Wedding workflow {Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga lifestyle couples-engagement photographer}

Im a really organised person, love to create different todo lists, put together items in logical order and create a workflow. Today I decided to share with you my wedding photography workflow. Im as a lifestyle wedding photographer travel a lot around Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga areas, sometimes even up North or down South and its important to keep on track with all events and clients | vendors.

A lot of people who are really far from photography business can think that our work as photographers just arrive on location, shoot event and right away deliver the images (believe me I thought that too before joined amazing world of photography), but its so much more! 

Shooting a wedding day can take usually between 5 and 12 hours depends on quantity of events and locations, but pre-wedding process and post wedding production can take weeks and even months! Usually I spend on each wedding at least 80 hours work and even more.

Let see my usual workflow (Im not going to put down quantity of hours | time spend on each item, its easy to guess :)

1. answer for enquiry, follow up

2. organise meeting for discuss wedding details an see if we on the same page

3. create and send quote, contract, questionnaire, invoice. Sometimes send a reminder {in 17 hats - management software}

4. answer for all following questions,

5. contact clients few months before the wedding day, organise an engagement | pre-wedding session (do all session workflow including choose and scout location, shooting, post-processing, deliver the gallery, blogging etc.)

6. contact clients one month before the wedding, send an invoice reminder for final payment, questionnaire

7. organise pre-wedding consultation | meeting, go over all details again {online or via the phone}

8. scout wedding location

9. check last minute changes one week before the wedding

10. prepare equipment, all addresses, directions to location, contact creative team | all vendors

11. shooting wedding according the timeline and any unexpected changes / delays with first dance, cake cutting etc.

12. copy all files, back-up files at the end of the day {Im using two external drives and online Amazine Drive storage to be absolutely secure}

13. culling (choosing best images) - sometimes I move through images twice, as second time allow me to look at images with fresh eye

14. post-processing | retouching images

15. post sneak peek on Facebook or email

16. download images in online gallery and USB stick

17. organise prints | products

18. send to a client letter with link on online gallery (3-4 weeks after wedding day)

19. post USB stick with high resolution files + web quality images and prints | products

20. back up final galleries

21. write and publish a blog post with best images from the wedding day

22. choose best images for portfolio and publications

23. send a gallery link to all creative team

24. submit the gallery for publications, keep on track with publishers (i love to share my images, because Im really happy with results)

25. submit best images for various awards | contests (thats motivate me to do more, progress and move forward :).

26. post wedding results on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other social media etc.

Im sure its not a full list, probably I forgot some other little details :) But hope you get an idea about how much work involve into the weddings and I love this work :)

Please contact me with any questions!

17hats for wedding photographers {Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga lifestyle couples-engagement photography}

Sometimes having a wedding photography business can be overwhelming: contacts from wedding couples, enquiries, keeping on track with current clients, meetings around Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga areas, organise workflow, contacts with other photographers and vendors etc. Thats why I decided to share with you how 17hats made my life so much easier. Truly amazing transformation! :)

1. all my clients base in one place (contacts, emails, phone numbers, addresses);

2. ability to organise different projects for each client;

3. online documentation (life saver!) - quotes, contracts, invoices, wedding questionnaires in one place with ability to create a template;

4. email tracking (you can answer for emails right from 17hats :)

5. todo list | calendar (you can put different events and tasks in the calendar and have a reminder each day);

6. ability to create a workflow and apply it to certain project (I have over 15 todo tasks for each project including contact, meeting with clients, send questionnaire, scout wedding location, prepare equipment, send an invoice, check last minute changes in wedding day timeline, check address, get directions, post a sneak peek on Facebook, send link on online wedding gallery, post USB and print | products etc). You see its a lot to remember and can be hard to keep on track with few weddings in a row and future (next year) enquiries :)

7. bookkeeping (I just love the ability to connect business account to 17hats and categorise all income and spends, my accountant loves it too :)

8. ability to send clients galleries etc.

Im sure there a lot of other opportunities what I still need to discover. I just can tell you 17hats became a game changer for me during last few months what Im using it and Im happy with everything.

I need to mention there another systems for clients bases and keep on track as Pixifi, Tave etc. Im sure people who are using them happy with everything. So its just matter to try and find out what interface suits you the best.

Hope this blog post will be useful for my friends photographers, as I see a lot of discussions and questions in local photographers groups about how to keep all documentation and track clients base etc.

