Meet Dani: The Perth Family & Couples Photographer Behind the Camera

Get to know me: The laughs, the awkward bits, the golden light obsession, and why I love what I do.

If we’ve met before, you’ll know that I’m almost always down to have a chat and a laugh, and almost never worried about making a bit of a goose of myself along the way. That I love people, I love a good story, and that I’m the kind of person who gets ridiculously excited when the afternoon light hits a random field just right.

But if you’re thinking about booking a photography session with me, you might be wondering who the person behind the camera actually is. So, I thought it was about time I introduced myself properly!

I’m Dani: a Perth photographer, a mum of three, a nurse, a friend, and a big believer in making other people feel comfortable enough to be totally themselves. I’m full of energy, I wear my heart on my sleeve, and I genuinely love helping people see the beauty in their own lives.

I’m also very much human. I have my insecurities, I overthink things sometimes, and I certainly don’t have it all figured out. 

But what I do know is that I love people, their stories, their connections, and all the little quirks that make them who they are. And I reckon that has a lot to do with why I love photography so much.

First things first: I know that having your photo taken can feel awkward

There’s something I say at the beginning of almost every session: “Right, this is probably going to feel a bit awkward to start with...”

Because let’s face it, having someone point a camera at you isn’t something most of us do every day. So all of a sudden, you forget how to stand, what to do with your hands, and whether you’ve ever smiled normally in your entire life…

The good news is that you don’t have to know what you’re doing. That’s my job!

My approach to taking photos of families and couples here in Perth is all about capturing the real stuff.

And this means I’ll more than likely be getting you moving, chatting, cuddling, laughing and playing, and probably doing a few things that feel a little bit silly, rather than asking you to stand perfectly still and smile at the camera for an hour. 

Because somewhere between the chats and cuddles, the terrible jokes and the genuine moments, something lovely tends to happen. You relax. You stop thinking so much about the camera. And you start being yourself.

One of the best compliments I can receive is when someone tells me, “Oh my gosh, that was actually so much fun! I didn’t even feel like I was being photographed.” 

Because I don’t want your session to feel like another thing you have to get right. I want it to feel more like spending an afternoon hanging out with a friend, and just happening to come away with some beautiful photographs at the end of it, rather than enduring a joyless, awkward photoshoot with a photographer

I'm a people person through and through

I’m naturally a pretty happy, high-energy person. I love a laugh and a chat (sometimes probably a little too much!), and I’m usually the first to try and find the positive in a situation or the best in people.

I’m not interested in being the most impressive person in a room. I’ll probably chat to you like I’ve known you for years, make a fool of myself at some point or another… and encourage you to feel comfortable enough to do the same. There’s no fancy act or trying to be someone I’m not, because life’s too short to be pretending we’re cooler than we are, don’t you reckon?

Caring for people has also been a big part of my life through nursing, and I think that carries through into the way I photograph people. I notice when someone feels uncomfortable or isn't quite sure what to do, and I’ll do my best to help them feel at ease.

With more than 20 years of experience as a neonatal nurse, I’ve learnt a lot about patience, empathy, and paying attention to what people actually need. It’s especially helpful when photographing newborns and young families, sure – but that calm, caring approach is something I bring to every session.

I want you to feel comfortable enough to let your guard down, be a little silly, and enjoy the best bits about being with your people. Because when you feel relaxed, you make room for those genuine moments that make your photographs feel like magic: like you.

Life has taught me that being yourself is actually pretty wonderful

For someone who can be quite outgoing and confident, I can also be pretty insecure on the inside. And I think, deep down, that we can all be a bit like that at times.

There was a time when I thought I needed to fit in with the ‘popular crowd’: be around the right people, doing the right things. But what I’ve learnt over the years is that the best people aren’t necessarily the loudest, the coolest or the most “popular”. They’re the most genuine ones.

The ones who tell you when you’re being an idiot. The ones who show up when things get hard. The ones who know your flaws… and love you anyway. 

