Sunrise Outdoor Lifestyle Beach Photography in Santa Monica, Los Angeles
As an outdoor photographer who doesn’t regularly use external lighting, my photos rely on natural light for landscapes and lifestyle portraits. I will generally try to take photos either in the morning during sunrise or in the evening during sunset when the light is most vibrant and cinematic (in my opinion).
I reached out to Bounty Models LA to offer test shoots for some of the models in their agency. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with commercial fashion model Erla Garcia for an outdoor lifestyle beach photoshoot in July 2024 near the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.
These photos were taken with the Sony A7R III and the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens.
All photos were edited in Adobe Lightroom Classic.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/3.5 | ISO 200
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 200
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 125
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 200
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/2.5 | ISO 125
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 125
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 100
FINDING OUTDOOR LOCATIONS FOR LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY
In order to prepare for this photoshoot, I sent the agency a mood board of photo ideas that would work for the test shoot. The agency agreed on a beach location for the test shoot and I chose Santa Monica as the best location for the photos.
I always try to visit an outdoor location ahead of time if I plan to take photos there. I like to assess the lighting situation and check the weather so that I will be prepared on the actual day of the photoshoot. I would consistently go to the Santa Monica Pier for sunset, but this was one of my first times arriving during sunrise.
I expected the morning to be incredibly foggy and overcast since the Palisades area was consistently foggy at sunrise when I was checking the area, but I was happy that the sun rose to capture these portraits with a beautiful sunrise golden hour glow.
There isn't much in the environment on this beach to interact with as far as rocks or trees. I knew this going into the photoshoot, so I had an idea on the best way to direct the photoshoot to get some more dynamic images.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/3.5 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
NATURAL LIGHT PORTRAITS ON THE BEACH
As the photoshoot continued and as the sun rose, the light began to become a bit harsher on Erla’s face. The clouds that were diffusing the sunlight started to disperse so I had to work a bit more quickly and move to the third outfit (the first two outfits were captured in about one hour when the light was still soft).
I would find spots that offered shade like the lifeguard towers and the pier in order to get some photos with even light on the model’s face.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/5.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/5.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/5.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
CREATIVE DIRECTION ON THE PHOTOSHOOT
Since this was a test shoot for the agency, I didn't want to use any unnecessary props that would distract from the final photos. However, I still wanted to add a lifestyle element to these portraits so I asked the model to do a lot of natural movement along the pier and the beach.
I usually will start off with a few headshot-style images just to test the lighting and make sure the camera settings are at a good starting spot. It’s also beneficial to show the model some of the test shots so they can see what they look like and might influence how they want to pose.
Something that draws me to travel and outdoor lifestyle photography is the unplanned moments that sometimes occur. It’s also one of the reasons why I love street photography so much.
Erla did a great job providing a variety of poses, but also being natural in her movements throughout the photoshoot. We took photos on the pier, sitting on the sand, near the lifeguard tower, in the water, and under the pier.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/640 sec. | f/5.0 | ISO 100
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/800 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 100
THE PHOTO EDITING PROCESS
I enjoy the vibrant golden colors of the sunrise and sunset in both travel photography and in lifestyle portraits. I wanted to highlight the photos with a bit of a warmer tone, but I honestly didn’t want to edit the photos too much. I also opted for very little retouching on these images
For lifestyle photography, I try to make the final portraits seem as authentic as possible. The beach photoshoot in the morning was very calm, and so I wanted to have that vibe reflected in the images.
One of the reasons why I love working outdoors is because I can let the environment around me influence the vibe of the photos and how I choose to edit them.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/5.6 | ISO 100