked me what my secrets were to looking as good as I do—which, of course, made me feel amazing!

Her San Diego studio was beautiful, located on the top floor of an incredible building with huge windows that allowed tons of natural light to flood into the space. It was also right next to the baseball stadium, which made the location even more memorable. Most importantly, Sylvia made me feel incredibly comfortable. She gave me the freedom to naturally move through my poses while also stepping in to direct me when needed, which helped make sure we captured the variety of poses and images I needed for my new digitals.

Now for the fun part! Actually, this entire process is fun, but clothing and accessories just make me so happy! My goal for modeling digitals is to keep the look simple so that my natural proportions stand out and my hair and overall look are clearly visible. I found my fitted black top at Free People. Their Tempo Ruched UV Protection Tee was a must-have for my closet because it is lightweight, fitted, and so cute with the ruching detail at the bustline. Gap never disappoints when it comes to great basics, and I found the perfect pair of black fitted jeans in a petite size. The High Rise True Skinny Jeans come in regular, tall, and petite, and I love how the silhouette makes me look taller—even at 5’4″! The solid black color was exactly what I wanted for my digitals.

For my heels, I wanted something simple but still with a little style. The coaches at Model Hack recommend a closed-toe heel to help elongate your overall look, so these Bow-Detail Slingback Pointed-Toe Stiletto Pumps from Amazon were a winner! They come in so many different colors and textures, and I can’t get over how cute the bow detail is. For a little subtle bling, I wore my favorite Petite Diamond Huggie Hoop Earrings in 14k Yellow Gold from Blue Nile.

For my hair, I decided on a middle part to create more symmetry around my face. And, of course, with all of these curls, a good leave-in conditioner, curl cream, hair gel, and hair oil are must-haves for getting my curls ready for the camera! I used Amika Hydro Rush Intense Moisture Leave-In Conditioner, OCOA Hydrating Curl Cream, Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Anti-Frizz Strong Hold Hair Gel, and Innersense Organic Beauty I Create Shine Glossing Serum Hair Oil to prep and style my curls for my digitals.

SHOP MY MODELING DIGITALS LOOK

What I loved most about this round of modeling digitals is how much more comfortable and at ease I felt with myself. The first two times, I was petrified and so nervous! I am a big believer that practice makes perfect, and each experience in front of the camera has helped me become a little more confident.

It also made a difference for me personally to have a female photographer behind the lens. Being relatively new to modeling and knowing that I would also be shooting swim, I simply felt more at ease working with another woman. Sylvia has a lot of experience working with models, including photographing for New York Fashion Week, so she understands movement, angles, and what looks good on camera. As I mentioned earlier, she gave me such encouraging and helpful direction throughout our shoot, and I felt completely supported by her.

This time, I also didn’t focus so much on trying to “pose like a model.” Instead, I allowed myself to move naturally and let the camera capture more of my essence and energy. I think Sylvia did such a beautiful job of bringing that out of me, and that may be what I love most about these images.

And This Time… I Added Swim!

I really felt that it was time to expand my modeling experience, and adding swim digitals was the answer to that! At 49 years old, I also felt that it was important for me to celebrate the body that I am in right now… scars, stretch marks, loose skin and all.

For those of you who may be new here, I am a mom of three amazing kids. My body has carried and given birth to three children, and with my first pregnancy, I gained more than 60 pounds. My body has changed many times throughout the different stages of my life, but the last few years in particular have given me an entirely new appreciation for everything it has been through.

I recently had my breast implants removed after experiencing symptoms that I believed were related to breast implant illness. I shared much more about that experience in my blog post, What to Expect After Breast Explant Surgery: My Journey. I feel so incredibly much better today, but that experience also left me with scars and those scars are now part of my body and my story.

Before that, I went through another frightening experience with a very large ovarian cyst that required surgery. I had the cyst and my left ovary removed, along with both fallopian tubes. I shared more about that experience on YouTube in My Ovarian Cyst Surgery: Part 1 – Laparoscopic Surgery Experience. I also have a scar from a previous appendix removal. Needless to say, this body has been through a lot!

