I Created A 'Photographer's Garden' In My Backyard Because My Life Was Too Busy For Travel

I've long had a dream to be a wildlife and nature photographer skipping around on Antarctic icebergs and snapping exotic species hidden deep in forests. However, when I became a mum I had to face up the fact that I not only didn't have the luxury of traveling to those places, but I often only had an hour or two at difficult times of the day to shoot like in the midday sun. I began photographing at local parks, but even then driving there cut into my tiny windows of time.

So I decided to change my front and back yards to create the type of images I wanted to shoot. I also made sure that I was designing the garden so that I'd have something to photograph in any light or weather. I planted a ton of native Australian plants including some like the Misty Pink Grevillea that I'd always wanted to capture. I also planted others like salvia, perennial basil and buddleia to bring in the local bees (native and introduced), butterflies and birds. It's still a work in progress, but the garden is now hopping with Fairy Wrens, New Holland Honeyeaters, Wattlebirds, Skinks, Blue-tongue Lizards, Blue-banded and other native bees and tons of other little beasties. Build it and they will indeed come!

Below are some of the results of my project to build my own personal little photography paradise. I'm now selling prints of these images on my website and hope to turn my lifelong passion into a full-time business. I still haven't managed to photograph all the wildlife that's moved in and all the interesting plants, but having my outdoor studio at my door means I will soon... even with my time-poor life!

More info: Instagram