I’ve got some pretty incredible people like that in my life now (my ride-or-dies), and I’d do absolutely anything for them.

I think that’s one of the reasons I’m so drawn to photographing relationships. 

Whether I’m capturing a couple wrapped up in each other, a parent cuddling their little one, or siblings laughing together, I’m not just seeing people standing in front of a camera – I’m seeing connection, love, and that beautiful feeling of belonging.

And that’s the feeling I want to capture for you, too.

I have a slight obsession with golden light…

Okay, maybe more than ‘slight’…

If you’ve ever been in the car with me, there’s a good chance I’ve pointed out a random field, an old fence, a patch of bush or some other place with some gorgeous light coming through the trees and announced, “Ohhhh, that would be such a good spot for photos!”

I can’t help it – I see beauty everywhere. Especially when that golden hour light hits.

Give me a quiet beach, an open field, some weathered timber, a bit of Australian coastal scenery, and that gorgeous late-afternoon sunshine, and I’m one very happy girl.

If my photography had a season, it would be late summer: warm afternoons, salty hair, bare feet, kids running around outside, and that feeling that nobody really wants to go home yet. You know those afternoons when everything just feels good?

That’s the feeling I’m chasing when I photograph families, couples, and all of their most special seasons of life.

I love warmth, soft sunlit colours, dusty pinks, sage greens, rusty oranges, creams and sandy tones. I’m also a sucker for that nostalgic, slightly imperfect, 1970s film feeling. Nothing too polished, posed, or manufactured. Just warm, natural, intimate, relaxed images that capture the beautiful moments of your real life, as though they’ve always belonged in your family story.

I don’t want perfect. I want you

Here's the thing about my photography: I'm not really interested in capturing some picture-perfect version of your life. I'm interested in your actual life.

I want to capture the way your child reaches up to hold your hand or your partner pulls you in for a cuddle, and the way your kids might be playing quietly together one moment and then completely chaotically the next. It’s the little looks, tender touches, giggles, and beautiful moments in-between that really get me. 

Because when I look at a family, I don't just see a group of people who need to stand and smile together for a photograph. I see their connection to one another, the love shared, and the joint sense of belonging between them. And I want you to see that, too.

I don’t just want my photos to show you what your family looks like – I want them to show you what it feels like to love and be loved by them. 

One day, the kids will be bigger, the cuddles might be fewer, and those crazy, noisy, messy days will be something you look back on with so much love. And I want you to have the photographs that take you right back there.

I’m a Mum of three… And I wish I’d taken more photos

I’m a proud mum to three beautiful, now-adult humans. And honestly, I have no idea how it happened so quickly!

One minute they were little, running around, needing me for everything… and the next they were all grown up, living their own lives. Everyone tells you it goes fast, but bloody hell, it really does!

If there’s one thing I wish I’d done differently when my children were younger, it’s that I wish I’d taken more time to capture the little moments. Not just the birthdays and Christmases, or the first days of school and other big milestones, but all the everyday stuff: the little hands reaching for mine, the messy faces, the cuddles on the couch, and the ordinary afternoons when nothing particularly special was happening, but looking back, everything felt so special about it.

Life was busy. I was raising three kids and doing all the things mums do, and somehow the years just kept rolling by. You always think there’s more time for photos, more time for cuddles, more time to capture the little things. Until one day, those little things (and people) suddenly aren’t so little anymore.

I can’t go back and photograph all the moments I missed with my own three, and I do wish I had more photographs from certain stages of their childhood. But I can help other families hold on to theirs – and doing so means more to me than I can put into words.

And I don’t just mean when your children are babies. The toddlers who won’t sit still, the school-aged kids with their big personalities, the teenagers who might roll their eyes at the thought of family photos, and even when they’re all grown up. Every stage has its own kind of magic, and every stage deserves to be remembered.

