Winter forest and beach photoshoot (West Auckland wedding photographer) - Jane & Nick's Winter Honeymoon Photoshoot in Auckland

There is something truly special about celebrating a new marriage with an adventure together, and that's exactly what Jane and Nick chose to do.

Travelling all the way from Singapore, they spent their honeymoon exploring New Zealand's breathtaking landscapes and creating unforgettable memories together. As part of their journey, they wanted to capture this exciting chapter of their lives with a post-wedding photoshoot surrounded by the beauty of a New Zealand winter.

We started our session in a beautiful forest location, where we were greeted by pouring rain. While the weather was certainly dramatic, New Zealand had other plans for us. After a short wait, the rain moved on and gave us the perfect opportunity to continue our shoot outdoors.

Our next stop was Muriwai Beach, one of West Auckland's most spectacular coastal locations. With its rugged black sand, dramatic cliffs, and moody winter skies, it never fails to provide a stunning backdrop for photography. The soft, cloudy light created a beautiful atmosphere that perfectly complemented Jane and Nick's relaxed and joyful energy.

One of my favourite parts of every photoshoot is getting to know the people in front of my camera. Throughout the afternoon, we chatted about their wedding celebrations, their honeymoon adventures around New Zealand, and the places they were most excited to visit—including the famous Hobbiton Movie Set. I also loved hearing the story of how they first met while studying in Los Angeles and how their journey together eventually led them to this unforgettable honeymoon adventure.

Despite the unpredictable winter weather, we had an amazing time exploring, laughing, and creating images that reflected their connection and love for one another. These are the moments I love capturing most - genuine emotions, shared adventures, and the unique story that every couple brings with them.

Enjoy some highlights from Jane and Nick's post-wedding photoshoot in beautiful West Auckland.

Sunset engagement session - Muriwai forest and beach (Pre-wedding photographers Auckland): Jonathan & Sarah's Sunset Engagement Session at Muriwai

As many photographers will agree, sunset is one of the most beautiful times of day for an engagement session. The light becomes soft, warm, and flattering, creating a magical atmosphere that is perfect for capturing genuine moments between couples. When combined with a stunning location like Muriwai, the result is simply unforgettable.

Muriwai is one of my favourite places in Auckland for engagement and pre-wedding photography. The combination of peaceful forest trails and dramatic West Coast beaches offers incredible variety without requiring long travel times. Within just a few minutes' drive, couples can enjoy two completely different landscapes, making it the perfect setting for a relaxed two-hour photoshoot.

For Jonathan and Sarah's engagement session, we began in the forest, where beautiful golden light filtered through the trees and created the most incredible backdrop. We spent time walking, chatting, and getting to know each other while capturing natural and authentic moments along the way.

As the sun continued to drop, we headed to the beach. Muriwai's rugged coastline provided a spectacular setting, with dramatic rocks, rolling waves, and endless views creating a breathtaking backdrop for their photos. Nature truly put on a show for us that evening.

One of the things I love most about engagement sessions is that they give couples the opportunity to slow down, spend quality time together, and simply enjoy being in the moment. Jonathan and Sarah were so relaxed and easy-going, making the entire session a pleasure to photograph.

Congratulations to this beautiful couple on their engagement! I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

Enjoy some highlights from their engagement session - a little sneak peek from a perfect evening at Muriwai.

More pictures coming soon!

A Surprise New Year's Eve Proposal at Muriwai Beach (Auckland engagement-wedding photographer): Oliver and Taylor

Muriwai Beach is one of the most spectacular locations in Auckland for engagement and proposal photography. With its dramatic black-sand coastline, rugged cliffs, impressive rock formations, and famous gannet colony, it offers some of the most breathtaking scenery on New Zealand's West Coast.

When Oliver contacted me about planning a surprise proposal for Taylor during their trip to New Zealand from Oregon, USA, I knew Muriwai would provide the perfect backdrop for such a special moment.

