Whangaparaoa beach birthday party {Event-family-kids photographer Auckland-Hamilton NZ}

I love to shoot weddings, but also happy to capture all other special events - treasured moments for each family - newborn, kids, birthday parties. I drove to Whangaparaoa {Auckland} few weeks ago to capture a beautiful 1 year old boy's birthday party.

This trip from Hamilton to Auckland was special for me because just half year ago I been doing this gorgeous boy 6 month baby lifestyle photo shoot at Lake Tarawera {Rotorua}. I love to travel to clients sessions around the North and South Island and capture treasured for them moments. Sometimes clients want to keep pictures private and I absolutely respect their privacy (it's a personal choice), but I always excited to share some pictures from session for give everyone a feel of my style and how I love to shoot. This time I had permission to share a few pictures with you, what Im doing right away :)

We captured some beach family pictures before the party and then joined big family celebration with so warm and enjoyable atmosphere!

Enjoy a few pictures from this Whangaparaoa beach birthday party!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Timeless photographs {Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga lifestyle wedding-family photographer}

Sometimes photographs what you captured have some timeless feeling. You don't know why but they deeply speaks to you as photographer. Its can be a colour or shape, emotion or atmosphere, lines or composition, or something else what hard to describe. I found out black and white images often feels stronger connect to what I want to see in the my art.

Im doing my 365 Project and capture everyday lifestyle moments with my family and kids. Its a family storytelling in between of wedding photo shoots around Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga areas :) This part of my personal photography projects is really important to me.

This time I captured how kids had fun after pre-school colouring on the concrete drive way. They enjoyed it and I used the opportunity to capture these moments with my Lensbaby, which gave the opportunity to be more creative and get really interesting shots with timeless feeling to them. Its not so easy to get right focus (there absolutely manual control), but its let you to feel the camera and lens and get some retro and timeless feeling to it what I really love! :)

Enjoy this gallery with my little ones!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Family holidays in Tauranga {Auckland-Waikato-Bay of Plenty lifestyle wedding photographer}

Its been a happy family holidays in Tauranga (Bay of Plenty) last weekend. We been waiting for these moments from Christmas time because of busy summer wedding season (I been shooting a lot of weddings in Auckland, Waikato around December-January time).

So it was a real treasure to move into the hotel with swimming pool, take kids to the beach, have fun at Memorial park in Tauranga and just try to relax, what not so easy to do with two little ones around :)

I still been doing some work, catch up with my awesome wedding clients in Tauranga: two meetings during one weekend, but thats me, work is never stops, especially my one where you need be on track 24 | 7 :)

I had the opportunity to capture some lifestyle moments around when had feeling I need take this shot because of beauty around, light or just memorable family moments :)

Enjoy this gallery from our family holidays in Tauranga!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

My everyday moments in 365 Project - January {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle wedding-couples photographer}

Its a new year, its a new life and I continue to capture my everyday lifestyle moments in 365 project (366 this year :)

What a great month January, amazing start of the year: first 3 weddings open this year for me with travel to Auckland (Castaways Resort), Tauranga (Ataahua Garden Venue) and around the Hamilton, news about winning an International Wedding Photography Award by Bridal Guide (my pictures chosen in top 50 with other amazingly talented wedding photographers). My picture features on the cover of HuffPost Weddings! Its a big honour and amazing start of the year!

My little one finally became toilet trained, yay (you can't believe but its a big achievement in each family with little ones, ha-ha!). 

So many exciting events! I also look forward this year (a lot of big dates).

Oh, I forgot I celebrated my 35th birthday on 8th of January! Yay!

Enjoy this lifestyle gallery with my everyday moments!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Little one having fun in the bath {Hamilton lifestyle family-kids photographer}

It's a real treasure to capture everyday moments with kids. Today my little one (3 years old boy) had some fun in our bath and I used this opportunity to shoot these lifestyle family moments.

Im a mum but I also a photographer who looks at beautiful life, atmosphere, emotions and moments!

Enjoy this few pics from my little one's morning fun! 


Hot day in Hamilton Gardens {Personal family moments - Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

It was a hot day and our family decided spend it in Hamilton gardens. We had a picnic on the lake, walk around the gardens, kids been happy to explore surroundings and even found a little swimming pool. What a treasure at this warm weather!

