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Contact: info@levienphotography.com
Early Bird Wedding Bookings 2016. Special offer from LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY
Are you a highly organised person and prefer to plan everything ahead like me? (I love to make special lists and plan everything. With travel I plan and search all important must see places, list of things to take etc. It helps me feel more prepared soI don't miss anything or forget to take important stuff). But this is not about me!
Its special offer for you - use the opportunity to book your wedding day ahead with Early Bird special for 2016 year, and save $500! (limited availability). You save money, get your photographer and one worry gone from your big list.
If you know your date/ venue - time for action - book a photographer, for no disappointment.
I already have weddings booked at the end of 2016!
Check prices and contact me with any questions!
If you have short notice wedding at this winter 2015 - you still can get a lucky spot for Winter Wedding special - save on wedding package fee! (limited availability)
Behind the scene | Couples-Engagement documentary photographer {Event photography Auckland}
Event photography is a lot of fun, dynamic and creative type of photo shoots.
It's stressful for some people and fun for others :)
You get opportunities to meet new people, make new friends and practice different type of photography styles: formals, documentary, storytelling. From shooting portrait, couples, big group of people to decorations, details and food photography :) From photographing babies, kids at parties, to adults and seniors. So many opportunities! Shooting in dark conditions, inside to sunny outside, nature environment or streets, offices and halls.
You should be well prepared to handle variety and different tasks. Thats why I love shooting parties (birthday, engagement, baby shower, anniversary), weddings and other events. It gives freedom to shoot what you see around and love; so much different things with beauty inside and raw emotions.
Here are some quick tips for events shooting:
1. Check your camera settings - every time when you move from different lighting conditions (or light change at your location - especially happens fast before sunset).
2. Be creative, open your eyes - try to see beauty in details, all these little things around make this atmosphere and will be treasured in future.
3. Be fast and patient - conditions changes fast and you should too. But not too hurry, you still need be patient and capture this special moment.
4. Think outside the box - shoot with different angles, perspectives and sides.
5. Turn around, capture all these events and people. Especially little ones could bring a lot of interesting shots and fun moments.
6. Be flexible - all things changes around, conditions, planned schedule etc. Don't be upset, try to find new direction and fast change your vision and plan.
Here few pics from my last engagement party, kids made atmosphere so special. Just love to capture these alive moments!
Contact me with any questions!
Emotional couples photo shoot {Auckland Engagement documentary photography}
What a great couple I met this weekend - Nicole and Jon.
It's a pleasure for me to be involved with storytelling and to capture their love story special moments.
So here is just pure love and relationship. No need words, just pictures:
Sweet Couple | Engagement Party Pictures {Auckland Event-Wedding photographer}
Congratulations to Juliette & Jonny! What amazing couple and great engagement party I visited this weekend. It was a cosy event at Juliette house in Ellerslie, Auckland.
Happy future together! Look forward to your upcoming wedding!
Thank you for inviting me!
Winter Wedding Special.Auckland wedding photographers
Don't miss our Winter Wedding Special:
$800 wedding day coverage (from getting ready to the beginning of the reception) which includes plenty of pictures of the wedding party prior to the wedding, ceremony shots, group/family shots after the wedding (or before if desired).
All good images from 800+ photos will be edited, stylised, and retouched. You will have the rights to print your pictures.
Not interested in a full day coverage? We will set up a special package just for you!
All best images are edited and given to you in high resolution, saved on a beautiful wooden USB stick.
If you book your wedding with us, we have a special romantic offer for you - an engagement (couples) session for only $150 (two outfits, one location of choice).
Contact us to arrange a tea/coffee, Skype session, or to enquiry!
021438887
info@levienphotography.com
LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY - Auckland based photographer specialised in natural light on-location photography. Happy to travel nationwide and international (for extra milage fee).
Autumn special - $85 Mini Sessions! Auckland family, couples, kids photographer
Autumn Colours are here, and it's warm! A perfect chance to have some stunning portraits taken with us at three Auckland locations: Waiake beach, Cornwall Park, Kariotahi beach. Its a great opportunity to have special present on Mother's Day too!
