Lead Photographer / Photography Team Leader - Children's Photography

The Role: The position will initially commence at 2 days per week on location - Thursday and Friday. Applicants must be available every Thursday and Friday. You'll commence with paid training during the remainder of our 2026 season, working alongside our experienced team to learn the 1405 Photography style, our approach to working with young children and how we manage our childcare photography days. We then close for our summer break, with the regular position commencing from February 2027. Once you have completed your training and are confident in our photography and editing workflow, the role is intended to grow to approximately 3 days per week, with an additional editing/post-production day based from our 1405 Photography office. The longer-term structure will generally be: Thursday & Friday – Lead Photographer on location Additional weekday – Editing/Post-production at the 1405 Photography office There may also be opportunities for additional photography days depending on our centre schedule. Photography days generally commence at approximately 8:15am and finish between 12:00pm - 3:00pm, depending on the size of the centre and number of children being photographed.

What You'll Be Doing: As a Lead Photographer, you will: Photograph children from babies through to kindergarten age Capture beautiful, natural and genuine expressions Create a fun, relaxed and child-led photography experience Independently manage a childcare photography day from start to finish Lead and direct a Photography Assistant Communicate confidently with centre directors and educators Organise room and child flow throughout the day Adapt to children's routines, weather and unexpected changes Problem-solve and make decisions independently Photograph staff and other required centre images Maintain the consistent style and quality of 1405 Photography Follow our image-handling, privacy and child-safety procedures Once fully trained, you'll also cull and edit your own photography from our 1405 Photography office using our established Lightroom workflow and editing style.

About You: This role would suit an experienced photographer who is confident behind the camera but is equally comfortable taking the lead and working with people. You'll be: An experienced professional photographer Highly confident shooting in manual mode Experienced with natural light and outdoor photography Warm, energetic, patient and genuinely great with young children Confident communicating with adults, educators and centre management Highly organised and able to manage a busy photography day Comfortable leading and directing an assistant Calm under pressure and a natural problem-solver Reliable, punctual and professional Able to work independently without needing constant direction Interested in becoming a long-term member of the 1405 Photography team Experience in family, portrait, wedding, event, school or high-volume photography would be highly regarded. Previous childcare photography experience is an advantage, but not essential for the right experienced photographer. Full training in our photography style and childcare workflow will be provided.

Requirements: To be considered, you'll need: Full availability every Thursday and Friday Your own professional photography equipment A strong photography portfolio Confidence shooting in manual mode Experience using Adobe Lightroom A current Victorian Working With Children Check, or willingness to obtain one A valid driver's licence and reliable vehicle The ability to travel throughout Melbourne's Northern and Western suburbs A genuine love of working with young children The confidence to lead an assistant and independently manage a photography day A genuine interest in a long-term role with 1405 Photography Pay Lead Photography – $50 per hour + superannuation Editing/post-production work will be paid separately at the applicable post-production rate once this component is added following training. The photography rate includes the use of your own professional photography equipment and travel to our childcare and kindergarten locations. A Role With Balance One of the lovely benefits of working with 1405 Photography is that our working year follows the natural rhythm of the childcare and kindergarten photography season. You'll commence training with us during the remainder of 2026, then enjoy our Christmas/summer closure before returning ready for your regular position in February 2027. We also close during July each year, giving our team another scheduled winter break. For an experienced photographer looking for regular weekday work while still having time to enjoy life outside of work, this role offers a great balance. Why Join 1405 Photography? Paid training during the remainder of 2026 Regular Thursday and Friday photography days from February 2027 Opportunity to add a third editing/post-production day once fully trained Summer holiday break July winter break No regular weekend photography A Photography Assistant working alongside you on location Established childcare and kindergarten clients Full training in our photography style and workflow A friendly, small-business environment The opportunity to become an important senior member of an established photography team