Auckland lifestyle & product photographer

Styled. Story-driven. Anything but basic.

Products. Editorial. Campaigns.
Beautiful imagery (that’s far from boring)

Circular text "Samantha Donaldson" on a curve.

I create imagery with purpose - lifestyle and editorial-style photos that evoke feeling and bring your brand to life in a way that feels real.

And always with thoughtful storytelling at the heart.

Whether you’re launching something new or building a content library, I’ll craft visuals that not only look beautiful, but resonate with your audience, (and more importantly - convert!).

Let’s chat about your ideas - I’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up.

Foxtrot Home

Jen Sievers

Nourish & Tempt

Hagen & Co Jewellery

Manuka Biotic

Love Winter Jewellery

Kin

Yacon

Manuka RX

Honuka

Manuka Biotic

Nola

Foxtrot Home Jen Sievers Nourish & Tempt Hagen & Co Jewellery Manuka Biotic Love Winter Jewellery Kin Yacon Manuka RX Honuka Manuka Biotic Nola

Minimalist dining area with white modern chair, wooden table set with fruit and a pink patterned cloth, a large framed artwork depicting a tropical landscape, and a decorative vase with green leaves.

“Working with Sam is amazing. She instantly understood the brief, our brand, and the way we wanted our images to look and feel. She worked quickly and with a great eye for styling and detail. ”

— Prue, Co-founder of Foxtrot Home

Portfolio - Auckland Lifestyle & Product Photographer

  • Candles and home fresheners on a kitchen bench
  • Curly-haired dog sniffs dog shampoo bottle on wooden stool
  • Close-up of hands in pockets of a brown linen robe with belt tied, showing fabric texture.
  • Kin dog shampoo bottle on a dark ceramic plate with white flowers and green foliage on a light background.
  • Minimalist kitchen and dining area with white cabinets and counters, a wooden stool, a bowl of oranges, and a large abstract mountain painting on the wall.
  • Minimalist bedroom scene with a beige bedspread, striped brown and cream blanket, wooden stool, and stacked books.
Modern living room with abstract landscape painting, beige armchair, wooden side tables, vase, and light-colored rug on concrete floor.
Text forming the name Samantha on a white background

Want to know more?

  • Lifestyle photography is all about showing your products in action -styled, in-situ and full of personality. Depending on your brief, we can capture everything from hero product shots and detail close-ups to wider lifestyle scenes that tell a story.

    Shoots can take place in a studio or on location. You can also send me your products to shoot in my home or mini studio!

    We’ll chat about your goals, how and where you’ll be using the images, and what kind of vibe you’re after, then create a shoot plan that brings it all to life.

    You'll walk away with a beautiful, cohesive set of images you can use across your website, social channels, campaigns and more.

  • My calendar tends to book up around 4–8 weeks in advance, so if you’ve got a date in mind, it’s best to lock it in early. Just flick me a message and I’ll do my best to make it work.

  • As a guide, pricing starts from $1085+GST. Once you enquire, I’ll send through more info, and after we’ve chatted about your brief and what you need, I can provide a tailored quote.

  • Your images come with a commercial licence, giving you the freedom to use them across your website, socials, marketing and more - while still protecting the photographer’s rights and creative work. A full contract will be provided upon booking and needs to be signed to lock in your shoot date.