Keerti Siag

Image: Rainbow at Sunrise + Reflection

Kia Ora! I’m Keerti, a branding and lifestyle photographer based in Tāmaki Makaurau with a passion for landscape and bird photography.

My work is quite diverse, and that’s something I genuinely love about being a photographer. One day I might be photographing a business or creating portraits, and the next I could be standing on a coastline at sunset or waiting patiently for a native bird to make an appearance.

I absolutely love New Zealand’s landscapes and native birds. Exploring Aotearoa with my camera has been a huge part of my photographic journey and has shaped the way I observe light, nature and the environment around me.

People and community are also a significant part of my professional work. I’m actively involved with local businesses, organisations and events across Auckland’s North Shore, using photography to help tell the stories of the people, businesses and places that make our communities what they are.

For me, photography is much more than creating beautiful images - it has become a way of life. It has changed the way I experience the world. You begin to notice light, expressions, patterns, landscapes and small details that are so easy to walk past.

My philosophy around photography is simple: great equipment gives us incredible possibilities, but learning how to see is just as important. Understanding light, observing your subject, recognising a strong composition and knowing what you want an image to communicate are skills developed through curiosity, practice and experience.

Teaching has also become an important part of my photography journey. Through my photography workshops, I love helping people understand their cameras, experiment with different techniques and become more confident in their own creative decisions. Ultimately, I want people to leave not just knowing more about their camera, but seeing more possibilities for what they can create with it.

What is in your camera bag?

Being a multi-genre photographer means there’s quite a bit in my camera bag! Different assignments call for different tools, and over the years I’ve built a kit that allows me to move comfortably between portraits, events, landscapes, wildlife and macro photography.

Camera Bodies

My α7R V is a camera I use extensively for my professional work, particularly when photographing people, portraits and commercial work. The 61-megapixel sensor gives me incredible detail and plenty of freedom to crop when needed, which I find particularly useful when delivering images across different formats.

The α1 is my go-to body for bird and wildlife photography. Its combination of speed, autofocus and resolution makes it incredibly capable when working with fast-moving and unpredictable subjects.

Prime Lenses

I love working with primes when photographing people and my kit includes the 24mm F1.4 GM, 50mm F1.2 GM and 85mm F1.4 GM. Together, they give me very different perspectives, from environmental portraits to more intimate portraiture.

My 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS opens up a completely different world. I use it when I want to get closer and explore details, textures and subjects that are easily overlooked.

Zoom Lenses

Events are a big part of my professional work, so versatility is essential. My 24–70mm F2.8 GM II and 70–200mm F2.8 GM II cover a huge range of situations and allow me to react quickly without constantly changing lenses.

For landscapes, I love my 16–35mm F2.8 GM. The wider perspective gives me plenty of room to work with foreground elements, expansive scenes and dramatic compositions.

And then there’s the big one! My 200–600mm F5.6–6.3 G is an essential part of my bird photography kit. The reach and flexibility of the zoom make it a lens I rely on heavily when photographing New Zealand’s incredible birdlife.

It might sound like a lot of gear, but each lens has a very different job. That versatility is what allows me to move between the many genres of photography I enjoy.