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Wort & Flea

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Wort & Flea

Our Story - As long as I can remember, there’s two things I’ve been passionate about during my life – a love of animals, and photography.
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Wort & Flea Pet Photography is the destination location, where I will capture the love of your fur baby being themselves in beautiful scenic, bold and colourful, personality filled portraits. Whether it’s preserving memories for you to love for a lifetime or working with rescues to help their animals get adopted more quickly, being able to combine my two passion’s is nothing short of a dream. I gr

ew up with cats and loved animals so much that at the young age of 8, I made the decision to go vegetarian, and still am today. I am surrounded by both cats and dogs now, Wort & Flea, Mooky & The Fuzz, The Border 9, Bliss & Ollie – quite the pack and a handful, especially as they are now all seniors, and many have illnesses. But my husband and I love them all the same, maybe even more so, for the way they depend on us so much more to care for them in their senior years and the unconditional love they give. I feel so very lucky to live in this beautiful place known as, the land of the long white cloud – New Zealand. Based in rural Auckland with access to acres of farmland and the river, there is no shortage of opportunities to capture and preserve beautiful memories of my fur babies. After recently surviving breast cancer, there was no better time than the present for me to pursue my passion of photography and love of animals, and start living my dream. If you would like me to capture the love and preserve those special memories of your beloved fur baby, then please contact me to arrange either a rural farmland session, or a session at your favourite location. With such a love of animals I easily connect with any new fur baby I meet and can easily help put them at ease, their safety and enjoyment my number one priority throughout the session. Please don’t hesitate to contact me via phone or email if you have any further queries or would like to book in your session. An award winning, Accredited Professional Photographer of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography and a Digital Imaging Advocate for Sony NZ, I am based in Auckland, New Zealand but available nationwide! Wort & Flea are also committed to bringing your fur babies the best high quality eco friendly and innovative pet products on the market. Be they recycled, organic, made from non toxic materials or produced from sustainable and renewable resources.

04/11/2024

Do you have a photo with your beloved pup?

I know a lot of us don’t love having our own photo taken, however, the biggest regret I hear from people, is they’ve lost their dog and don’t have a nice picture of them together. I think it’s so important to capture the special bond we share with our sweet pups, so we have those beautiful memories to look back on.

I met Charlie & Cosmo back in February with their mum, for their Farm experience. Charlie is a beautiful senior Spoodle, age 11yrs, and Cosmo, a stunning Black Russian Terrier puppy, age 1yr.

Charlie did not look 11yrs old at all and can still be high energy at times, pretty good for a senior pup! As for Cosmo, if you don't know what a Black Russian Terrier is, well, they're not a small breed like you would normally associate a Terrier with! Good thing Cosmo is an easy going pup!

I met my first Black Russian Terrier at a dog park in late 2022 and was astounded by this beautiful breed. I met Nicole in 2023, who had two dogs at the time and mentioned she was on a waitlist for a Black Russian Terrier puppy of her own, so we were waiting until this new addition was added to her pack before undertaking the Farm Experience.

Nicole was embarking on a new stage in her life and wanted to capture her beautiful dogs together, unfortunately before the Farm Experience was due to take place, Nicole lost her beloved Loki, age 6 years, unexpectedly and suddenly. Loki was certainly there in spirit.

Charlie and Cosmo had so much fun exploring the farm, they both love treats of all kinds and tennis balls! These beautiful pups were so photogenic and such a joy to photograph. It was a wonderful afternoon spent with Charlie, Cosmo and their mum, capturing memories of them all together.

18/10/2024

This year’s been a whirlwind, and just as I was getting back into regular social posts, life got crazy!

With two four day expos in two different cities three weeks apart, Sony workshops, ending up in a moon boot - let's just say it involves a pet gate, plywood and indirectly a cat! That's a story for another post!

And last Friday having to put to sleep our 18yr, 7mths & 19 day old dog, the end of a near 23yr era with our pack of dogs, again a story for another post.

