What else does one do on a rainy Auckland day? Bake of course!.... These may look better than they taste... I am no expert, but I sure do find baking relaxing.
It was such a dull day this morning in Auckland. The perfect day for Tess & Paul to gather with family and friends and Baptise their beautiful children.
All ready....
Hi Everyone!
I felt compelled to share with you all lots of things going on so you can get access to learning about your lovely cameras. If you have purchased a DSLR, take the darn thing off Auto! Do it now.. and never switch back :)
I keep in touch with a lot of photographers about the place, and so I get the word when anything is happening...
1. If you are in Auckland you should check out the Fast Track Photographers Group This has only just started up. The whole aim is for people of all different levels to get together in a non-threatening and "For Each Other" environment and share your strengths, and gain knowledge so you can improve on your weaknesses... check it out. The goal is to keep it all FREE ;)
2. Nationwide, you can check out Flickr. There is an AWESOME group of photographer who have formed a group NZFM (NZ Flickr Meet Ups). The people in this group are alllll different kinds of photographers. Portraiture, Landscape, Pro's, Hobbyist, Experts, Beginners, Fine Artists... all sorts. Meet ups are organised quite often... it's super casual.. you just hang out... take photos, and yarn the time away about photography... or anything else if you wanna! I have made some awesome friends from this group and I look forward to a long future hanging out with these wonderful peeps.
Here is a list of things that I have done since turning my camera onto manual (or Aperture Priorty... meep) two years ago....
Night School! Cheap, Fun, Easy
Photographer Work Shops.
I did all of Lisa Crandalls.. and she is still running them...
You Tube! Its brill!...
My favourite channels are
Dom Bower (he is so cute)
and Bert Stephani's "Confessions of A Photographer" series...
ALSO
- Hang out with photographers! talk talk talk.
- Ask questions.
- Read books
- Read blogs
I will leave it at that for now.
I would like to do some casual meet ups with people from my Facebook Page Soon....
Email me if you are interested.
Until then!
START HERE BY WATCHING THIS VID from Adorama! About the fundamentals of exposure called "The Exposure Triangle"... get in there!!
Take Care
Nykie Noo
ooh, and another thing.... Sam Mothersole is going to be doing M.O.M Workshops soon.. check it out...
WALL CANVASES
12x12 $160.00
16x16 $250.00
20x30 $430.00
30x40 $610.00
ART PRINTS
These prints are lovingly worked images
that will take pride of place in your home.
Whole set of 6x4 proofs can be purchased for $8.00 a print
these are not sold as one offs. Minimum order is 15.
8x12 $150.00
11x14 $190.00
16x24 $250.00
20x30 $310.00
30x40 $350.00
Framing, Mounting and Matts are availble.
Extra post processing and image compositing is charged at $85.00 per hour.
All prices include GST
Nykie aka Mistral Photography
It is so lovely to see my first three weddings go on disc and get finalised for posting to the clients. I feel really chuffed with myself and of course glad I worked with Samantha Hobson :) We did good.
{Disc Image Above By Samantha Hobson of Dancing Light Photography}
Yesterday I went to photograph Zac Kelso! Too cute... He is only a few weeks old. It was a short shoot, cause he had enough, Fair enough too, some strange lady comes along and whips all his clothes off and stuffs him in a giant sock and shoves a camera in his face!.... so to make up for the shortness, I took some extras of his big brother Harry...(see www.facebook.com/mistralphoto) who is only TWO!, and pays the DRUMS! Long Live Rock N'Roll!! Photographing newborns always has me thinking... I wonder what sort of mobile phone Zac will have when he is in his 20's? The mind boggles!
This is Michela & Efisio Enna with their lovely labradoodle Chira. Chira had such lovely long and soft ears - I wanted to take her home! Michela had a lovely wee belly for 34 weeks! I took along my portable backdrop and off camera flash and away we went. Then we popped outside for a few extras in the garden. We nattered away the whole time! I look forward to meeting their new baby in a few weeks time! Watch this space for their newborn photoshoot!
Friday the 5th of March will be a day I will never forget. My first time as lead photographer for a wedding. The weight of the responsibility was massive. I felt sick with nerves, but at the same time I had an underlying confidence that I could do this. I wouldnt afterall accept the job of photographing someones wedding if I thought I couldn't handle it.
The day went so fast! Not only did we have myself and second shooter Sam Hobson running about we had three cameramen, a director and a sound recordist for the reality tv series "Hitched". It was a stressful but interesting aspect of the day!
Here are a couple of shots. Thank you Mark & Vanessa for sharing your day with Sam and I. We wish you a long and happy marriage. 
Two days, Two Weddings, my first time as lead photographer! I am shattered.
I took on these weddings knowing that I would have an excellent second shooter at my side and I advise anyone who is doing their first few weddings to do the same. I know I keep saying it Sam, but seriously - thank you so much Sam Hobson of Dancing Light Photography. www.dancinglightphoto.co.nz
Sam was not my assistant, she was my partner for the day and someone to lean on.
Here is my wee list of what I have learned in the last two day. There is a whole load more, but generally this is it....
I have learned....
1. A whole new respect for wedding photographers
2. I need to get REALLY REALLY REALLY good at using my equipment that it becomes second nature (I thought I was ok, but when the pressure it on, I wasn't ok)
3. I need to write spare copies of the group shot lists so I can cajole people too
4. Its better to flag the last shot at the hotel so I don't nearly kill myself getting to the reception so I can be in front of the wedding vehicles. I apologise to the residents of west auckland for my STOOPID Dukes of Hazard moves along West Coast Road!
5. Flash photography is going to be my friend and not to be so scared of it.
6. The value of a second shooter is massive
7. That my camera although good, could do with an upgrade for better ISO options.
8. The need to change my shooting style and let my camera do more work for focussing so I can speed up
9. That there is no "warming up" on a wedding creative shoot... speak up, get into it
10. Brides can be your best friend or not realllly share your vision on the day and to suck it up, do your best, and keep them happy!
11. That mental and physical exhaustion all rolled into one is well, exhausting!
12. That I have loads and loads of learning to do and to let it humble me, not scare me away
13. And not to forget to take the step ladder on the creative! and to use it more!
14. To have fun!, but be a little more assertive and ask even more questions so I know my bride is telling me EVERYTHING
15. TV Directors are in it for themselves <----- polite version.
[one of my weddings was being film for TV, and well, thats a whole new blog post]
16. Long Lenses will be my friend when I can afford one. Saving for a 85mm prime first
PHEW!
Nykie
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