Castlecliff photoshoot 'blesses' local families

Caleb Kingi takes family portraits at Clifflife Church. Photo/supplied

A father with his nine children and a woman with her golden retriever were just two groups who came to Clifflife Church on Saturday for a free family portrait photoshoot.

Members of the church - based in Castlecliff - went around the surrounding streets and knocked on doors to book families in for the photoshoot, which offered them a free printed and framed photo of their choice, as well as a USB stick with digital copies of all the pictures.

"Being where we are, where we've opened Clifflife right in Rangiora St, we wanted to kind of really get to know our neighbours," Clifflife member Abby Kingi said.

"They always walk past, kind of look in there, wonder what we're doing. Pastor Jason [Malcolm] really wanted to get to know our neighbours but bless them at the same time.

"A lot of families today don't actually get to invest in family portraits."

Mrs Kingi and her husband Caleb Kingi own Lamp Studios, a professional video productions and photography business.

On Saturday the Kingis and their colleague Joshua Kirk set up their equipment at Clifflife and spent 12 hours taking family portraits while church members chatted with families and provided nibbles.

CLIFFLIFE Community Photoshoot

Today was the CLIFFLIFE photoshoot for our community. The message is simple... You are worth it, you have value and you are appreciated. #blessedtobeablessing

Posted by CLIFFLIFE on Saturday, July 9, 2016

Mrs Kingi said 32 groups came through for photos in 20 minute blocks. Mr Kingi would spend about 15 minutes taking photos and for the next five minutes families would sit with Mrs Kingi and Mr Kirk to look through the photos and choose which one they would like printed and framed.

The families will receive their photos this week.

The team of about 10 people working on the photoshoot were there from 7.30am to 8pm.

"The largest family we had was a family of 10," Mrs Kingi said.

"That was really lovely. That was the dad and his 9 kids."

While most of the groups were "middle-sized families", they also had two parents with their baby, and a woman with her golden retriever.

Mr Kingi "had to really work it" to get some people comfortable in front of the camera.

"You talk to most families today and they're not used to being on a film set with photos and lights on their face . . . they don't know what to do," Mrs Kingi said.

"So Caleb had to really work it, make them giggle, smile, make them feel comfortable."

Some people waiting their turn for a photo were "just plain nervous", so church members sat and chatted with them, asking them about themselves.

Photoshoot for neighbouring families in Castlecliff organised by Clifflife Church left, Daryl Warburton, right Josh Kirk. Photo/supplied

While the goal wasn't to sit people down and preach to them about God, some were "curious" and asked questions about the church and its focus.

"It gave them a chance to see what we're about, that they're actually welcome to come along to church too."

At the end of the day the team were "completely shattered" but "really buzzing".

"It's great that we were able to meet some of our neighbours. We're there because we want to reach the community."

She said people who came for photos were "just generally really stoked".

"Even if they were nervous when they came in, by the time they left they were really comfortable, chatty, and really feeling blessed."

Mrs Kingi said they were hoping to make the photoshoot an annual event.

Clifflife church aims to have four big annual events each year, including a skate competition they held earlier this year. They have not yet chosen what the next two events for this year will be.