It's Time

For seventeen years, I've made my living behind a camera. It started with weddings, families, and preschool portraits, work that put me right in the middle of people's biggest days and their ordinary ones too.

Somewhere along the way, that grew into Sydney Headshot Photos, which I've run since 2017.

I want to let you know that I'm taking a break from working as a photographer. My schedule is full of bookings to the end of the year, but I will not be taking on any new assignments.

This hasn't been a quick decision. It's been building slowly for a while now, and I've finally reached the point where it's time to say it out loud. Seventeen years is a long time to do anything these days, but I couldn't call what I do a job. I've loved every minute of it.

To everyone who has been part of my journey, thank you. Thank you to the brides and grooms from years ago who trusted me with a day that only happens once. Thank you to the families and preschools who welcomed me back season after season.

I really want to thank every person I have created a headshot for over the last 9 years. Executives, graduates, actors, authors, athletes, CEO's, entrepreneurs, business teams and people who found me at a headshot kiosk. I truly hope you still love the headshots that we created together.

Some of you I photographed once. Some of you I photographed for a decade or more, through weddings and then the babies that followed, through office moves and career changes.

All of you have given me purpose, joy and connection, and business built on trust and word of mouth.

I'm proud of what we built together.

Seventeen years of photography isn't just a body of work. It's thousands of small moments where someone felt seen, looked their best, and left with confidence and an image to prove it.

This isn't the end of photography for me. It's time to rediscover my personal work and my joy for photography again. Come find me at melaniebirt.com.

Thank you for seventeen years. It's been an honour.