Milford Beach baby photo session | Auckland Lifestyle Photographer

What a joy to take a pictures with babies, especially lifestyle pictures when we can hang around the house, show everyday moments of babies life (details of nursery, cot and real love and connection between baby and his parents) and have fun!

That's what we did with Brad, Anna and 2 month old Luka. What a gorgeous baby boy! He been so good, really fascinated with camera, loved to be in parents hands. He became just a little bit tired when we been finishing session at Milford Beach after some time at their house.

Love how we all jump on the big parents bed and had a lot different type of shots. This family just amazing, its such a pleasure to be around this positive people.

Thank you so much for sharing with me your special moments, I been happy to capture these emotions, feelings and fun.

Luckily weather was great (and I sort out my car questions - 2 flat tires in 12 hours, luckily I fixed it and just delay a session for a one hour. Sometimes this type of things happening, and we just do our best. Thank you parents for patience! Well done to us :))

Have a look at this pictures and contact me for book your session | have a chat :)

Contact me with any questions!

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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!

Contact me with any questions!

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Wedding Dresses Collection Photo Shoot | Auckland Wedding Photographer

Every little girl dreams about beautiful wedding dress and often dresses up in some long mummy's dress and put her shoes on. Do you remember all these moments?

How lucky Kim from www.nzweddingsareus.co.nz creating her own wedding dresses. :) I had the honour to be chosen to photograph her wedding dress collection at the weekend in Otorohanga (few hours drive and I'm there, catch up with Kim and her 3 girls who were the models for our photo shoot: Hallie, Sassie, and Christina.

I asked Kim what inspired her for this wedding collection and received the answer:

"My inspiration is around making dresses for the curvier figure. I am a big girl and find it hard to find clothes to fit. And when I got married had to pay a lot of money to get a dress made for me.. and I thought the prices are ridiculous. So I make them for a fraction of the price and gives girls the opportunity to have a designer dress for affordable price".

Dresses look just amazing by the way! Any curvy bride should look with attention on this collection, and every girl too!

We enjoyed our time with girls (few hours gone really fast!) having shots at the lake and near beautiful bush, trees and fields. Otorohanga is such a great place, they have a kiwi house I hear (didn't have the opportunity to visit it but love the surroundings!

We had so much fun! Kim done a great job with dress fitting, drive girls to location, change their dresses one by one and do it all again and again. Might be exhausting! 

Girls changed a few stunning dresses and its fit, looks just amazing! They even seem to have different characters in each dress. What a beautiful transformation. It's true what people say - dress makes you feel so special. Even Coco Chanel said:

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”

and another one (one of my favourites:

"Simplicity is a keynote of all true elegance" and "Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself" and these girls dressed in these elegant dresses just showed real personality (maybe even hidden from themselves, I tried to capture their real character and direct and posed them to complement the dresses best way.

What a great day in amazing company and environment! Just a dream come true! One little girl and a lot of wedding dresses! Ha-ha :)

Enjoy our pictures and feel free to make an enquiry to book your wedding, commercial photography  or made an enquiry for your stunning wedding dress to Kim Clark-Ware (she definitely knows how to make your dreams became true)

 

Contact me with any questions!

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Spring and Summer Wedding Photography Package

Spring and Summer are coming and it's a beautiful time for a wedding!

We want you to save money on wedding photography package (save up to $500) and we will do something what we really love to do:

to capture natural moments of your wedding day, lifestyle candid shots and some formals, emotions and feelings, some fun and joy in flawless manner.

Would you like to tell us more about your wedding day, your plans and ideas? Feel free to contact us with any questions and ideas! info@levienphotography.com.

Use the opportunity to get a special price for your wedding photography (limited availability). Check our Pricing and Packages.

Elopement package is available on request.

Check our Engagement | Couples Pictures and

Wedding Portfolio

Look forward to hearing from you!

Lets make this Spring / Summer day special and treasure your memories forever with stunning images!

DO you have a wedding at different time of the year?

Check our Early Bird Wedding Package 2016 and Winter Wedding Special at Pricing page (limited availability)!