And that doesn’t even include navigating the ups and downs of perimenopause and learning how to take care of my changing hormonal health with HRT. I know there are so many other women going through this stage of life who may be experiencing some of the same changes and trying to figure it all out, too. If that sounds familiar, I invite you to watch my YouTube video, HRT for Perimenopause: How Progesterone Affects Your Body, where I share more about my personal experience with HRT and perimenopause.

So, what I am really trying to say is that showing up in front of a camera in a black bikini at this stage of my life was terrifying!

But that was also exactly why I wanted to do it.

I wanted to take another step forward in my modeling journey and push myself outside of my comfort zone. What started as an opportunity to expand my modeling portfolio became something much more personal. This part of the photoshoot felt like an opportunity to honor my body for everything it has been through, everything it has created, and everything it continues to do for me and to simply love it as it is today.

In many ways, the swim portion of this shoot was more for me than anything else. It was about learning to embrace myself instead of focusing on every scar, stretch mark, or area that doesn’t look the way I think it “should.” I wanted to stand in front of that camera as the woman I am today and allow myself to feel beautiful, strong, and confident without waiting for my body to somehow be different first.

I think as women, this is something so many of us can learn to do a little better: give ourselves more grace, honor everything our bodies have carried us through, and practice more self-love.

So yes, these are my new swim modeling digitals but to me, these photos represent so much more than that.

What I Wore + How I Prepared for My Swim Digitals

What is really interesting is that after ordering and trying on more than six different black swimsuits from Amazon, I ended up choosing a black bikini set that I have owned and loved for years—which, interestingly enough, I originally bought from Amazon, too! Sometimes what you already know you feel good in ends up being the perfect choice.

Going with black for modeling swim digitals was a no-brainer for me. It’s an industry standard for a reason: black is clean and simple and allows your body to be the focal point of the images. I wore this black bikini top from Amazon with these black bikini bottoms from Amazon, and I felt comfortable and confident in a swimsuit I already knew fit my body well.

I also experimented with posing both barefoot and in heels. When it came time to choose my final images, I ultimately preferred the photographs with heels. As Sylvia pointed out, wearing heels can help with posture and create more length through the legs. I chose a pair with a minimal clear-strap design that visually elongates my legs without distracting from the overall look—and they are so cute and comfortable, too! Check out Mix No. 6 Liliete Sandal in nude; you will love them!

There was also quite a bit of preparation that went into feeling camera-ready in a bikini. I shaved my legs and underarms, exfoliated a day or so beforehand, and made an extra effort to apply hydrating body lotion twice a day leading up to the shoot. Well, I actually do this most days of the week, and it has been a self-care practice I started a couple of years ago. I love using Hempz Original Herbal Moisturizing Body Lotion because it helps to condition the skin with pure hemp seed oil. I also chose not to do a heavy workout the day before because I didn’t want to feel inflamed or overly sore, and I stayed out of the sun so that my skin tone would look as even as possible.

For the finer hairs around my upper thigh area, I used Nair Shower Cream, Hair Removal Cream with Moroccan Argan Oil for Body because I really didn’t want to shave that area. I also scheduled a bikini wax at European Wax Center several days before the shoot so I could look and, more importantly, feel my best. Finally, I had my fingernails and toenails painted in a neutral shade so they wouldn’t be distracting in the photographs.

All of these little details helped me walk into the studio feeling prepared so that once I was in front of the camera, I could stop worrying about the little things and focus on simply being present.

SHOP MY MODELING SWIM LOOK

More Than Just New Modeling Digitals

Well, I definitely didn’t anticipate this blog post being this long! My intention when I sat down to write it was simply to share my newest modeling digitals with you. But as I continued writing, I found myself uncovering so many feelings about this experience and realizing just how transformative this journey has been for me.

Yes, I am learning how to pose better. I am learning about movement, facial expressions, clothing, angles, lighting, and all of the little things that go into becoming a stronger model. But perhaps the biggest lesson I am learning has nothing to do with what happens in front of the camera.

The real growth truly happens inside of us.

For me, these photographs represent becoming more comfortable with who I am, embracing the body I have today, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, and continuing to pursue something that brings me so much joy. I don’t know exactly where this modeling journey will take me, but I am proud of myself for continuing to show up, learn, grow, and do things that scare me.

Thank you so much for following along on this journey with me! If you have any questions about modeling digitals, or if any part of my story resonated with you, I would love for you to leave me a comment below.

XOXO,

Debbie