I had my camera nearby and captured some lifestyle everyday moments for family storytelling, memories and my 365 Project. Yes, I keep going with it second year in a row :) 

All kids had a wet clothes when we come back to the car, but everyone been happy, especially with ice block in the hands, ha-ha!

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

Best of my 365 Project 2015 {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

Its just amazing how many positive and enjoyable moments happened during this year, which I document in my 365 Project.

It also let me practice, grow and progress in my photography and capture family storytelling, everyday moments with kids. These all such a treasured lifestyle moments.

I love to look back through the galleries. Hope you enjoy it too!

Contact me with any questions!

My 365 Project. December {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

Last month of this year gone and its last month in my 365 Project - December.

It was a month full of positive lifestyle moments and emotions. I been doing photo shoots in Auckland and Hamilton, weddings and lifestyle sessions and also capture my family and kids everyday moments.

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Happy New Year! Best lifestyle-wedding photographs {Auckland-Hamilton documentary couples-family photographer}

Hello everyone!

Hope you having a great holidays!

I just want to wish you a Happy New Year and share with you our best lifestyle moments - couples-engagement , wedding-elopement , and family-kids-baby-newborn sessions what I been capture in 2014 year.

It was an amazing year with a lot of positive emotions. Thank you for share with me your special moments!

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Sweet baby girl baptism ceremony {Hamilton family-event photographer} Cathedral of the blessed Virgin Mary

What a special family moments I been captured last weekend - sweet baby girl Victoria baptism ceremony in Hamilton Cathedral of the blessed Virgin Mary. 

Victoria is a brave little girl and kept really well through the ceremony. It was such special lifestyle moments for all her family (mama Marina, papa Rowen, big brother Daniel, god parents and all relatives who joined this day our gorgeous girl.

Enjoy this baptism ceremony gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Documenting family everyday moments {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

I love to do a family storytelling and document everyday lifestyle moments, day by day. 365 Photography Project coming to the end, but I think I will keep going and capturing all these treasured moments in my family life: my daughter's first pony tales (her hair grows really slowly for the first two years :), my son meeting Santa just before Christmas (what great memories!), love all these emotions, my little ones love jumping on the bed every day...

Hope you enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Hamilton Zoo family time {Waikato kids lifestyle photographer}

What a fun family time we had at Hamilton Zoo at Sunday morning. I just love these lifestyle moments, which are great to photograph to have memories about this treasured time.

Its so great to see all kids raw emotions of happiness when they met monkeys, giraffes or even ducks! :) They just a little bit small for big walking through the bush, up and down, so we carried them a lot of times :)

I had a chance to take a fast pictures in between candid moments :)

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Mairangi Bay kids-family fun {Auckland-Hamilton documentary photographer}

Last evening we spent with family and kids on beautiful Mairangi beach in Auckland. We made a special trip from Hamilton to say good buy to uncle Paul and aunty Sinead who fly back to UK this evening, they spend amazing pre-wedding holidays in New Zealand, where all family been happy to see them.

What a fun time on the swing, in the waves, running on the sand, having hot fish and chips in Mairangi Bay park | playground and some lifestyle moments.

We will miss you!

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

Multi-exposure Photography Tips | Waikato photographer

Hello and welcome to my Blog, where I talk about my lifestyle moments, photography and share some inspirational photography tips and exercise.

We will talk today about multi-exposure images. They look pretty neat and not much people know how easy achieve them.

One way - in post-processing when you put together a few layers from few images with different opacity.

But Im a lazy photographer, I really don't like a lot of post processing work and prefer to make things right into the camera (for not spend to much time at editing, but give this treasure time to my family, to my active little ones).

So at this case you go to your camera Menu, put on Multi-Exposure, choose how many images you will merge together and how many times you want it one (single time or more). I did just basic 2 shot single multi-exposure, what I will share with you. (Attention - not all cameras had this mode - please read your camera Manual for get more information. For note - I shoot with Nikon D750 full frame).

Important note: you should nail your exposure triangle (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) in the camera, because you can't work on each picture separated, they will be merge together in one image what you will see in your computer.

So lets go to my pretty simple experiments. 

First one image with my daughter and a tree what I merge together. Little tip - it was easier for me first to take image with my subject and then knowing I had a good shot, put my attention on the background - I choose a tree shape for this purpose.

