Kia Ora! Ko Cleryse Mataira tōku ingoa.
I’m a proud māmā of three beautiful girls, Waikato-born and Taranaki-raised, and the eldest of seven. My life is deeply rooted in whānau, tautoko, and aroha, values that inspire everything I do.
Through my toi mahi in photography, I strive to capture the unique love and connections within every whānau, transforming those moments into timeless portraits that tell your story.
To everyone I’ve met along this haerenga, I am deeply grateful for your awhi and the beautiful whanaungatanga we’ve shared. Ngā mihi nui—thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey.
Testimonials
“We cannot recommend Cleryse enough, she is a beautiful person who shows such passion for her incredible talent and the people she is capturing. Her warm and kind nature made us instantly feel comfortable in front of the camera and this shines through in the incredible images she took of us as a couple and now whanau. She goes above and beyond in all aspects of her work, talent, time frames, communication and cost. We will forever treasure these special moments in our life that she so beautifully.”
—Jade Smith
“My family and I had our first ever family photos taken with Cleryse at Pīwari Portraits. I was pretty nervous about how they would turn out, as we're not really a photo ready type of family. Even though I had seen Cleryse's work before and loved it. I still didn't think our photos would be as good. Because I thought our awkwardness would come through the photos. Cleryse gave us lots of suggestions of what to do and how to pose that it came naturally and we could be ourselves.”
—Danielle McLelland
“So beyond grateful for our photos!! Cleryse is such a talented wahine. Easy to deal with, soft energy that flowed effortlessly. Couldn't recommend her enough. Thank you 🙏❤️.”
—Naomi Wilson
“After seeing Cleryse’s mahi I knew she was talented but to have my normally reserved children completely out of their shell within the first minute was a miracle in itself then literally running down the beach with my speed racer 4yo. The photos she captured have left me speechless, they are beyond my wildest dreams and I am so grateful she managed to capture my babies personalities so perfectly”
—Jamie-Lavinia TeNana
“Absolutely loved working with you !! Most humble and chilled out photographer who made me and my tane feel so comfortable 🤍🤍 beautiful pictures and most beautiful person !! Thank you soo much Cleryse!! Highly recommend e te whanau !!”
—Te Ata
“Absolutely recommend!! Cleryse is amazing, absolutely love her style! She is a natural with our tamariki! So many beautiful photos for us to cherish forever! So so grateful and highly recommend to anyone and everyone! 😁”
—Taylor Smith
“This beautiful wahine has the most beautiful aahua inside and out! Her talent is out of this world and mahi absolutely speaks MEGA volumes in itself! We adore you Cleryse and cannot thank you enough beautiful! Nga mihi”
—Tara Brooke
“Highly highly highly recommend Cleryse. She always makes me feel comfortable to be me and be confident in my body. She goes above and beyond to capture the perfect pic! Both photo shoots she guided me through the session and also listened to the ideas I had and helped bring them to life. Could honestly not recommend her enough”
—Atalya
“Pīwari Portraits done such a amazing job last night capturing my last few days pregnant. The sneak peaks I got last night 😍 she was so patient with Jax also who did not want to get pictures 😅 Can’t wait to share the rest! Highly recommend. Thanks again.”
—Portia Smith
“🤎
I booked Cleryse for a newborn/sibling photo shoot & I could not recommended her enough!
She was beautiful with my boys & made them feel incredibly comfortable.
She offered to travel to my home for our photos which I was extremely grateful for, with having a new baby.
She was patient, professional & loving which resulted in her capturing some super precious shots!
We cannot wait to make this a frequent occasion to document our lives.
Thank you again Cleryse x”
—Hannah Walker
“Awesome experience from start to finish. Fast reply. Adaptable for my re-scheduled date. Amazing photos. Beautifully packaged and presented. Great photographer. Thanks again Cleryse. We are all super satisfied with the whole experience.
Highly recommend”
—Kirsten Forder