Onepoto Domain Family session {Auckland kids-couples photographer}

Great time in Onepoto Domain with Masha and her family of four for a pre-Christmas morning photoshoot! So great to see this family growing {I remember doing Masha's maternity photos with a first baby and few other sessions as well, bring back memories!}. Beautiful moments with two little ones and a dog Simba!

So great to see friends coming back for more photos, such a honour to be kids and couples photographer and document all treasured moments and memories for years to come!

Enjoy highlights of this quick morning session at Onepoto Domain on North Shore! Contact me with any questions!

Family beach session {Auckland kids-newborn photographer}

Im so excited to share with you family beach session in Auckland. We spent amazing time with Howell family: Jenna & Darrel plus their two kids, such a honour for me as a wedding-family-kids photographer to share these spacial moments with four beautiful people in such a stunning location - Muriwai Beach, with amazing light just before the sunset.

This time was so amazing, I remember every single natural, emotional and beautiful moment with warm feelings. This time especially treasured for years to come as session happened just one week before the lockdown when country went to self-isolation. Bring back memories!

Enjoy highlights of this photo shoot on the spectacular beach with portrait / documentary candid moments!

My 365 Everyday moments - May 2017 {Hamilton lifestyle wedding photographer}

Hi everyone! Wedding season in new Zealand is coming to the end and i been crazy busy to catch up on editing and other things but manage to get a few images with my personal lifestyle everyday moments with kids and family for my "mostly 365 Project" :) 

Enjoy this gallery with my everyday moments in May 2017 around Hamilton, Auckland {ClickinWalk at Muriwai Beach and surroundings:

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Family of four - beach photo shoot {Auckland couples-wedding photographer}

Im not often doing family or newborn photo shoots as more concentrate on wedding and couples photography, but Im happy to take it on board if I have time in my schedule and feel I need to refresh and get more creative inspiration for shooting other genre of photography apart from weddings :)

This time my friend Natalia asked to do a family session for her at Kariotahi beach {Auckland} and I been glad to spent beautiful time with this family of four with 2 active kids. Smaller one Rebeca is turning 3 years old, what a big gorgeous girl!

We had a lot of fun at the beach near the hills, black sand sea line, waterfall. Kids been running and playing around and we even get opportunity to capture some couple's special moments with mum and dad. What a happy family!

Enjoy this video and gallery!

The Knott Family | Auckland Domain Photography Session {Waikato-Bay of Plenty photographer}

Auckland Domain is a beautiful place for taking pictures: big park with big old trees, lakes, Wintergardens, big fields and Museum as well. So popular for family time, sport exercise or relaxing time.

This morning we decide to have a family session with the Knott family: Amie, Steve, handsome and active Zach (8 years old) and gorgeous wee boy Jake (just turned 1 year old). This family is one of the winners of my Winter Giveaway (what I been running on Facebook to say a Big Thank you for all my followers for support and love). I was so happy to met this lucky family and we all had fun together!

It was an unforgettable time: climbing up on the trees, feeding ducks at the lake, running under the rain, walking around, had a picnic, feeding baby, have fun, a lots of hugs, smiles, jokes, laughing - warming moments. Weather been kind to us. We till the last moment been thinking about reschedule the session, but then bravely decided to try it, and there was just fast little rain, what not ruined our plans and we managed to finish a session on positive note.

Thank you so much guys for share with me your family moments!

See you soon!

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Auckland Botanic Gardens Pictures | Family lifestyle moments | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Auckland Botanic gardens is a great place to spend time with family, relax and walk along the beautiful surroundings (and I actually did a wedding photo shoot at location in this place :) - pictures coming soon, I promise!

Life always turns unexpected way. We just visited sad family event - great nana's funeral. Death and life goes together.

When I look at my kids I see how they full of life and active, running around, exploring everything, having fun! Great nana always enjoyed to watch these little ones, she might be happy to see it.

We visited Gardens on the back way and enjoyed peaceful and quiet atmosphere just before the sunset. I been lucky enough to capture some pictures for memories.

Life, nature and kids (in memory of Elsie Mary Richards):



Snowy mountains Lake Taupo-Ruapehu destination session | Lifestyle photographer Auckland-Waikato-Bay of Plenty

I spent last weekend at Lake Taupo, where I have had a family photo session and many more. Lake Taupo is one of the best family destinations in New Zealand. I have been invited to capture precious moments of a baby turning 1 year old - a fabulous present of his parents. Birthday party at the mountains all covered with snow. First time to encounter snow – what can be more exciting for a child!

