Exploring commercial modeling, agency digitals, movement, and natural light with Dora Lulic at a studio in Winter Park.

Woman in beige activewear sitting on yoga mat holding a white pilates ring during a workout session.

From Paradise Cove to the Studio


I first met Dora in August while photographing a styled wedding editorial at Paradise Cove, coordinated by Esora Events. She was our bride model, and after working together on that project, I reached out to see if she'd be interested in collaborating on another shoot.


I was open to exploring different concepts, but I had one particular goal in mind: practicing agency digitals in a natural-light studio. I asked Dora if she had any creative ideas she'd like to try while we were there, and she suggested a Pilates-inspired shoot.


Dora practices Pilates regularly and wanted to incorporate something she genuinely enjoys into her modeling portfolio. Since she's interested in pursuing more commercial modeling opportunities, we thought this would be a great way to create imagery that felt both personal to her and relevant to the type of work she'd like to book.


She envisioned neutral athletic wear, soft natural lighting, and a relaxed, understated look. I immediately thought of Dayglow at The Visuals Studio in Winter Park.

Young woman in brown crop top and beige joggers relaxing on a gray sofa near sheer curtains.
Woman in beige activewear sitting on yoga mat with Pilates ring, posing in bright minimalist studio.

A Softer Approach to Athleticwear


Dayglow has a beautiful combination of textured walls, soft drapery, and warm, organic details. I felt the space would complement Dora's vision without needing elaborate lighting setups or heavy editing.


Dora came prepared with plenty of posing inspiration from Pinterest, along with her Pilates equipment and outfits. Since she hadn't visited The Visuals before, I took the lead on planning how we could incorporate the studio's atmosphere and available props into the shoot.


We started with the Pilates-inspired portion, photographing a variety of exercises and poses using the equipment she brought. Dora has such a strong physique and a natural understanding of how to position herself in front of the camera. She knew how to take recognizable Pilates movements and translate them into poses that were flattering and visually interesting.

Woman in beige activewear kneeling on yoga mat holding a white Pilates ball in a minimalist studio.
Woman in beige athletic wear sitting cross-legged on floor with ankle weights, practicing yoga or stretching.
Woman in beige activewear stretching on yoga mat with pilates ball and ring nearby against white wall.
Woman in beige activewear doing a squat exercise with a pilates ring on a yoga mat indoors.
Woman in beige yoga outfit stretching leg upward on exercise mat in minimalist studio.

From there, we transitioned into a second look that was more focused on athleisure and relaxed, everyday styling. Rather than emphasizing exercise and movement, I wanted these images to feel more casual and clothing-focused. Dora has experience modeling wedding gowns and formalwear, so it was fun to explore a different side of her range.


One of my favorite things about this session was how effortlessly everything came together. Dora needed very little direction, although I occasionally encouraged her to relax her poses to achieve the more laid-back look we were going for.



It's honestly difficult to choose my favorite images from this shoot because I love so many of them!

Woman in brown fitted tee and white track pants holding white boxing wraps against a light background.
Young woman sitting on floor wearing brown crop top and cream striped track pants in a minimalist studio setting.
Young woman in brown t-shirt and white track pants relaxing on a beige sofa near sheer curtains.
Woman in brown crop top and white wide-leg pants with brown stripes posing against a white wall.
Young woman in brown crop top and striped white track pants sitting on floor against white wall wearing white sneakers.
Young woman in brown top and white track pants sits cross-legged on gray sofa, resting head on hand near window.

Behind the Digitals


Alongside our creative test, we also set aside time to photograph agency digitals.


As I continue expanding my work in model development, I've been experimenting with different approaches to photographing digitals in natural-light studios. My goal is to create clean, accurate images that showcase a model's natural appearance while providing a comfortable and professional experience.


Finding the right combination of lighting, backgrounds, and studio conditions is an important part of that process. I love working with natural light, but consistency can be challenging when the weather changes throughout a session. We actually experienced some rain during our shoot, which gave me another opportunity to adapt to shifting light indoors.


We also learned a small but useful lesson about planning the order of a session! Since digitals are typically photographed without makeup, Dora decided to save them until the end so she could remove her makeup after our creative sets. Unfortunately, doing so left her eyes looking a little red and puffy.


For our next session, we're planning to photograph digitals first with a fresh face, then move into makeup and styling for the creative portion.


Despite that little hiccup, I was really happy with the results, and Dora loved them, too! I'm grateful that she was willing to experiment with me as I continue refining my approach.

Young woman with long blonde hair wearing black crop top and leggings, smiling against white background.
Woman wearing black crop top and high-waist leggings with black heels, standing against white wall.
Young woman with long wavy blonde-brown hair wearing a black top, posing against a white background.
Young woman in black crop top and pants poses against white background, showcasing minimalist athletic wear.
Woman in black crop top and leggings with heels poses sideways against white wall in minimalist studio.

Creating with the Model in Mind


One of my biggest goals as I move further into fashion and model development photography is to create more work that puts the model at the center of the image.


Much of my previous editorial photography has focused on the overall scene: the environment, styling, composition, and all the little details that bring a concept together. I still love that approach, but building a modeling portfolio requires a slightly different perspective.


The images should clearly showcase the model's appearance, movement, versatility, and ability to communicate through posing and expression.


I also want to be intentional about tailoring each shoot to the model's individual goals. In Dora's case, that meant creating commercial-style imagery that could complement the more formal work she already has in her portfolio.


Moving forward, I'd love to explore more commercial concepts, beauty photography inspired by makeup campaigns, and fashion-focused editorials that highlight both the clothing and the model wearing it.


This shoot was a great opportunity to explore more of that direction while continuing to develop my approach to model photography.


And, of course, one of the best parts was getting to work with Dora again! We've become fast friends since meeting at Paradise Cove, and even spent some time hanging out around Winter Park before our session.


I'm so glad she agreed to collaborate with me, and I'm already looking forward to whatever we create together next.

Woman in white athletic wear performing a side-lying leg lift exercise on a yoga mat in a bright, minimalist studio.
Young woman sitting on floor wearing brown crop top and white striped track pants with white sneakers.

 

Be sure to check out more of Dora's work and follow her modeling journey on Instagram:

 

@dora.lulic