Have a Question?

What does Avodah mean?

We believe the gifts we use in our business have come from God, hence the name Avodah which translates from Hebrew as "work for God".

What does Image Bearers. Image Makers mean?

We believe that we are made in the image of God and this influences everything we do in business. Our very business is intended to communicate that purpose.

Do we travel?

Yes! We absolutely love travelling. Meeting new faces and exploring amazing creation is our passion. Please get in contact with us if you are planning on having a destination wedding and are in need of a photographer and/or videographer!

Do you offer a "try before you buy"?

Yes! We understand the importance of an engagement shoot for our wedding clients, that is why we would like to extend to you an offer. If you book us as your wedding photographers we will photograph you at an engagement shoot, for free – a value of $450! This deal includes photographing time, preparation work, travel, editing and an online gallery to view, share and purchase your prints. See our engagement page for more information.

Why should I do an engagement shoot?

At Avodah, we believe having an engagement photo session is important for several reasons. First, this time allows you, as a couple, to get comfortable in front of the camera with your photographer, and figure out how you work best together before the main event. For more information see our engagement page.

Why should I book Avodah for my wedding services?

Here at Avodah, we have the unique ability of being able to combine both photography and design skills. For weddings, this means that we don't only take the photographs but can also display them in ways that enhance the images and create the ultimate 'WOW' factor. To us, your wedding is way more than just taking photographs, filming or designing cards. We want your day to be better and even more memorable because we are there. When Avodah captures a wedding there is always two highly professional, award winning photographers, working in their specialist area to deliver you a variety of perspectives on the wedding day. This means you will receive creative and contemporary photography in a variety of perspectives. For more information see our services page.

Do you sell the disc of images?

Absolutely! We will provide you with a USB drive containing all of your final imagery and a private printing release that allows you to print your images at your leisure. The quality of your images WILL be affected depending on where you get your images printed, so included in our printing release are our professional recommendations for the highest print quality and durability over the years.

What to think about for the location

Do you know where you will have your photos taken? Here are some of our favourite places. We would love to discuss options with you!

Urban
How about a back alley with a fire escape, an old warehouse with interesting metalwork or worn windows? Graffiti, brick with peeling paint, or old signage can all serve as fantastic backdrops. If you are adventurous and like to explore, this setting can add striking contrast to you.

Natural
Natural settings are popular because outdoor light is so flattering and easy to work with. Most public parks work well for this type of session, or anywhere with trees, long paths, open grassy spaces, or ponds and fencing. If you like to be active and moving, a natural setting will provide the most freedom.

Studio
Seniors who like a controlled setting or clean lines, and don't want to worry about the elements or other contingencies might prefer the simplicity of the studio. Avodah offers a variety of props, furniture, and lighting to complement any style.

Custom
What are your passions? Channel that into a customized shoot somewhere you love. The barre at a dance studio? The golf course? With your surfboard at the beach? The possibilities are as limitless as your imagination.

Pre-Session Information

Please make sure you're 15 minutes early to your session just incase there are any unforeseen delays. If you are running behind time please be sure to let me know.

What should I wear?

If you want a timeless portrait that is still fresh and stylish 25 years from now, here are a few things you can wear to achieve that look.

• Dark denim is flattering, and it photographs better than light or distressed washes.
• It's important to put together layered and multi-piece looks. A cropped blazer, lightweight leather or denim jacket to layer over a dress or jeans can keep its modern edge.
• Bold jewellery is a great way to make a statement and stay on trend.
• If you're wearing something sheer or sleeveless remember to wear the proper undergarments to prevent any awkward or revealing poses.
• A neutral belt can cinch a dress or flowy top that might otherwise look bulky on camera.
• For outdoor shoots, a fedora adds flair to a pretty sundress.
• Avoid anything with a large label, brand name, or graphics splashed across the front. Big stripes and prints can also be distracting.
• Pay attention to footwear. Your feet wont be hidden in every shot!
• For inspiration, look through our galleries, Pinterest board or stop by your favourite local boutique to gather ideas.

All the Details

Yourself in Print: a little planning is all it takes for a polished and stylish session that you'll remember forever. Here are a few essentials to bring along to your session.

• A brush, hairspray, headband or clips for any hair emergencies.
• Lipstick, gloss, and powder for facial touch-ups.
• Lint roller and static guard spray.
• Hats, jewellery, scarves, or other accessories.
• If you wear glasses, keep in mind that some lenses show glare on camera. Think about visiting your eye doctor to see if you can borrow a similar set of frames without lenses.
• Props! Hockey skates, paint brushes and canvas, a cello, soccer balls, flowers, textbooks, ballet slippers, even cars, bikes, or pets can add visual interest to your portraits.
• Your BFF! Having a friend around for support is fun, and will help you relax in front of the camera.
• Don't forget to get a good nights sleep before your session and stay out of the sun. You'll want to be energetic and alert without that sunburned or ‘just pulled an all-nighter' look in your eyes!

Tips for Being Camera Ready

A little preparation goes a long way. Here are some things to keep in mind as you anticipate your big moment.

• Most stylists recommend having your hair cut two to three weeks prior to your photo session. Your hair will look healthy, you'll be used to working with it. This applies to both girls and guys.
• If you want to try different looks during your session it's best to start with your hair down. Adding accessories like headbands and clips, can leave marks or flyaways in your hair.
• Subtle make-up, when properly applied, beautifully highlights your eyes, plays up your bone structure, and nicely evens out your complexion. Stay away from anything shimmery. Neutral lips are sophisticated and timeless.
• Clean up your eyebrows! This is another one that applies to the guys as well as girls. Monobrows are never in vogue.
• Guys, shave the day of your session. If you want some scruff or sideburns, make it look intentional, not shabby.
• Don't forget your nails. Neutral or clear polish looks best. A full manicure and pedicure isn't necessary, but clean and trimmed nails are! Are you still with us, guys?

