Kia ora my name is Sarah Watkins, nice to meet you! I am Lucalia Photography. I am based in the gorgeous Wairarapa/Tararua regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.

 

I get excited about exploring outdoors; hate having my photo taken and love documenting memories. I bring this all to my photography. If you're excited by this too, we'll be great friends. Let's take my camera on a bushwalk, have a laugh and create some adventure photos just for you and your family. I'm a massive fan of wellies and walking boots at weddings!

​

Here you'll see some of my very favourite things to do, eat, drink, look at and (err) hang out with! Bonus points to those who figure out what I'm doing in the bath... Travel and hugging animals are fun too, which I capture in my flora and fauna images. Some favourites include home (I'm an Aussie!), New Zealand, Antarctica, Italy, Lake District, birds, natives plants and cats of all sizes. Does your family include a furry or feathered creature? Portrait time!

​

I was so fortunate to grow up in the Tasmanian bush. I made mud pies, played in the cubby house my Dad built and walked for hours through the rainforest to the creek. The immense joy and benefits of exploring and being active outdoors with friends and family are a core part of who I am. Once I get going, you really can't shut me up about this stuff! Passionate I think is the word...

​

I started capturing the world around me when a school friend invited me to a photography class, aged 15. I was mesmerised: processing black and white film in the dark and magically watching an image emerge from a white piece of paper. I gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (graphic design and photography) and a Bachelor of Visual Communication (Honours). I have created photos professionally using digital technology since 2002. I'm a traditional and creative photographer; not a technical photographer. This means we concentrate on having fun and finding the waterfall, not which lens to use!

​

I am a NZIPP Accredited Professional Photographer. NZIPP Accredited Professional Photographers offer consumers greater buyer confidence, knowing they have chosen a photographer who has demonstrated expertise and achievement. They meet the technical, creative and business standards of professional photography, as set by recognised industry professionals. They are bound by a Code of Ethics, and are continually looking to educate themselves through regular professional development.

​

I've always been drawn to quirky details. My friends (and Mum!) say things like: "you see the world differently"; "I didn't see that" and "you've got an eye for detail". This means I capture what makes you, well, you. How you hold hands with fingers laced together, how you look at each other with soft eyes and that your black cap is permanently stuck to your head. I tell your unique story through details and natural emotions, within the environment.

​

I'm so lucky to share life with my illustrator husband Ben. We love to adventure "together", mostly with Ben 20 metres ahead of me as he walks super fast! We moved from Australia to New Zealand in 2018 in search of bigger mountains. Our son Nicholas was born in 2020 and Thomas in 2022. We live in the rural town of Eketāhuna.

​

Please do email me if you feel there's the beginnings of a great friendship here, I'd love to hear from you.

Lots of love, Sarah x