You free to choose if you want to convert your image in Black and White (BW) or leave a colour variant. Sometimes BW version really stand out for me and speaks to me more.

You can also play with merging not 2 different backgrounds, but play with merging images with the same person. Some photographers use this trick for selfies to show different type of emotions. I just choose my little one and follow the best moments in the same location.

Here is a result:

This image really speaks to me with this lines, composition, emotions and BW conversation.

So grab your camera and experiment! Good luck!

Contact me with any questions!

My style | Lifestyle wedding photographer | Auckland-Waikato-Bay of Plenty photography

People often asking me what means lifestyle photography, Why I'm doing lifestyle pictures, is it mean Im not doing portraits at all?

So lets talk about it and bring it all out, so it will be easier for you to understand what to expect from me, my photography services, and your final pictures :)

1. Lets start from definition. Yes, I know it sounds boring, but will give us a base for our thoughts.

Lifestyle photography is a kind of photography which mainly aims to capture portrait/people on situations, real-life events or milestones in an artistic manner and the art of the everyday (Wikipedia).

So I'm capturing, documenting moments and people in situations in an artistic manner, bring the art into your everyday moments.

You can ask me: Is it just documentary style and capturing all stuff around? No, its much more. I am not just capturing what I see, I am creating an art, I find the beauty in all these moments - what speaks to me and I hope what I created will speak to you, and mean a lot to you!

2. Weddings | Events. If I'm shooting your wedding or another important event I am capturing all natural moments through the day, If you laughing I will capture that, If you are crying I will capture that too.

St Matthews Church wedding

St Matthews Church wedding

I will do posed moments as well (as family portraits or intimate session for bride and groom), but I will do it natural and happy way so everyone will really enjoy it and have a positive experience with "happy family" pictures :)

Family pictures on Lisa's 21st Birthday Party

Family pictures on Lisa's 21st Birthday Party

As for moments for bride and groom they will be based on your personalities, story and naturally relaxing for you. There will be posed shots and unposed and intimate as well. If your a fun loving couple we will have a lot of fun and can create even dynamic, a little bit crazy pictures, if you prefer to have your quiet moments of happiness I will do my best to capture it in romantic editorial style. All these moments really speak to me, then I'm creating and telling your story through the art of the lens! 

Daria & Dmitry

Daria & Dmitry

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids

If we're in getting ready moments and there a lot of stuff around (make-up, bags and all other items) I will do my best to create pictures that focus on the main subjects, of course will take some details shots, which form part of the story and maybe even show with wide angle lens all these mess and people around. But also I will try to use blocking and framing for get artistry shots of you and people around even in these hectic conditions! :)

I love to capture raw emotions, candid moments, details what is a part of your story and all these connection and love between two of you, its just magic moments!

3. Newborns, family and kids.

I'm a mum of two little ones, they are so active and cute and little nightmares sometimes. I realised how important and treasured every moment of their and our life together, how fast they grow, and how important for us to remember these moments.

I'm doing 365 project this year and documenting my everyday moments with kids and family. It's fun, interesting, sometimes usual moments, morning routing, play time and all other stuff. I'm planning to print a book at the end of project with all these images. 

Lifestyle everyday moments. 365 Project

Lifestyle everyday moments. 365 Project

But its not about me, its about you. About your family, about your life.

I love to capture the moments when baby appear in this world, capture everyday moments and routine of your first day with baby, your connection and emotions, everyday things that you are used to with the baby: baby on the big parents bed, baby in the cot, on the changing table, in parents arms, on dad's big shoulder, little fingers in mums hands.

Baby Nazar

Baby Nazar

What do you want to remember about these days, this period, what will be gone and only pictures will remind you about this moments? Details what making a way to your memories: babies name on the wall (or on the door), Teddy bears and other toys around, baby monitor on the shelf, cold cup of tea on the table and dummy nearby, mobile with Winnie the Pooh theme, basket with nappies and all other little things what telling your story. I will capture all world around the baby (your smile, your hair, his little fingers in it, favourite thing to play for your baby - your neckless...)

Baby Luka

Baby Luka

Kids grow up and have own interests, love to spend their time playing soccer, colouring, making sand castles and all other exciting things. What do your family love to do together? What do you want to remember from this year?