The plan was simple: stay hidden and avoid attracting attention until the big moment arrived. As their photographer, I spent some time blending into the surroundings, pretending to photograph the local birds and landscapes—which, to be fair, are absolutely worth photographing on their own!

As Oliver and Taylor arrived and began exploring the beach together, everything unfolded perfectly. They wandered along the coastline, taking in the incredible views, completely unaware of what was about to happen.

Then came the moment.

Oliver dropped to one knee and asked the question he had travelled across the world to ask.

Thankfully for all involved, the answer was a very enthusiastic "Yes!"

After the excitement settled, we spent some time walking around the beach, chatting, laughing, and capturing the joy of their newly engaged adventure. It was such a pleasure getting to know them and hearing more about their travels around New Zealand.

Originally, we had planned to photograph the proposal at sunset, but Mother Nature had other ideas. With thunderstorms forecast for the evening, we quickly adjusted our plans and moved the session to the morning instead. While the light was stronger than we would normally have at sunset, the stunning scenery, genuine emotions, and excitement of the occasion more than made up for it.

At the end of the day, photographs are about much more than perfect conditions. They are about preserving real moments, genuine reactions, and memories that will be treasured for years to come. And this proposal was full of all three.

Congratulations to Oliver and Taylor on their engagement! Thank you for allowing me to capture such an unforgettable moment in your journey together.

Enjoy some highlights from this beautiful surprise proposal at Muriwai Beach. Contact me with any questions!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year | 2025 Highlights (Auckland family-wedding-couples photographer)

As another year comes to a close, it's time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by. Looking back through my galleries, I'm reminded of just how many incredible people I've had the privilege of photographing. From family sessions, maternity and newborn photography to graduations, couples, surprise proposals, elopements, and weddings, this year has been filled with beautiful stories and unforgettable moments.

One family even booked three sessions with me this year—a personal record! It is always such an honour when families continue to trust me to document different chapters of their lives.

What I love most about photography is the opportunity to meet amazing people and preserve memories that will be treasured for years to come. Every session is unique, and every family, couple, and celebration brings its own story.

This year also brought incredible variety beyond weddings and family photography. I was fortunate to continue working as an official photographer for New Zealand Ice Figure Skating, covering major competitions throughout the season, including the North Island Championships and New Zealand Nationals. Watching athletes from across the country come together to share their passion for the sport is always inspiring, and photographing those moments remains one of my favourite challenges.

Many of you know that figure skating is not only something I photograph- it's also one of my personal passions. As an adult skater, I was incredibly grateful to enjoy one of my most successful competitive seasons to date. Highlights included placing second at the ISU Adult Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany, first at WinterSun in Brisbane, third at the Hollins Trophy in Sydney, and fourth at the Crystal Challenge in Melbourne.

These experiences created memories I will cherish forever and allowed me to spend time with wonderful friends from around the world who share the same love for the sport.

It has also been a big year for my own family. My son earned a place in the Auckland United development football programme, while my daughter worked tirelessly on her skating, mastering all of her double jumps and earning a silver medal at the New Zealand National Championships in the Basic Novice Under-12 division. Watching their hard work and dedication pay off has been incredibly rewarding.

As always, balancing work, sport, travel, and family life remains a challenge, and I know there are times when I wish I could spend even more time with those closest to me. But I am deeply grateful for every moment shared with my family, friends, and the wonderful clients who invite me into some of the most important days of their lives.

Another highlight of the year was continuing to teach my online photography workshop, Love, Light & Laughter, through Click Photo School. Since launching the course in 2018, it has been a privilege to help photographers develop not only their technical skills but also discover their own voice, purpose, and passion behind the camera.

As I reflect on the year, I feel incredibly thankful for every couple, family, athlete, student, and friend who has been part of this journey. Your trust, support, and friendship mean more than words can express.

Below is a collection of some favourite moments from the past season - a mix of weddings, couples, families, and events. Messy, real, emotional, and full of life - just the way I like it.