What a great experience!!!

I love to travel. I have been so happy that they have decided to share with me these special moments.  

Mama Lena specially made a cake to celebrate one year old, and parents’ friends brought some cool presents. Gorgeous little boy has been so happy to have a ride on a toy-train with funny music and play with balloons. Later this day we drove up to the mountains passing by snowy trees and amazing landscapes everywhere you look. What a magic atmosphere it has been!

Not to mention it was just freezing up on the top of the mountains and it has been a little bit challenging to shoot with cold fingers, but it’s definitely worth it: beautiful nature around us and family walking on snow, laying and playing together. I have found that I'm not used to snow anymore, after few years away from Russia (there was really freezing temperatures - 20-30 at winter!!!), so now I’m more used to summer all year around.  But it's great you can find so different landscapes in New Zealand, all in one spot! Love it!

Next day it was time to leave our location, beautiful house we spend the most amazing weekend. It was pity to leave this beautiful place. Lake Taupo was a short drive from where we have stayed, so we decided to continue with a photo session with a change of the background and of course more positive emotions, especially when so many interesting birds, swans and ducks around us. What a great experience for little one - watch all these new moments for him and feed those birds!

What a great weekend and amazing time! Enjoy our pictures and watch this space!

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Mama and me Mission Bay beach photography session {Auckland Family Photographer}

What nice sunny weather and freezing temperature! Thats how we met Thursday morning photo shoot at Auckland City Kohimarama | St. Heliers beach. Lucky enough no rain, but bright sun which is not the best friend for great pictures :)

But I can work in any conditions. We met again with Lena and Yarik for their second family session. Its a big pleasure to work with old friends/clients (last time it was really rainy weather for family session but we manage to handle it :)

Yarik just turned 2 years old. What a big boy, lucky parents. He was really good, full of smiles, had a lot of fun at the session: played with the sand, rolled ball at the beach, played with mummy hide and seek and pi-ca-bu , climbed up to the stairs and run around! Boys always active!

Enjoy these pictures:

 

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Hair Style - couples photography {Auckland wedding photographer}

We already talk about Make-Up in Photography in our blog. So now Hair Style's turn.

How you imagine yourself in the pictures, what style you choose, what clothes you planning to wear? All these questions related to Hair Style. What you need to consider when you choose hair style type. 

If you have a long hair you will have a big freedom with ideas and styles (you could leave hair freedom, or put in tale, or make a bun etc.  Its all connected with your pictures style, clothes, accessories, make-up etc. Short hair give you less opportunities but at the same moment made it's more creative with modern or fashion hair cut what could create a special picture's atmosphere.

I love freedom of long hair what made romantic pictures with retro style, especially with couple / engagement photo shoot. You could imagine how partner playing with your long hair, how wind blow its all and made effective amazing look with freedom feeling. Partner could put his hands in the hair, or kiss them. It's so sweet moments!

Hair Style - couples photography {Auckland wedding photographer}

Mothers and kids connection could be great to show on family lifestyle sessions when little fingers touching mum's hair.  Its a great way communication.

mother and daughter

If you need to make fashion glamour look or retro vintage style you need special hair stylist who give you this special look. And pictures will turn amazing way! 

Hair stylist in wedding shoots is an absolutely must do service! You needs your hair looks nice and fresh all the day! And believe me - its a long day! I absolutely recommend to rehearsal check out (when you could try your idea and your hair artist work, so you not will be disappointed at the Big day, its a lot stress what you no need at all :)

So don't forget to book a hair stylist as well with Make-up Artist and Photographer of course :)

I have contacts of few hair stylist what I could highly recommend. So feel free contact me! I will be happy to help you with this choice.

One of the last wedding photo shoot I been honoured to shoot with great hair stylist - Alan Wang from Perfekt Hair Studio. He been working professional, fast, patient with bride, bridesmaids, bride's mum etc. So mach amazing hair done. And pictures turned absolutely stunning. Bridesmaids had a lot of fun with pillow fight on the bed and hair still stayed perfect :)

Enjoy this flashback shots!

