Environmental Outdoor Photography with TreePeople Los Angeles River Greenway Restoration March 2025
I recently worked with TreePeople for the second time this month to create outdoor lifestyle photos and B-roll videos at their Los Angeles River Greenway Restoration event in Studio City.
TreePeople is one of the largest environmental organizations based in Southern California. Their mission of advocating for sustainability in Los Angeles is met with amazing members who help produce nature-based solutions to environmental issues in this city.
My first time working with the nature-based nonprofit involved capturing photo and video content for their Coldwater Canyon Restoration event, in which I documented members seeding, removing invasive plants, and putting native plants in the ground.
Now I had a better idea on how I wanted to photograph and film the hard work that the team puts in each day to preserve the natural beauty in the area through environmental sustainability.
First Impressions of the Location
The Los Angeles River expands vastly throughout the Greater Los Angeles area, but this was my first time seeing the water flow in Studio City. I arrived early at sunrise to capture some nice photos of the current state of the river itself.
However, the actual environmental sustainability work of the TreePeople staff and volunteers took place on a specific path near the river. I enjoyed the opportunity to document the work in an outdoor location that TreePeople has made so much progress in.
Lifestyle Nature Photography in Harsh Outdoor Natural Light
Similar to last time, the weather was mostly sunny throughout the event. We started a bit earlier around 8:30 am and lasted for about 3 hours. As I have mentioned in previous posts, photographing in afternoon light can be a challenge because you get harsh shadows on the subject’s face and it generally doesn’t make for the most cinematic photo.
Fortunately, part of the content I needed to document throughout the day was done in the shade underneath the branches that the team cut and trimmed. We worked on the two opposite sides of the ramp that leads to a trail. The opposite side was filled with grass and was directly under the sun.
When it comes to outdoor nature photography in harsh lighting conditions, it’s important to be strategic and think creatively while on the spot. You want to document a good variety of photos so that the client has plenty of images to choose from.
Camera Gear for Outdoor Nature Photography
Compared to the Coldwater Canyon Restoration event, the space we had at the Los Angeles River Greenway was a lot more compact. I ended up using the Sigma 85mm prime lens more than my 35mm lens for photography. I wanted to focus more on close-ups of the volunteers in action rather than all of the tree branches and tall grass.
Additionally, I didn’t want to get in the way of the volunteers trimming the branches and especially when they were using equipment you don’t want to get too close to without protective gear.
Having a prime lens that has an aperture as wide as 1.4 can definitely help create some versatility in the final photos. You get nice bokeh shots with a wide aperture, but you can also use a more narrow aperture to capture photos where the background isn’t as blurred out.
As far as filming nature and lifestyle B-roll video, I kept my usual setup of the Sony a7S III paired with the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 G-Master lens. I switched back and forth with the ND16 Polarizer filter depending on whether or not I was in the shade.
When I need to do both photo and video for only a few hours, I try not to bother with too much equipment so I decided to film all of the B-roll handheld rather than use a gimbal or tripod.
Adapting To Your Surroundings
I spent a lot of time maneuvering myself around the tree branches, squeezing through tall grass around obstacles, avoiding debris, and climbing up slippery slopes to capture the best angles possible.
There were moments when it was hard to capture someone’s face because of all the tree branches in the way. When having to use a wide aperture in such a tight space with an 85mm lens, there can be little forgiveness when it comes to getting the right focus.
Because I didn’t want to stop anyone’s work, I had to be quick about changing my settings and trying to capture each moment when it happened.
Sometimes, I would actually opt for manual focus to get the shot I needed. It was a bit hit or miss because the members would have to move a lot in order to tear away the branches and throw them in a pile. But it definitely helped to get a few photos that I think would have been a bit difficult to otherwise photograph.
Storytelling with Environmental Sustainability in Photography
One of my favorite things about environmental photography is capturing people who are passionate about the outdoors, sustainability in nature, and discovering each special moment as it organically happens.
I’m not focused on giving a lot of direction on how to pose the workers or trying to get a certain expression that will look best in a photo. My job is to photograph each moment on the field as it unfolds.
Final Words: Documentary-Style Photography with TreePeople
Even in less technical ideal conditions as a photographer, I enjoy photographing and filming content for an environmental nonprofit like TreePeople - an organization that promotes sustainability and eco-friendly practices.
From the staff to the volunteers, all of the members are consistently inviting and welcoming, which makes for an easier time to capture some great moments on the field.
As a travel photographer, it’s always a privilege to be able to be out in nature and explore new outdoor destinations in Los Angeles that I might not have otherwise come across. I have had the opportunity to document new plants and flowers, learn more about sustainability, and produce photos that promote the work done by this environmental nonprofit.
Looking for an outdoor lifestyle photographer based in Los Angeles? I’d love to learn more about your project and see if we’re a good fit! I enjoy capturing brands and models in outdoor locations around Los Angeles and creating authentic moments.
You can learn more about me here and I invite you to book a call with me where I can learn more about your project.