This section is coming soon!

Watch this space for some handy tips and tricks when working with visual practitioners.

Why should I get an album?

Your wedding album is the one item that you will have left from your wedding day for generations to come to share the story of your wedding day. It's not quite the same having your children or grandkids looking at 1,000 of your wedding images on Facebook. Our albums are built to stand the test of time, and years from now your album will be perfectly preserved so your kids and grandkids can pile on your lap and see the day that you two shared when you got married. We take into account the personalized story of your day and custom design it to tell that story. This is a piece of family history that you will have for forever. See our album page for more information.

Why is the album so expensive?

Your wedding album is the one item that you will have left from your wedding day for generations to come to share the story of your wedding day. This is a piece of family history that you will have for forever. It is because of this that we make sure our albums are the best quality they can be. Click here for more information.

How do I order an album?

Here is some information for you in regards to your album and how to go about making it exactly the way you want it. The great thing about your album design is you have full control over what images you would like in the album and the story you want told. Take a minute to read through this section, as we have tried to include the answers to lot of questions you may have.

Initial Design

• 1. Please take some time to fill out the form attached in this email. After we receive your album information form and know what images you want us to use, we will design a draft of your album.

Major Revision

• 2. We have an awesome system that lets you look at your album and make comments on each spread. Once we have drafted your album design it will be uploaded to our website and you will receive an email notifying you of this. At this time, to view your album design, go to our online shop and log in or create an account. Next select 'My Account' in the top right corner and then chose ‘Review my Proofs'. Please note you will only see ‘Review my Proofs' when the draft album has been completed.
• 3. For any image changes, from photos swapped to pages removed - leave the comment on the page you are referring to. Please outline the image you want changed, and the image number of the image that you want it swapped with (get the image number from your online gallery) and make sure to give us an image description (e.g. vertical image of us laughing by the fountain).
  While you are viewing the album, there is an Approve and Revise link with a comment box next to each page design. This is where you will approve the file or request a revision. If you request a revision it will require you to leave a comment as to how it needs to be altered. Keep in mind that if you want to take out a vertical image, it requires a vertical image in its place and the same for horizontal images. Otherwise, we will need to re-design the page so it works with the different orientation image (which we can totally do if need be if you can't find a similar image).
  It helps us best to leave your comments like this: "Swap top left image with #732 (us dancing by the fountain)". To help keep re-design costs low, it is suggested to swap out images on an album page with an image from your gallery (E.g. “Swap top left image with #732 (us dancing by the fountain)”, as opposed to referencing images from other pages in the album (e.g. “Take the photo from page 12 and swap it with the photo in the upper corner on page 17”).

Minor Revision

• 4. When you submit your comments we will be notified and we'll make the changes that you've requested. The cost of the album includes one round of edits. The way we usually work is we do the major edits, based on your comments and then we show you the revision. We will allow you to make some minor tweaks at this point, but we can't allow any kind of overhaul without charging.
  Once you have reviewed all of the files and are fully happy, you can "approve" the pages; at this point you will be prompt to submit the project back to us. When you have, we will then go through and clean up any images if needed (stray hairs, blemishes, etc), and make sure everything is perfect.

Final Details

• 5. Let us know which album cover you would like! We have 7 colours of leather available. Black, brown, blue, green, red, white, and pink. The black is always the safest and most popular among our clients since it is timeless, but the other colours look awesome, too! If you want to see some examples of the covers we can provide, please contact us.
• 6. You automatically receive 20 pages in your album. You can keep as many as you want, or remove as many. Each page over the 20 you receive is $50; please note each page has two spreads (sides).
• 7. Parent books for family members (exact copies of your album) are a great idea for gifts. If you are interested in this please contact us, we will provide them at a discounted rate because you are purchasing a grand album.

• 8. Once you approve the final version of the album, we will send you an invoice for any additional album pages that you have added.
  Lastly we will place the order and the album will take about 6-8 weeks to arrive.
  We realize this can be a lot of information to toss at you - but if we stay focused on this, we can get it all wrapped up in a few days. Most of our clients simply swap out a few photos for ones they may prefer, and the album is done swiftly!

Why should I get canvases from you?

We wanted to outline the benefit of purchasing canvases through us. When you place your canvas order, we want you to look your best when your face is blown up 25 times the size of a 4x6 print. Each canvas order gets hand-held through the entire ordering process, unlike the common consumer lab that just want to get the print out as fast as possible. We're going to edit the image according to the size you are print it; this way we can make sure everything is the best quality it can be. All of our canvases are ordered from a professional print lab, not a consumer lab, and we work together to ensure that your canvas is absolutely perfect so that in 10 years time your print looks as amazing as the day you got it. We do all the work and you enjoy the benefit. A canvas is a great way to output your amazing images, it displays your artwork in ways that showcase it as best as it can be. For more information see our frames and canvases page.

How do I order a canvas?

To choose the images for your canvas:
1. Go to your gallery at our online shop
2. Load an image that you want and add it to your favourites (under the thumbnails or when the image is fully load it is located up the top left). Note you can view and edit your favourite images by going to My Account > My Favourites
3. Repeat the process for each additional canvases. If you are printing on a variety of sizes, we will contact with you finalise those details later.
4. Email us at info@avodah.co.nz to let us know that you have finished selecting your images as well as the address you would like the canvases mailed to.
5. Expect 3-4 weeks for your canvases to arrive.