Hi! I'm Kirsten, a full time, award winning, NZIPP accredited professional pet photographer.
As long as I can remember there have been two things I've been passionate about - a love of animals, and photography.
I'm based in rural Waikato where I run pet photography sessions at home on the farm. I'm very fortunate to live an equal distance between Auckland and Hamilton - so I get to enjoy the best of both regions! With access to acres of farmland and a river there is no shortage of opportunities for me to capture and preserve beautiful memories of pets, both my own and my clients.
I feel so very lucky to live in this beautiful country known as the land of the long white cloud, Aotearoa New Zealand. Having survived breast cancer in recent years, there was no better time than the present for me to pursue my passion for photography and love of animals, and start living my dream.
Whether it’s preserving memories for my clients to treasure for a lifetime, or working with animal rescue services to help their animals get adopted more quickly, being able to combine my two passions is incredibly satisfying and a wonderful privilege.
I also love to help people improve their own photography skills using a hands on approach, as I'm a firm believer that practice makes perfect and is the best way for people to learn.
What is in your camera bag?
Alpha 7R III, FE 135mm F1.8 GM, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM, FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM, FE 50mm F1.8, 72mm multi-coated protector filter, spare batteries and SD cards, Giottos Rocket Blaster, Lenspen, microfibre cloth, collapsible water bowl, water bottle for dogs and one for myself, squeakers, whistles and noisemakers, a towel to wipe doggy drool and doggy treats - lots of doggy treats!
What is your go to in your Alpha kit and why?
Currently my go to lens is my FE 135mm F1.8 GM lens.
This lens has been a game changer for me. I use it for both action and portrait shots - so if necessary I can go out on a session with just this one lens. This saves my arm and back from getting sore carrying lots of lenses around.
It's capabilities in low light are amazing and the clarity of the images from this lens still astounds me.
