Nature and mountains: trip to Oberstdorf - Germany {personal photography}

Its been a bit quiet here lately as I being away to a short trip overseas to nature and mountains, skating and yummy food, fun and freedom in Oberstdorf, Germany. It was a breath of fresh air to finally get out of New Zealand after few years not been able to travel and do things that I love.

I went to participate in adult ice figure skating competitions that been rescheduled from 2020 and take a first time after pandemic 23-28 May 2022. It was a pleasure to meet all the amazing people, push myself in trainings and competitions {its was hard after lockdowns and not enough competitions experience, but we all pulled it out as a hero on ice}. It was important for me to come back to Europe, my homeland and feel again all this beautiful nature and breathe it all in! it feels and looks absolutely different from New Zealand. We been in a beautiful place of Bavaria, surrounded by mountains in a cosy town of Oberstdorf {you can literally walk through the city in 15-20 min from one side to another}. So beautiful and peaceful, great to recharge after all the hard work!

If you ask about competitions results - it went well {I took 4th and 7th place in a new for me category}, but mainly it was a great learning curve {learning never stops!} and great inspiration!

Enjoy a quick highlights {I did took my camera with me, but pulled it out only a few times}

By the way, if you like to push your photography to the next level, my next online workshop “Love, Light and Laughter” at Click Photo School begin 11 July, not long to go!

And just in case you would like to see couple of photos from competitions by talented Luca Tonegutti, here we go {photo proof lol}:

Ice, Mountains and Passion {travel journal - Auckland wedding photographer in Oberstdorf - Germany}

I want to share with you my recent travel news, in case if you noticed how quiet lately in our Blog: I been few weeks away , in Oberstdorf, Germany, for ISU International Adult Figure Skating Competitions, at Ice, Mountains, and share the Passion with amazing people from all over the world, with love to ice skating.

It is a honour for me not only be an Auckland wedding photographer, mentor, a mum, and wife, but also continue to do my passion - figure skating, such incredible sport with passion and grace! It always been a dream to participate in international competitions of such a big rank, and Im not shy to chance my dreams and just go for it, even if I back on ice only for a one year, after almost 8 years break with having kids and building a successful wedding photography business in Hamilton and Auckland, NZ, mentoring and running multiple educational projects. Hard work did paid off!

Such incredible rewarding experience with so many new friends, with warm support and cheer!

All dreams can come true if you believe in yourself and really want it to happen.

Enjoy these highlights and chase your dreams!

{thank you for my ice skating photos to Luca Tonegutti}


{CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS}

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

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!!!

running child