Thank you for following along and supporting my work.

Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Christmas, a safe holiday season, and a New Year filled with happiness, adventure, and beautiful memories.

I can't wait to see what the next year brings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Contact me with any questions!

A Surprise Proposal at Sanders Reserve (Auckland pre-wedding photographer)

Surprise proposals are always incredibly special to photograph, and Ishan’s thoughtful plan at Sanders Reserve in North Auckland was no exception.

Ishan got in touch with me ahead of time to help document his proposal and make sure everything unfolded smoothly. Together, we planned the details carefully so the moment could be captured naturally without raising any suspicion.

With the help of family and friends, a beautiful setup was created at a quiet spot on the edge of Sanders Reserve. A white carpet, framed couple photos, flowers, and a camera set up on a tripod for video all came together to create a stunning and intimate proposal scene.

My role was to blend into the surroundings and pose as a random passerby, quietly photographing the natural beauty of the reserve while waiting for the moment to unfold.

Everything went exactly as planned.

The bride-to-be had no idea what was coming. As they arrived at the location, the moment quickly became emotional and unforgettable. Ishan got down on one knee, and in an instant, joy and surprise filled the air. Moments later, their friends and family joined in to celebrate, many of them moved to tears.

It was one of those beautiful moments where everything feels real, emotional, and completely unforgettable.

After the excitement settled, we continued with a relaxed engagement session around Sanders Reserve. The location offered so many beautiful backdrops - lush greenery, open views, and soft natural light - perfect for capturing their first moments as an engaged couple.

It was such a joy to be part of this surprise and to document such an important chapter in their story.

Enjoy highlights from this beautiful surprise proposal at Sanders Reserve.

Gisele & Kelsey’s Engagement Session at Muriwai Beach (Auckland wedding photographers)

Exciting times at Gisele & Kelsey’s engagement photoshoot at Muriwai Beach—one of the most breathtaking locations in West Auckland for pre-wedding photography.

With its dramatic cliffs, rugged coastline, and ever-changing light, Muriwai is truly a dream location for any photographer. On this evening, everything came together perfectly: soft golden sunset light, beautiful textures in the landscape, and the glow filtering through the high rock formations created an incredible backdrop for their session.

Gisele and Kelsey had just gotten engaged after seven years together, having met all the way back in high school. It’s always so special to photograph couples who have grown together over such a long period of time - there is a depth of connection, comfort, and love that naturally shines through in every frame.

The session was filled with so much warmth, laughter, and genuine emotion. You could truly feel the excitement of this new chapter in their lives.

As a little unexpected bonus, there was also a wedding happening on the beach at the same time as our shoot. As a wedding photographer, I couldn’t resist capturing a few candid moments from their celebration as well. Later, we even shared one of the images with the bride, as Gisele happened to know her through a wedding community group - it really is a small world sometimes!

Enjoy highlights from this beautiful engagement session at Muriwai Beach, one of Auckland’s most iconic photography locations.

A Surprise Proposal in Pollok | Richard & Vivian (Auckland pre-wedding photographer)

Such an exciting proposal unfolded in Pollok, South Auckland, where Richard planned a beautifully thoughtful surprise for Vivian.

Richard got in touch many months in advance to carefully organise the moment, ensuring everything would be perfect. As part of their getaway, he arranged a stay at a nearby Airbnb overlooking rolling hills and peaceful water views - an ideal setting for such a meaningful occasion.

On the day, everything came together beautifully. In front of a stunning flower wall, Richard got down on one knee and asked Vivian to marry him. It was a heartfelt and emotional moment filled with joy, surprise, and happy tears.

After Vivian said “yes,” the celebration continued with a champagne toast, making the moment even more special as reality slowly sank in.

Following the proposal, we took a short walk down to the waterfront for a relaxed and intimate couple session. The surrounding landscape provided a beautiful backdrop, with soft light, open space, and a calm atmosphere that perfectly reflected their excitement and connection.