30min mini sessions available over the next couple of weeks. Email us for details.
info@levienphotography.com
Hair Style - couples photography {Auckland wedding photographer}
We already talk about Make-Up in Photography in our blog. So now Hair Style's turn.
How you imagine yourself in the pictures, what style you choose, what clothes you planning to wear? All these questions related to Hair Style. What you need to consider when you choose hair style type.
If you have a long hair you will have a big freedom with ideas and styles (you could leave hair freedom, or put in tale, or make a bun etc. Its all connected with your pictures style, clothes, accessories, make-up etc. Short hair give you less opportunities but at the same moment made it's more creative with modern or fashion hair cut what could create a special picture's atmosphere.
I love freedom of long hair what made romantic pictures with retro style, especially with couple / engagement photo shoot. You could imagine how partner playing with your long hair, how wind blow its all and made effective amazing look with freedom feeling. Partner could put his hands in the hair, or kiss them. It's so sweet moments!
If you need to make fashion glamour look or retro vintage style you need special hair stylist who give you this special look. And pictures will turn amazing way!
Hair stylist in wedding shoots is an absolutely must do service! You needs your hair looks nice and fresh all the day! And believe me - its a long day! I absolutely recommend to rehearsal check out (when you could try your idea and your hair artist work, so you not will be disappointed at the Big day, its a lot stress what you no need at all :)
So don't forget to book a hair stylist as well with Make-up Artist and Photographer of course :)
I have contacts of few hair stylist what I could highly recommend. So feel free contact me! I will be happy to help you with this choice.
One of the last wedding photo shoot I been honoured to shoot with great hair stylist - Alan Wang from Perfekt Hair Studio. He been working professional, fast, patient with bride, bridesmaids, bride's mum etc. So mach amazing hair done. And pictures turned absolutely stunning. Bridesmaids had a lot of fun with pillow fight on the bed and hair still stayed perfect :)
Enjoy this flashback shots!
Thank you, Alan for great work!
Contact me with any questions!
Makeup in Photography {Auckland documentary wedding photographer}
Very little details can make a big picture. It could be good light, emotions, colour, composition etc. But there is one more important detail (especially if you want to picture a portrait) – it’s make-up! It corrects little details, smoothes the skin, makes eyes brighter, bring attention to lips etc. And it also helps in post processing – I don’t have to spend long hours on correction.
Good make-up makes you feel more beautiful and confident, prettier and happier. And we can capture this happiness in our pictures.
I highly recommend using a professional makeup service for any photo session - (portrait, family, couples and especially wedding photo-shoot when you need cosmetics that could stay perfect for a long time on the face (getting ready, ceremony, location shoot and reception - it’s a long day! Professional makeup touches could save the day! Also professional Makeup Artists know exactly what type of cosmetics to use to avoid shiny reflections on faces when we need to use a flash.
I have a few MUA contacts, so do not hesitate to contact me with any questions!
Here is a beautiful work from my last wedding photo shoot with a very professional and talented makeup artist from Mac Cosmetics - Jun Chen (I could highly recommend his work, not only did he use the best cosmetic product, but also made the bride and family feel comfortable - you can see a lot of smiles and happy moments. And he was always ready to help - not only with makeup, but with other little details too. Have a look at these pictures:
Unitec Pumphouse | Auckland City Oaks hotel | St Therese Church traditional wedding {Auckland couples photographer}
Toni + Eddy - a truly amazing couple and a great wedding I was honoured to capture on the 28th February. I loved every single moment of it: the bride and the groom getting ready at the Auckland City Oaks Hotel, the ceremony in St. Therese Church (Three Kings), and the shoot at location near the reception area - Unitec Pumphouse
Make-up - Jun Chen from JC Makeup & Photography
Hair Stylist - Alan Wang from Perfect Hair Studio
Thanks for assistance to Olga Franco from Sugar Sugar Photography.
There were so many different emotions - from positive and peaceful moments to smiles and tears.
I was pleased to be with these open and beautiful people, and really appreciated the way they shared with me their special moments!