I don't want you to look back in twenty years and wish you'd waited less, worried less about how you looked, or made more time to capture your family just as they were.

So, if you’ve been putting off booking family photos because life is busy, you’re not quite feeling yourself, or you’re waiting for a time when everything feels a little more together, take this as your gentle reminder…

You don’t have to wait for perfect.

One day, these won’t just be photos. They’ll be little pieces of a life you loved, with the people who mean the world to you.

And trust me: you’ll never regret having them.

My favourite part? Making people feel amazing

I love beautiful photographs, of course. But what I love even more is seeing someone realise that they look and feel wonderful in their photos – especially when they arrive telling me they’re awkward in front of the camera or hate having their photo taken.

I hear it all the time: “I’m not photogenic.” “I never know what to do in photos.” “I’ll probably hate them all.”

And I get it. Being photographed can feel vulnerable. Even more so when you’re used to being the one behind the camera, or worrying about how you look.

That’s where I come in. Because I know that somewhere underneath all that nervousness is a person who just needs to feel comfortable enough to let go, laugh, and be unapologetically their most genuine self.

I’ll guide you, encourage you, make you laugh and probably say something completely ridiculous to get a genuine smile out of you. More importantly, I’ll help create an experience where you can stop worrying about getting everything right and simply enjoy sharing the time with the people you’re with.

Sometimes, when clients see their photographs, they say, “Wow. Is that really me?” And I love those moments. Not because I think a photo can magically make all your insecurities disappear, but because sometimes we need a little help seeing ourselves with kinder eyes. If I can change the way someone feels about themselves, even just a little, then that means the world to me.

You deserve to be in the photos, too. You can show up exactly as you are – and we’ll take it from there.

So, what can you expect from a photo session with me?

Expect someone who’s genuinely excited to meet you, who might talk your ear off a little, who’ll make your kids laugh and encourage you to cuddle your partner, and who’ll reassure you when you’re worried about things not going to plan. Expect a bit of silliness, plenty of movement, and me getting ridiculously excited when the light does something beautiful.

Most of all, expect me to care – about how you feel, how comfortable you are, and the memories we’re creating together.

Whether we’re wandering along a Perth beach, exploring a favourite outdoor spot or an entirely new one, or capturing those quiet moments at home with your newborn, I’ll help you feel prepared without making the whole experience complicated. 

Working with me, there’s no pressure to perform, and no expectation that everything will go exactly to plan (spoiler alert: sometimes those unplanned moments are the best ones).

You don’t need an impeccably clean home, perfectly behaved kids, an entirely new wardrobe, to know exactly how to pose, to lose five kilos, or to suddenly develop confidence in front of the camera overnight. You just need to turn up as you are, be with your people, love on them as they are – and let me do the rest.

And one last thing…

I never take it for granted when someone chooses me to photograph their family. When people come back year after year, when I get to watch their children grow, or when they trust me with another little chapter of their story, it really does mean so much.

Because I know these aren’t just photographs. They’re the treasures you’ll look back on when life has changed, when the kids have grown, or when you wish you could have just one more afternoon exactly as it was. 

I want your photographs to bring back all of the laughter, the cuddles, the chaos, and the love, along with that beautiful feeling of being part of something truly special. I want them to make you feel something: all the warmth, joy, and connection.

So, that’s me. 

A little loud, a little silly, a big softie at heart, always looking for the good in people, and forever chasing that beautiful golden light.

No pretence. No pressure to be perfect. Just me, my camera and a genuine love for making people feel comfortable, connected, and celebrated.

If you’re looking for a Perth family photographer who’ll help you relax enough to have a bit (or a lot!) of fun, and who’ll capture your people just as they are, I’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re celebrating a new baby, updating your family photos or simply wanting to remember this season of life, let’s make something beautiful together.

And if you leave our session feeling like you’ve just spent an afternoon with a friend? Well, then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.

See you in the sunshine,
Dani x