From Camera Shy to Genuine Laughter: Photos That Show Real Moments
Create memories that reflect your family's unique connection, and have a blast together along the way!
Get in Touch
Inclusive, authentic photography for ÅŒtautahi Christchurch and beyond
You can get a smiling photo that grandma will happily hang on the fridge AND a collection of candid moments that you’ll love to look back on for years to come.
I specialize in blending candid, unposed moments with traditional posed shots to create a complete story of your love. I’ll get a mix of styles so that you have plenty of photos to choose from when it comes time to download your gallery.
And don't worry, I'll guide and prompt you through the whole session so you can feel confident knowing I'm capturing all your best angles.
Struggling to find a photographer that you connect with?
If you’ve been searching for someone who understands that your pet is part of the family, who won’t bat an eye at your pride pins or fidget toys, look no further. I’m here to photograph you as you are, however you want to present yourselves.
"Brought Out the Best in Us"
"River lead us through a wonderfully simple, elegant engagement shoot in a location that we chose, and did wonderfully to bring out the best in both us and the places we had chosen. River is kind and responsive, and we are very happy to have shared this experience with them."
- Alice & M
"Our pictures turned out so beautiful. We really enjoyed and had fun"
"River is an excellent photographer 📸 They are so kind, friendly, and polite as a person. Our couple photo session was a bit weather challenging, and despite that, our pictures turned out to be so beautiful. We really enjoyed and had fun, thank you, River."
-Sanj & Kester
"River was so easy and lovely to work with."
I highly recommend having a photo session with River. River was so easy and lovely to work with. My son and I had such a wonderful time on the playground while River captured incredible memories.
Thank you again.
- Kamila
Couples & Families
Session Pricing Details
We’ll connect beforehand to get to know each other and ensure I understand your vision. You’ll receive A tailored pre-photoshoot guide that will help you feel prepared and reduce any stress.
On the day of your session, I’ll guide you as much (or as little!) as you need. Then, you get to pick your favorite hand-edited photos to download. Plus, you’ll have access to my professional print lab.
Full-service packages from $190
Package Details
Perfect for couples & families up to 5 people.
Ideal for proposals, newborns, & families up to 20 people
All sessions include my guidance and expertise on choosing a location, what to wear, and how to pose. Your gallery includes access to my professional print lab. Plus, you always have the option to purchase additional images from your gallery if you just can’t get enough of your amazing photos!
Storybook Session
Family Legacy
Ideal for proposals, newborns, & families up to 20 people
Novella Session
$490
A longer session to capture every precious moment. We'll chat about your milestone day and then I'll create a tailored prep guide for you. Enjoy up to 2 hours of shooting time, then I'll send you a curated gallery that's easy to share with your loved ones. Includes 40 photo downloads.
$190
Receive a custom prep guide to get you ready for your 30-40 minute session. I’ll hand-edit your photos and send you a curated gallery, with a variety of posed and candid moments for you to choose from. Includes 10 photo downloads.
Everything included in the Storybook Session, plus a beautiful handmade photo album. Treasure your memories for years to come and pass on a physical reminder of your love to future generations.
$690
Package Details
Storybook Session
A longer session to capture every precious moment. We'll chat about your milestone day and then I'll create a tailored prep guide for you. Enjoy up to 2 hours of shooting time, then I'll send you a curated gallery that's easy to share with your loved ones. Includes 40 photo downloads.
$490
Family Legacy
Everything included in the Storybook Session, plus a beautiful handmade photo album. Treasure your memories for years to come and pass on a physical reminder of your love to future generations.
$690
Novella Session
Receive a custom prep guide to get you ready for your 30-40 minute session. I’ll hand-edit your photos and send you a curated gallery, with a variety of posed and candid moments for you to choose from. Includes 10 photo downloads.
$190
Perfect for couples & families up to 5 people.
Ideal for proposals, newborns, & families up to 20 people
All sessions include my guidance and expertise on choosing a location, what to wear, and how to pose. Your gallery includes access to my professional print lab. Plus, you always have the option to purchase additional images from your gallery if you just can’t get enough of your amazing photos!
"River was very calm, reassuring and flexible."
River was a delight to work with, very calm, reassuring and flexible. We had a lovely session and got some beautiful moments captured
- Tamara
"River was so easy and lovely to work with."
I highly recommend having a photo session with River. River was so easy and lovely to work with. My son and I had such a wonderful time on the playground while River captured incredible memories. Thank you again.
- Kamila
How it works
01
Consultation & session Crafting
We’ll discuss all the specifics. If you have a vision, great! If not, don’t worry–I’ll ask plenty of questions to help guide you. This is the time for us to get to know each other and make sure we'll be a great fit!
02
Personalized Planning & Prep
After our consultation, I'll take all the details I've gathered and prepare a guide just for you. Go over your custom pre-photoshoot guide, ask me any questions that may come up, and pick out your outfits! I'm always available to chat if anything comes up as your special day gets closer.
03
Capturing every moment
Relax and have fun while I capture your unique connections. I'll guide and prompt you as needed, and give you space to be yourselves too.
After your session, I'll send you a link to a curated gallery where you can choose your high-quality image downloads, and even order prints straight from my professional lab.
Oh Hey, Friend!
I'm River.
In addition to being an enthusiastic photographer, I’m also a queer artist, nature nerd, lover of community building, bookworm, and aspiring author. My given family and chosen family alike are the most important thing in my life, and I’m a total romantic who adores getting to capture other people’s love stories! 🩷
