I liked Auckland the first time I visited but the second time, that blossomed into full-blown love.

A love affair with a city is multi-layered and many factors added to the experience:

I enjoyed really having the opportunity to walk around town and explore independent shops along Karangahape Road. Biz Dojo, our venue for The Blogcademy was fantastic (and if you’re interested, they have co-working spaces available). The cute apartment we rented was directly across the street from an awesome grocery store loaded with local products. The hilariously branded Hell Pizza wowed me with their Purgatory pizza (and it was so good that I had it two nights in a row.) And finally, friendly Kiwis made me feel right at home — I talked creative biz stuff with Sian and got to meet ladies I’d known online including Sophie and Steff Metal.

I was already in love with the place — and then I met Steph of Bubblerock, a photography duo that splits their time between New Zealand and France (envious? I am!) Within a few minutes, we were like old friends, chatting about our recent stays in Palm Springs. And, I may have invited myself to her home in the French countryside (can you blame me?)

After meeting Steph and shooting these photos in quick succession over two 10 minute breaks between my Blogcademy sections, I came to the realization that while there are oodles of talented photographers out there, what really sets the good ones apart from the truly great is personality.

Steph was so warm, welcoming and brimming with creative ideas that I was immediately at ease. To me, it felt like we were casually hanging out as we explored a nearby arcade and parking garage — and she just happened to have a camera. I wish all professional photos felt this natural….and fun!

During our impromptu shoot, I wore:

Clover Canyon dress (past season).
Steve Madden boots (past season).

While my dress is from an older collection, Shopbop always has a great selection of new and sale pieces. The sublimated prints are applied to scuba fabric so their pieces are super stretchy and comfortable.

Auckland, thanks for welcoming me with open arms. I can’t wait to come back….and stay longer next time!

Digital and film photos: Bubblerock.
Check out even more What I Wore posts here.