Colour in photography. Photography tips. Lifestyle family and wedding photographer Auckland LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Did you ever think how important colour is in our life, what influence it have?

We are surrounding by different colours and each colour has a special meaning for us (some could be attractive, some warning).

For example, red colour - we know from childhood - red signal STOP, green GO! At the same moment red colour take attention and its colour of love, passion, intensive. A lot of companies choose red colour for their logo for take clients attention (look at big brands such as McDonalds, Coca-Cola and a lot of others. I don't know why I choose a food companies? Maybe I just hungry :) Actually some colours works good for food places, some great for offices and working environment, some good for creativity, and some perfect for calm down and relax places. If you put attention on this places you could see common colour palette in all of similar type places. Its just proved by practice, experience and researches colours (and just individual preferences as well :)

Psychologically proved blue is the most attractive colour for a lot of people (wisdom - calm colour. You love blue sky, water etc.). Green really nice as well - its a nature colour (trees, grass, fields etc.).

Its just some common information. Don't worry, I'm not going to move into details of each colour! Every person has their own colour palette and own preferences in clothes, choosing room colours, make-up, hair colour etc. Some scientist saying it comes from their eyes, skin and vein colours, its from birth lay into their personalities. But I think it also comes from personal experience and people around them. For example, mums often dress babies in colour palette what they like, and probably its has some influence.

Also important to know complementary colours (like red and green, for example), matching colours and how they work together (or not work at all :) Here for example my little one hiding in the garden (you can see green, red and blue main colours here):

child in the garden

 

How its related to photography? Its just base what each photographer need to know and put attention:

- colour palette for clients clothes (what matches together, what looks best at chosen location - near green trees, or blue ocean, or brown sand, or steel and glass architecture at city, grey concrete etc,). Its a lot of boards on Pinterest which have amazing colour palettes samples for couples and families with big amount of choices. So you no need to know every little detail about colour, you could just go with your feelings, choose which one you like more :)

- colour palette of surroundings at photo shoot (what colour cast around, is it give some not so nice tone for clients skin if you come closer to it, is this colour complement chosen client clothes, is surface give a lot reflection (natural, white, grey) or could be used like flag for limit and control amount of light (dark surfaces). Also really nice to include white/ grey surfaces not just for reflection and more light but also for easy correct white balance in post processing :)

Some colours allows to subject pop out, your eyes just naturally look at splash of colour! (here example with little one dressed in red at complementary environment colours):

child portrait

 

- colours for photographers clothes (maybe not many photographers think, what colour clothes they wear. I know it should be comfortable and fit in photo shoot ides (one style for beach session, another for wedding shoot), but if you think about it you can see we often choose neutral palette (I often go for white top for give more light reflection, or for black one (especially for weddings - you just can't wear white at this day :) and black looks more formal for me as well :). Here some fun example from my last wedding (my second photographer Sonja unexpected ask me to take a picture with me and a bride, probably I looks not so great after 9 hours shooting, ha-ha :)

wedding photographer


- colours in post processing ( its a huge theme, I just slightly touch it, because its a science - to choose editing colours, based on your personal taste, style and also go from your clients personality and preferences; use a tone course, TAT tool, split toning and so many other tools what give you Photoshop and Lightroom (its a hole world of colours and we all still explore all this opportunities!).

SO I hope you enjoy own touch of base colours and how they works in photography. I highly recommend to read a psychology related books about colours and also practice and play with different colours combinations in different environment and see what works and what not works. You never know if you never tried! :)

Ask me if you have any question!

Tell me more about what colours do you like and what do you think!

Thank you for staying with me :)


St Matthews Church Ceremony | Auckland Wedding photographer

Simeti & Faith

St Matthews Church Auckland City, Dream Centre - Wedding Venues

Every wedding is so special! I can't believe how many events, emotions and feelings you can fit in just in one day and how many different type of photography happens:  details, portraits, kids pictures, family formals, couples special moments, documentary and lifestyle shots, candid shots of everything around.

I just love all this atmosphere!