Contact me with any questions! I like open book and happy to help :)

Bride getting ready {Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga lifestyle wedding-couples-engagement photographer}

One of the most exciting part of the wedding day for me is bride getting ready - it's start of the day, start of wedding story and I also love to capture lifestyle moments behind the scene :) Im doing weddings around Auckland, Hamilton and surrounding areas and most of the time couples want to capture these special getting ready moments for complete the story of their wedding day.

Bride with her bridesmaids having fun, laughing, eating their breakfast, relaxing after late night :) Capturing lifestyle moments around and some portraits before putting dresses on. Details: veil, dress, rings, jewellery, other accessories, shoes - all items what been thoughtfully chosen with love for wedding day. 

Then time for putting dress on, bridesmaids or bride's mother taking big part in helping the bride, its so special atmosphere!

Bride along portraits and capture moments with bridesmaids. Its usually one of the most beautiful portraits from the wedding day!

Then rush, pick up all items and move towards the car for meet groom on ceremony site, so exciting moments.

Enjoy this gallery from my recent weddings around Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and surroundings areas. Im so in love with my beautiful stunning brides!

DOMINIQUE

TESSA

JULIETTE

Contact me with any questions!

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First look with Dad {Auckland-Hamilton wedding-engagement-couples photographer}

First Look is becoming more popular last few years. Its a great way to create a special moment for couples on their wedding day, moment when bride and groom see each other very first time before the ceremony on their wedding day. If couple is more traditional and prefer to see each other right on the ceremony when bride walking down the aisle another option is first look with Brides Dad.

Dads have a special place in each girl's heart so it's a treasured and emotional moment when Dad takes the bride walking down the aisle, but especially when he sees her for the first time right after getting ready before the ceremony. These moments are always full of love and special connection. 

I love to capture all these raw emotions and feelings! It's even more emotional when one person is standing back to walking forward another person (its could be either bride or her father) and they can't see each others faces, but then one turned around it's a magic moment happened, often with some tears (so tense emotions when you waiting for it:).

Enjoy this gallery from Juliette & Jonny's wedding in Castaways Resort, Auckland:

Contact me with any questions!

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Bridal Portraiture | Photography Tips {Auckland-Hamilton wedding photographer}

Bridal Portraiture is one of my favourite genre, and one of the most exciting moments on the couples wedding day. Maybe because Im myself a women and want to capture all this beauty and happiness on bride's special day. 

Im always full in love with my brides when I see how they getting ready during the wedding day, putting make-up on, dress and vail, walking down the aisle, being with the groom. Its such special moments!

Then comes all hectic and busy time but I always love to make special time for them to relax, take a big breath, have intimate moments with groom along at location photo shoot. Then comes time to take just a few shots with bride, show her character, personality and beauty.

If you ask me how to make the most beautiful bridal portraits on your wedding day I can tell you: its not a secret - just need ask bride to look at love of her life, at her groom | husband will see in her eyes all the beauty, passion and love. Its special moments!

Bridal portraits can be romantic, editorial, but also fun and crazy :) It all depends from personality of the bride and photographer of course. I like to go with the flow and feel my couples what they love to do, what pictures can be special for them. Sometimes you can be surprised when even fun loving brides found after the wedding session romantic photographs in their final galleries and full in love with them. You never knows ;) 

So lets create these beautiful moments, have some breath in between of this hectic day and capture beauty and happiness!

Here is my recent bridal portraits with my stunning brides, thank you so much for sharing these special moments with me. Love you all!

Enjoy this gallery!

Contact me with any questions!

Wedding Location {Auckland-Waikato-Bay of Plenty NZ couples | engagement photographer}

Its really important to choose a right place to your big wedding day. Each location should have a special meaning to the you and made makes celebration moments unforgettable.

It's a lot of different options in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty areas, indoors and outdoors (could be handy to do a rain check and have a back up plan ;)

Traditional wedding ceremonies are held in a church / registry office / hotel. I always enjoy to hear stories that couple choose the church where their parents been married. Its such treasured connection between generations, what great family traditions.

Outdoor locations had a lot of variety, especially in New Zealand: beach, domain, winery, gardens,  farm, park, bush, golf course, resort etc. So many different options! Summer is almost all the year around with high plus temperature so its really tempting to organise picturesque ceremony/reception in the beautiful nature side. I just love to capture these natural light beautiful moments.

Other option what I often see with small family weddings - ceremony and reception at parents house with BBQ in the garden area. Thats so sweet memories as well.

