Fashion Lifestyle Photography in Downtown Los Angeles | Nolan O’Connor
Back in June 2024, I had the opportunity to collaborate with talented fashion model Nolan O’Connor for a lifestyle street photoshoot in Downtown Los Angeles. For this photoshoot, I was looking to capture lifestyle photography in the city with high-rise buildings.
Because we only had a few hours to do the photoshoot for sunset, we ended up staying near the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The beautiful steel architecture makes for a great backdrop and the stairs assist in getting a variety of different poses.
All portraits were taken on the Sony a7R III with the Sigma 35mm & 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART Lenses. Photos were edited in Adobe Lightroom Classic and retouched in Adobe Photoshop.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/5.6 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 320
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY MOOD BOARD
I knew I wanted to go to Downtown Los Angeles for this photoshoot. When I reached out to Nolan, I sent over a sample mood board of wardrobe ideas and poses so he had a reference on outfits he was able to bring.
Having a customized photography mood board for both yourself and the model is a great way to make sure that you both are going to be on-page for this shoot and so that everyone will know what to expect in the final photos.
I generally just use Canva as a quick way to draw up the mood board, but the most important thing is keeping a consistent theme. Nolan came prepared with a few different outfits including a business suit paired with a dress watch, a green jacket paired with a white muscle shirt, a buttoned up white shirt, and athletic wear.
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
We were very fortunate that we did the shoot on the evening of a weekday, so there weren’t many people regularly walking by. However, there was an event happening at the Concert Hall so we had to work around a few table booths set up on the top of the stairs. This challenged me to focus on achieving a certain composition that wouldn’t be too distracting in the photos. The Sigma 85mm lens was the best lens to get close up portraits for this reason.
Even though we didn’t wander too far off from the Concert Hall, you can find plenty of architectural wonders and backdrops to use for your fashion photoshoot in Downtown Los Angeles. Some of my favorite spots also include The 6th Street Bridge and the exterior of the Broad Museum.
CURREN DRESS WATCH FOR LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY
Nolan brought a classic Curren dress watch to the photoshoot, which he paired with his business suit and white buttoned shirt. The watch turned out to be a great accessory and addition to the city photos. I personally enjoy photographing watches because of their design and timeless look. I also think an accessory like a dress watch can add a lot to a lifestyle photoshoot when a model wears them.
In my roots of street photography, I think the best photos are ones that aren’t as posed and that capture an authentic moment in time. Small moments like having Nolan fix his cufflink of his business suit and adjusting his dress watch help bring attention to the accessory without the photo looking too forced.
If you’d like to see more examples of my photography featuring watches, I have a gallery of lifestyle watch photos featured in different locations.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/200 sec. | f/5.6 | ISO 250
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/250 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 250
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 250
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 250
Camera Gear (SIGMA PRIME LENSES)
For this photoshoot, I decided to switch between the prime lenses in my camera bag: the 35mm & 85mm DG DN ART lenses from Sigma. One of the benefits of doing a photoshoot outdoors and in a space like Downtown Los Angeles is that you have a lot of room to move around and experiment with different focal lengths.
The Sigma 85mm lens provides really nice compression for the portraits and works especially well for getting the closer-up portrait photos. The Sigma 35mm lens does a good job for more full body images and works well for movement shots when you’re in a bit of a tighter space. With the 35mm lens, you can also see more of the location compared to the 85mm lens in this photoshoot.
When it comes to lifestyle photography, carrying gear that has strong autofocus capabilities and can deliver sharp image quality in outdoor settings is imperative for me. I was able to experiment with different shutter speeds and apertures and could put more of my time into creative direction rather than worrying about my camera settings.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/5.6 | ISO 125
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/320 sec. | f/4.0 | ISO 250
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 250
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 160
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/250 sec. | f/3.5 | ISO 320
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 160
ATHLEISURE FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY
Near the end of the photoshoot, Nolan changed into his final look wearing athleisure. Nolan also brought out a skateboard and backpack which was a great addition in this kind of environment. Unfortunately I didn’t capture as many photos with these accessories as I would have liked, but I am happy I was able to get some of them before the session ended.
Most of these photos were taken during the last moments of sunset and in blue hour. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned in doing lifestyle photography and street photography is to keep shooting into blue hour after sunset. You get a variety of clean images with fairly even lighting even after the sun has set, and you still have enough light to capture sharp images without having to blast your ISO.
As a travel photographer, I enjoy photographing products like backpacks because it enhances the scene and adds a travel element to the photo.
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/500 sec. | f/4.5 | ISO 160
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 200
Sony A7R III | Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/400 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 200
Sony A7R III | Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG DN ART | 1/160 sec. | f/3.2 | ISO 500
3 Quick Tips for Producing a Lifestyle Photoshoot
Create a Custom Mood Board: In order to prepare for a photoshoot, creating a mood board is a great way to flesh out ideas and for you to see what the photoshoot could like before actual production day. The model will get an idea of what to bring in their wardrobe (in this case, a business suit, more casual clothing, and athletic wear).
Bring Accessories: Accessories like a dress watch, sunglasses, or skateboard (used in this photoshoot) allows for creativity when it comes to posing and can elevate a standard portrait photoshoot.
Add Movement to your Photos: Small movements like walking or fixing a cufflink with a dress watch on the wrist can really make a big difference in lifestyle photography. General poses can look static, so asking the model to try some movements (even if it might feel a bit awkward on the shoot) can look great in a photo.
