Mini-holidays in Tauranga | Personal pictures | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

I love spontaneous moments, adventure and travelling. Thats why I been happy when last weekend we decided to leave Auckland and drive to Tauranga for a weekend. What a fun idea!

Change atmosphere, environment, have some rest and relax after busy time and enjoy our time.

Kids been happy to stay in Omokoroa holiday park in cute cabin with playground next to it and great thermal pools what they used twice. My little ones been so excited to swim supported with daddy's hands, jump in the water and play around.

My 3-years old son mentioned to me "I want stay in this house!" Ha-ha, me too :)

But it was time to say good buy and drive back to Auckland with brakes at playgrounds, McDonalds and other fun places.

I been totally relax and have a break from shooting, just took a few pictures here and there for 365 Project. We all need to have some rest :)

Enjoy it!

Photographing kids | Lifestyle moments | Family photographer LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Every moment with kids is a treasure. Do you want to remember how your kids sleeping, playing, making mess, having bath etc.

This time my little one grab a mermaid and while her brother was asleep at day time I decided to take her up to the bathroom so she not wake him up (yes, I even not think to move him upstairs to his bedroom for not disturb his sweet dreams, actually i tried once and it was not successful, ha-ha!)

So she had a fun time playing with mermaid in the water and I just used the opportunity to take a pictures with these everyday treasured moments. Kids will grow up at one day but I will keep these memories! :)

info@levienphotography.com

Family time in Onepoto Domain | Auckland, North Shore | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

What a fun time for kids in Onepoto Domain (North Shore, Auckland): riding bikes, play at playground, flying fox, little bush walks and much more!

Thats a great place to spend family time together. This afternoon we with our little ones drove over to North Shore to visit Nana and also took them outside to play around and had freedom in Onepoto Domain. They just loved it!

It was really hard to move them back in car :)

Look at these pictures:

(my little one fall down into the mud straight away after we arrived, but get up and continued play around in muddy dress)

My 365 Project | Everyday moments | July | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

New month, new changes and challenges :)

What a busy month it was! Four destinations sessions in one month: Otorohanga, Lake Taupo, Rotorua (Lake Tarawera) & of course Auckland. What a big fun, love to travel especially for exciting sessions!

My lifestyle everyday moments with kids is challenging as usual :) Trying balancing family life and photography (what from few days a week became almost full time job (sessions, meeting with clients, post processing, running website, Facebook page and Instagram, blogging etc.), Even at night time answering for letters and checking enquiries, busy life! :)

Enjoy my 365 project. July. Really interesting to look back and see all these pictures, feels like they been captured looong time ago :)

Fun in Chipmunks playland | Family lifestyle photoS | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

What big fun we had this morning at Chipmunks play land and cafe

Kids been running around, climbing, playing and sliding. What a good time for little ones without big kids around (while they at school), all zone belongs to them :) Its so nice for parents just keep eye on kids and just relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or have a chat with other parents, or take a few shots with my camera like I did :) ha-ha! 

Camera almost every day with me and my 365 Project motivate me to find new creativity sides and angles, se beauty in everyday moments and treasure them forever. Kids will grow up but pictures will stay :) I adore it!

Have a look at this few pics with my little ones having fun:

Contact info@levienphotography.com for book your portraiture or lifestyle session (family | kids | maternity | baby | engagement | couples | event | wedding photography)

Play time | Creativity exercise | Family and kids photo | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

New creativity exercise for your family images today!

Kids just love play time. Choose one activity to entertain them and use the opportunity to take a pictures while they are busy. It will be natural lifestyle images.

You can pop daddy in the frame (or nana/granddad), siblings, pets etc. and focus on different subjects, shoot details and their emotions of course. Try to change angles and shoot from all sides.

Good luck!

Talk to you soon.

Here is just quick example with few shots from the hotel where daddy and kids been playing cards on the bed (we been away from Auckland in Rotorua, I had destination lifestyle session with family at Lake Tarawera, love to travel!)

info@levienphotography.com

Auckland Botanic Gardens Pictures | Family lifestyle moments | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Auckland Botanic gardens is a great place to spend time with family, relax and walk along the beautiful surroundings (and I actually did a wedding photo shoot at location in this place :) - pictures coming soon, I promise!

Life always turns unexpected way. We just visited sad family event - great nana's funeral. Death and life goes together.

When I look at my kids I see how they full of life and active, running around, exploring everything, having fun! Great nana always enjoyed to watch these little ones, she might be happy to see it.

We visited Gardens on the back way and enjoyed peaceful and quiet atmosphere just before the sunset. I been lucky enough to capture some pictures for memories.