That's just some of what’s been happening in my world the last couple of months.

In amongst all of that I've still found time to do little things for me, including this studio session with my beautiful Beau, how delicious is he?

It's been fun to play around with textures to see what I like and what works for studio images, do you like a fine art textured look, or a more modern crisp and clean look? Or both?

With weekends now booked through until April next year for outdoor Farm Experiences, I do still have some availability on weekends for Studio Experiences, along with limited weekday availability from December, for outdoor Farm Experiences.

A Black Friday special for Studio sessions is coming next month, so keep a watch if you'd like to capture some fun or formal paw-trait memories in studio with your furry friend.

I'm excited to be sharing more studio images with you all over the coming months and for those that love the outdoor images, there will be plenty of those coming as well, with outdoor sessions kicking off again next month, once I'm out of my moon boot!

I'm also in the process of planting some colour for spring/summer and can't wait to share that as well.

And on that note, can you believe it's only 67 days until Christmas? Yes, I said it. Christmas…

26/09/2024

Embrace the magic of every fur strand by keeping your pup's coat in top condition!

Preparing for your photo experience is an important step in the process, so, here are some tips to help you prepare for the big day and ensure your fur baby is looking their smartest.

The Bath!
It can be a good idea to bath your pupper the day before the session to remove any dust, dirt, and debris from their luxurious coat, as these specks can show up in your images, especially if your pupper has a dark coat.

The Brush!
If your pupper is a long coated fluffball, having them professionally groomed before the session can impact your final images positively, at the least a thorough brush is highly recommended.

The Haircut!
If your pupper needs a haircut so we can see those beautiful puppy eyes, then try to arrange at least a week prior to your session to allow your pup’s fur time to settle and reduce any clipping lines.

Remember, a healthy coat equals happy, photogenic pets! ✨📸

03/09/2024

Want to win a trip to Greece? Athens and Santorini to be precise!

Yes, you heard me right! All courtesy of .anz!

All you have to do is attend an event during Scene Festival which runs between 1st September to 31st October 2024 and you'll get an entry into the draw for each event you attend. That's right, the more events you attend the more chances you'll have to win!

I have workshops for Sony as part of Scene Festival, coming up late September as one of their Digital Imaging Advocates and more events will be added for October shortly, so keep an eye on the Sony Scene Events page.

For September I have split the workshops up so you can either come to one, or come to all, if you want to get the most benefit.

Saturday September 21st, starting at 1pm, there is a coffee chat at Café Miko at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, where I will cover off my top tips for taking dog photos, you'll get the chance to meet like minded photographers and can also ask me any questions you have about pet photography.

This will be immediately followed by a photo walk around the Botanic Gardens from 3-5pm, where you will have the chance to put your learnings into practice. Then the following Tuesday there is an online image review, where you can have your images constructively critiqued from the photo walk and learn some tips on how to edit your images in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Some kind words from recent workshops:

"Kirsten was very easy to listen to and very practical giving us many great tips in this line of photography."

"Thanks to Kirsten for her professional and fun workshops. I learned a lot and had loads of fun doing it. Kirsten is very knowledgeable in her field."

All are welcome, whether hobbyist, professional, or somewhere in between and any genre.

Workshops and more information can be found here:
https://scene.sonyanz.com/events (filter for NZ and online)

Look forward to seeing you there!

29/08/2024

Did someone say free double passes to the Auckland Home Show?

If you saw my post on wall art last month, you'll already know that I will be attending the Auckland Home Show next week, that's right, I have a booth and will be exhibiting again!

As you know I LOVE wall art and think those gorgeous photos of our precious fur bubs should be displayed proudly in our home for all to see, and for us to enjoy on a daily basis, rather than locked away on our phones.

That is why I specialise in high quality wall art, and as per my previous post on this topic I was hoping to showcase a new product at the show, but was uncertain if it would arrive in time. Well, I'm so super excited to let you know that it has arrived!

