Introduction

To strengthen its visual communications and elevate its brand, the City of Menifee partnered with Tripepi Smith for on-call photography support. One of the primary objectives was capturing City staff in action — serving the public, maintaining critical infrastructure and supporting community operations — along with featuring City spaces and development. These images would serve as a vital tool for storytelling, recruitment and outreach.

Research & Planning

Before any cameras were lifted, our team worked to develop an understanding of the City’s needs, intended audiences and communications goals. We met with City leadership to identify the types of images that would provide the most value across platforms and provided input to help shape a robust shot list. The final shot list included:

  • Candid, in-action shots of City staff performing day-to-day duties
  • Public Works and Engineering teams working in the field
  • Police and Fire Department action and team shots
  • Group portraits and team photos that reflect camaraderie and professionalism
  • Detail shots of badges, tools, equipment, uniforms and signage
  • Stock-style photography of City-owned facilities
  • Residents enjoying parks, trails and recreational spaces
  • Retail environments capturing local economic activity
  • Scenic landscape shots that highlight Menifee’s natural beauty

Once the shot list was finalized, our team created a detailed, three-day shoot schedule, carefully considering ideal lighting conditions, location availability and staff availability. We considered sunrise and sunset times to leverage natural light and coordinated weekday shoots to photograph staff during work hours. Saturday was reserved for capturing retail and recreational activities when community spaces were active. To streamline the process, we built a custom shoot map for the photographer to reduce travel time and maximize efficiency across locations.

Implementation & Results

Across three full shoot days, our photographer captured more than 1,600 high-resolution images, offering broad and detailed visual coverage of City services, community life and Menifee’s landscapes. We emphasized natural light and organic energy, prioritizing candid moments over posed setups. The result: a library of compelling, authentic images that reflect the City’s professional culture, community pride and service-oriented values.

These visuals now serve as a key asset in Menifee’s outreach, recruitment and public engagement efforts. For example, you can find our photos featured throughout the Summer 2025 edition of Menifee Matters, a magazine mailed to 45,000+ households and businesses in the City.