The State Library of Queensland's First 5 Forever program encourages families to read, talk, sing, and share stories with young children during the critical early years of development. They engaged us to build the photography library supporting the program, not in a single shoot but gradually across three years.
Photography involving young children always comes with unpredictability. The challenge was to create premium campaign imagery while working with real families, real locations, and moments that couldn't be heavily staged. The library also needed to feel geographically Queensland, representing city life, regional communities, libraries, homes, and outdoor spaces. A three-year timeline added further complexity: each annual shoot needed new content while still feeling visually aligned with the years before.
Rather than photographing children in static or posed environments, the production focused on moments that felt naturally playful. Reading became part of everyday activity. There's an old saying about never working with children or animals. Fortunately, the children were excellent. One standout moment involved a cooking sequence where children read from a recipe book. More cake mixture ended up outside the bowl than inside it. The photographs were worth it.
The library continues to be used across State Library campaigns, publications, and public-facing materials. A large-format billboard installation at the library remains part of its visible legacy. Three years of production created depth and consistency that a single shoot could never have delivered.
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