Lifestyle on Location

Sep 26, 2025

Welcome to This Week’s Edition of The Carty Method Magazine!
This week, we challenged photographers to capture Lifestyle on Location within their niche.

Why this matters:

Lifestyle location images connect with audiences by showing real moments and relatable settings.

Clients in editorial, commercial, and personal branding markets look for photographers who can create images that feel both aspirational and grounded.

Assignment Brief

CARTY gives a tight brief at the end of his photo review shows which tells us shooters what we have to shoot exactly for the following weeks review.

Here is this assignment exactly how he shares it.

“This weeks Assignment: Lifestyle on Location”.

Create one image that blends your personal photography style with a local setting, instantly communicating a lifestyle story to potential clients.

Marlon Stewart

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

Well it’s a huge way of life for a lot of people, going to work, school, events, shopping among a few. I really wanted to capture an average day for an average person.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

To be honest, I don’t believe I’ve established my style enough.

The subway works for me, I just think there’s more I could do with it.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

Well I wanted the audience to know right off the bat that it was everyday travel. So the turnstile was important.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

Yes it did, I liked the picture but I think more could have been done.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

Well taking local transit is very common for a lot of people.

It’s a place where your status, culture or anything else doesn’t matter.

Social Media Handles:
Instagram: marl.b.stewart.photos

Aleksandar Klasnja

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

It goes together with Greek-Roman amphora.

They originate from Mediterranean area and from same historical time when Jesus walked the Earth.

Of course , amphora is replica same as antique pillars in Scarborough, Toronto, Guildwood park.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

I love architecture photography, and I am currently putting more emphasis on product photography.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

Antique pillars and sunset combined.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

Yes, it was a challenge.

I was trying to find right and authentic ambiance for amphora, then Guildwood Park in Scarborough came to my mind.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

Potential clients , maybe.

For audience definitely yes as assignment on "Carty Method".

Social Media Handles:
Website: cityscapess.com

Courtney Turner

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

I chose this location because it was easily recognizable.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

Iv always loved doing landscape photography and combining it with Car photography seem like a great idea to showcase a car that was not a supercar.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

Showing the giant sequoia trees in the background.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

It came naturally.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

I’ve been keeping an eye on the posts made by Hyundai and noticed that they use a lot of epic California locations for their campaigns and wanted to make work that could fit their needs.

Social Media Handles:
Instagram: headturnerphotos

Jon Laurie-Beaumont

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

When I'm not practicing photography, I'm pursuing my master's in counseling psychology.

I like to use the skills I'm developing as a future psychotherapist to get to know subjects before shooting them.

In this case, Aidan's personality and demeanor felt like he would suit a natural, wooded setting.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

I haven't had a camera for very long and am still developing a style, but lately I've been enjoying warm images with natural light.

I chose to meet on this trail in the late afternoon/early evening in the hopes that it would give me images like this one.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

Because this was shot on a popular hiking trail, I wanted to feature the path leading to the subject as well as the peacefulness of the forest around it, reflected in the calmness of the subject.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

In this case it came naturally.

I liked the look of the light coming through the trees so I lagged back a bit and gave the subject a few minor directions to get the light to land on him the way I wanted while keeping his pose as authentic as possible.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

I think this image shows the trail as a quiet, contemplative oasis.

It definitely makes me want to get out into nature.

Social Media Handles:
Instagram:@jlbeaumont

Nataly Bendersky Shalem

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

I live close to the beach, and it’s such a central part of life here — my nephew surfs, my husband and his dad swim long distances, I snorkel and free-dive, and my kids spend entire afternoons playing in the sand.

Beach and water activities are such a big part of the culture that this felt like the perfect setting to capture the local lifestyle and vibe.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

I love shooting backlit and using dramatic light, so I leaned into the strong sun to create a clean silhouette with a hint of sunstar.

I shifted my angle until I caught just a subtle glint through his glasses — a tiny detail that brings the image to life.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

The key elements for me were the glint of sunlight through the frame of his glasses, the texture of the sand and water, and the shape of the paddle.

Together, those details set the mood and tell the story of the beach vibe and how people here spend their free time.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

Capturing authenticity was a bit more challenging this time.

