Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (Auckland family-wedding-couples photographer)

Its time to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Another year pass by so quickly with so many amazing sessions: family, maternity, newborn, graduation, couples, proposals, elopement, weddings! (One family had a three photo shoots with me this year, this is a record in one year :))

Great time with beautiful souls, such a honour for me to be their photographer and document all these memories for years to come!

Its unbelievable how much variety of event we saw this year, including continue to be official photographers for NZIFSA, photographing all major ice skating competitions in Auckland (including North Island Championships and Nationals where skaters from all over New Zealand come to participate and show their passion and love to the sport). Such a pleasure to photograph!

As you may know, I’m an adult skater myself and this year had an amazing season with personal achievements - 2nd place in ISU Adult Competitions in Oberstdorf, Germany, 1st place in Winter Sun, Brisbane, 3rd place in Hollins Trophy, Sydney and 4th in Crystal Cup, in Melbourne. So many great memories and beautiful times together with my friends.

My kids had an important year in intermediate and high school; son get into development soccer team (Auckland United) and my daughter worked hard to learn all double jumps in skating and took a Silver medal in Nationals in Basic Novice U12 grade. All the hard work paid off!

Even though I needed to spend more time with my family, we had an incredible moments with my gorgeous couples and families.

I also incredibly grateful to continue teaching online photography workshop “Love, Light & Laughter” at Click Photo School (running from 2018, such a great time helping other photographers to find their voice and why in photography and life).

Enjoy highlights of this half season sessions in photo gallery below, messy and real, combining couples and events photography. Contact me with any questions!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I cannot wait to see what future holds!

Glenburn Championship Highlights - Ice Figure Skating Photography New Zealand

Its been a bit quiet here as I been away in Europe, to participate in Adult Ice Skating competitions in Oberstdorf, Germany, such a big world event for adult skaters. It was unusual to have this competitions held in the summer heat (it was 30-35 degrees, so almost impossible to walk outside. Best places to be was ice rink and top of the Nebelhorn mountain. Luckily gondolas been working this time, so we went there a few times, and even took pictures in our skating dresses.

I enjoyed time in Europe with all the yummy cakes and food, meeting with old and new friends and training camp with world best coaches. Surprisingly, I took 2nd place and beautiful trophy in my free skating program and truly enjoyed to skate first time my artistic program.

It was such a positive trip and amazing experience. You can check photos in my Social Media - Instagram @olgalevien

After I come back with a big jetlag, shortly it was time to take my usual role - a photographer at competitions in Paradice Avondale (last weekend). Time for passion, love and fire on ice with amazing performances.

What a competition full of power, grace and love to skating - from little ones to adults, everyone living the same passion on the ice!

Enjoy Glenburn Championship Highlights (ice figure skating photography in Auckland, New Zealand).

Clucas Cup - Ice figure skating photography

As many of you already know, ice skating is one of my favourite activities to do, together with photography, and when both of them comes together its a dream come true.

It was a honour for me to be asked by NZIFSA to be an official photographer for Clucas cup - Selection ice figure skating competitions with top skaters competing first event of the season in New Zealand, including Dwayne Li, Petra Lahti, Renee Tsai, Cara Tang, Mirika Armstrong, Nicca Wu, Mia Chen and other talented NZ figure skaters (including my daughter Anna-Bella).

It was fire on ice with all the passion, grace and power. Such a beautiful moments to photograph!

Enjoy highlights of these competitions!

I can not wait to photograph more competitions this season together with Nationals that coming in October.

Exciting times ahead!

New Zealand Ice Figure Skating Championships {Sports Photography}

As you may know Im not only a photographer, but also adult skater and been fortunate to be asked to became an Official Photographer for New Zealand Ice Figure Skating Championships, Nationals competitions in Auckland, NZ {18-21 October 2022}. It was a pleasure to dive in sports photography, so similar to events/wedding photography when you need to keep focused at all times and watch for the right moment to happen, putting attention on lines, composition, body language, emotions - passion and grace that skaters express in their programs.

You need to be on point, pre-view the moment that just about ro happen. Knowledge of figure skating and all the skating elements, programs requirements and layouts definitely a bonus for ability to get things right in camera. It was a challenging task with many thousands of photos captured over 4 days, but also very rewarding.

So much beauty, grace and talent!

Enjoy this quick sneak peek! Final galleries will be ready in 3-4 weeks {not late to make your order at www.levienphotography.com/new-zealand-nationals

Let me know if you have any questions!