Kea & Joe's Mount Maunganui Sunset Session

Kea & Joe's Mount Maunganui Sunset Photo Session by Tauranga photographer, Erin Michele Taikato Thomson.

I met Kea about seventeen.. eighteen.. years ago.

I'd known her mum for as long as I can remember.. and I got to see her parents in the early days, when they first began seeing each other.

You see, Kea's mum is my aunty.

My Nana and Koro had nine kids; so I was lucky enough to have aunties who weren't much older than me.

I remember sleeping over, when I was a little kid, and staying up with Kea's mum and another one of my aunties, listening to music and watching them make up dances. Boyz II Men, Mariah, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill.. we would sit on my aunty's bed and sort through cassette after cassette.. laughing about things I had no clue about, but I had fun.

Kea's dad came onto the scene and it was like my aunty had this really awesome friend who just made her laugh all the time.

They were mates. They had the same sense of humour, they were on the same wavelength.. they were perfect for each other.

I still see that bond between my aunty and her, now, husband. And, now, I get to see that story play out again, with Kea and Joe.

Like Kea's dad, Joe is respectful and kind; which ain't that easy to find these days!

Like her mum, Kea loves hard and doesn't shy away from letting it be known.

These two have qualities which will build a healthy, strong relationship; just like Kea's parents.. five kids later! (Four girls and the youngest is a boy!) I loved shooting Kea and Joe's session!

It was my first session back, and my first New Zealand session!

Mount Maunganui is absolutely beautiful and it was just gorgeous at sunset! -- Give me that beautiful white sand any day! That huge natural reflector is a photographer's dream!

We started in the dunes and then, as the sun began to fall down behind Mauao, we chased that last bit of golden light, down along the water's edge. Before calling it a night and running back to our warm cars.

With this not being our average client, I got to bring the kids along too.. which was fun.. but my 5-year-old son was NOT impressed with the level of affection! (Kids!).

Here are some of my favourites from their session!