This day 26th of June was such a special for beautiful couple - Simeti and Faith! These guys been the most amazing couple! Hard to imagine they together since their first meeting at high school, what a romantic story (school boyfriend became a husband :) 

It was amazing to move through this day with guys: getting ready at their houses (bride and groom not seen each other till this special moment in church where all families struggle to hold their tears, groom as well - Faith been so beautiful walking down the aisle).

Its amazing moments when bride went down to the aisle and groom been waiting for her near altar. Need to mentioned they choose an amazing church for their wedding - St Matthews Church in the heart of the Auckland City near Skytower. The interiors and architecture looks great, amazing lines, shapes and proportions, make you feel you in Gods House.

It was a little bit rainy and we decided to stay in church after the ceremony to take amazing shots with bridal party. We had so much fun and some lyric sensitive moments as well. Been pity to leave this location but people been waiting for us in other place - reception at Dream Centre in Manukau.

Over 500 guests been waiting for bridal party, excited and happy for couple. Need to mentioned Friday traffic from City to Manukau was just terrible (we spend at least 1.5 hour driving), but guys had real fun inside a big Limo, singing and dancing as much as they could in the small space :)

Reception will bring to the day more touching moments, dance and fun. Some speeches from friends and family, cake cutting, special waltz by couple and bridal party with swapping partners and parents involved :) Beautiful island dancers. It was really sensitive moment when all groom family been dancing together (and need to mentioned its a really big family :) Even grand grandma was standing in line with everyone. Bride received some traditional presents, their was few performances and items. Bride and Groom was so shining and full of energy. It was fun moments when bride and all party been dancing together. 

It was all so special and treasured moments. It was really hard to cut down any picture, they all turned just amazing (around 1000 edited pics!)

Thank you so much for inviting me to your wedding and sharing these special moments with me.

Happy future together, SImeti and Faith! See you soon!

Thanks for help to my second photographer Sonja and to my husband who made me a favour and shoot in the St Matthews church from the gallery (it was really important shots to take for me, because church just amazing! and couple looks just great in this interiors :)

 

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR WEDDING}

 

Morning Fog. Landscape nature pictures. LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Im into 365 Project as you know :)

SO this morning I been driving to preschool for top kids and it was really hard to see anything within few meters distance. Fog seems like problem for driving but paradise for photography :) Ha-ha!

So straight after saying "goodbye" to kids I just popped into my house, grabbed camera and moved to closest reserve where I think I could find nice trees which compliment the foggy background.

Yes, I even not took any breakfast yet :)

Here is the results of this mini-adventure:

What do you think: colour or black and white? (hard to choose) 

Library time! Lifestyle photographer LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Every Wednesday we visit Story Time at the library. Most of the kids are listening with attention to Librarian reading story, but my kids just go to explore library shelfs, space around, Plunket rooms nearby and even went outside to playground. Im not a strict parent and prefer to give them a freedom to adventure and explore world around us. Of course with some limits :) Then they come back to story time inside and doing some craft/colouring etc.

So Its a library time! Great place for pictures (all these leading lines, perspective etc. - just a paradise for a photographer - you understand me :)

Personal lifestyle pictures. My 365 Project. June. Family and Wedding photographer LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

June - is the first month of the winter. Its come with colder weather and some rain, but still beautiful for pictures (no matter - inside or outside). 

Some of them just my kids in the house, at playgroups, at the beach and with other lifestyle moments and activities; others from clients/friends sessions.

I love to move through this images and remember again all these treasured moments, especially my personal family ones.

I promise to print a book at the end of the year and see all pictures together. Yes, thats my plan :)

Daily shooting became really easy, I'm just used to it. But I remember how hard it was at the start :) Nothings impossible if you really want something, practicing and progressing on this way. Lucky bonus - your live memories in images! Thats a treasure!

Auckland domain portraits | Lifestyle photographer

Each day is different and could bring unexpected turn sometimes. This time I catch up with my old friend Lena and watch flowering once per 7-10 years Amorphaphillus Titanum, what a big plant and a little bit smelly as people said (I not put attention on these details :)

It was a beautiful day and we decided tie a walk at Auckland Domain, and found beautiful location for took a few shots. I just love portrait pictures full of emotions, natural look and some creative freedom.

