"He was professional, warm, and immediately put both of my girls at ease. I couldn't be happier with the results."
Kerrily Carmichael
★★★★★
"His easygoing personality made it easy for me to relax. The photos turned out just how I envisioned."
Samantha Bronson
★★★★★
Living Stories — Ngā Kōrero Ora
This is the foundation of everything I do
A Living Stories session is built around presence, observation, and time — not poses or manufactured scenes.
I work across senior portraits, sports, and family photography with the same approach: show up, pay attention, and document what's actually happening. The goal is always the same — images and films that feel honest, because they are.
Who This Is For
Your story, told honestly
Families
Who want something real, not overproduced. The chance to remember this time in two mediums — portraits and film.
Seniors
Who want to be themselves, not perform. Where stillness and movement come together — quiet moments alongside real effort and real emotion.
Athletes & Everyone
Anyone whose story matters. Visual proof of movement, presence, and effort that a single photograph can't always hold on its own.
How It Works
Simple, intentional, and personal
01
We talk first
A straightforward conversation about who this is for, what matters most, and what you want to walk away with.
02
I observe & capture
Some light direction when it helps, then I step back. The focus is on real interaction — not manufactured moments.
03
You receive your story
A carefully edited set of photographs — and, if chosen, a short memory film — made to feel cohesive, timeless, and true.
Family portraits are about the way your family actually is — the little looks, the laughter, the connection you don't always notice day to day. My sessions are calm, unhurried, and focused on real interaction.
The result is something you'll be glad you took the time to make.
Senior year goes fast. We make sure it doesn't just pass. The Senior Memory Experience brings together portraits, cinematic film, and real moments — something your family will come back to.
Senior year is one of the last times you'll see them exactly like this — before the next chapter begins. A Senior Memory Experience isn't just portraits. It's a short film built around who your senior is right now.
Packages
Choose Your Experience
Every session starts with a conversation. A $100 deposit reserves your date.
I shoot games and events throughout the season — not just for booked sessions. I love being part of the community.
If your senior plays for a Central Coast team, there's a good chance I've already photographed them. The Senior Memory Experience takes what I'm already documenting and turns it into something your family can keep.
Questions
What families ask
It's not traditional senior photos. It's a short film about who your senior is right now — their sport, their passion, the way they move through the world — with portraits woven through it. Childhood footage if you have it. Golden hour light. All of it cut into something your family holds onto for the rest of their lives.
Most sessions run around two hours — enough time to let things unfold naturally without feeling rushed. The Photo Session is one hour. The goal is always for your senior to forget the camera is there. That takes a little time, and it's worth it.
Every gallery is curated for quality, not volume. You'll receive images that actually tell the story — not fifty versions of the same pose.
— Photo Session: 15 edited images
— Portrait Session: 20+ edited images
— Foundation Film: 15+ edited images
— Signature Film: 25+ edited images
The film isn't an afterthought. It's built around the same intention as the photography — presence over performance. I shoot slow motion cinetone footage of real moments. The way your senior warms up. The pause before a pitch. The walk back to the dugout. Things a still image can't hold. Set to music, edited to feel timeless. Not trendy. Not a highlight reel.
Cinematic, warm, and unhurried. Each film is different because each senior is different.
— Foundation Film: up to 1 minute · vertical format
— Signature Film: up to 2 minutes · vertical + horizontal
These aren't clips. They're films. Meant to be watched again at graduations, at weddings, at 2am when you miss this season.
Yes — and this is one of the things that makes the Signature Film feel completely different from anything else. Families provide childhood photos and short clips, and I weave them into the final film. The contrast between who they were at 7 and who they are at 17 is where the emotion lives. Available in the Signature Film package.
The film is never about performance. It's about presence. The warm-up. The sideline. The moment before the game starts and the moment after it ends. Those are almost always the most honest and meaningful things I capture.
A small physical keepsake — printed images in archival sleeves, inspired by how families kept memories before everything went digital. Something tangible to hold alongside the film. Included in Signature Film package.
Yes. A $100 retainer holds your date. Payment plans are available for all packages. If the investment is a concern, just ask — I'd rather find a way to make it work than have your senior's year go undocumented.
As early as possible. Sessions are limited each year by design — I take on a small number so I can give each family the attention the work requires. Booking early also means more opportunity to capture meaningful moments across the season, not just a single session.
Ready?
Let's tell their story
Not ready to book? Join the 2027 priority list and lock in a 10% discount.
Golden hour. Oak trees. The way they look at each other when they think no one's watching. These are the moments worth keeping — and they happen when a session feels like a walk, not a photoshoot.
The Approach
I know when to lead and when to step back.
Some people need a little direction to relax — a suggestion on where to stand, how to move, what to do with their hands. I've got that. But I hold it lightly, because the moment someone stops thinking about the camera is usually when the best image happens.
I come prepared, and I stay patient. The goal is always for the session to feel like time well spent, not traffic management.
“Sessions from $300 — Central Coast and surrounding areas”
Family sessions work best when everyone's comfortable enough to forget they're being photographed. I keep things relaxed, give you space to be yourselves, and work with whatever light and location fits your family.
Golden hour at the beach, a spot in the hills, your own backyard — I'll make any of it look like it belongs in a gallery.
I grew up in Aotearoa, New Zealand and now call California's Central Coast home. Photography and film have been a lifelong passion — and years of teaching shaped how I work with people more than anything else. I know how to read a room, put someone at ease, and wait for the moment that matters.
I'm married to Krissy, and we're raising two busy boys, Tane and Flynn. When I'm not shooting, I'm usually near the ocean.
Tāwhaowhao Stories is still growing, and I'm deliberately keeping my pricing accessible while I build. If that timing works for you, I'd love to make something worth keeping.
Based on the Central Coast — available locally and open to travel.
If you'd like to talk through an idea, a session, or see if something feels like a good fit — reach out. I read every message and will respond personally.
Get in Touch
Whether it's a senior experience, family session, or something else entirely — I'd love to hear from you.
A photograph holds a moment. A film holds how it felt. These are the memory films — senior nights, sports seasons, and the in-between moments worth keeping.
Motion & Film
Presence, effort, and real emotion.
Featured Films
Memory Films
Real moments, real emotion — stories told without a script.
What You Get
More than a highlight reel
Every film is built around your story — not a template. I edit to music that fits your senior's personality, pacing that feels natural, and moments you didn't even know I was capturing.
✓ 1–3 minute cinematic highlight film
✓ Edited to music that fits your senior
✓ Senior night coverage available
✓ Delivered via private Pixieset gallery
✓ Included in Foundation and Signature Film packages
High-energy photo and video sessions designed for teams and athletes. Built around identity and content players actually want to share.
What's Included
One session. Every athlete covered.
Media Days are organized, efficient, and built around your team's identity — not a generic template. Every athlete walks away with something they'll actually use.
— Individual athlete portraits
— Team photos
— Short cinematic video clips
— Fast, organized session flow
Built to be simple, efficient, and something your athletes will actually use.
Pricing is scoped to your team. Reach out and we'll put something together.
