Dressing for a
professional
photoshoot
TOP TIPS for photoshoot dressing
(I've also created seasonal inspiration boards for you)
We are the team behind the lens at Kirsten Naomi Photography.
Kirsten
Photographer
Lynley
Assistant
Why Choose Us?
We're experienced. We've been taking photos for more than 30 years and have specialised in maternity, newborn, and family photography over the last decade. Alongside this, we've continued to perfect our craft, developing impactful, modern portraits for professionals and creating contemporary portraits that celebrate the important people in our clients' lives.
We're award-winning. Kirsten won her first national photography award when she was 16, and we've accrued many more national and international awards since then.
But, most of all, we're passionate about gifting you an amazing and effortless experience while creating photos you will love.
60+
Professional Awards
65+
5 Star Reviews
200+
Sessions Photographed
GET TO KNOW
Kirsten + Lynley
KIRSTEN flew solo in a plane 10 days after her 16th birthday (she had to sit on a cushion to see out of the cockpit, and didn't know how to drive a car)
WE are mother and daughter, and live across the road from each other, by the ocean (we love the view)
KIRSTEN loves a glass of Rose or Pinot Noir, LYNLEY prefers a Gin + Tonic
LYNLEY wanted to be a florist when she was growing up, and can usually be found in her garden
KIRSTEN lived in London for 14 years, the family moved home when the boys were babies
WE both love to read NZ Home + Garden and enjoy a sneaky peek inside lovely homes
KIRSTEN has a lovely fiance and two gorgeous sons aged nine and seven
LYNLEY is a keen travellor with lots of gallavanting planned this year
KIRSTEN spends her most of her free time at the kids activites including dancing, theatre, rugby, cricket, swimming, basketball and karate
Want a huge digital gallery with lots of options? We're not a good fit.
We do things differently. No endless choices, no decision fatigue — just a beautifully curated gallery of your most meaningful images. Using our expertise and experience, we handpick and artistically edit your best portraits to present you with a collection of timeless, heirloom-worthy images.
Digital images are great, but your memories deserve more than a screen. That’s why we include printed images at no extra cost. We've also put together From fine-art prints to handcrafted albums, frames, and portrait boxes, we offer stunning ways to display your photographs—so you’ll want to take them home and cherish them forever.
Our Clients Say
"What truly impressed us was Kirsten's ability to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Our newborn seemed at ease in her presence, resulting in natural and heartwarming photographs that beautifully reflect the essence of this special time in our lives"
Anuj, Google Review of a Newborn Portrait Session
Our Studio
Welcome to Our Studio in Ferrymead, Christchurch
From the moment you step into our studio, Lynley and I want you to feel like you've arrived at a serene haven, a place where the bustle of daily life melts away and the focus is entirely on you.
A Space Crafted for Comfort
Our studio has been thoughtfully designed to be your home away from home.
Sink into our plush seating between shots and relax.
Refreshments are available, including a selection of cold drinks, tea, and coffee.
Designed with Families
in Mind
For our youngest guests, we offer a fully equipped changing area, complete with all the essentials like spare nappies, wipes, and soft muslins. Our fun toy corner helps ensure a hassle-free experience for parents.
It’s not uncommon for busy mothers to catch a restful nap on our cosy couch while older children delight in their dedicated play area.
A Wardrobe to Match Every Style
Explore our extensive studio wardrobe, filled with exquisite choices for your baby, toddler and older children; as well as elegant options for maternity and contemporary portraits.
Our style is classic and elegant. We want you to look back on your images in twenty years and feel like your wardrobe choice has stood the test of time and that you love it just as much as you did on the day.
Experience Our Signature Products
We specialise in creating products that will become heirlooms.
While visiting, experience for yourself the quality of our framed wall art, portrait boxes, and albums.
We invite you to explore our range while you are in the studio, making it easy to choose the perfect items to showcase in your home.
A Visit to Remember
At our Ferrymead studio, every detail is curated to ensure your visit is relaxed, enjoyable, and uniquely yours. Lynley and I can't wait to meet you and help create lasting memories that you’ll treasure just as much as the photographs themselves.
Qualifications
Qualified Newborn Photographer
Accredited with Newborn Photographers International since 2018
Accredited Professional Photographer
New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography
Accredited Photographer
International Portrait Masters
What does all that actually mean?
These qualifications and accreditations are important because they demonstrate our expertise in photography and newborn safety, and you don’t have to take our word for it. Each process involved rigorous assessment and testing. The APNPI Qualified Newborn Photographer accreditation process includes submitting a newborn portfolio for critique + achieving 100% in an exam on the safe handling of newborns. Becoming an Accredited Professional Photographer with the NZIPP involved submitting a portfolio for critique by recognised NZ photographic leaders, demonstrating technical, creative and business excellence. It also requires ongoing adherence to the Code of Ethics + regular professional development. To become an Accredited Photographer with the Portrait Masters, I built a portfolio of more than 50 Awarded Images based on scores from the Portrait Masters judging panel. The judges are all internationally recognised photographers who specialise in photography across a range of genres.
Baby Safety
Our Commitment to Newborn Safety
Newborn photography is a specialist skill, and safety is at the centre of everything we do.
Kirsten holds dual newborn safety qualifications, through the Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International (APNPI) and through direct training with internationally recognised newborn photographer Kelly Brown. Kirsten has been photographing newborns for over a decade and has held APNPI accreditation since 2018.
Lynley has completed safety training and works to the additional standards established for the studio. In practice, that means both of us are working from the same foundation of care, and your baby is never in the hands of someone who hasn't been properly prepared.
Newborns have no muscle control. They can't support their own heads, they can't reposition themselves, and they can't tell you when something doesn't feel right. A photographer without proper safety training may not know which positions carry risk, how to support a baby through a transition, or how to read the quiet signals that say a baby is uncomfortable.
Your photographer should also be confident enough to recognise when a pose simply doesn't suit your baby and to say so. No image is worth pushing past that point.
It's also worth knowing that some of the poses you see in professional newborn galleries are composite images. They're created from two separate frames and merged during editing, never attempted as a single shot. This isn't a technical footnote; it's one of the clearest reasons why qualifications matter. A trained photographer understands which images are made this way and why. An untrained one may not.
