Alfreda Hill’s Retro Miami Fashion Shoot: Roller Skates, Glam, and Grandma Gains

Miami Fashion Meets Portrait Power

Summer 2024 in Miami. Humid air, bright skies, and Alfreda Hill rolling up with more personality than half of South Beach.

This wasn’t just a cute little session—it was a fashion and portrait shoot built to feed her portfolio and her fitness journey, with a very clear agenda:

• Lean into her strong, athletic side

• Wrap it in fun, quirky retro styling

• Then flip the mood into black-and-gold fashion queen

Oh, and one more detail: Alfreda is a grandma. A grandma in a bright blue “Let’s Get Physical” bodysuit and pink rollerskates, serving looks like it’s nothing.

As a Miami fashion photographer team working all over South Florida, this is exactly the kind of story we live for—bold styling, a confident woman in her element, and a concept that feels like a mini editorial instead of just “some photos.”

Meet Alfreda: Portfolio Glow-Up + Fitness Story

The goal for this shoot was two-fold:

1. Build images for her portfolio – something she could use for modeling, personal branding, and social media.

2. Honor her fitness journey – not in a hardcore gym way, but with a playful nod to strength, movement, and fun.

She wanted visuals that said:

“I’ve put in the work, I feel amazing, and I’m not afraid to have fun with it.”

This is where a mix of fashion photographer and portrait photographer mindset comes in. We aren’t just thinking, “How do we make this outfit look good?” We’re asking, “How do we make her story read in every frame?”

For anyone in the middle of a transformation—fitness, career, or personal—this style of model portfolio photoshoot is perfect. It’s less about perfection and more about personality plus presence.

Miami, Summer 2024: The City as a Backdrop

Miami gives you a little bit of everything: clean architectural lines, neutral tones, and wide open spaces that make bright outfits pop.

We used the city as a minimalist stage:

• Light-toned structures to contrast with her neon retro look

• Strong vertical lines that pair perfectly with the black-and-gold fashion vibes

• Soft, open light that flatters skin and keeps things looking editorial

It’s the kind of environment that lets a South Florida fashion photographer go wild with styling and posing—because the background stays simple while the subject does all the talking.

If you’ve ever searched for photography in Miami or scrolled for Boca Raton photoshoot locations, this is the energy we aim for: clean, stylish, and made for both Instagram and agency submissions.

Look 1: “Let’s Get Physical” – Retro Fitness on Wheels

First look: full 80s-inspired fitness fantasy.

• Bright blue bodysuit with “Let’s Get Physical” across the front

• Pink wristbands and leg warmers

• Bubblegum-pink rollerskates

• Retro visor-style glasses to top it off

It’s playful, nostalgic, and slightly ridiculous in the best way.

The Best Part? She Couldn’t Actually Skate.

Here’s where the behind-the-scenes gets fun.

Alfreda did not know how to rollerskate. At all.

So while she’s out there looking like a pro in the final images, the reality was:

• Tessa is just off-frame, helping her stay balanced

• We’re coaching her through each pose:

  • “Bend this knee, lift that heel.”

  • “Hold onto the pole, lean the hip out.”

  • “Now laugh like you’re not low-key panicking about rolling away.”

Every frame where she looks confident and steady came from teamwork and direction. That’s the difference between trying to DIY something wild on your own and working with a crew that knows how to pose, support, and angle everything so it looks effortless.

This is where our experience as a professional photographer for models and influencers in South Florida comes in—we expect a little chaos, and we design around it.

Look 2: Black & Gold Power Fashion

Once we’d squeezed all the fun we could out of the retro look, we shifted gears—hard.

The second look was pure black-and-gold drama:

• A form-fitting patterned outfit that hugged her figure

• Gold accents that echoed her strength and confidence

• Sleek poses against light-toned walls and architecture

The vibe went from, “Let’s skate and laugh and play,” to “Do not mistake me for anyone average.”

We leaned into:

• Strong stances

• Chin-up confidence

• Longer lines through the legs and torso

The poses here felt more editorial fashion photography:

• Weight on one leg, hip pushed out

• Arms creating angular shapes

• Eyes straight into the lens or turned away for that cinematic feel

These frames would sit perfectly on a comp card, a website, or a press feature. If you’re looking to build high-impact portfolio material with a South Florida photographer, this kind of look is exactly what pulls agencies and brands in.

