LJM Photography

03/09/2026

A little look at the faces I’ve been lucky enough to photograph lately.

Families, businesses, humans just being themselves. Every single one has a story, and getting to capture even the smallest moments makes me so grateful I have this skill and that this is my job!

Making this reel has taken me bloody ages to finish.

Whenever you make a reel, you need it to be catchy, not too long, as people lose interest within 10 seconds. I collate my favourite moments over the past few months, trying to find 15-20 images out of thousands and thousands.

I then overthink, tweak, crop and cull, then cull 15 more times, until I get to the stage where I’m like... “fark it, I hope this resonates with someone.”

But looking at this small representation of the past few months, it’s given me pause to be grateful. My son and I have been sick all week (starting to see the light now). Being self-employed has its pros and cons, if you’re sick, you don’t earn $$. Luckily I’ve been able to rest before my weekend of shoots ahead.

Even on the hard weeks, I wouldn’t trade this job for anything.

I want my son to grow up inspired, knowing he can do whatever he wants in life, as long as he’s happy. Bonus points if he gets to share his passions with the world in his career. I want him to see us and be inspired, to know it’s possible.

01/09/2026

It’s the end of winter. The end of the soccer season. And the end of my first year sponsoring a local club, documenting sport, and being a team sports Mumma.
And I really, really enjoyed it.

I never thought I’d be the person setting an alarm for sparrows fart on a Sunday, driving to the ground while the sun is still rising and the fog hasn’t quite lifted. I invested in thermals to survive the coastal wind. But there I was, week after week, loving every second of watching these little humans find their groove, both as individuals and as a team.

What surprised me most wasn’t the early mornings or the cold. It was the community.

By sponsoring the club and showing up with my camera, I formed instant connections with people I’d never have met otherwise.

A few weeks ago I was photographing a local artist’s mural at a nearby primary school and a group of preppies from the club turned up to help out. Even picking my son up from school, kids recognise me now. Some give a shy smile. Others walk straight up and ask, “Do you recognise me?” Which of course I do.

I’ve been able to capture the community and tell the stories that mean just as much to me now… Here is a snap shot of 2026 season.

14/08/2026

07/07/2026

At first glance this might look like a simple image. Not the kind that stops the scroll.

But it sits heavy with me. I think about it often.

This moment comes from a deceased estate shoot I documented a little while back. A house where three family members had passed within a few years of each other. His parents. Then his brother.

Going back to that house took a long time.

When we arrived I gave them space. Let them open the blinds, turn on the lights, breathe. I stood back quietly and took it all in. I don't judge. I appreciate the beautiful chaos of a life fully lived.

Everything was exactly as it had been left. His dad's pants still laid out on the chair. Ready for the next day. But tomorrow never came.
As we moved through the rooms I felt the heartache thick in the air. And then slowly, something shifted. A warmth as they began finding things. Objects that would mean nothing to anyone else. But each one carried a memory and they'd tell me about it with this look on their face I'll never forget.

My friend Jackie always regretted not documenting her own parents home before everything changed. So when it came to her in-laws, she knew. It had to be done.

If you have a home, a parent, a place that holds a lifetime inside it, please don't wait.
The full story is on the blog. Link in profile.

05/06/2026

Some of my favourite work lately has happened on the sidelines.

I recently became a sponsor at my son's soccer club. I didn't fully commit until I knew I could do the role justice. I had never really done sports photography before and honestly, it was daunting. But rather than getting in my head about it (which I do, often), I looked at it the way I look at everything.

As a story.

So it's not just about capturing the game. It's everything around it. The details. The in-between.
Kids running hard. Parents hollering from the sidelines (it's a genuinely supportive community, which is everything). Muddy boots. That one kid who always has a bubble wand. The halftime oranges. The warm cuddles at the end, no matter what the result.
I'll also confess, it stops me from becoming a sideline coach to my own son. Apparently I am that parent. I know, I know.
I'm not built to just stand and watch. I need to move. I need to find the story. And this one? This one is really heartwarming.
Community is worth preserving too.

12/05/2026

"Lauren is one of a kind. She is the only person I would trust to photograph sensitive or delicate moments. She is a deep thinker, mindful and collaborative. Her gentle and kind manner will make everyone feel safe and the moments she captures tell the story of a thousand words."
Three sessions over the years. A wedding in New York City, a family portrait across generations and the story of her business. Each one a different chapter. Each one completely its own thing.
That's what documentary photography is really about. It's not a style reserved for weddings or newborns or brand launches. It works wherever real life is happening. Whenever there's a story worth keeping.
And there almost always is.

The final image is up there with one of my most favourite images ... It says so much in one frame, pure documentary.

30/04/2026

This is what happens when a client trusts the process.
Curious Claudette reached out after I photographed her family, twice. When she was ready to tell her business story, she came back. That kind of trust means everything.
Her world is a celebration of interior design with a past. European vintage pieces, antiques, objects with provenance and personality, brought into contemporary homes not to sit untouched but to start conversations. Every piece she chooses has a reason behind it.
My job was to follow her into that world and document it honestly. When a brand has this much character, you don't manufacture moments. You just stay present and pay attention.
"Lauren understood the energy and aesthetic I wanted to capture. The photos nailed the brief. She made the whole process fun and easy to navigate."
If your business has a story worth telling, that's exactly what I'm here for.

Your Story deserves to be told

28/04/2026

This time 11 years ago I was sitting in a surgery waiting room watching the morning news.

Two of the Bali Nine were being driven to their ex*****on. And there I was, waiting to go in for our third egg collection. Trying to make life while watching the end of two others.

I couldn't stop thinking about what they were feeling in those final moments.

I was bloated, nervous, quietly excited and feeling a little guilty for being excited. This was our last shot. We'd changed donors. We were all in.

Nine eggs collected. Nine mature. Nine embryos took.

I remember staring at that screen trying to stay present, feeling everything at once.

Some days just sit differently in your memory. That was one of them.

23/04/2026

Jas and Dan found me on Instagram and booked me to photograph their wedding in 2018.
Then in 2023 they invited me back. Two of them had become four. There was a toddler who wanted to show me everything and a baby who was mostly just trying to work out what was happening.
That session gave me one of my all time favourite images. Aston farted. The evidence is all there in the frame. Him with that enormous, completely unrepentant smile. Jas laughing out of shock and slightly impressed. Dan just slowly shaking his head. I will never not love that photo.

Last week I went back again. The baby is now four. The toddler is six, is still full of beans and the same cheeky smile. Throughout this session I found out the boys had renamed me Marshmallow.
The next day Jas sent me a message from Aston.

"um hi marshmallow, um we really appreciate the photos, they were so much fun, I hope you can come again, you can take lots of photos of us - love Aston and Jack"

It is such an honour being even a small part of watching a family grow. To be trusted with these chapters, again and again, is something I do not take lightly.

19/04/2026

Your customers already know they like you.
They come back. They bring their friends. They tag you in their stories. But when someone who has never heard of you lands on your website or your Instagram, what do they see?
Stock-feeling images and a logo does not tell them what it actually feels like to walk through your door.
That is what I do. I come in and I document the real version of your business. The people. The process. The small things that make you different from every other place that does what you do.
Because the soul of your business is worth showing.
If you are a small business owner on the Surf Coast or in Melbourne and you want imagery that actually represents you, my details are in the bio.