I will be showcasing not one, but two new products at the Auckland Home Show, one from Europe and the other from New Zealand, similar products but different mediums. These are products that you can't get yourself and are supplied by professional print labs to professional photographers. Both products have a lifetime guarantee of 75 years plus!

The Auckland Home Show runs Thursday 5th September to Sunday 8th September and I will have a show special and goody bag for the duration, that you can only get at the home show. There will also be a limited extra special goody bag available only on the Thursday, more details on that will come next week.

So, to celebrate exhibiting again at the Auckland Home Show, our upcoming show special and the showcasing of new wall art products, I have five double passes to give away.

All you have to do is let me know why you'd like tickets to the Auckland Home Show?

Remember I only have five double passes to give away, so get in quick!

29/08/2024

One of the best things about getting to do what I love, aside from meeting all the gorgeous doggo's, is all the amazing people I get to meet too. All the passionate paw-rents who love their fur kids as much as their little human ones too and who want me to capture memories of their family.

And when the time is taken to share kind words about their Farm Experience, nothing makes me happier and is more rewarding than when I receive a thank you like this:

"Kirsten is one of the most genuine people we've met, has been through a lot and is an avid animal lover herself. Kirsten is the ultimate professional, a master at her craft. We have enjoyed two sessions with Kirsten capturing our dog and she has accommodated family and pet photos at both. We highly enjoyed the farm session and our dog certainly thought it was the best thing ever. The photos are incredible and a work of art to be proudly displayed in our home. Thanks again. Sarah Flower"

It was an immense pleasure to photograph Oscar and spend time with his beautiful family again, and wonderful to capture new memories of the family together, Oscar with his human sister who adores him, and of course Oscar on his own.

Sarah chose the beautiful Artisan Box and matching frame, with fifteen 11x14" matted prints, and complimentary USB, that includes the matching high resolution and social media digital files of her chosen favourite images. To commemorate her families time on the farm.

23/08/2024

Pet pawrents, it's time to share those priceless moments!

We all know our furry friends have a knack for comedy, whether it's pulling the silliest faces, refusing to look at the camera (I know this one far too well from my own crew!), or just being their adorable, goofy selves.

Share a photo or a funny story of your dog or cat that made you chuckle.

Let's fill our feed with laughter and love from our four-legged comedians!

19/08/2024

Did you know?

Dogs have their own language of love and loyalty. They do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.

It's in the wag of a tail, the tilt of a head, the softness of eyes. So, take a moment, listen closely, and you'll hear a symphony of love that words can't express.🐾💕

14/08/2024

I met Growlie and her paw-rents in January, along with her human baby brother, for their Farm experience. Growlie is a beautiful black Labrador, age 6, and is from an English show breed lineage, not a working breed line.

If you're wondering where Growlie got her name, she was named after a Pokémon!

Growlie absolutely loves sheep poo and just goes crazy if she finds any, either eating it or rolling in it, becoming completely distracted from everything else happening around her! Luckily where we were on the farm the sheep hadn't been recently, so we didn't have to contend with her love and fascination for this delicacy!

And of course, Growlie being a Labrador, loves her food!

Growlie had a great time exploring the farm and eating all the different varieties of grass along the way. It was fun to see her in her element having a great time.

It was wonderful spending the afternoon with Growlie and her family and it was lovely to be able to capture some memories of them all together, for them to cherish.

12/08/2024

Capturing the perfect photo of your dog sitting outdoors is all about patience and practice.

Start by choosing a quiet, familiar outdoor spot where your dog feels comfortable. Use their favourite treat to guide them into a sitting position, rewarding them once they do.

Repeat this process until they've mastered the 'sit' command.

Remember, every dog learns at their own pace, so patience is key. With time, your furry friend will be ready for their close-up in the great outdoors! 🐾

09/08/2024

I want to introduce Beau, one of our newer additions to the family.