It was such a joy to witness and capture these genuine emotions - simple, honest, and full of meaning.

Enjoy highlights from this beautiful surprise proposal in Pollok, South Auckland.

Lysea & John | Muriwai Beach Maternity Photoshoot (Auckland family-wedding photographer)

We first met Lysea and John during Lysea’s graduation photoshoot, and during that session they shared some incredibly exciting news - they were expecting a baby. From that moment, we started planning both their maternity and future newborn session, and it has been such a joy to follow their journey into parenthood.

Muriwai Beach is one of my favourite locations for maternity photography. With its dramatic West Coast scenery and the possibility of soft golden sunset light, it creates a truly beautiful and natural setting for such a special chapter in life.

On the day of their session, the weather was a little cloudy, but that never takes away from the magic of Muriwai. In fact, the soft light and moody skies often add a calm and intimate feeling to the images. Despite a very wet September with many rescheduled sessions, we were lucky this time - the weather held just enough for us to go ahead and enjoy a relaxed shoot by the beach.

It was a wonderful afternoon spent walking, talking, and capturing this exciting season of anticipation for Lysea and John. There is something very special about maternity sessions - the quiet excitement, the connection, and the sense of new beginnings just around the corner.

I can’t wait for their upcoming newborn session - it won’t be long now!

Enjoy highlights from this beautiful maternity photoshoot at Muriwai Beach, Auckland.

One location - variety of photos {Auckland engagement-wedding photographer - photography education}

Sometimes just one location with one source of light can take your breath away and make it magical with great variety of photos. It happens to me pretty much at every Auckland engagement photo shoot or wedding, where I’m searching for light, inspiration and creativity, and aim for a great variety of photos, which important for most photographers.

Light is a big moving part of every creative process. For me, personally, location take play as well. It’s important to consider colour, texture, space and available light at every location.

Next comes compositional choices with leading lines, symmetry, reflection, negative space and plenty of other techniques, including choosing a focal point and shooting range (far away, middle range or close up to get more intimate feel). Choice of lens is important as well, that’s why I often using two camera bodies with two lens or have a 24-70 mm zoom lens on me to get more variety of photos.

By the way, my online photography workshop “Love, Light and Laughter” coming soon on 9 June 2025 at Click Photo School, not long to go now! Perfect education for photographers to discover your voice and best way to express it!

Enjoy highlights on our recent proposal session with Zoe & Marshall in Winter Gardens, Auckland Domain, where we explored a few little spots around the pavilions, and one particular spot became my favourite.

It offered a great light, solid backdrop, opportunity to capture different range of shots, including anonymous portraits and negative space, and intimate couples photos as well.

Proposal in Winter Gardens: Marshall and Zoe (Auckland wedding photographers)

The groom planned a perfect proposal in Winter Gardens: Marshall knew Zoe’s parents get married in Winter gardens (Auckland) and this location is very special to her, that’s why he decided to ask her hand at this epic location, very popular with many couples and wedding-engagement photographers.

Even rain can’t stand on the way of this proposal! We decided to meet in one of the pavilions and Marshall asked his friends to come over to help with his plan.

I arrived to location early, looking for happy couple, secretly pretending to be interested by shooting flowers (I did enjoy colourful lines of beautiful creations, but been as a man on the mission, acting as a spy and hoping to not miss the most important moment to capture. Luckily, Marshall sent me their selfie beforehand, so at least I knew how couple looks like.

Then moment has come. They both walked in the Winter Gardens, Marshall fall on one knee in one of the flower rows, Zoe looked very surprised and happy. She said YES and everybody around been clapping, applauding to happy couple (and there was lots of people as everyone tried to hide from the rain under cover).

Couple took hugs and congratulations from their friends and we continued to take some photos around Winter Gardens (luckily weather settle down by then, even though we found plenty of spots providing some cover).

Enjoy this quick proposal sneak peek! I can not wait to move through couple’s final gallery. Contact me with any question!