I would love to photograph more weddings! If you know someone getting married I would appreciate referrals
my work at Facebook and Website
Thank you!
Beautiful moments of Toni + Eddy's Wedding. Enjoy it!
And just bonus board -some of my favourite pictures with beautiful bride Toni:
And I'd love to put some lifestyle pictures what show emotions and capture real feelings, especially treasure family moments - mothers and daughters with 3 generations (bonus 2):
My 365 Project. February. Daily photo.
It's so important to document your everyday moments, capture family storytelling. And its also push you to progress to be a better photographer.
Its not so easy to find something new to shoot (every single day) and get more interesting angles, composition, light. But its made you looking for something special, what speak to you, what show something YOURS at this exact moment.
Its your STORY, your VOICE, your IDEAS, and your LIFE!
Here my February daily pictures (some black and white, some colour, some clients shots, some family, and a little bit of everything! Thats my story!
My wedding photo shoot from yesterday. Just can't walk away with one picture for 365 Project :)
Look forward to next month!
Scouting venues. Wedding photography Auckland
Good advice for any wedding photographer - scout wedding locations, venues to get a feeling of place and be prepared to Big day (wedding photo shoot).
I prefer always check locations if its possible (hotel where bride and groom getting ready, church for ceremony, restaurant for reception and any other location). You could not only imagine how its all will happened, but also pre-check your camera settings and lens, lights, best points for shooting, good composition, where to do family shots etc. You can suddenly realise its a tight space and you need wide angle lens or its a big location and you need use zoom lens, or good mix of both. Maybe church have some restrictions for photographers with using their flash, or allow to shoot only from one point etc.
So you need to know exactly all photo shoot conditions for be ready to any situations. (of course you never knows what will happen at Big day. But at least you check all stuff and now could expect unexpected :))
Hope its all goes smoothly at your wedding shooting and day will be brilliant. Good preparation - half of success, or maybe 70%, lets leave 30% for go with flow and have fun!
I just checked few wedding locations and feel really inspired by view, ideas, feeling the space and place. I will post later on shots from the wedding so we could compare them, and Im sure during the session we will have much more ideas and interesting turns, even weather could give us a new direction :) I look forward to see my beautiful bride in wedding dress and elegant groom in suit and all their parties guests! :)
Wedding locations: Carrington Pumphouse, Coyle Park, St Therese church.
QUESTIONNAIRE. PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS. Family and wedding photographer Auckland
Questionnaire - its a fast and effective way to use to know your clients. I love to know more information about clients before the session. Thats why I always try to catch up with clients/friends prior and ask them different questions. Not only about what type of photo shoot they would like to have, what shots and style of the pictures, but also to know their personality, what they love to do, what their favourite things, what make them happy. And what one dream shot they would like to capture. And its made us feel on the same page, what really important for not get any disappointed moments when you see result.
I heard menu times how people saying their Photographer been not good because not capture desperately needs moments (especially on wedding day when each moment - treasure!). Thats why we need to know what you want to capture, what mean a lot to you, whats your dream list or dream shot. Questionnaire helps with this, and boards on Pinterest too (really popular right now things to do, I love create all these boards for different shoots and look at clients board to see what pictures they like).
So I will share with you what type of questions I ask at my family/portraits and wedding sessions. Its just some of them, what make me understand what client want.
Family/Portrait Session:
1.List the names of everyone involved in the shoot. Ages of children (you need to know names and age for be ready to entertain and know psychology different kids age - lucky I have good psychology-pedagogical education and teaching experience. And wait - three own kids!)
2. What your family looks like? What you love to do at downtime? What you kids as individuals (are they shy, active, outgoing etc.) - its really good to be ready to meet different personalities and understand their needs.
3. If there was 1 dream shot you would love to have from your session with L&L, what would the shot be? - dream shot question helps with understand what type of picture client want and not miss the opportunity to make him happy!
4. Is there a particular image that prompted you to contact LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY? - thats connect with previous question and made you understand why client choose you, and what type of session he wants.
