Workshop Magic with Polly Jane Photography

On Monday, I had the absolute pleasure of attending a workshop with Polly Jane Photography down in Bundeena, and let me tell you, it was exactly the creative spark I knew I needed after a cold and, if I’m honest, a bit of a quiet winter.

Polly brings a beautifully retro vibe to her work, and that same warmth and personality carried through every part of the day. From the moment we stepped into the house, she embraced us in a joyful hug and that warmth continued to pour from her throughout the day.

We started the morning at a gorgeous little retro fibro house full of charm and character. After getting settled, Polly took us on a walkthrough of the house to discuss the lighting. I found this incredibly helpful. Seeing how she assessed the light in each room and talked through how she would position a family to make the most of each setup was easily one of the most practical and eye-opening parts of the day.

Next, we met our first family, the lovely Mia and Amelia and their baby boy Xavier. He was a total sweetheart and such a chiller. We started out the front and then moved into the backyard, where there was a classic old Hills Hoist. Polly added some lace to the line while the family stood in and around it, which created a really cool effect and let me tell you sometimes it pays to get low for these shots as evidenced by the photo of Polly and others shooting from the ground.

After that, we moved inside to take advantage of the gorgeous natural light streaming through the home. My favourite space was the living room with its sheer curtains and eclectic styling. I found an arched mirror to shoot through and I always love getting creative with reflections. Oh and my fellow tog friend Kate (Kate Sutherland Photography) was also there as you can see from the photo below. We had a nice time hanging out together.

Later, we moved into the bedrooms where Polly demonstrated her newborn wrapping technique. I’ve been shown a few wraps before, but I always end up with something between a burrito and a mummy. Polly’s method felt so much more relaxed and aligned with my own style, and it was so helpful to see it done in person even though we weren’t photographing a newborn.

After a big morning of shooting, we sat in the sun and enjoyed lunch together. Then it was time for some really valuable theory. Polly shared insights on marketing, workflows, and one section I found especially helpful - the psychology of pricing. It gave me so much to think about!

In the afternoon, we drove down to the beach for our second shoot with a beautiful family of five - mum, dad, two sons, and a daughter, with another bub on the way. We started with the kids on skateboards in the street, then made our way down to the beach where Polly demonstrated a few of her games and prompts for less-than-enthused kiddos. It was awesome to see her win them over and bring out their personalities. We ended with some solo maternity portraits of mum, who braved the cold and stripped down to her undies in front of ten photographers which in my opinion was so worth it! An absolute legend.