Life, nature and kids (in memory of Elsie Mary Richards):



Mainly Music Playgroup | Personal family lifestyle pictures | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Each family have own traditions and our ones - every Tuesday go to Mainly Music where kids having half an hour music session, then morning tea and over 2 hours play time with a lot of toys. My little ones just loves it. 

I am happy just sing with them, play and watch them playing around, what fun moments!

This time I took a few pictures with my daughter reading books, dressing up ( she just loves to put clothes her own way, maybe she will be a designer one day? will see :), and running around.

Have a look at these pictures, have your camera ready, and capture your little ones. Its treasured moments:

Lifestyle photography

Contact info@levienphotography.com

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!

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 moments. Creativity Exercise from LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Hello everyone. Here is a New Creativity Exercise this week for you:

Create different pictures with using one of accessories and play around with it. It could be anything what you have at home or outside (suitcase, trolley, toy, blanket, basket, and any activities what kids love to do). Choose it, place near kids (or place kids near this thing) and click the moments with lids playing with it, climbing in it, touching etc. Have fun!

I just created some pictures at last weekend morning with my kids playing on the bed around the net. I not just captured what they been doing but also moved net around to create different frames, angles and out of focus images. You just give kids the opportunity to play and they happily cooperate with you!

Heres the results of our fun morning with the net on the bed :) Sis and Bro!

(its simply showing moment picture, documentary / lifestyle moments)

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

Capturing kids activities. Creativity exercise by LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY. Lifestyle pictures.

Capturing kids is not an easy task - they are always on the move and really active. They make you move fast, be creative and capture joyful moments in lifestyle photography.

Today I will give you creativity exercise for capturing kids activities. Lets practice and progress in photography together!

Creativity exercise: Try to capture one child's activity from different angles and sides. It makes the picture more interesting and allows attention on details. It could be anything that a child loves to do. Be creative and think outside the box - shoot from different sides, from the top, move down to child's level and shoot from the bottom, shoot wide angle or close up. See results!

Here is just few shots of my daughter playing in the park, she is really interested of big tree and branches at the top. I can't help myself and took some shots from different positions and angles. You could see variety, but clicks been done just during 1-2 minutes. And I love her impression, her curious eyes and her movement and still moments. Enjoy this lifestyle series: 

One little girl and a big tree!

Lifestyle photography

Contact me info@levienphotography.com

Beauty of simplicity. Auckland photographer - LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

We have busy life and a lot complicated questions to decide. So sometimes is really good to look at simple things and find this beauty of simplicity.

Its can be a macro photography with attention to one subject - focus on one thing and blurry background, simple idea, simple composition.

Apple on the bench 

Apple on the bench 

Its can be one subject on the simple background. 

grass nature

Its could be simple shape - circles or leading lines:

circles and lines

Attention on one person doing some simple and understandable things (like this child below playing piano). 

piano
boy at the window

Picture should speaks to you with these simple and clear moments. 

boy playing piano
nature
girl at the window
landscape
jump

So lets put attention on simple moment around and have a rest from our busy lifestyle :)

Talk to you soon!

Contact me with any questions info@levienphtography.com

Beauty in details. Nature and landscape photography Auckland

Did you ever notice little things around you: flowers, branches, trees, clouds, sky? It's a lot beautiful natural details around us. But we too busy to notice it. We hurry, have a lot of things to do, problems, stress, and also when you have little kids its not an easy task to find time for yourself and look around, feel beauty and relax :)

As you know Im doing 365 project with daily shooting. I photograph mainly my kids, clients and some lifestyle moments. But sometimes I try to think out site the box and looking for new subjects. It's the beauty around us, nature. You could find it at the beach or park, or just in your yard near the house. I will show you some pictures that I have done just next to my house just one meter from each other. It's a real beauty.

You just need to see it and capture it!

Little tips: use your camera's manual mode, change aperture (small number 1.4-2.8 for blurry background, or over 8 for sharp to see details - like airplane in the sky below)

Here little gallery of things what I been shooting just in few days time apart from each other and around one spot.

 

Contact me with any question info@levienphography.com

Relax at Kariotahi Beach. Family lifestyle outdoor photography Auckland

Sometimes day can go unexpected ways. From quiet family time it can turn to busy full of people at crowded market - Steel on wheels in Waiuku or fast change to really relaxable time with family at Kariotahi beach.

That how our day goes. First few shots at Steel on wheels - market in Waiuku with a lot of retro vintage cars, and I just love all of them. Its been really so busy :)

So we took kids on playground afterwards and had an idea to drive to the Kariotahi beach which is located just few kilometres from Waiuku. Its a wonderful place, and was so nice just lay in the grass and watch nature around, waves, rocks and people hand gliding in the air. It was a real pleasure to capture all these little moments and feels really good to be at this atmosphere after busy environment.

Lifestyle photography

Contact Levien & Lens Photography info@levienphotography.com