Behind the Scenes: Photographing a Luxury Brand Event in Westhampton Beach | Generation Love x BuDhaGirl
As a New York brand photographer and event photographer, I believe the success of an event begins long before anyone picks up a camera. Whether I'm photographing a retail activation in Manhattan, a luxury event in the Hamptons, or creating lifestyle content for a Long Island brand, my process always starts with careful planning.
This event brought together Generation Love and BuDhaGirl for an intimate sound bath and breath work class hosted inside Generation Love's Westhampton Beach boutique. The experience was designed to introduce guests to both brands through wellness, community, and connection in a calm, elevated environment.
Because the atmosphere was intentionally quiet and intimate, my approach needed to reflect that. Every decision, from pre-production planning to equipment selection, was made with the goal of capturing the event authentically while creating polished, commercial-ready content the brands could use long after the class had ended.
Planning Before the Event
Successful event coverage begins well before cameras come out.
Before the event, we held a pre-production meeting to discuss the overall vision, the event timeline, and how the final content would be used across Generation Love's marketing channels.
One of the first things I ask every client for is their shot list. Understanding the must-have moments, key products, branding priorities, and any VIP attendees ensures I can confidently capture everything that's important while still leaving room for genuine, unscripted moments.
From there, I created a mood board to establish the creative direction for the shoot. This gives everyone a shared visual reference before event day and helps ensure the final gallery feels cohesive and aligned with the brand.
One recommendation I made during planning was to hire a few professional lifestyle models. Mixing models with real attendees often creates a wider variety of usable marketing content. While authentic guest interactions tell the story of the event, professional models are naturally comfortable in front of the camera and can help create polished lifestyle imagery that feels intentional and on-brand. Ultimately, the client chose not to move forward with models in order to stay within budget, which is a common production decision and one we planned around.
Defining the Deliverables
Before arriving on-site, we established exactly what the finished project would include:
A professionally curated gallery of event photography
One short-form social media highlight video
Having those deliverables defined from the beginning influenced every creative decision throughout the event. Since I was producing both stills and motion, I constantly balanced moments that were best captured as photographs with those that would have the greatest impact in the final highlight video.
Preparing the Gear
For this production, I packed three camera bodies knowing I might need the flexibility. Once on-site, however, I chose to work primarily with two. As a solo creator, there comes a point where carrying more equipment can slow you down rather than help you.
My handheld camera allowed me to move quickly through the space, capturing candid interactions, product details, and portraits. The second camera remained on a gimbal throughout the event, making it easy to capture smooth, cinematic movement for the social video without constantly rebuilding my setup.
Lighting was planned just as intentionally. I brought one constant light for video and one flash for photography, allowing me to switch seamlessly between mediums while maintaining a consistent visual style.
Scouting the Space
Before guests arrived at the Generation Love boutique in Westhampton Beach, I walked through the space the same way I do at every Long Island brand event I photograph. Scouting portrait locations, evaluating natural light, and planning camera angles ahead of time allows me to work efficiently once guests begin arriving.
I also went in with several portrait poses and lighting concepts already planned. Even during a documentary-style event, having those ideas prepared allows me to create elevated lifestyle imagery quickly whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Capturing the Event
Once the sound bath and breathwork session began, the focus shifted entirely to observation.
Because this wasn't a high-energy launch party or networking event, the storytelling relied on subtle moments—guests settling into the experience, quiet interactions, thoughtful product details, and the peaceful atmosphere inside the boutique.
Throughout the event, I continuously alternated between photography and video, documenting authentic moments while keeping the final gallery and highlight film in mind.
The Final Result
By the end of the event, Generation Love received a curated gallery of imagery alongside a social-ready highlight video that captured the atmosphere, emotion, and aesthetic of their collaboration with BuDhaGirl.
While this project was best served with a hybrid approach, every event is different. Larger activations often benefit from dedicated photography and videography teams working together, while smaller experiences like this one can successfully balance both mediums depending on the goals, timeline, and budget.
No matter the size of the production, my process remains the same: thoughtful planning, intentional storytelling, and creating content that continues to support a brand long after the event is over.
YCP Studios specializes in brand photography, lifestyle & event photography and videography for businesses throughout New York City, Long Island, and the Hamptons. Whether you're hosting a retail pop-up, product launch, wellness event, or brand activation, the goal is always the same: creating marketing content that extends the value of your event long after it's over.