5. What style photo shoot would you like to have? (formal. lifestyle (documentary), mix of different ones... - that continue previous question and helps deeply go with understanding type of the shots to make.
all these questions and others helps with prepare to photo shoot and understand clients personalities and wishes and made them happy at the end
Wedding Shoot:.
You can get different type of questionnaire in Google search, I just point on some important questions at weddings.
In wedding shoot the main questions for me - schedule questions - for clear understand timing and locations. I love to be well prepared and organised and be ready for any situation. Good to know how many time I have for family shots and where they gonna take place, or shoot bride and groom on location, or for shooting reception details. Its all important moments.
Contact names - you should get at least 2 names who you can contact during the wedding apart from bride and groom (they could be impossible to reach during the wedding). And also could be great to get contact person who will organise family shots - move all guests in right place at right time (not so easy task to organise, if you have a friend policemen its could help a lot! sounds good - I had it at one of my wedding - great choice!)
Next important moment - type of shoot and pictures style. Often brides saying they choose me for my natural shots, what show emotions and joy. I love to shoot real life moments, do some type of documentary wedding photography. But pretty happy to set up formal shots, help with posing etc. I just need to know what the best way to operate on the wedding and to get type of shots what you want.
List of shots. Maybe its sound strange but I like creating list, planning everything. Even when I am going to travel List of things what I need take with me - its a main point! Yes Im a planning fan! Search travel places, sightseeing, hotels, locations. Its all applies to photography too.
What the main shots you want - dress and shoes, flower girls, bride with father (mother), or shot with favourite grandma. Happy not miss this moment if I KNOW I need capture it. :) This list just type of orientation. I not planning stand at the wedding with list and trying tick points while missing something important what happens exactly at this moment :) Ha-ha! But its really helps to be organised and plan ahead. Probably you still miss some moments - weddings could goes really unexpected way! But also capture something new and unexpected, what move memories back in time.
And we will treasure forever all these moments!
So ask the question, Get the answer, Be Happy and make Happy everyone around!
Happy Valentine's Day. Couples, engagement photographer
Love-Love-Love!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone! What a magic day full of love, friendship and freedom spirit!
Want to say to my clients/friends - I love you all and especially my dear husband! To the moon and back :) Thank you for all you support and love: tea in bed, looking after kids when Im shooting, feeding and changing nappies (not an easy task, especially put clothes back on), making yummy dinners or drive to buy take aways (curry forever!), and listening my talking (not sure how much percent information go through, maybe 10%? ha-ha :)
And thank you guys for share with me your special moments, love and feelings! I'm really appreciate to be part of something magical! :)
Maria+Taz
P.S.: Im planning to shoot two weddings soon, really excited, counting days - can't wait, more pictures to come in the blog and Facebook page. See you there!
And Happy Valentine's day!
Love is all around | Rose Garden Wedding {Auckland couples-engagement-elopement photographer}
Weddings - incredible emotions, exciting moments, feelings, looks, kisses, dreams...Love....Magic!
Love is all around! Truly magic atmosphere! I am so happy when a couple shares with me these special moments, these only "once in a lifetime" that will never be repeated – unless, of course, you have wonderful pictures that you will treasure forever.
I want to share with you the pictures from my November shoot - Sergey and Yulia’s wedding.
This couple had a simple and wonderful wedding in a church with a few guests. Yulia only had one month to stay in New Zealand and had to fly back straight after the wedding.
What a story! I feel a real connection with it as a while ago I had a limited visa too, but we had been amazingly lucky to have our local MP Morris Williamson help us. He did close to impossible for us and I was granted my extended visitor visa, so I could stay in the country with my kiwi husband and give birth to my first baby William.
But back to our newly-weds! Today we have received positive news: Yulia has received her new 9 month visitor visa (that can be extended) and just after a few weeks flew back from Russia to New Zealand! I’m so happy for these lovely people. Hope they will have a wonderful long life together, full of love, harmony and understanding.
As for the wedding - it was a simple and nice ceremony, quiet atmosphere full of magic and special moments. After the ceremony we had a short visit to the Rose Gardens to take a few pictures. I’m so happy these guys shared with me their wedding, unforgettable memories and a great experience!
