Natural Light Swimsuit Photo Shoot in Croatia | Canon EOS R5 + RF 135mm f1.8 + RF 50mm f1.2

Vanessa Joy is a wedding photographer and educator helping photographers grow profitable businesses.

What an unforgettable session! On a rooftop pool in Croatia, just as the sun rose, I had the privilege of photographing Julianna against one of the most breathtaking backdrops I’ve ever seen. With the glowing sunrise, soft pastel skies, and the vibrant Croatian cityscape, this shoot was a true dream for any photographer.

Shooting Sunrise on a Rooftop in Croatia

We started early to make the most of the directional light at sunrise. Shooting with the sun behind Julianna gave us soft tones in the sky, while turning her into the light created vivid, saturated portraits that brought out her natural beauty andthe stunning landscape.

Camera settings: I shot at f/5.6 to balance detail in the cityscape while keeping Julianna as the focal point. It’s always a delicate dance between highlighting your subject and honoring the environment.

On-the-Go Workflow: Shooting + Editing Immediately

One of the best parts of this session? Julianna got to see her photos on the spot!

Using my Lexar mini USB reader, I transferred images straight from my SD card to my phone. From there, I pulled them into Lightroom Mobile, applied my personal presets, and let Julianna choose her favorites right then and there.

✨ My go-to presets for this shoot:

• Join Me Pretty – for soft, glowing tones.

• Joy Ormond (B&W) – a moody black and white look that gave the images a timeless, editorial feel.

(You can grab these same presets on my website  to use in your own editing workflow.)

Editing + Backup on the Road

Travel photography means you need reliable tools. For this trip, my Lexar SSD Armor drive was essential:

• Fast, secure, and portable for travel.

• Perfect for backups on location.

• I even edit directly from the drive on my laptop, ensuring nothing gets lost between shoots.

After quick edits on Lightroom Mobile, I dove deeper into Lightroom Desktop, adjusting tones, making the blues pop, and even experimenting with Lightroom’s generative fill to remove distractions and push creative boundaries.

Some images were transformed so dramatically that they looked like they were taken at night! Shooting in RAW made that flexibility possible—and is one of the reasons I always recommend it.

Final Thoughts

This Croatia rooftop shoot was the perfect mix of incredible light, stunning location, and a subject who radiated confidence. Add in the right workflow tools and presets, and it became one of my favorite sessions to date.

Stay tuned—I’ll be sharing even more from this trip soon. And if you’re ready for your own unforgettable photography adventure, I’d love to see you in Bali next year!