Christmas 2014. Celebration with family. Event photography

December 26, 2014 Olga Levien

Christmas - its a special time for everyone (adults buying presents, kids waiting Santa and Christmas morning).

This Christmas day we woke up early and found presents under the Christmas tree. William became old enough (2.5 years) for understand whats happening. He been really happy get his new big truck. Anna-Bella, our little one, get pretty doll with pram. So morning start with presents and continue at my mother- in-law's place at North Shore where we spend nice and relaxable Christmas day with family (5 adults, 3 kids and 2 dogs :).

Christmas presents, wraps everywhere, cards and decorations, barbecue, Christmas lunch slowly move into dinner :), Pavlova (yummy desert called by Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova - close to me), kids on the slide, bubbles, fun...

And We finished this day with driving back home late evening through City centre and seen beautifully decorated Franklin st. Here lives Christmas spirit - Lights, reindeers, Santa, elves, angeles, love hearts... Traffic was really slow, all people in cars been watching great decorations, slow down near each house, enjoy, take a pictures (me too!). Thats made our day!

And when kids been sleeping in car we realised its was first Christmas celebration when we could relax (kids now big enough for not take all our attention and power :) It was really cute to watch William playing with his new cars - put them in line and counting. I clear heard numbers up to 6, impressed :)

Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy your family time and holidays! Have rest and relax!

Here pictures coming :)

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

December 24, 2014 Olga Levien

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.

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

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Capture everyday moments. Family time. Lifestyle photography

December 23, 2014 Olga Levien

Hello!

We love to take kids out and give them freedom, run around, have fun. Thats what they like :)

And sometimes I have my camera with me. I should mention - its a hard task - trying get the best shots with fast little ones and run after them (one second and they gone :).

So we spend some family time at One Tree Hill (Auckland) and look from the top of the hill at Cornwall park and beautiful city around with Skytower somewhere at the back.

My boy took his 'blunky' - his bed sheets what he just love to take everywhere especially when he tired. Yes some kids take with them teddy bears, but our boy can't live without his dummy and english traditional style blunky with teddy bears (its not too bad, sometimes he takes in bed robots or big cars!).

And he been running around with it, and some people even helped us pick it up so it not fly away from the hill. Oh-oh!

My little princess Anna-Bella had her own fun and prefer walk around and had fun in daddy hands.

And William tried explore everything around and go high on dangerous stone wall.

At least kids had some fun and we enjoy the views!

(here my husband. Probably he have no idea I blogging his picture :)

These pics special for me because its my time with family. And after some time will be good to look at them and remember what we all did together, or what our kids love to do at this age.

(when we was driving today to Christmas shopping I tried remember what we done at AnBe 1 year old. And it was terrible - I couldn't remember any single thing. SO go back to find any picture from this day to remember...)

Moving subjects. How to take shots. Tips. Sport photographer Auckland

December 21, 2014 Olga Levien

Hello!

Here we start our series with tips 'How to take best shot (picture) ..."

So moving subjects - running playing kids, dancing people, sport competition, airplanes, trained, cars etc...

Its could be a little bit tricky. But with knowing few simple tips all became easier!

1. Shutter Speed. For catch the moment, fix move you need fast shutter speed (minimum 1/250, better faster, depends of light conditions. If you want your pictures been a little more blurry with showing slow move you could make shutter speed slower (around 1/60 or so, try change and see whats happened with picture.

If lights conditions (inside) not allow you have fast shutter speed put down aperture (2, 2.8 etc) and ISO up (at some competitions I use ISO 400)

2, Continuos focusing. Great thing what modern cameras can do - focusing continuously (A-C mode in Nikon). So you focus, take a shot, keep finger on focusing button fast take another shot and you camera keep follow subject, so you not lost all these beautiful move, or fast running child :)

3. Think before. If you doing dance shot or figure skating (what i love to do), you need learn the subject, know exactly what gonna happened in next moment for take you brilliant shot. If I doing ice skating shoot I know what next - is it spey for jump, or entrance to spin, or beautiful spiral (so i not continuously taking shots, I know exactly what the best moment for show this beauty :) So think ahed, learn you subject move, and take a shot!

