AndBloom

AndBloom Founder of AndBloom, photographer, content creator and writer I am Denise (45), friends call me Dee. In my younger days, I worked as a fashion model.

I am a photographer fueled by compassion, curiosity, and a drive to change the current view of society on aging. Living in Milano, Paris, and London, I traveled the world to work for many clients. When I was 25 I moved back to the Netherlands to become a photographer. After finishing art school at 29 I started working as a photographer and loved every minute of it, I loved fashion, beauty, and taking pictures of beautiful people. I worked all over the world from Tokyo to New York, from Capetown to Seoul. The years passed by and while approaching the ‘BIG 40’ I began to notice a certain dissatisfaction about aging, especially amongst women. Exploring this dissatisfaction in my work and private life, made me realize that it occurs not only in women over 40 but also in many younger women. Young women that worry about getting older, middle-aged women who think they no longer count after a certain age. Women, young and old(-er), that follow (the often) unrealistic example of the (social) media. The anti-aging campaigns using models barely over the age of 20, or Hollywood women that have everything ‘done’ to look younger. It can be, of course, a bit confusing, looking at celebrities your age that look at least 15 years younger than you do because of great light, filters, Botox, fillers, or other (radical) facial treatments. Giving birth to my son at 40 changed my perspective. An awareness came over me, I call it ‘motherhood’. Everything that was once important to me was suddenly less important. If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be a mother one day … I would have declared them crazy. During early motherhood, I was given time to think about my work. I decided to give it a new, more meaningful direction. On an empty Thai beach, during endless walks with my 2-year-old son, I decided to start this new project. An awareness came over me, I call it ‘motherhood’ and growing up. On an empty Thai beach, during endless walks with my 2-year-old son, I decided to start this new project called AndBloom. It was also on that beach I realized I was having a kind of identity crisis. I no longer felt very young but also not old, yet I didn’t belong to the youth in my early forties, but I didn’t feel middle-aged either. I felt I was at a turning point in my life, physically and mentally. Talking with women around me made me realize I wasn’t the only one feeling like this. Many women feel a turning point around their 40’s and it’s not at all negative. 40-Something is a great age, you are old enough to know what you want and you still have time enough to do whatever you want. I know women that started new companies, women who started a new education, made a career switch, had another baby (or 2), changed husbands or left for a solo trip around the world. AndBloom is an age-positive community, I photograph women of all ages over 40, beautiful, real women, to capture the beautiful journey of aging.

16/09/2026

When I was young and modelling, I travelled A LOT. All over the world, and almost always alone.

And back then, I actually needed that. I needed to be on my own, to discover who I was, to learn how to stand on my own two feet and find my way in the world.

Later, as a photographer, I still travelled constantly. Sometimes alone, sometimes with a whole team, but they were never really “my people”.

And now? I simply don’t really want to travel alone anymore.

How lucky am I that I have my bestie or Martin (also my bestie, obviously ❤️) who will simply say: “I’ll come with you.”

And even luckier that these are the people who understand what I mean without needing the whole explanation. Who know how I think, how I feel, what I want and what makes me happy.

This little Madrid trip was such a gift. Mostly because of being together, but also because we got to see Celia in action.

What a POWERHOUSE of a woman. What an entrepreneur. What a designer. And above all, what an incredibly warm, generous and beautiful human being.

There is something so inspiring about watching another woman build her world, create from her heart and absolutely OWN what she does. ❤️

And these CeliaB dresses?! 🖤🤍

Seriously. How am I ever supposed to take them off?

Some chapters of life teach you how to stand on your own. And some teach you how wonderful it is to have the right people standing beside you.

& LY ❤️

Going places with my fashion partner in crime. ❤️Btw, I don’t think I’ve ever had chocolate brown nails in my life befor...
15/09/2026

Going places with my fashion partner in crime. ❤️

Btw, I don’t think I’ve ever had chocolate brown nails in my life before!  There’s a first for everything.

So I travelled to Madrid with Dayenne, and we are having fun, as usual. Last picture says it all. 😂

Some friendships give you comfort, some give you energy, and then there are the ones that somehow give you both.

Day and I ignite each other. We dream up ideas, plan our fashion crimes, inspire each other to do better and be better, and most importantly, we laugh. A LOT.

She’s always up for one of my ideas. 😂 “Shall we take some serious pictures along the way?” Yes. “Shall we make this ridiculous Reel?” Absolutely. “I have to go to Madrid for work, want to come?” When are we leaving?

Our friendship started in fashion. Day is a fashion stylist and I used to work as a fashion photographer. We met over 20 years ago and clicked from the start.

Together we’re basically brownie & whipped cream. I’ll let you figure out who’s who. 😂

To me, real friendship is being able to completely be yourself with someone. Knowing neither of you is perfect, not trying to change each other, and giving each other the space to grow into all the different versions of yourselves.

After more than 20 years, I can say: I knew you then, I know you now, and I hope I’ll know you until the end. 

Btw, SO many women warned me about the heat in Madrid yesterday and about wearing this blazer. Well… I wore it all the way until I reached the hotel room. 😂😂 Must be me. I did make a pants swap though… 😆

Looking forward to the fashion show today. I’ll keep you updated in my Stories. 🫶🏼

Outfit question below 👇🏼 if there’s anything you like to know.