Thank you, Alan for great work!  

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Mother-Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

What is so special about mother-daughter relationships?

It’s the love and the sweetness of the two souls that are connected with each other. Each woman who became a mother understands it. When you gave birth to a baby (no matter – a boy or a girl) your life changes and sometimes you have no idea how huge this change is!

I love doing lifestyle photoshoots when you could capture real life, like a documentary, to tell a story, to capture everyday moments that we treasure forever - how kids are playing, eating, drawing, how they are reading a book with parents, sitting together, laughing, giving each other a hug, singing a song and having fun.

That’s why I’ve been really happy and excited to do a lifestyle family photo shoot for Inga with her gorgeous daughter Mia at their place. Really wonderful moments together! It was amazing time and experience, I totally loved how pictures turned out!

Enjoy it step by step.

legs
portrait babyMother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}
on the deck
baby
hug
fence
reading book
Mother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}
Mother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}
wood
Mother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}
mother and daughter
two
Mother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}
in the woods

 

My favourite picture from this set - Mother and Daughter in the wood:

Mother -Daughter family photographs - 1 year sweet baby girl {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

Thank you Inga and Mia for wonderful time together!

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Instagram and Pinterest. Auckland photographer

What a great sources for pictures and inspiration - Instagram and Pinterest.

Instagram really popular place to put your pictures straight out of camera (mobile phone). Its a square picture, but you could always keep original shape with some apps like Squaredroid (what i use often). Also great to put a tag - your friend @xxx or any subject what you like (for example #wedding, #familyshoot, #aucklandphotographer, #lifestyle, #beauty etc. And then you could easily click on this tag and see all other pictures around the world with this hashtag.

You could find great pictures all around the world, different communities, photographers which you could follow ...

My personal Instagram - www.instagram.com/olgalevien  You could find there not only my work with clients / friends but also a lot of personal pictures, mostly my kids and everyday pictures :)

instagram

 

Pinterest give you opportunity not only search for pictures what you need, but also pin it and create own boards where you could save favourite pics. I love to create inspirational boards and also would ask my clients to create their own while prepare to our photo shoot, so we get some new ideas, leaning forward some style, and understand we on the same page! :)

pinterest

Will be happy to see your boards! Just send me a link!

Rainy family session at the park {Kids-children photographer Auckland NZ}

Shooting in overcast weather could be nice - clouds work like diffusor, light nice and soft. But sometimes overcast weather could became a rainy weather.

Thats happened at our last family photo shoot with Lena, Anton and gorgeous Yarik. We decided to go to local park and took some shots at beautiful location with trees and bridge, fields and green grass. Yarik been really concentrated on his big yellow truck and want to travel around in his own direction. Parents sometimes just need follow child wishes and let him play and have fun!

But just after we started our journey rain starts too. So we had two variants to choose from - cancel photo shoot or keep going, go back under the trees with hope rain stops.

It was crazy and fun, and brave parents been ready keep doing session until rain became really heavy. What a terrible weather! We manage to get some shots, but not 100% what we planned (we also been hoping to drive to the beach and took some wonderful beach shots), but we decided went back to the guys house (just around the corner) and took some lifestyle shots around their place. You can do shots in any location! 

Then sky clear - What  a turn! but we finished anyway. 

So weather sometimes could be really tricky, and we can't do much about it, unless we have Plan B :)

Hope we will catch up with guys soon and will do some more dream shots on the beach or in other location and their kid grow up (kids grow so fast and its so important to capture these treasure moments! :) 

What a great family! Look how gorgeous they are:

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West costal beach Family photographs {Auckland NZ lifestyle family photographer}

Morning on the beach - what a beautiful time and location. Lovely family: Belinda and little Eva met me on the west cost Kariotahi beach for took some lifestyle family photographs.

It was fun and full of move and mess photo shoot. Kids really active at this age and I prefer give them freedom, run around, play, have fun time. I love take a lifestyle pictures what shows your child's favourite things to do at this period of time, capture live moment, show true character and personality.

Climbing on  the rocks, running to the water, dancing, jumping near waterfall, create some art on the sand, look around, hug and kiss mummy...

What a wonderful time and what a pleasure to capture true life, Thank you Belinda and Eva for share with me your family life moments!

P.S. We also manage to get to the park and took few shots their with some fun and tender moments

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