I had a week open on my calendar, and Phoenix was getting hot, so I decided it should be filled coastally.
For months, I’d been collecting ideas on Pinterest for shoots centered on hospitality experiences and authentic human connection. Most were simple enough to self-produce, including a sunset picnic, a roller-skating hangout with friends, and a couple enjoying a beach resort getaway.
With two weeks to pull everything together, I decided to make as many happen as I could. Over the next few days, I developed the ideas into creative briefs, reached out to modeling agencies, cast talent, scouted locations, planned wardrobe, and built a production schedule.
It was a fun opportunity to carry each concept from the initial mood board through the final shoot, while handling production and directing talent along the way.
Follow along for a closer look at how everything came together and a few of my favorite moments from the week.
Developing the Lifestyle Concepts
My Pinterest boards had become a growing collection of shoot concepts that had been sitting there for months, and I was eager to finally produce a few of them.
On the list were a sunset picnic date, a morning coffee run, an after-work surf session, and an evening of roller-skating with friends.
I wanted the images to feel polished and commercially viable, so I built each concept around how the imagery might be used in a real campaign. For the picnic, I incorporated colorful sodas and a portable speaker to give the lifestyle scene a product focus. For the resort getaway, the destination experience was the product, similar to the kind of imagery a resort brand like Marriott or Hilton might use to promote a coastal getaway.
I usually start on Pinterest, gathering visual references into a mood board to define the tone, styling, locations, and interactions for each concept.
Building the Creative Briefs
I organize my concepts into photo-heavy presentation decks with sections for the overall mood, casting, wardrobe, hair and makeup, locations, and specific moments I want to capture. I kept each brief concise for the models to browse quickly but precise to fully communicate the creative concept we were aiming for.
These were fairly simple productions, but separating the references helped me define the visual language and communicate what each shoot needed.
Since I planned to work mostly with natural light, I mapped the sun angle and expected shadows at each location to determine the best timing, shooting direction, and talent placement for each scene.
Casting the Models
Once I had developed several of the concepts, I began reaching out to modeling agencies in San Diego, including Shamon Freitas and No Ties Models.
I had never worked with either agency, so I shared the creative decks to introduce the project and explain the roles I was casting.
Both agencies were excited about the concepts, and we worked together to cast the right models. We considered each model’s book, on-camera presence, acting reel when available, lifestyle experience, and overall fit for the individual concept.
Most of the selected talent had strong lifestyle experience, while a few were newer models whose look and personality felt right for the scenes.
Styling and Prop Selection
For a few of the scenes, I also needed to shop for props. For the picnic, I wanted a fresh take on that “classic picnic” vibe, so I searched everywhere for the right picnic basket and charcuterie board.
After hopping between stores and checking with a few local art directors, I finally found the perfect picnic basket and charcuterie board at Hobby Lobby. Target was the spot for the fun canned drinks and picnic blanket.
Finding a picnic basket with the classic look I had in mind.
Comparing charcuterie boards for the picnic concept.
The Shoots
Since San Diego is fairly close by, I opted to drive, which gave me more flexibility to bring the props and equipment and move between locations throughout the week.
Four concepts ultimately made the cut, with shoots across multiple locations around San Diego. I developed each into a detailed creative brief and shared it with the models beforehand so everyone understood the direction going into each shoot.
Concept 1: Coastal Running at Sunset Cliffs
Arriving mid-afternoon, I met our first model, Mikaylee, at Sunset Cliffs for the running concept. I had carefully planned the sun angle, but one thing you can’t control is the clouds.
The forecast called for mostly sunny skies, but a cloud layer rolled in right at sunset, leaving us with maybe five minutes of direct sun.
A few initial frames we grabbed during our brief window of direct sun.
After a few prep shots, I tried my initial frame, but I didn’t like how the light was falling across the scene. It looked really flat. I decided to pivot and emphasize the motion of her running. It added more interest to the image and gave me a way to incorporate the sun rays beginning to break through.
My original planned frame, where the light fell flatter than I had hoped for with the clouds rolling in.
I wanted Mikaylee genuinely running through the frame. Even after explaining the running form and key moments I was looking for, the movement creates a lot of variation in body position. There is only a brief window when the form, expression, and composition all come together in a strong frame.
