
FAMILY & MOTHERHOOD PHOTOGRAPHER IN GISBORNE, NEW ZEALAND

hey there!
I'M MARIA
A photographer, a mama of a wild little boy, a creative at heart - born in Ukraine, shaped by the world, and now grounded in beautiful Gisborne, New Zealand.
Photography has been part of my life for over 17 years now - long before I had my own child. But becoming a mother shifted everything in me. It made me look a little closer. Slower. Softer.
I’ve learned to watch, not just take photos. The way your baby wraps their fingers around yours, how your partner looks at you when you’re not looking, the warmth that lingers in the space between.
I’m here for the real stuff - connection, comfort, chaos, closeness.
The stuff you’ll want to remember when the house is quiet and the toys are packed away.
If that’s what you want to hold onto too - I’d love to hear from you.

TO THE MOTHERS WHO SOMETIMES FORGET WHERE THEY END AND EVERYONE ELSE BEGINS
MARIA WILKENS. MATERNITY, FAMILY & NEWBORN PGOTOGRAPHER
IN GISBORNE, NEW ZEALAND

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO REMEMBER
how it felt
I love working with families who value connection over perfection, who don’t mind a bit of wind in their hair or sand on their feet, and who want their photos to feel like them. Whether you're in the thick of newborn life or wrangling big kids at the beach - I’m here to tell your story.


MORE ABOUT ME
GO-TO COFFEE ORDER:
Oat milk cappa
THE LANGUAGES I SPEAK
English, Ukrainian, Russian, German
WHAT AM I READING:
Dark romance (if you know what I mean)
BEST SHOOT LOCATION:
Makorori beach, Gisborne