So what type of wedding location close to you, where you want to celebrate your engagement and have fun with close to you people / family? It's all up to you! I'm happy to capture for you all these special moments with relax, natural style. I love to show raw emotions and connection!

Contact me with any questions!

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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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I would love to have a chat with you!

Creativity Exercise | Auckland NZ Lifestyle family photographer

Its time for our new creativity exercise! This time we will shoot at one location, choose one subject and try to incorporate it in surrounding environment.

So make camera ready and try to shoot 5-10 shots in the same location with the same subject/subjects and try to create at least 5 different frames (angles, perspective, close or far shot, you can even use different lens for get different feeling (wide angle, portrait or tele etc.).

You can make this creativity exercise in one go or try a couple of times to get effect what you want.

For example, I shoot my daughter in the car early morning when we been in Mainly Music session, i took one shot

Then when we been back I seen her playing in the car and did series of shots to show how she love to sit in the car and play in it. Here is few more shot from different angles, perspective, points of view. Enjoy it and hope your will do your set of pictures with your kids.

Its a treasured moments, so its good to remember what they loved to do when they been so little :)

My pictures is not ideal, but they show the moment for me and really personal!

Contact me with any questions!

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Engagement-Couples Photo Shoot | Auckland wedding photographer

Engagement and couples photography is one of the special genre of portrait photography with mix of lifestyle moments.

Its all about showing the connection, emotions and relationships. Sounds easy, but its not :) Of course some couples easy going, not shy at all to show to all world about their love. But what I found, a lot times successful photo shoots could be archived only when you pay attention to details, ask questions, understand couples character, interests, what they love to do together and apply this knowledge to create a perfect relax atmosphere at photo session. Its really short time, just 1-2 hours, which we need to use to create a little love story, from moments of starting love to really tender and strong feelings.

We can talk (and I love to talk a lot, ha-ha), make a jokes, dance, play around, have posed and unposed moments.

What helps a lot is a find real moments, leave couple along for some time and just watch their quiet moments, which show a lot how they connect to each other, how they speak and relax.

Everyone loves to have down time :)

Also good use of space (shooting in all possible points - shade, open sun, sampled light etc.), and different angles (shoot from the top, eye level, down, side, back, close, far etc.) helps to create unique images and gives more opportunities to make variety of shots what best suits this couple.

I love to hear all these special love stories, how you meet each other, who doing cooking, who is bossy etc. Ha-ha! Sometimes answers vary, but it always helps me to full in love with the couple and even become good friends, then we meet again at exciting special wedding day.

If you have the opportunity to have an engagement shoot before the wedding with your photographer, its helps a lot on your wedding day, believe me. Its makes it all more relaxable, enjoyable and everyone knows how we all roll :)

I also found couple in long relationships really treasure our sessions, its like special psychology session for renew / refresh their relationship. Im so happy to help with it.

Have a look at my last engagement | couples sessions. I just love all these moments:

Contact me with any questions!

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Still life | Photography Genre {Auckland-Hamilton NZ photographer}

As the saying beauty in details, everyday moments of our life. We often look at portraits, trying capture emotions, mood, connection, move. But something else around us, something what we not notice too much, especially when we in rush or busy with other questions.

Its all world around waiting when you put attention on it and see the details.

Its a still life! So beautiful and mysterious at the same moment. Its all about beauty in simplicity, light, details and moment.

You just need to look with attention and wait when some moments just speaks to you and make your heart to sing!

Thats my moments, have a look at these pictures (During my 365 Project I find out that shooting a still life or other photography genres feels really refreshing and inspiring). This gallery from this afternoon shooting till past months random moments what speaks to me (you can see here some mix of genres - macro, abstract etc.:

365 Project

Contact me with any questions!

Follow the lines - Creativity Exercise | Photography Tips

Did you ever put attention to lines on the pictures?

They draw your attention to the main subject, leading in composition, frame and play a big role in photography.

You can see a horizontal, vertical or diagonal and also all mix of these types. 

Creativity exercise today: Follow the lines!

Try to see different types of lines around, include them in the frame and draw attention to your main subject. Its could be leading lines in composition, horizontal/vertical/diagonal lines of surrounding objects or even body lines, arms etc. Even if you not notice lines too much, they are there. Try to incorporate all other sides of photography: watch the light, colours, composition etc. and have fun with post processing, twist the colours and create a black and white images if its speaks to you!

Look at couple of shots what I did today for this creativity exercise while my kids played at playground (when else can I find time for everyday shooting and my 365 Project :)

Contact me with any question!

