Capturing moments: Esther Pasitoa is not chasing the perfect shot, she notices it

While others wait for the “perfect” shot, Esther Pasitoa is already taking it.

The Auckland-based Cook Islander has built her photography around what she calls “the art of noticing” - catching quiet, real moments as they happen.

“I was just watching one day and just beautiful moments happening right before me and I was like, ‘is anyone else seeing this’?” she tells Island Time.

That moment came in church. Not from training or a manual but from simply paying attention.

Seven years on, Pasitoa has shaped that instinct into her craft.

Whether she’s shooting weddings, family sessions or cultural events, she isn’t chasing perfect poses. She’s watching people: how they move, how they feel, and how they connect.

Watch Esther Pasitoa's full interview below.

For Pasitoa, the best shots come when people feel safe enough to be themselves.

“I think being very observant, reading people, and noticing. The art of noticing is actually key in this game,” she explains. “Noticing people's body languages, if they're feeling uncomfortable, take the camera away and just talk to them, help them relax a little bit.

“I find once people feel connected and relaxed and seen, you get some of the most beautiful photos.”

Some of her most powerful work is also the most personal. When her niece was born, her sister gave her one instruction: “Capture the emotion in the room”.

“I think the most precious moment was the first time she held her baby in her arms,” Pasitoa says. “Just after the long labor and all the hard work, then finally being able to embrace her child.

“That was really sweet, there were tears of joy, tears of everything else. So to capture that was yeah definitely special and more special because [it’s] family.”

That focus on emotion, not perfection, sits at the heart of her work.

Outside of photography, Pasitoa works as a coach in an all-women’s gym - a role that has strengthened her ability to read people.

It’s a skill that carries directly into her photography. She understands that when people feel seen, their true selves come through.

While her style looks natural, the work behind it is not small or a “cheap hobby”. Pasitoa has invested more than $50,000 into her equipment.

But she says that shouldn’t stop anyone from starting. A phone, she adds, is enough.

Working alongside Pacific visual arts creative Faith Ikenasio and supported by a strong circle of mentors, Pasitoa continues to push her craft.

She even chooses to shoot in challenging conditions, like harsh midday sun, to keep improving.

Esther Pasitoa. Photo/Supplied

When clients receive their images, Pasitoa wants them to see more than a high-resolution image.

“I'd hope that when they look at my photos that they'd be transported back in time to a time that was loving, joyful, and fun,” she says.

“I think that's why I prefer the more natural and authentic moments so that that's what people can be reminded of.”