Behind The Work: Outdoor Lifestyle Photography and Videography for Naventure

Ricardo Tejeda
Dec 24, 2025
5 min read

Behind The Work is an in-depth exploration of the thought process and reasoning—good and bad—that goes into some of our favorite projects.

The Task at Hand

My first time working with Naventure in 2023, I was tasked with updating their photography for their website. This was a very straightforward ask—basically what amounted to nature photography, which I'm already known for, with a blend of real estate photography. That project went so well that the following year, I was hired to create lifestyle photography and videos for them, and in the summer of 2024, I started.

In creating lifestyle photography and videography for Naventure—an outdoor adventure company that manages campsites and recreation sites for the United States Forest Service—the main goal I needed to accomplish was highlighting the various activities their sites and recreation areas could be used for, and how families of all sizes, ages, and experience levels with the outdoors could create lasting memories by visiting a Naventure site for day-use or spending an entire vacation with Naventure.

With my goals in mind, I created a moodboard and shot list, detailing focal lengths and camera movements for the video. After client approval, I started on my second project with Naventure.

Download the shot lists for a sense of what we wanted to accomplish

The Pisgah National Forest Sites

In North Carolina, our focus was only on the larger sites and one horse camp: Lake Powhatan and Pisgah Glamping, Davidson River Campground, Mill River Campground, and Wash Creek Horse Camp. Our shot list required models to recreate natural scenes and uses of the sites, and as such, my first order of business was to procure models within the budget I was given. With the understanding that Naventure employees would act as stand-in models for some of the photos and footage we needed to keep costs under control, I only needed to reach out to people about modeling for two specific scenes: a mountain biking shoot at the Hard Times trail near Lake Powhatan and a fly fishing shoot at Mills River Campground.

In using Naventure employees as models, it was pivotal that we referenced our mood board and followed our shot list as closely as possible. In some instances, it worked out perfectly, such as photographing the Pisgah Glamping area, but in others, we had to make do with who was available, and I think we did our best given those circumstances. When scheduling specific timeslots with models I hired for our mountain biking scene at Hard Times trail and the fly fishing scene at North Mills River Campground, I was able to fully stick to the shot list I planned.

Our most significant and disastrous hurdle in North Carolina for the project was Hurricane Helene. During the early morning hours of September 27, 2025, Helene slowly moved through Western North Carolina, causing widespread damage and chaos never before seen in the area. Helene shifted, then eventually halted the rest of the North Carolina portion of our project while recovery and cleanup efforts lasted the remainder of the year and into 2025.

The human toll far outweighs any change this project experienced from Hurricane Helene. Still, I'm happy that we were able to complete more than 75% of what we had planned prior to the devastation Helene brought to our area. Below, you can view our photos and videos created in North Carolina for Naventure.

Photo gallery. Click to expand.

Video gallery. Click to expand. Allow a few seconds for videos to load at full resolution.

The Ocala National Forest Sites I arrived in Ocala in late March of 2025, and much like what the assignment in Pisgah National Forest called for, I was to document the larger amenity sites, namely Alexander Springs, Juniper Springs, Silver Glenn Springs, and Clearwater Lake Recreation Area. The Naventure sites in Ocala are much more day-use amenity-driven, with the main attractions being swimming at the springs, kayaking, picnicking, and mountain biking, as opposed to the Pisgah sites, where camping is a roadmap to outdoor adventure.

Not living in Ocala, my reach for securing models was very limited, so I was heavily reliant on recommendations and outreach from Naventure. We both put out a public call for models on social media, and I reached out to a couple of organizations Naventure suggested, but our response was limited, even with the Naventure team located in Ocala. As such, we only had a couple of models available in Ocala and had to make the necessary adjustments to move more towards capturing candid shots of visitors as they enjoyed their time. That meant some constraints, like taking extra care not to photograph children unless given permission, and being at the mercy of the number of visitors to these locations.

Even with these limitations, we were able to capture compelling imagery and videos. Both Silver Glenn and Alexander Springs offered robust opportunities, as they were crowded with plenty of people willing to participate in our shoot. With Corian, one of the employees at Naventure, being my main model for the week, we used any interaction with guests as an opportunity to capture photos on top of our planned photos from the shot list.

Photo gallery. Click to expand.

Video gallery. Click to expand. Allow a few seconds for videos to load at full resolution.

Unused Ad Designs

As part of the initial pitch to Naventure, I recommended using some of the images we created for marketing campaign designs, such as magazine spreads. This part of the initial proposal was rejected. Still, in the vision that I had, the marriage between design and photography was perfect, and I created these advert designs for the simple pleasure of being creative.

In creating what would serve as an advertising and marketing campaign, I wanted to convey a sense of being the adventure one might seek, showcasing active engagement with the land and amenities rather than passive observation. Even in a situation of relaxation, visitors are actively participating in lively conversation next to a roaring campfire, or in the tranquility of a beach on the lake, you can feel the radiant warmth of the sunset stretching across the scene.

Photo gallery. Click to expand.

Final Thoughts

In my second time working with Naventure, I found a project that was much more robust. We needed models, which required scheduling and props, but due to budget constraints, we didn't always have them. For people not used to modeling, let alone being in front of a camera, acting out the scenarios required for a lifestyle shoot such as this is difficult. You have to ignore the camera pointed at you while acting natural, do multiple takes for a single scene, and repeat that over and over throughout the shoot. It's taxing. You feel awkward. In this aspect of the project, I wish we could have done more to secure professional models. Suggestions for reaching out to other outdoor outfitters to collaborate on this project in exchange for access to the final images for use of their gear as props and their employees as additional models were made, but ultimately not explored.

Still, I'm happy with what we were able to produce. The photos from Pisgah Glamping and the images of the father and son riding their bikes are great examples of Naventure employees acting naturally and serving as excellent models. The candid photos produced throughout the entirety of the Ocala shoot are great. Corian, with the Naventure team in Florida, was an excellent model as well.

In the end, with a project such as this, I look at the final results and ask whether they met the goals set forth. We were able to create dynamic imagery and videos highlighting the outdoor lifestyle offered by Naventure, demonstrating that there is something for all ages to enjoy.