Pinterest Boards | Photography Tips {Auckland-Hamilton photographer}

If you never heard about Pinterest its time to give it a go! I just love the ability to serf around there, looking for inspiration, create some boards with chosen pictures and links (organised in system) and share with friends.

Its helps not just to get some inspiration but also helps to feel on the same page with clients/friends. My brides and families often happy to share with me their ideas through the links on Pinterest.

I also love the ability to see some new fun shots.

Here my last inspiration board which shows what drive me into photography, what speaks to me a lot and what I like to see more in my work. Here a fast screen shot (which opened a part of my inspiration :)

Please create your board and share with me! :) Look forward to see it!

Contact me with any questions!

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Capturing joy | Kids Portraits | Auckland-Waikato Family photography

Capturing joy is the most important part of my photography. All these emotions, happiness, connection, what else could be more important? :)

This time in my 365 Project I choose to capture my little one jumping on the bed - its so much fun and positive emotions, look at her face!

These moments are so treasured!

Little tips: try to capture full frame with scene (to show what's happening), then concentrate on the details and face and emotions at the end. This makes for a complete set. Try to use different angles and perspective. 

I show you just a fast sneak peek how my little one having fun on brothers bed while he in pre-school. ha-ha :) :

Contact me with any questions!

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Creativity exercise | Capture a moment | Family lifestyle photographer | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Its time for a new creativity exercise :)

This time we concentrate on capturing moments, emotions and details as well. So lets start:

grab a camera, make sure your settings good enough for capture a motion (at least 1/125 sec), good exposure, enough light coming through your lens (if its not enough you can make small aperture (around 1.8-2.8 depends what area you want to have in focus) and don't forget to set ISO (if its low light condition don't be afraid to bump it up) and last but not least - your white balance (you can use Kelvin - my usual settings at my house at day time around 5500 K, outside its varies depends from time of the day and could be around 6200 at usual day time and go up 7200-9500 closer to sunset, candles light give you around 2500 K). If you want to learn how to use the Kelvin settings just look at Kelvin chart and play with your settings at different lighting conditions and look at result (is it too blue or yellow).

I just slightly touched your settings because they are really important for get a clean picture what no need too much work in post-processing, so try to get it right in the camera :)

You made your camera ready for action and for your creativity exercise:

Take a set of the pictures around one event and try to capture a moment, emotions of subjects, concentrate on details and take a pictures what make a story. You can also just made a one shot which show all story in one frame. 

I show you some examples of capturing moment: last evening when my little ones been sitting on the sofa and watching TV I tried to get in frame their connection and interaction with details shots. Its a real treasure, especially when your little ones grow up so fast.

Have fun and let me know if you have any questions info@levienphotography.com

Flash vs Natural light | Photography tips | Family and Wedding photographer | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

Im often saying Im a natural light photographer. I take a pictures outside in beautiful locations: parks, beaches, reserves, rocks etc. Also use gorgeous window light at lifestyle family / newborn / baby / couples sessions.

I love to watch light, I love to use light, I love to play with light (detract, side, back light which looks just amazing, believe me!).

But there are some situations when light just doesn't works how you want it, how you imagine it in your head. Maybe not enough to light your subject, or opposite - overpower and making a lot of hot spots on the face, or it sampled light. At this cases the best option is a flash, especially off-camera flash.

I love to use flash to bounce light in the room where there is not enough light (clients houses, newborn sessions, wedding receptions, family formals), or where needs to fill with light, or even overpower the sun. 

What an amazing result you can get just before the sunset with off camera flash to show beautiful background full of colours and also give some light on the faces (couple, family, maternity, kids, portraits etc.). Here some example from my last couples session on the beach. I will show you natural light picture and picture with using off-camera flash. See the difference in feelings, different effects and looks what you want to archive. Its works just great when you want to give the variety in the gallery and put so different but so beautiful pictures at the same moment of time. Flash give you a big power to have choice and apply your vision on the capturing moments:

Main tips with using flash:

1. know your synchronise speed (for not get a black stripe across the image)

2. put it closer to the subject (to get nice light)

3. control flash power manually

4. use the manual mode in the camera to control aperture and shutter speed.

5. and practice! :)

You can also put flash in TTL automatic mode but its not I've you much ability to control the flash.

Good luck with your shooting! Just take a camera, equipment and go with the flow! :)

Talk to you soon!

Contact me if you have any question info@levienphotography.com!

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

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):

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):

- 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 :)

- 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 :)

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