Here results of our improvised mini portrait session:

Contact me with any questions!

Street city photography | Auckland Lifestyle portrait photographer

I love to capture outside session, and mostly it's happens at the park or beach, because New Zealand nature is so beautiful and created a great entourage for peoples emotions. 

Last time was really special and different: we took lifestyle shots at Takapuna streets full of shops, cafe and restaurants. I just love this atmosphere especially because it was a rainy day, so we could play with umbrella. 

Thank you Maria for great time together and ability to capture these moments full of special atmosphere and grace!

"I singing in the rain, 
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feeling,
And I'm happy again".

Baking Family Session | Auckland Lifestyle photography

What could be better than making cupcakes on a Saturday morning at family lifestyle session in Auckland with beautiful Kylie and her gorgeous daughters: 5 and 7 years old Taylor and Kourtney!

I really enjoyed watching how girls helping Mummy to mix all ingredients, cooking together, had fun with flour, made mess, try base, had dirty faces and cleaned all afterwards and had a Teddy Bears picnic. How much fun we all had at this morning!

Look at these pictures!

Contact me with any questions!

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Creativity Exercise. Lifestyle Photography LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

It's time for new creativity exercise for you and your kids!

Take a camera, dress kids appropriately and go explore!

Yes, today creativity exercise: to capture the exploring moments. Kids just love to go to new places, playgrounds, parks, search and explore everything around. It can be so much fun. Just have camera ready and follow them, watch around for best composition, wait when they come at this point, or create this moment with different questions (not just boring - "Can you stand there" (what of course could work :) But maybe use some playing moments ask "Looking for fairies", or "treasure" or " pirate ship" or just a new bird or animal depends what your kids love to do, what their interests are.

We with kids been exploring a new playground at far school. We drove around and found great place with few playgrounds and a secret passage, and a boat, and a playhouse. What a great place to be! Kids just love to explore everything around, and adults as well. We just followed them :)

Here is a few pictures, we all had fun!


Windy Photos at Kariotahi beach. Family lifestyle photographer LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

What a fun time we had this morning at Kariotahi beach for spend some family time and capture beautiful lifestyle moments for my 365 Project (luckily camera was with me!)

What else could boys dream about: wind, sand, freedom! My little one just explore everything around, jumps from the hill, run forward the ocean, laying and playing in the sand, climbing up high. Just a paradise for boys!

Have a look at our candid pictures. I just love this spirit and atmosphere:


Lifestyle colouring family session | Auckland Kids Photographer

Did you ever think about having session at your own house? It looks too usual for you, every day you see the same walls and your used to it.

But what about remembering these everyday moments, remember what your family and kids love to do, how you prefer spend time together, what about treasure every single moment of your life. Kids grow up really fast and they do colouring or enjoy play-dough, run after bubbles, trying to catch them, laughing and sitting on the ground...

All these moments will be gone, but we could remember them when looking at pictures.

I spent morning with beautiful family last weekend: Kylie, Taylor and Kourtney (5 and 7 years old gorgeous girls), they so different and looks so similar at the same moment.  We capture everyday lifestyle moments like colouring, playing, laying on the floor and doing a lot of other different things, what all kids loves to do. We just went with the flow, follow girls wishes. It was big fun! Love every single moment of this session! We also did some baking, it was really special, so I decided put it in separate Blog post (watch this space for publication next week).

Look at these  pictures!

 

Contact me with any questions!

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Albert park lifestyle baby session | Auckland newborn photographer

Babies are so gorgeous and its a great pleasure to do photo shoot with newborns and their parents.

Last weekend I been doing photography session at Auckland CBD at Katya's and Daniel's home. We captured some lifestyle moments with baby awake, sleeping, feeding, laying in his cot and on Mummy's bed (best place ever for babies). He is so adorable, and I just love his hair and little fingers and toes!  We captured all these special moments and then took this baby for a walk to Albert park, and walked around Auckland Uni and Clock Tower. Beautiful place!