My best advice for ageing fearlessly? Surround yourself with women who do exactly that.One year ago, I launched The Guid...
13/09/2026

My best advice for ageing fearlessly? Surround yourself with women who do exactly that.

One year ago, I launched The Guide, a book filled with remarkable women, honest stories and inspiring ideas to help you age in a way that feels true to you.

For this book, I portrayed women who inspire me, both here on Instagram and in real life. Women who show us how to grow older without apology. Women who are strong, vibrant and full of life, but who have also faced their share of battles.

Today, I am introducing the first of these powerhouses: Dolly, a wonderful woman and definitely someone to follow.

A few years ago, the onset of perimenopause knocked Dolly off balance. “I suddenly didn’t feel like myself. I felt invisible, unsure, disconnected. But I talked to colleagues, to friends, to women online. And in those conversations, I found myself again.”

She credits much of that healing to community and the power of honesty. “We all walk through difficult seasons. But when we share our stories, we remember that we’re not alone.”

“Joy is a daily practice. It’s not something you wait for. It’s something you create.”

Want to read more? I’ll link The Guide in my Stories.

And now I’m curious. Should we create another book full of fierce women and stories? ❤️

❤️ DOLLY
👗 Dayenne Bekker
💄 Nataly Vasilchenko

12/09/2026

Twinning is winning with Socks 🐾 today in 🤍🩶🖤 because we can. Oh, and a little bit of purple.

Washed my hair yesterday. I try not to do that too often, usually every two days, and styled it with a blow dryer and a round brush. I always use a little volumizing spray from and go easy on the styling.

My daily makeup routine is pretty simple: a little foundation around my nose for redness, some blush and bronzer, mascara after curling my lashes and my own lipstick in Blushing Coral. And I use my makeup brushes from 🤩

I’m still extremely happy with my nano brows. I’ve had them for 1½ years now and they’re still perfect. They save me so much time every day and the shape is just right.

Now the outfit. I’m in love with this bodysuit from 💜 It’s super soft and comfortable. And this shirt! I have it in white too and somehow it makes me feel like an artist. Do you know what I mean?

Combined with easy joggers, my sneakers and AndBloom sunglasses, it’s the perfect Saturday outfit. Cardigan just in case, and a big shopper in case we accidentally go shopping.

What are you doing this weekend? I think we’re going out for lunch somewhere, depending on what the weather decides to do.

And Socks? She’s always up for some fun or a cuddle. Isn’t she adorable?

Happy Saturday, ladies. ❤️

I have never felt as strong, as peaceful, or as happy with myself as I do today.I remember so clearly approaching 40 and...
11/09/2026

I have never felt as strong, as peaceful, or as happy with myself as I do today.

I remember so clearly approaching 40 and having the occasional little panic attack because I had absolutely no idea what to expect from the life ahead of me.

There was almost nothing and no one showing me what being a woman in her 40s or 50s could look like on the internet. No one I really identified with. No one who made me think: YES, I want what’s coming next.

I could never have dreamed that at 51, I would be standing in front of the camera for a campaign for CeliaB ❤️

But here we are.

And you know what? We changed the world.

We changed the world for women.

We are more visible. We are seen. We are appreciated. And we are here to stay.

And we did this together.

By giving each other a platform. By supporting each other. By seeing each other. By celebrating and empowering each other instead of making ourselves smaller.

Every time we put another woman in the spotlight, we make that light a little bigger for all of us. For women of every age, and for the generations coming after us.

Because we deserve to be seen.

We deserve to take up space.

We deserve to shine, in whatever way feels right to us.

And if I could tell that slightly panicked almost-40-year-old woman one thing now, it would be:

You have absolutely no idea how good it’s going to get. ❤️

📸 Valentina
💄 Nataly Vasilchenko
👗 Dayenne Bekker

09/09/2026

I LOVE being a WOMAN. ❤️ But wow, it’s a pretty complex concept sometimes.

Is it all in my head, or does being a man occasionally seem just a little bit easier? Let’s not even mention things like cycles, hormones, pregnancies, childbirth, peri-menopause etc. 😂

I seriously relate to so many of the contradictions in this reel. And what gets me most is how familiar they all sound.

Be successful, but not too successful. Be independent, but don’t make him feel unnecessary. Be a devoted mother, but don’t lose yourself. Have a career, but make sure your family never suffers because of it. Be sexy, but not slutty. Be confident, but humble. Take care of yourself, but don’t be vain. Love yourself, but not too much.

Exhausted yet? 😂

Maybe one of the most empowering things we can do as women is stop trying to get womanhood “right.”

There is no right way.

You can have children or not. Build a career or not. Get married, stay single, earn more, want more, change your mind, take up space, age, be loud and successful, be soft, be complicated, be completely contradictory.

Because perhaps the biggest contradiction of all is expecting women to be everything, while constantly telling us we’re somehow doing it wrong.

So yes, I LOVE being a woman.

And please, LET WOMEN LIVE. ❤️

Adres

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