4. Subject fix, background blurry. That shot you can get with camera following the subject the same rhythm. So object moving, you move camera parallel to him, and then boom...shot you moment.

5. Show flow. If you want show flow water (waterfall, river, etc) or lights, or other long term moving subjects you can you really slow shutter speed - like few seconds or even more. You could practice in dark room - put camera on 10 sec shutter speed and move light on the wall (crow some picture or word, or shape_ - and camera easy fix all your artwork. You could practice near waterfall (start from few seconds shutter speed and then change and see whats happen with picture. Main advice- use tripod or stable surface, so you not get shaky hands and shaky pictures :)

Thats the main advices. If you know more, leave a comment please, or ask question!

And practice-practice-practice!!!

Baby Shower. Girls only! Baby shower photographer Auckland

December 19, 2014 Olga Levien

Having a baby shower its a big fun! Of course if its organised good way :)

This one what I visited had amazing hostess, decorations, theme... All guests (girls only) might come dressed pregnant, so all feel the same like main person of the day - Lena waiting her first baby.

It was cool to have a surprise, nobody know boy or girl! It was all decorated in pink and blue colour - glasses, folks, cupcakes, and even cake inside had half blue, half pink base under the icing and words "He or She - Open to see!" And Lena had her first piece cut - and.... blue colour!!! Boy-Boy!!! :)

So much fun - trying guess size of future Mamas tummy (need to say I won with all my babies experience! pleasure :) trying make a baby from play-dooh, giving advices on the cards what Lena could open later (like "have a sleep when baby sleep", "take him for a walk", "go shopping" etc, decorating bibs with funny pictures and words like "Keep calm and feed", "My mummy love lemons" etc

And of course presents at the end :)

What the great memories! So nice was to visit this house, saw all this emotions, feel these special moments of exciting waiting a new life and have fun!

Baby on the way! Keep calm and carry on :)

Dance shoot at door step | Portrait-event photographer Auckland

December 17, 2014 Olga Levien

Each of us having own passion. And for Maria this passion is dance. For me its one of the best thing ever too. You listen beautiful music, move your body in unison, enjoying rhythm and melody.

I love jazz, contemporary, modern and classical dance, all styles and directions. and Maria's favourite is belly dance.

We tried created something special just at her doorsteps, using her favourite costumes and accessories. It was not so easy found the best picture in small location, but i hope we done our best, and go with flow :)

Moving, flying, laying on the grass, having big dog around (hmmm...its not a first time for me at photo shoots :) )

Maria done great with her dancing, moving around, repeating all over again with new instructions from me, realising all my ideas and creating her dance world.

Here results of our shot:

Contact me with any questions!

Treasure in our life. Children and kids photography Auckland

December 16, 2014 Olga Levien

Our life running fast and changeable. We have only one constant basic thing - our treasure - our family.

We should appreciate all these moments, but sometimes we just move through them, looking forward future, waiting when kids will be older and its all will be easier and not so busy and stressful. But we could miss this RIGHT NOW moment, when kids so little and need us.

Dont hurry to live, enjoy each moment, capture it and look again.

Here my little treasures. And i really sorry for all moments when I'm not been near or been but not realised how priceless each moment with them.

Maternity photographer Auckland

December 15, 2014 Olga Levien

I spend great time to take a pictures beautiful and graceful Lena. It was so much fun and creativity. We tried some pictures outside the house and then move inside in old atmosphere villa with great interiors, which we used for some of our shots.

Its was great experience to take a pictures near the windows, door frames and even some boudoir shots on the bed.

Just little trouble we had their - little noisy doggy! he been everywhere and been really interested in what we doing. Sometimes take space in the shots :)

We took 3.5 hours for realised all our ideas and go with flow. A little exhausted at the end but happy with results :)

Unforgettable memories!

(And future mum to be could show off her bump. Waiting little miracle)