I pivoted to a motion-blur frame that added energy while capturing the sun rays as they began to break through.
It took a number of passes to align everything with the right amount of motion blur, but I was excited when we got the frame.
Concept 2: Destination Lifestyle Picnic at Sunset Cliffs
This concept was all about enjoying the coastal setting of Sunset Cliffs Natural Park in San Diego. Its long shoreline and dramatic cliffs give visitors a beautiful place to hike and, even on busy days, usually find a cozy spot to themselves.
Since Sunset Cliffs is such a well-known San Diego destination, I wanted the concept to fit the kind of imagery a tourism or destination marketing brand might use to promote the experience of visiting.
The models had never worked together, but they were excited to be paired for the concept. Their brief cast them as a relatable couple, with casual wardrobe and styling that would help viewers see themselves in the scenes.
I structured the brief around the couple arriving with a picnic basket and blanket, walking along the cliffs in search of the perfect spot, then settling in on a flat rock overlooking the ocean with the rugged cliffline behind them.
As a secondary focus, I also wanted to work in a product-focused lifestyle concept using fun canned drinks and a Bluetooth speaker.
We started with some casual, fun lifestyle moments, then moved into integrating the products. I wanted the products to have a little more prominence in the frame while keeping the interactions candid, like spontaneous snapshots.
Introducing the drinks added a subtle product focus while keeping the overall scene lifestyle-driven
A more product-focused frame featuring the JBL Bluetooth speaker within the picnic scene.
Overall, I was really happy with the interactions and the light we got! The mix of clouds and sun gave us some really neat effects, with warm, low-angle sunlight peeking through the clouds.
Concept 3: Coronado Resort Getaway
The Coronado concept was based on the experience of a resort getaway, stepping out of a beachside villa and taking a playful walk down the beach hand in hand. I leaned into spontaneous movement and a slightly heightened sense of joy. I wanted the images to feel aspirational and relatable, making it easy to picture yourself in the experience.
We started on the beach in the late afternoon, and I directed them through running, twirls, and other movement-based prompts designed to create interactions that felt authentic and spontaneous on camera.
We then moved to a nearby shopping area in downtown Coronado to create imagery of the couple venturing out from their resort to explore the surrounding town and shops.
I really wanted movement and energy in these shots, so I had her take her partner’s hand and lead him through the area with a playful sense of exploration. I pushed the expressions a little further to give the images more of an aspirational, dream-vacation feel, or that “couple goals” energy.
Overall, such fun energy. The models were actually a real couple, and their natural chemistry gave us a lot to work with. It was a blast directing them and watching the ideas come to life.
Concept 4: Roller-Skating at Mission Beach
The roller-skating concept was more of a spontaneous lifestyle scene, built around a group of friends hanging out along Mission Beach Boardwalk at sunset. I wanted it to feel informal and fun, with the models skating, talking, and interacting as the bustling boardwalk activity unfolded around them.
I kept the direction loose, giving them simple actions and room to interact naturally. We worked through a mix of individual to group skating frames.
The models brought such fun energy that it really felt like a genuine evening of friends gathering to skate together.
The sky gave us the perfect California sunset! The boardwalk was busy with beachgoers, bikes, and plenty of activity, which added a real sense of place.
Post-Shoot Reflections
A little morning editing over coffee, reviewing the previous day’s selects and starting the first color pass before the next shoot.
Of course, not everything went to plan. Models got sick or went out of town, some concepts never found the right casting, and nearly a dozen restaurant ideas somehow resulted in zero food shoots.
I did make one really promising connection in the restaurant world, so fingers crossed for next time! The rest will keep living on Pinterest until the stars align.
That’s exactly why I threw so many ideas into the week. Four shoots came together, and I’m stoked with what we made!
I really enjoy producing projects like this. The creative freedom lets me explore my ideas and create work I’m genuinely proud of.
Taking the lead on production, casting, wardrobe, hair and makeup direction, and art direction also made me think about the shoots differently than when I’m focused mainly on photography and directing talent. It gave me even more appreciation for the specialists who bring each part of a larger production together.
Big shoutout to the teams at San Diego modeling agencies Shamon Freitas Model and Talent Agency and No Ties Management for being so responsive and helping me pull the casting together on a tight timeline!