Grandma, But Make It Fashion

Let’s talk about the grandma thing.

Alfreda isn’t just any client. She’s a grandmother who wanted her images to reflect:

• Strength

• Style

• A sense of humor about the whole thing

Instead of hiding her age, she leaned into it. That gave the session a deeper layer: It’s not just a fitness or fashion shoot—it’s a statement.

You can see it in the way she:

• Owns the retro outfit without irony

• Smiles big even while trying not to roll away

• Stands tall in the black-and-gold shots with serious, grounded confidence

For anyone thinking, “Am I too old for a fashion or fitness photoshoot?” the answer is a loud no. This is exactly why we love being a South Florida photographer team—our clients range from first-time models to grandparents stepping into their main-character era.

Gear & Approach: How We Shot It

For this Miami fashion + portrait session, we ran with:

• Camera: Sony A1

• Lenses:

  • Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM

  • Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art

That combo gave us flexibility to:

• Stay close and personal with the 50mm for portraits that feel intimate and alive

• Step back and use the 85mm to compress the scene and give that smooth background blur that screams editorial

We kept the look bold and cinematic:

• Wide apertures to isolate Alfreda from the background

• Natural light shaped by angles, positioning, and careful framing

• Slightly punchy contrast to make the colors and gold details pop

This is the same approach we bring to our sessions across the region—from Miami to Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach—whether we’re working as a Boca Raton photographer, Miami fashion photographer, or building high-end commercial photography in South Florida for brands.

Direction, Posing, and Keeping Her Steady

Alfreda came in ready to work, but like most clients, she wasn’t a professional model who knows 300 poses on command. That’s where we come in.

We guided her through:

• Micro-adjustments: turn your chin, drop your shoulder, shift the knee, relax the hand

• Expression changes: big smile for the retro look, softer or more intense gaze for the black-and-gold sets

• Body language that honors her fitness journey—strong posture, engaged core, elongated lines

And of course, the big one: How to pose on rollerskates without eating pavement.

Tessa stayed close, sometimes literally holding her steady between frames and stepping out at the last second while Dennis fired the shot. We worked fast and kept the mood light, joking, cheering, and letting Alfreda find her rhythm.

That’s a huge part of how we operate as a South Florida fashion photographer + portrait team: You never have to know what to do. You just have to show up. We’ll walk you through the rest.

From Fitness Journey to Portfolio-Ready Images

In the end, Alfreda walked away with:

• Fun, high-energy retro fitness images that nod to her journey and personality

• Polished fashion portraits that she can use for:

  • Modeling portfolio updates

  • Fitness brand partnerships

  • Social media content

  • Personal branding as a strong, stylish, no-excuses woman

If you’re on a similar path—working on your body, building your confidence, or just ready to see yourself in a new light—this type of lifestyle portraits meets fashion session is a powerful move.

You’re not just getting photos. You’re building a visual story you can use everywhere—from Instagram to LinkedIn, from coaching pages to press features.

See More of Our Work

If this Miami session with Alfreda has your wheels turning (pun absolutely intended), you can dive into more of what we do:

• See more of our fashion photography on the Fashion page.

• Check out how we approach modern portraits on the Portrait page.

• Want more fitness-driven content? Visit our Lifestyle & Fitness page.

• Explore our Miami swimwear shoots and beach sessions on the Swimwear page.

• View more commercial work and brand-focused projects on the Commercial page.

Ready for Your Own Miami Fashion + Portrait Shoot?

If you’re in South Florida—Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach or anywhere nearby—and you’re itching to do something bold for yourself, we’ve got you.

Whether you’re:

• Updating your model portfolio

• Documenting a fitness transformation

• Reinventing your personal brand

• Or stepping in front of the camera for the first time in years

We’ll help you design a look, location, and mood that fits you perfectly.

Here’s your next move:

• Book your own fashion + portrait photoshoot in South Florida

• Reach out to plan a creative, personality-filled session—retro, glam, fitness-focused, or all of the above

• Contact us to design a Miami story that feels as fun and powerful as Alfreda’s

You can start the process through our Contact page. Tell us your ideas (or let us build the concept for you), and we’ll take care of the rest—from posing and styling guidance to locations and timing.

If a rollerskating grandma can pull off a retro-fitness fashion editorial in Miami, trust us—you’re more than ready for your turn.