Baby is so sweet when he sleeps, we really don't want disturb his dreams, so took some shots while he was in the pram and put him down to the mat in his car seat. It was beautiful colours around, with all this leaves on the ground!

At the end of our walking Daniel woke up (of course) and we got some shots with awake baby.

What an amazing day and beautiful weather with great people. Katya is a gorgeous Mama, and I just love to capture the connection between them, such special moments. Hope to see Daniel in the future and see how he grows up, this strong little boy!

This video is beautifully shows atmosphere and all these moments. Some pictures coming too

 

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Giveaway - family and wedding photographer LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

We really excited to announce our Winter Giveaway:

giveaway photography session

ENTRY IS SIMPLE:

  • Go to my Facebook page LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY and hit Like.
  • Leave a comment on this blog post telling me why you would like to win
  • Share with your friends on Facebook

The deadline to enter is Sunday June 21th, 2015. 

The winner will be announced on Monday June 22th, 2015.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The closing date for entries is Sunday June 21th, 2015 at 12:00 AM

2. The prize is one free portrait session with LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY and the session must take place within Auckland, New Zealand.

3. To be eligible to win you must Like LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY on Facebook, comment on the blog post with why you want to win and share with your friends on Facebook.

4. No purchase is necessary to enter this prize draw.

5. Winner(s) will be drawn at random on Monday June 22th, 2015 and will be notified on Facebook. A direct response to confirm the winner’s details is required by email to info@levienphotography.com by July 1st, 2015 with their full name, email address and a contact telephone number. If the winner is unreachable or they fail to respond to LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY’s winner notification within the above time, LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY reserves the right to randomly draw another winner from entries.

6. The winner agrees to their name being published as the identified winner in LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY’s Facebook status.

7. The prize as stated is non-negotiable, non-transferable and there is no cash alternative or different option.

8. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

9. The promoter of this competition is LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

10. You will be supplied with high res images under personal licencee/print release only.

11. LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY holds the irrevocable right to use the photographs in all forms and in all media and in all manners, without any restriction as to changes or alterations, for advertising, trade, promotion, exhibition, or any other lawful purposes.

Everyday lifestyle moments. Personal Project LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Every morning is different. Some give you a lot of positive emotion and fun moments what you just desperately need to capture.

This morning I was lucky to shoot my kids everyday moments: my youngest one, almost 2 years old, put four layers clothes on her (girly girl! - can't stop to ask me put on more and more t-shirts and dresses, pulling them out from the draws. I decided to follow her wishes, and watch when she decided to stop. Last dress with bunny goes on top of three others pretty tops :) And gumboots of course (pretty one with strawberries :) I even not sure she put it on right feet.

My older little one, her 3 year old brother, decided to help her brushing hair, and then had fun laying under the blanket with cheeky smile :)

And they both had a lot of fun!

Here it goes - this few minutes series:


Everyday Lifestyle moments. Personal Project LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY with creativity exercise inside

As you already know I love to shoot everyday lifestyle moments, do family storytelling and capture my kids special moments.

I did a few shots today just in one room with one activity for 5 minutes (yes, my kids really active - one moment they laying on the bed, another one - eating apple, and last one - climbing on the draws and laying on the floor). Thats how looks my life :)

Creativity exercise: Take camera and shoot your kids during 5 minutes, everything what they doing and where going. Just watch the light, your camera settings, compositions, lines, take in frame everything what you want and exclude distractive moments (watch sides and background!

And have fun!

Here is my 5-minute shooting everyday lifestyle moments with kids and family:

Lifestyle photography

Contact me with any question info@levienphotography.com

My 365 Project. May. Lifestyle Family and Wedding Photographer - LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

What a great month - end of the autumn season, full of colours and more rainy and colder weather. Love my beautiful clients/friends sessions and lifestyle family moments (kids watching rain outside, playing, dressing costumes, or just sleeping.

What treasured moments! Here is mix of everything, day by day, everyday moments: