Tap into existing resources. What assets do you already own? What experiences can you reference to build the story? I grew up on Long Island and remembered a place with vastly different beaches, all within a quarter of a mile.

Plan smart. Find the perfect location, then reevaluate it and pick it apart before you commit. Will it give you the look you want? Are you ready for Mother Nature (we faced rain and snow for this shoot, scheduled on a cold November day)? Do you need permits to shoot at the location (we did)?

Don’t take pictures — make pictures. We photographed these scenes in our heads long before the shoot, and we knocked out a lot of the heavy lifting in preproduction, including these beautiful test shots. By the time we arrived on the island, we were ready to shift to execution mode.

Have a great team. From resourceful coordinators and talented photographers to unflappable models, everyone played their part in pulling this off. And though everyone on location nailed it, this project wouldn’t have succeeded without the Creative team back home that crafted the end product, Moen’s new catalog, in real time as we sent new shots to them.

The harder the assignment, the greater the reward, and it was gratifying to see the results of a long day. Here are some of my favorites.

What are some other examples of creative assignments with challenging logistics? How did you pull them off? Let us know on Twitter @wrayward by using the hashtag #makepictures.