We adopted Beau a few days after losing my beautiful 14 year old cat Tyler, usually I would have waited, taken time to grieve, but I wanted our other cat Cleo to have company, as I knew she would miss Tyler a lot. I spotted Beau, aka Boston as he was known at the time, on Facebook. Beau was in foster care with his mum and siblings, and I thought he must have already been snapped up, as who wouldn't love that little face.

I reached out to Hope Rescue, in case he was still available, told them all about me, my home and the life I could offer Beau, and I received a reply to say he was still available and they would get the foster carer to call me.

A few minutes later I received the call and arranged to go and meet Beau later that night, as I was travelling the next day, and chance would have it the foster carer was out my way. Beau had been found with his mum and siblings, living next to a flax bush on a busy road, and they had successfully managed to catch and rescue them all.

Beau was a little shy at first, but loved playing with his siblings and jumping up to hang like a monkey from the top of his crate! Beau's mum and his siblings were all equally as beautiful, but it didn't take us long to know that he was the kitten for us.

Arranging to get Beau once I got back from my short trip, which allowed him extra time to recover from being neutered, and spend a little more time with his mum and siblings. Beau was dropped out to us at home and arrived with some food, felt toys and peacock feathers to play with!

It didn't take long for him to steal our hearts, he is a beautiful natured little boy, one of his many nicknames is lovefest number nine, as he just adores me and loves cuddles, an absolute little lovebug. Beau is cheeky, clever, loves being outside in the Catio and is also an absolute foodie who loves to eat! Beau loves his other siblings and whilst surprisingly, Cleo hasn't quite warmed to him yet, we're working on it!

Every cat deserves a purr-fect home.

Join me in supporting Hope Rescue South Auckland and let's make a difference, one whisker at a time.

Visit their website at https://hoperescuesouthauc.wixsite.com/hope-rescue-s-a to learn more and keep an eye on Facebook for all their beautiful adoptees.

06/08/2024

Oh Odin!

Odin’s mud bath is just the start of this wickedness! 😉

We all love our pooches and kitties and adore their sweet little faces with all that cuteness they exude, with all of their little being, and those gorgeous eyes that peer up at us with all of that sweet innocence

Except they’re not. Well, not always, anyway.

We also know they can be outrageously naughty and cheeky, albeit oh-so-lovable at the same time.

Whether it’s stealing your fresh laundry from the dryer, swiping your dinner off the bench, taking your spot on the couch the moment you get up, taking a mud bath and even running away from home for adventures!

I want to hear your 'wonderfully wicked' tails!

So, share with me in the comments below, what has your pet done that was wonderfully wicked?

05/08/2024

People have different opinions of a dog’s purpose, but one thing is certain: life is better with their presence.

So, tell me how your dog’s presence, makes your world a little better?

Big hugs for our dogs!💗

31/07/2024

It's been a whirlwind few days at the Iris Awards and it's not over yet! The winners of each category for New Zealand and Australia are announced Sunday night.

In the meantime, I'm gearing up for the NZ Photo Show which kicks off tomorrow, usually, it's two days of speakers and you can attend every talk.

However, they’ve changed it up, now you book the speaker you want to see, from multiple on at the same time. Plus, a third day was added with workshops from some of the speakers, which you pay to attend (discounted if attending the NZ Photo Show).

Let me tell you the array of speakers, topics and workshops this year is phenomenal!

A brief overview of the speakers and workshops I'll be attending over the next two days:

Friday - Kelly Brown - vision to reality and building a purpose driven business, Paula Brennan - live personal branding mini session, Elia Locardi - how to add the 'wow factor' to travel photography and Amber Griffin - live creative portrait session.

Saturday - Chris Dark - best creative self and pursuit of creative individuality, Kelly Brown - live photo session on creative storytelling and a demo on concept to creation, Belinda Richards - pixels and paws and navigating photoshop for studio pet photography, Lizzie Gilmour - children and their pet’s fine art live photo session and wrapping it up is Paula Brennan with smart business, simple life, personal branding for future focused photographers.

