Corrimal local Rachel Lee, 37, runs Scribbly Gum Photography.

Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to start a photography business.

It's now been six years of running a business! I juggle this with my other work of mumming to my three young boys. 

My specialty is capturing the opposing forces of softness and strength in my images, creating something special you’ll be proud to share. Whether that’s through providing a business headshot which is professional yet approachable, or through capturing the power and femininity of a pregnant mother. My photos celebrate individuality, life and family in their many forms and seasons. My clients love the way I customise my style and approach to suit their needs.

After 10 years of enjoying photography as a hobby, once my eldest was born, I decided I wanted to pursue photography as a business, in a way that helps my clients feel heard and seen. There has (and always will be!) a lot to learn about running a business, but I do enjoy the flexibility and opportunities it gives me.

Congratulations on being awarded Jury Top 5 selection at the International Photography Awards in the Self Portrait category. When and why did you take this picture? And whose hands can we see?

Thank you! This year has been a big year for me personally, trying to stay afloat with the load of mothering, feeling stretched and needed when I have been exhausted myself.

I wanted to acknowledge this feeling and create an image that represents the sentiment of always feeling needed. Perhaps other mums might resonate with it?

I took this photo just a couple of months ago, and you can see in the image a few little (and one big) hand. These are my boys and husband. I also intentionally kept a warm tone in the image, to celebrate the warmth and joy that motherhood brings.

I often photograph families, and happy moments for these families and I think it's time we started to acknowledge, speak about and share stories of motherhood that aren't always rosy and joyful. Those exist, of course, so I'll continue creating those wonderful family connections, but two things can be true. We can both love being a mum, and find parts of it really hard.

I hope that this image conveys this feeling of being stretched and overwhelmed, while still finding the courage to show up.   

What does your day-to-day work involve and what do you love about it?

I love that I've created a business that works with my kids. You'll find me at school drop off and pickup, photoshoots and parenting during the daytime and then I'm often catching up on admin during the evenings.

One of my favourite moments with clients is when they open up their prints from a family photoshoot, and the little ones recognise themselves. The joy on their faces is absolutely incredible.

Seeing mums celebrate their growing bodies, or having my headshot clients proudly showing themselves to the world... you just can't beat it. Being able to celebrate each individual in a way that is meaningful to them is what I love most. 

What’s your next project?

I'm excited to be opening for expressions of interest for my upcoming project, Colours of Motherhood! Colours of Motherhood is going to become a collection of real mamas' stories.

It will share both the challenges motherhood brings, that is often a hidden reality of motherhood. It’s putting together the opposites of beauty, love and challenges to remind us that all these feelings and experiences can, and do co-exist. My hope is that this project might also help mums feel a little less lonely and a little less isolated in knowing that they are not alone in this rollercoaster. The ultimate goal is to celebrate motherhood in a way where we can speak about, validate and feel connected through our mothering stories.

The image that I've created above is the first image to go into the collection and I'm excited to hear other mum's stories as well. Mums can express their interest in being involved here.

How do you like to unwind?

This is something that I'm intentionally practising more of! I don't find it easy to allocate time to myself, but I have always loved getting outside and adventuring! Whether it's in the ocean, on a bike or just checking out a new stretch of the outdoors. One of my favourite moments that I enjoy every day is a hot coffee in the morning and a snuggle as I say goodnight to my boys.

For more information, contact Rachel Lee at Scribbly Gum Photography