Light and lifestyle {New Zealand wedding-engagement photographer}

As all photographers {especially wedding-engagement ones ;)} I love the light, and can't help myself when I see the beautiful light coming through the trees {at our family walk at reserve not far from our house}.

This time we took kids on the bike truck and they had a lot of fun running around and riding bike {my older boy who is turning 4! this week first time been riding bike with 2 wheels and he just confident jump into it without any trouble at all, been so happy}. My smaller one loved to have freedom, lay on the grass and enjoy herself :)

I used the opportunity to grab camera fast and capture a few lifestyle moments with kids.

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

Flash vs Natural light | Photography tips | Family and Wedding photographer | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Im often saying Im a natural light photographer. I take a pictures outside in beautiful locations: parks, beaches, reserves, rocks etc. Also use gorgeous window light at lifestyle family / newborn / baby / couples sessions.

I love to watch light, I love to use light, I love to play with light (detract, side, back light which looks just amazing, believe me!).

But there are some situations when light just doesn't works how you want it, how you imagine it in your head. Maybe not enough to light your subject, or opposite - overpower and making a lot of hot spots on the face, or it sampled light. At this cases the best option is a flash, especially off-camera flash.

I love to use flash to bounce light in the room where there is not enough light (clients houses, newborn sessions, wedding receptions, family formals), or where needs to fill with light, or even overpower the sun. 

What an amazing result you can get just before the sunset with off camera flash to show beautiful background full of colours and also give some light on the faces (couple, family, maternity, kids, portraits etc.). Here some example from my last couples session on the beach. I will show you natural light picture and picture with using off-camera flash. See the difference in feelings, different effects and looks what you want to archive. Its works just great when you want to give the variety in the gallery and put so different but so beautiful pictures at the same moment of time. Flash give you a big power to have choice and apply your vision on the capturing moments:

Main tips with using flash:

1. know your synchronise speed (for not get a black stripe across the image)

2. put it closer to the subject (to get nice light)

3. control flash power manually

4. use the manual mode in the camera to control aperture and shutter speed.

5. and practice! :)

You can also put flash in TTL automatic mode but its not I've you much ability to control the flash.

Good luck with your shooting! Just take a camera, equipment and go with the flow! :)

Talk to you soon!

Contact me if you have any question info@levienphotography.com!

And its all about LIGHT! Tips. Auckland photographer

When we liked some picture sometimes we don't know why - maybe its good composition, colours, connection between subjects...And LIGHT!

Light made picture special and magical. Its a first thing what you need consider when you ready made a click!

Best time for pictures

Thats why most photographers choose to schedule their sessions in the best light conditions, often it is 2 hours before sunset (or after sunrise) - Golden time for pictures. Or early morning when light so beautiful, lay down and give nice warm feeling!

Sunny weather

Time during the day not so great because of bright sun what cause bright spot on the face and deep shadows. At this case we could take shots in open shade (under the trees, near the buildings) or at covered shade (under the porch, garage, umbrella etc).

Overcast weather.

Overcast weather good for pictures at any time, clouds work like diffusor, made soft light. Only one point - sometimes its could be hard to get nice catchlights, so need position your subject right way, even look up to the sky - and you get great catchlights!

Pictures inside.

If you want take a pictures inside some space (house, office, church etc) first you need look at available light source (even small window can give you desperate light). If you have choice and a lot windows available you can position your subject at the window with nice soft light (check sun position - its might be from opposite side of the house). You can play with light and shade on the face just with position your subject at the corner of the window (more light), in the middle (deeper shade on half face) - turn face at 90, 45 degrees forward the window or from it. Also you can use a reflector (its could be any wight, silver, gold surface), also you can play with black side of reflector (what take light as a flag and cause more shade).

So just play around and enjoy it, try see the light and think what you can change (angle, side, move your subject, move yourself etc) for better results.

Enchanted Princess Park Portrait session {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

Sometimes we all waiting for miracle and believe in magic around us.

And today, at Christmas Eve I decided share with you some pictures from my last Portrait Senior Session in Auckland Cornwall park with Lauren. She been amazing, working in front of camera, show her young beauty and personality, a little bit fun and lyric moments.

I brought net from my daughter bed and we created enchanted place under old tree at Cornwall park. Lauren even brought a rabbit! We wanted create something like 'Alice in Wonderland", but rabbit was really fast, what we not expected :) It was fun, try put him in needs position and try catch this moment with camera! (I definatly need assistant, ha-ha)

And here you can see our sessions result :)

Enchanted princess, magic forest and little bunny (rabbit)... Let dreams come true.

Contact me with any question!

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