Sunday - Belinda Richards Masterclass on posing pets in studio.
This doesn't include all the other speakers and workshops on at the same time, just the ones I've booked to see.

Once home and rested from this exhausting week, I’ll update everyone on how I went at the Iris Awards, with judging and assisting panel chair, and of course how the speakers and workshops were!

30/07/2024

Last year I was invited to be a judge at the NZIPP Iris Awards.

With a newly created Animal category, to accommodate the growing number of entries received yearly, of domesticated animals.

An absolute honour to be asked to judge images in this new category, including images from budding pet photographers, photographers of other genres and of course pet photographers from both here in New Zealand and Australia.

Working towards this as part of my professional development, I never dreamed I would achieve it so quickly. Equally exciting and nerve wracking!

Nerves dissipated and I found myself able to hold my own amongst my peers and judge the images fairly and passionately, based on my own experience and technical expertise as a pet photographer. It was an incredible experience, however one marred by deep sadness.

I had to leave after judging and wasn’t able to stay for the NZ Photo Show, due our 17.5 year old dog getting sicker whilst away, so had to return home to put him to sleep. An incredible mixed bag of emotions and challenging time.

As a result, I never shared how I did with my own entries. I received four silver and four bronze awards, all of the images taken in Queenstown and Tekapo as part of my own personal development to produce images for entering the awards. I hope you enjoy seeing them, as much as I enjoyed creating them.

I also got experience as an assistant to the Panel Chair in another category, who help to oversee the live judging and flow of the images in their respective categories being judged, it was great to be a part of, and gain more insight to another part of the process.

I am in Christchurch now for this year’s Iris Awards and NZ Photo Show, again judging and assisting panel chair, how quickly time has flown!

28/07/2024

I have a few workshops for Sony coming up over the coming months as one of their Digital Imaging Advocates.

I have split the workshops up so you can either come to one, or come to all, if you want to get the most benefit.

So, next month on Saturday August 24th, starting at 1pm, there is a coffee chat at the Village Café in Whatawhata (Hamilton).

All are welcome, whether hobbyist, professional, or somewhere in between and any genre. Along with a general chat on all thing’s photography, where we can get to know each other better, I will be sharing what gear I use and can answer any questions you may have on photography in general. Including gear recommendations, camera setting tips, feedback on your portfolio, or advice on composition. I'm more than happy to share my knowledge.

I will cover off some of my top tips for photographing dogs, including settings for your camera, for both portraiture and action, and how to work with dogs.

This will be immediately followed with a photo walk, where you will get to see how I work with dogs and photograph them, and have a go yourself, putting my shared tips into practice. A hands on workshop where I will be teaching, so you can ask anything you'd like to know regarding photographing dogs.

Tuesday 27th August, there will be an online image review, open to those that attended the photo walk, where you can submit two images for me to provide constructive critique on. You will also get the opportunity to see how I edit my own pictures from the photo walk, using both Lightroom and Photoshop. And an opportunity to ask any questions after.

Workshops and more information can be found here:
https://scene.sonyanz.com/events (filter for NZ and online)

Look forward to seeing you there!

26/07/2024

I met gorgeous Remus and his two mums late January, for their Farm experience. Remus is a handsome mixed breed, senior, would you believe he's ten years old?

Taylor won the major prize giveaway at the Women's Lifestyle Expo in 2023, which included a complimentary Farm Experience, a 20x30" fine art wall piece and five matted prints, valued at just under $3k!

Taylor had purchased a gift certificate which gained her entry into the major prize draw at the expo and was thrilled when I told her she had won. Taylor told me she had wanted to win as Remus was getting a bit older and she wanted something to remember him by. As he has been her best friend since she was a teenager, having rescued him off a free ad online and Remus has seen her through all of her major life milestones, including high school and getting married!

