Photo Hive is a boutique photography studio located in Parnell, Auckland. We have developed a style that gives you a complete experience, not just a photo shoot.
We are a studio that specialises in Maternity Photography, Newborn Photography, 100 Day Photography, Family Photography, Cake Smash Photo Shoots and Baby & Kids Photography.
Our head photographer Julia Bielan has been photographing families for over a decade embarking on a career that has spanned the globe. Julia was trained by American photographer and mentor Joe Craig, where she learnt the importance of connecting with her subjects and how to use light creatively. Our Studio Manager Michael Parks graduated with a Diploma of Contemporary Photography from Unitec in 2010 and has held various portrait and studio manager roles since.
We are a portrait studio and so our work is studio based. We do not offer sessions at your home or on location as we feel we can better control the space (lighting, temperature, ambiance etc) and have our full prop and gown libraries available to us. We feel that this approach provides the best quality and service to all of our clients.
Photo Hive Experiences are by appointment only. Book online by clicking here or give us a call on 09 930 7242.
We limit the number of experiences we schedule each day to make sure we focus on you completely and not the clock. Experiences can run anywhere between an hour up to four hours. Remember great photography can't be rushed.
Each Photo Hive Experience has a base sitting fee starting from $149.99. This covers the photographer's talent and time and use of our extensive range of props and maternity dresses and fabrics. It also guarantees the time allocated to your chosen experience. We include a voucher to use towards the photos afterwards at your viewing session. To find out more about pricing visit our pricing page.
Changes to times and dates can be made by calling us on 09 9307242. For changes made 48 hours before your scheduled appointment, you will be offered a one time free change to another time and/or date that's available and convenient for you. After this time we are unable to make any changes to your booking.
It depends, if we are still able to accommodate when you arrive we will. However if we can't, you may use your free one-time change to select another time and/or date.
"The Hive" as we call it, is conveniently located at 130 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell. Take the port motorway exit and turn left onto St Georges Bay Rd, look out for the Sachi & Sachi building on the corner. Our building has a big 130 sign above the entrance.
Yes we do sell digital packages. To find out more about pricing visit our pricing page.
Once your Photo Hive Experience has taken place, we will book you in for a Viewing Session in the studio usually within 14 days. Here you will view the photos and make your selections.
A photo experience is a great gift to give to friends, family or colleagues to celebrate the milestons we cover. You can purchase any of our experiences online to gift. If you would like to add-on additional credit please get in touch with us.
We have a no-obligation policy - if you are not satisfied with the quality of your photos during your viewing session you are not obligated to make any additional purchases.
We recommend maternity photo shoots be done between 32 to 36 weeks. The ideal time is around 34 weeks as at this time your bump is big enough to show but you won't be as tired for the session.
Yes we have a range of maternity dresses and fabrics that shape to your body available for the shoot. You are also welcome to bring along your own dresses.
Absolutely, partners and your children can be part of the session. If you have young children we recommend your partner take them for a walk or keep them occupied once their part is done so that we can solely work with you to get stunning maternity photography.
Hair and make up is not included in your sitting fee however we do offer light hair and make up done is studio before your session from $99.99. This can be added on when purchasing your sitting fee online or after through your photographer but must be arranged prior to your scheduled photo shoot.
We allow up to two hours for a maternity session, we can generally get what we need within an hour + however it all depends. If your adding makeup to the session allow an additional hour on top of shooting time.
Yes absolutely, the only people in the studio will be your photographer and you/family. All maternity sessions are taken by women photographers to ensure your own comfort.
You are able to transfer your session to one of our other offerings, Newborn, 100 Day, Family etc.
Yes, we offer two different packages depending on the level of coverage you would like to have. Our First Year Milestones covers four different shoots in the first year or our Bump to Baby package covers two shoots. These packages will save you up to 60% off individually purchased sessions.
We recommend photographing your newborn within 10 days of birth as this will guarantee the best results.
We highly recommend that you make a booking before giving birth as we only have a small window for newborn photography (10 days) and our sessions are usually booked out well in advanced.
We get this situation all the time, in fact we encourage as many families to book before they give birth as this way, we can ensure we have a space for you when you do finally give birth. We hold your due date in our calendar and then once you give birth all you need to do is let us know so we can find a suitable date to have your newborn photo shoot.
Yes, we can take great photos of your child any time! We can photograph your baby making his/her first achievements such as holding their neck, smiling, crawling etc.
We will style a unique photo shoot for your newborn using our every-growing library of hand-crafted props, wraps and baskets. We know the best ways to use colour and creative lighting to get the best from your newborn photo shoot.
We are a portrait studio and so our work is studio based. We do not offer sessions at your home or on location as we feel we can better control the space (lighting, temperature, ambiance etc) and have our full prop and gown libraries available to us. We feel that this approach provides the best quality and service to all of our clients.
A single Newborn Experience can last anywhere between two to four hours or more depending on how settled your baby is. We have ample experience in photographing newborns and know the best ways to calm your baby and make them sleep for the session.
We keep our studio very warm so your baby can feel cosy and sleepy during the session.
We always take this into consideration when making our appointments and will earmark other possible dates if this were to happen.
Yes, we offer two different packages depending on the level of coverage you would like to have. Our First Year Milestones covers four different shoots in the first year or our Bump to Baby package covers two shoots. These packages will save you up to 60% off individually purchased sessions.
We created the 100 day photo shoot to be an alternative to our newborn photography sessions. If you missed the small window for newborn photography this session is a great way to get photos with a similar feel.
We will style a unique photo shoot for your baby using our every-growing library of hand-crafted props, wraps and baskets. We know the best ways to use colour and creative lighting to get the best from your newborn photo shoot.
We are a portrait studio and so our work is studio based. We do not offer sessions at your home or on location as we feel we can better control the space (lighting, temperature, ambiance etc) and have our full prop and gown libraries available to us. We feel that this approach provides the best quality and service to all of our clients.
A 100 Day Experience can last anywhere between one to two hours or more depending on how settled your baby is.
We keep our studio very warm so your baby can feel cosy and comfortable when changing outfits or for naked shots.
Yes, we offer two different packages depending on the level of coverage you would like to have. Our First Year Milestones covers four different shoots in the first year or our Bump to Baby package covers two shoots. These packages will save you up to 60% off individually purchased sessions.
We are a portrait studio and so our work is studio based. We do not offer sessions at your home or on location as we feel we can better control the space (lighting, temperature, ambiance etc) and have our full prop and gown libraries available to us. We feel that this approach provides the best quality and service to all of our clients.
Our family photo shoots include up to 6 people. We are able to accommodate larger groups up to 10 people for additional fees.
Yes we do have custom sessions and pricing for a whole family photo. Please contact us with your requirements.
Yes we can provide a designer cake for your baby's cake smash photo shoot for an additional fee. Cakes start from $99.99 depending on the complexity of the design.
Yes, our cake smash sessions include props, decorations and theme design. We have several set themes to choose from or we are happy to work with you to make your vision a reality.
Absolutely, we include a bubble bath at the end. Some babies take to the bath better than the cake and we end up with better expressions.
Generally, we capture some family photos at the beginning of the session. This isn't a family photo shoot; we do not go into as much detail or allow anyone but immediate family. It is not possible to capture everything in one session, especially when working with small babies so we prefer to focus on getting great cake smash photography in this session.