My 365 Project. April 2016 {New Zealand lifestyle wedding photographer}

This year is a second one in 365 Project - everyday documenting my family lifestyle moments. Its helps me remember the treasured things, practice, progress, see light, develop editing style as Im doing it every day and apply my skills to my wedding photography.

As a couples-engagement photographer I travelling a lot and had really busy wedding season which is slow down now, but I still enjoy to find time and peace in mind for myself, slow down and capture a magic moments :)

Hope you enjoy this gallery with treasured everyday moments with my kids.

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

 

My 365 Project - February {Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga wedding photographer}

February was a second month of 365 Project and its second year as well. It was a great month full of positive emotions.

I finally had a chance to have a short family holidays in Tauranga in between of busy wedding season with shooting weddings and lifestyle sessions in Auckland and Hamilton. I been happy to catch up with my awesome wedding clients who planning their wedding in 2017 (some of them even one and a half year in advance! thats a great timing). Its always pity to get inquiries for the same date, so my advice to book your venue and photographer right after engagement and move it out of the way :)

Back to my lifestyle everyday moments with family and kids (they grow up so fast!).

Enjoy this gallery with best photographs captured for 365 Project in February:

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}

Taitua Arboretum: family time {Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

We decided to spent this weekend family time in Taitua Arboretum, not far from Hamilton (Waikato). What a fun time for our little ones! 

Kids just loved walking through the bushes, seen chickens everywhere, ducks and swans in the ponds and tall trees everywhere.

It was a boiling hot summer day, so its been a lifesaver to hide in the shade of the greenery around.

Love to capture these everyday lifestyle moments for my 365 project and family storytelling (its a treasure for me as a mum and a photographer). 

Enjoy this lifestyle gallery with my personal moments how little ones explore Taitua Arboretum! (don't be surprised to see an Ironman with Spiderman hat, he just loves superheroes!) :)

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

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!

One little girl and a big umbrella | Personal moments | 365 Project {Auckland | Hamilton Lifestyle photographer}

It was a rainy day yesterday and we stayed at home for most part of the day. My little one been waiting for daddy come back from work. She fast run, when she seen him coming. Big hug, laughing and next thing took her attention - a big blue-white umbrella, what she get in her little hands.

I can't help myself and captured these treasured moments with one little girl and a big umbrella for my 365 project, family storytelling :)

Enjoy these lifestyle moments!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

My 365 Project | October | Auckland-Hamilton Lifestyle Photographer

October is a month what comes after a really busy September (with moving house, a lot of shootings, wedding show etc.). So this time I had an opportunity a little bit  relax (chillax as my husband says :) and just concentrate on lifestyle everyday moments.

I had a few exciting photo shoots with my clients / friends which Im really proud of and also get some news about my last post-wedding photo-shoot which will be published in few wedding publishers.  Its always great to see when your work goes live!

So here is my monthly gallery. Enjoy it!

Contact me with any questions!

 

Trains in Hamilton Gardens |Waikato Lifestyle family photographer

What a great exhibition event we been visited at long weekend in Hamilton Gardens - Model Railway Exhibition.

Its just paradise for little kids and their parents, and for everyone with love to trains. Its hard to imagine how it all been created, set up and running all these little trains, trucks in the beautiful handmade landscapes, townships and wild nature. There was represent even snowy mountains what I just loved (as Im from Europe with freezing winters and snow all around :) ).

My kids had so much fun watching these trains, as we do as well :) I manage to take couple of pictures between enjoying everything around and watching my little ones (which are really active). Hope you enjoy it!

Contact me with any questions!

Everyday 365 moments | Hamilton NZ photographer

Hope everyone enjoying their long weekend and I just feel like I need take a break from my intensive photography life and to relax.

Just want to share with you few everyday moments with kids. They are active and needs a lot of attention, and a little nightmares with their tantrums sometimes.

I trying to document these everyday moments and to capture our real life with all these daily routine and unexpected moments :)

Enjoy it!

Contact me with any questions

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

girl in the car

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!

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}

My 365 Project | September | Auckland Lifestyle photographer

It's time to share with you my monthly post with pictures from personal 365 project. Every month is different and brings lot of new events, emotions, fun and real life moments.

It was a busy month for me with personal and business changes: we moved from Auckland to Hamilton with family (kids just love outside area in new house, plenty of space to play), but it was an exhausting move (everyone who moved house can understand all these packing-unpacking and cleaning stuff ;)

Also there was a lot work with organise photo sessions, big wedding shoot (just love this atmosphere) and the main event for me at the end of the month Grand Wedding Show. It was really enjoyable to see all lovely brides & grooms and their families and support team, talk with other vendors and show my stall; how I feel my photography and style. Truly it was hard to turn head around set it up, we till last moment been not sure on the details. But I been really happy with results at the end. Thank you so much to my husband for help with set everything up and to my friend / photographer Sonja for helping me on the day. I really appreciate this great help, I just can't do it all by myself (no matter how strong I am, ha-ha :)

Another news - our pictures been published in New Zealand Weddings Magazine, so exciting! Its a big honour and enjoyable moments to see pictures goes live :)

I also got a new photography toy - a Lensbaby Sweet 35, and just love it! I started practicing with it in my daily life and took  pictures with manual focusing, not easy, but results totally worth it! I always try to learn something new in photography, practice, progress. Its a whole world around and my study never stops :)

So here it goes - my everyday lifestyle moments with kids, clients sessions and more, enjoy it!

Contact me with any questions!

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

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!

Personal Project 365 | August | Lifestyle Photography Auckland

Its always surprising to look back at the start of the month and see images what you took FOREVER ago. Yes, thats how its feels, and then you realised it was not a long time ago, just start of the month.

So much happening: different sessions, events, news,  few commercial projects and kids around, of course :)

Here are my personal everyday moments in 365 Project. Capturing real life and emotions, remember treasure moments.

Enjoy it!

Contact me with any questions!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

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!

{BOOK YOUR SESSION}

365 Project | Personal pictures | Hamilton lifestyle photographer

Its not a secret Im taking a 365 Project this year with ability to capture everyday moments, to get images with my kids and lifestyle moments what I will treasure forever. Its a good practice and progress for me as well. Love to looking for new creative shots, ideas and angles!

This time my little one move into the pantry, where he love to hide, climb and explore.

I captured the candid moments with him behind pantry door. Something usual and everyday became an interesting add to my 365 collection of images.

Enjoy it!

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