Wedding anniversary photo shoot on Muriwai Beach (Auckland engagement photographer)

Im truly excited to share with you recent wedding anniversary photo shoot with Elise and Jake on Muriwai Beach (Auckland). This beautiful people contacted me, couples and engagement photographer, just before their anniversary to have their traditional anniversary session that they take every year in different locations. Last one was at Blue Mountains in Sydney!

Next one still a mystery but we discussed a few exciting options. I just love this tradition to celebrate couples love documentating such a special for them moments every year!

Its now come to 5 years anniversary from their wedding day, such a big milesstone!

Couple travel all the way from South Island to take photos on West Coast Beach (we even missed one date as drove to the different locations - I been at Muriwai and couple drove to Piha due to navman mistake! Oh well! Luckily, we still finally met a week later at stunning secluded beach in Auckland and could share such special moments, memories for year to come!

Enjoy these photographs in a gorgeous gallery! Contact me with any questions!

Proposal on the beach (Auckland wedding photographers

Exciting times with proposal on Brick Bay Beach (Sandspit, Auckland)! Alexanrde decided to propose to Casey on their romantic weekend in Matakana. Couple made their way from Hamilton, to spend weekend away, have a beautiful dinner at Brick Bay Winery and have a relaxed walk on the beach, where all action happened!

Surprised proposals are my favourites, pleasure to photograph for all wedding and couples photographers!

It required some spy work - I been hanging on the beach pretending to be interested in photographing swans in the ocean! Suddenly couple appeared and Alexandre dropped on one knee! Quick in action!

It was a great time on the beach with these beautiful souls, when we slowly moved from proposal to engagement session photos.

Congratulations to happy couple! Enjoy this quick highlight from the beach proposal - engagement session on the beach. Let me know if you have any questions!

Muriwai Beach pre-wedding session - Tony and Joey (Auckland engagement-wedding-family photographers) - City + Forest

Muriwai Beach such a perfect place for a pre-wedding session with gorgeous landscape and stunning golden sunset light. Tony and Joey made their way from Singapore and Switzerland to Auckland, New Zealand, two souls come together!

Before ended up meeting sunset on the beach, we met with couple to capture so special for couple moments in the city - Silo Park with urban landscapes with mix of concrete, nature and water views.

Next destination was forest with lush greenery and sheltered from sun location, following with Muriwai Beach, secluded beach with cave, favourite place to shoot engagement sessions, weddings and family photo shoots for all photographers (you can meet them or surfers there quite often!).

Three pre-wedding photo shoot locations, stunning couple - two beautiful souls and beautiful sunset in a beautiful setting! Love is all around!

Enjoy highlights of this engagement photo session and contact me with any questions!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year (Auckland engagement and wedding photographer)

Its this time of the year again, celebrating special events and success of the year, looking forward to next year exciting and making plans!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all the couples and families! It was such a pleasure to share with you all the beautiful, emotional and real moments in Auckland: engagement, pre-wedding photo shoots in stunning locations, family sessions on the beach, business branding headshots, gorgeous weddings with close friends and family! So many memories for years to come!

Enjoy these quick highlights of the year and Im looking forward to capture more meaningful moments next year - 2025! Exciting times ahead!

From my personal achievements - I been in World Winter Master Games in Italy and took 5th place in ice figure skating, also had skating trips in Oberstdorf (Germany), Sydney (Aus), Melbourne (Aus), and New Zealand Nationals in Christchurch (taking 2nd place). It was a honour to be an official photographer for few skating competitions through the season and capture all the moments of power and grace (from beginner to senior level, including Dwayne Yahao Li, first NZ Youth Olympics medalist)! It’s great when my personal sport hobby connects to professional - photography! Love my work!

Also my kids are finished primary and intermediate school, so new beginnings for our family next year!

I can not wait to see what future brings!

Merry Christmas to you and your family and a Happy New Year!