Lifestyle session at home: Baking

Lifestyle session at home: Baking

Do you want to have classical portrait of all family together? I will do it at start of our session and then we will go and have fun, do all these things what you and kids love to do, document all these happy moments, emotions, feeling and connections between you in our 1-2 hours time together. I will try to capture these live moments, trying to get individual characters of each member of your family and you all together and you will help me with this. We can do outdoor session if you love to be in the park/ beach or I can come to your place and document all these treasured for you moments what you do around the house (reading books, playing play-dooh, colouring, playing games, maybe even bath or settling and sleeping time, anything what you want to remember).

Knott family in Auckland Domain

Knott family in Auckland Domain

4. I hope I showed you what it means for me to do a lifestyle photography with capturing for you such special events or everyday moments (whats actually unique and special in their own way and never will be repeated again), how important for me the emotions and connection, how I treasure and love each single moment and every person on my sessions, how I want to help to tell your story through the art of photography.

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR WEDDING}

I would love to have a chat with you!

 

    21st Birthday Party-Morrinsville Lifestyle event photographer

    I was so thrilled to be invited to capture Lisa's 21st Birthday Party at her parents farm near Morrinsville last weekend. 

    What a great family, atmosphere, amazing guests and incredible surroundings.

    Lisa is a fun loving girl, talented singer and song writer as her sister Anna Hawkins. What an amazing family. Lisa's parents are such a happy couple, celebrated 30 years together this year. So many big dates!

    We start our photo shoot with taking some portraits for Lisa around her family house to have good memories about her birthday. Then was time for happy family pictures with a lot of fun and laughter. Guests start arriving and I just surfed around and captured candid natural moments with party flow. I just love to capture lifestyle moments and all these raw emotions - smiling and crying (believe me there was some at the speeches, what important and emotional moments!), fun and joy. Thats my style!

    It was a real pleasure to meet all Lisa, her family and guests - friends and relatives. Some of these friendships for a very long time, through the years, I heard just amazing stories during the evening. What open and generous people!

    I just loved every single moment of this event.

    Hope you enjoy this gallery, pictures turned out just amazing!

    Contact me with any questions!

    {BOOK YOUR WEDDING}

    Okahu Bay One year birthday family session {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

    What a great pleasure to see how little ones grow up and capture the most important moments of their life.

    I had a special session last weekend at Okahu Bay, Auckland with Lena, Vanya and their gorgeous little one Max. Need to say its our third session together (fourth if counting a baby shower event :) and we became really good friends. Lena's baby shower and maternity session been not a long time ago, then I been doing newborn photo shoot for Max and now see who has become a really big boy and can walk all by himself? Max!

    Here is just couple of shots from our past sessions, such great memories:

    It was really enjoyable moments to document all these stages and now do a lifestyle session for my friends. No any pressure, just follow guys on the playground with making smiles swing, to the beach where Max really loved to watch the waves and play with shells, have a picnic in the park by the beach and also lucky enough to get opportunity to touch an old cars what been nearby.

    What a beautiful day!

    World around us | Auckland lifestyle photographer

    What can take your attention and make you remember and capture the moment? Is it something really special, happening once a life, is it beauty of everyday moments or something else.

    Im really enjoying to see the world around us from new perspective, especially during 365 project, what makes me wonder what else around what I not see, not noticed, but what deserve to be captured. Its my everyday moments, kids, lifestyle shots and some new pictures what I feel like to take.

    Im happy to show you just a one day of world around me. Luckily I spend this day with kids in Hamilton Gardens - beautiful place, a must see. I even don't know how I manage to take a pictures with my active little ones, but thats the life. Happy to share with you these moments:

    And one more in black and white conversation:

    Contact me with any questions!

    {BOOK YOUR SESSION}

    Everyday lifestyle moments | 365 personal project

    We decided to put together some of our lifestyle moments captured during last few days, which not been posted yet. 

    Its just usual everyday moments, but Im sure they will be treasured when we look back in few years (or maybe even few months time) and remember all these little details with children :)

    Im not just a photographer but also a Mum of too little ones who made my life really full of different events, surprises coming every minute, and its not just positive ones, ha-ha :)

    Kids - kids - kids :)

    Contact info@levienphotography.com