I usually shoot candid moments, but since this was a random guy on the beach and not someone I’d planned a session with, there wasn’t much room or time for directing.

His stance ended up looking a little posed, but I love this image for its striking, dramatic light.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

This image could fit into a feature about local beach life or water activities.

It captures the atmosphere of the beach and the feeling of going there to clear your head after a long day.

I hope audiences are as moved by the light as I was in that moment.

Social Media Handles:
Website: letyourselfshow.com
Instagram: letyourselfshow

Israel Cardona III

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

We chose this location in Puerto Rico after a personal trainer invited us to photograph her session.

It gave us an authentic, real-world setting—perfect for creating an image that fit the brief of my lifestyle photography assignment.

I set out to capture genuine, unposed moments.

I blended into the group so they’d forget I was there, letting the images feel as natural as possible.

When I saw this couple sit off to the side to rest, I focused on them and started shooting.

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

My style is environmental/editorial, so I kept the interaction candid and used natural light to preserve authenticity while framing wide enough to let the landscape tell the rest of the story.

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

The stone lookout, the mountain ridge, and the small town in the valley anchored the scene in Puerto Rico and gave context to the moment.

Their activewear, dusty sneakers, and the midday Caribbean light reinforced a real post-hike pause—two people catching their breath in a place locals actually use.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

It came naturally once I blended into the group and let the scene unfold.

I avoided directing, worked with natural light, and used a slightly longer focal length to give them space—waiting for the quiet exchange when they sat apart from the group to rest.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

It shows the value of lifestyle photography for brands—real people, real place, real purpose.

Fitness, wellness, tourism, cafés, and outdoor businesses can use images like this to build trust, communicate lifestyle in seconds, and create versatile content for web, ads, and social.

Social Media Handles:
Website: illuminad.studio
Instagram: illuminad.studio

Doyle Daniels

Social Media Handles:
Website: doyledaniels.com
Instagram: doyledanielsphotography

Charles Fortin

What inspired you to choose this particular local setting for your lifestyle story?

I was on a sea-kayak expedition, we spend 2 weeks in a gorgeous area so inspiration came easy!

How did you balance your personal photography style with the energy of the location?

The light was absolutely stunning that evening, it was all about waiting for the right time!

What local details or elements were most important for telling the story?

Listening to the weather forecast on the VHF radio was a daily ritual, so creating a photo around that was very endemic to the expedition.

Did capturing authenticity in the environment challenge you, or come naturally?

This one came quite naturally.

How do you see this image connecting with potential clients or audiences?

The subject is wearing adventure gear that connects directly to potential clients.

Social Media Handles:
Website: charlesfortincreative.com

Leslie Carty

Social Media Handles:
Instagram: opalkustomz

Khaligraphy

Social Media Handles:
Website: khaligraphy.art
Instagram: khaligraphy

Do you want to have your work reviewed by a 34-year pro?

Subscribe to CARTY on YouTube

Join the Carty Method Photo Reviews

If you're ready to elevate your photography skills, cultivate a winning mindset, and become part of a vibrant, supportive community, subscribe to CARTY on YouTube, go to TheCartyMethod.com, and join the Carty Crew Community.

For those looking to submit their work and receive professional feedback, Carty’s Photo Reviews is the perfect opportunity.

New to what CARTY is doing?

👉🏾 Carty a Pro Photographer, Director, and Educator based in Toronto, CA.

His goal is to educate and connect a global network of visual creators.

👉🏾 Mindset Shifts and Immersive Pro Education on YouTube 👈🏾

Learn more about CARTY and see his work at 👉🏾 SteveCarty.com

Join his photographer’s community 👉🏾 TheCartyMethod.com/community

Work with him 👉🏾 theCartyMethod.com

Book a Free 15-minute Zoom Chat

Subscribe to The Carty Method to see the best new photographers from all over the world level up right before your eyes. Weekly photographer transformations are happening right now.

Become a smarter photographer in 5 minutes a week by Subscribing to CARTY on Substack.

The Carty Method - Substack

Watch the live replay of this photo submission