Piha Beach engagement session (Auckland pre-wedding photographer) Andrea and Jerry

Piha Beach is one of the most beautiful locations for engagement session in Auckland. I personally love West Coast Beaches for pre-wedding photo shoots, with such stunning landscapes and opportunity for a gorgeous sunset light, dream come true for any photographer!

We met with Andrea & Jerry just few months before their wedding in Queenstown for couple’s photo shoot and had such amazing time, full of love, light and laughter!

Couple shared their love story: “We were neighbours during high school & went out for 3 years during Uni. We reconnected 8 years later. We’ve been together just over 2 years again now and knew from our first date that this was it for us and we’ve been inseparable ever since.” The proposal: “We brought our first house together in June. Settlement was on the Friday & we met early Saturday morning at the house to start moving. Andrea walked in to find the ring box & Jerry on one knee. We both burst into tears. It was surreal and felt like all our dreams had come true.” Such an amazing heartfelt story!

Enjoy highlights of this Piha Beach engagement session in photo gallery below:

Pre-wedding photo shoot at Piha: Devon and Ash (Auckland engagement photographer)

It was a beautiful moment when couple asked me to capture their pre-wedding photo shoot at Piha. Devon actually wanted to propose to Ash at that couple’s session on Auckland Beach but could not wait anymore and proposal happened just one week earlier :). Congratulations to happy couple! Ita such a pleasure to be their engagement photographer and capture so many beautiful, emotional and real moments!

Bring back memories! Enjoy highlights of couple’s pre-wedding photo shoot at Piha Beach with views to Lion Rock

Contact me to book your session!

Couples photo shoot on the beach (West Auckland photographer)

Ellenie & Mike asked me about couples photo shoot on Muriwai Beach (West Auckland) before they heading to elope in Island and I been truly honored to be their photographer and capture so many beautiful, emotional and real moments for this beautiful couple.

We had such a great time on the beach just before the sunset and even though it was very windy and cloudy, we been happy to see the sun come out for a bit during our photo shoot.

I wish this couple all the best in their upcoming adventure in Island. What a great way to celebrate their wedding!

Enjoy highlights of this beautiful couple’s gallery in our Blog:

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Pre-wedding photo shoot at forest and beach (West Auckland couples photographer)

Ella and Rey had a wonderful pre-wedding photo shoot at Muriwai forest and beach (West Auckland), just before their intimate elopement happening next month. Exciting times ahead!

Its such a pleasure for me to be their couples photographer and capture all the beautiful, emotional and real moments in such a stunning location in New Zealand! I just love to meet sunset on this secluded beach surrounded by rocks and witness moments of closeness and love!

Enjoy highlights of this engagement session and let me know if you have any questions!

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Extended family photo shoot in New Zealand (Auckland couple-wedding photographer)

Great time with Valencia and her extended family who come all the way from Singapore to explore stunning New Zealand and had a photo shoot on Muriwai Beach with popping into forest location first.

Mum, Dad, three sisters, their husbands and two little ones, so much fun and positive emotions, with closeness and connection!

Love is all around! By the way my next online workshop Love, Light & Laughter begin on 18 March. Secure your seat at Click Photo School!

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Family photo shoot at Christmas Holidays (Orewa Beach - North Shore photographer)

Christmas and New Year is a perfect time to get together with family and have some photos taken to create memories for years to come.

Thats why extended family photo shoots are so popular, and I just love to see how all family comes together and have an opportunity not only capture them all but also do some quick photos of each small family.

This time I went to Orewa to capture Sally and John’s beautiful family with their three grown up kids and their partners. It was a pleasure to meet this family again as I already captured their son’s wedding (and now they are expecting +1) and pre-wedding photo shoot, other two kids’ graduations and family photos and Sally’s beautiful performances on the ice (she is my friend and fellow adult figure skater - living the same passion).

I had feeling like Im capturing my own family. So good to see these beatiful people again! Even small rain cant stand on the way this family gathering!

Enjoy a quick sneak peek - highlights from our photo shoot at Orewa beach, such amazing memories!

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