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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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My 365 Project | November {Auckland-Hamilton lifestyle photographer}

November gallery is ready - everyday pictures in my 365 Project (only one month to go! :) 

Excited!

Enjoy these pictures!:

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!

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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!

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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!

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!

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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!

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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

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!

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Hamilton Zoo | Personal lifestyle moments | Family photographer | LEVIEN & LENS PHOTOGRAPHY

What a beautiful day for take kids in Hamilton Zoo, especially at holidays time!

So we get up early morning (as usual) , had some breakfast and drive to the Zoo. Kids been really excited to see animals. Last time, when we visited Hamilton Gardens, they all the way been asking: Where is the animals? Is animals sleeping? 

It was hard to explain to them that gardens don't have animals, just trees, flowers and some birds, ha-ha! SO this time they been happy to go to see real animals.

Lucky we took our pram for little one (2 years old), usually we not use it, but this time they both been really tired walking around the Zoo, so at some point my 3 years old share pram with his little sister, and older one, my 8-years old step-daughter, visited us on holidays, been helping with pushing pram.

We watch all around: monkeys, zebras, triggers, giraffes etc: had a picnic, play on playground, eat an ice block on the back way. Kids been just exhausted after few hours walking and activities, so I took them home to have a lunch and try to move them to sleep (not an easy task, but I will try :)

Here is some pictures what I manage to get with my active kids :)

Enjoy it!

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!

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Pirate and Princess Birthday Party | Event | Lifestyle photographer Auckland-Hamilton

What a great Pirate and Princess birthday party I visited yesterday and captured some photos.

Kids had so much fun with treasure hunt, real pirate ship, nursery from Peter Pan story, had pillow fight on the trampoline and much more. 
Tyler turned 4 years old, what a big boy, what proud parents! They did a great job with organising a real fairy tale - Neverland at their place! So beautiful decorations, nice snacks for kids and their parents and great entertaining!

Even rain not changed any plans, just made more fun moments for kids (with lightning and thunder). Who else want to have same full of different events party?

Kids been so happy to be at this magic environment!
Here is a gallery, pictures turned just amazing!

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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 :)

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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!

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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 :) :

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

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

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

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

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