Remus loves his purple puller ring dog toy to play tug with and quickly reverted to puppy status as soon as his favourite toy was brought out during his Farm Experience. It was clear to see that this is his favourite game to play and he didn't let his arthritis slow him down in anyway. Remus had a blast exploring the farm and hanging out with his mums, whilst having his picture captured to immortalise his memory forever.

It was such a lovely experience to spend the afternoon with Remus and his mums. This family has such a close bond and it was just beautiful to witness, I was so happy to be able to capture some memories for Taylor and Alice of their beautiful boy. 💕And yes the grass on his nose was left, as that’s how his mums wanted it!

24/07/2024

Who has printed photos of their dog on the wall?

Who just has pictures on their phone?

It's so important to capture precious photographic memories of our dogs, but equally important to display those memories and cherish them.

Not have them hidden away on phones, where they can be hard to search through to find the one you remember, or usb’s that get tucked away in a drawer and forgotten about.

Even more so, once our beloved pooches are no longer with us. It's important to remember their character, personality, when they were happy, healthy, and to be reminded of the good times you shared. What better way than to display their memory in full technicolour glory, on your wall.

So, did you know I specialise in wall art?

A range of different mediums, such as classic fine art, framed, matted or unmatted, floating hand torn and canvas, along with more modern mediums such as acrylic or metal.

Something for every home décor, style and taste.

The fine art is made in New Zealand with beautiful Italian moulding, museum grade archival quality and comes with a 75 year plus, lifetime guarantee. The acrylic and metal I source from Europe, as we don't have comparable quality in NZ, this comes with a 100 year plus, lifetime guarantee!

Purchasing from professional print labs that supply to professional photographers only, so you can be assured you are getting quality that will last a lifetime and unique products not available to the public. And so, you will have something special to display your memories on in your home.

I have an exciting new wall art product coming soon, something you can't get from your local printer. I can't wait to share it with you and hope to have it on display at the Auckland Home Show in September. So, if you want to see it in person, you won't have to wait long!

Address

Pokeno

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.wortandflea.co.nz/

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Videos

Waikato Home & Garden Show - 40th year! Dedicated pet zone for the first time. Come and visit me at booth 605 for the show special, including a goody bag!

If you haven’t been to the Auckland Home Show, there’s still time tonight or tomorrow. I have double passes to giveaway, just let me know why you want to come!

Thank you @sonyalphafemale! So excited to be featured on their account today and to be able to finally share it with you all! Such an amazing and supportive community of creative females, that I’m so proud to be a part of. #sonyalphafemale #feature #dog #dogs #dogphotographernz #petphotographynz #petphotographerauckland #auckland #dogsofauckland #petphotographerwaikato #dogsofwaikato #waikato #newzealand #dogsofnewzealand #dogsofnz #newzealanddogs #sonyalphanz #sonyalphaanimalportrait #sonyalphaanz #A7RM3 #bealpha #nzdogs #petlifenz #petphotographersclub #hairofthedogacademy #nzippacreditedphotographer

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Our Story

As long as I can remember, there's two things I've been passionate about during my life - a love of animals, and photography.

I grew up with cats and loved animals so much that at the young age of 8, I made the decision to go vegetarian, and still am today. I am surrounded by both cats and dogs now, Wort & Flea, Mooky & The Fuzz, The Border 9 and Bliss - quite the pack and a handful, especially as they are now all seniors and many have illnesses. But my husband and I love them all the same, maybe even more so, for the way they depend on us so much more to care for them in their senior years.

I feel so very lucky to live in this beautiful place known as, the land of the long white cloud - New Zealand. Based in rural Auckland with access to acres of farmland and the river, there is no shortage of opportunities to capture and preserve beautiful memories of my furbabies.

Having recently completed treatment and surviving breast cancer, there is no better time than the present to pursue my passion of photography and love of animals.