Family
The Best Beaches for Outdoor Family Photos in Sydney
Golden light, salty hair, sandy toes, and the kind of laughter you can’t fake. If your family feels most alive outdoors — running, exploring, cuddling in the breeze, and soaking
Headed up by acclaimed portrait photographer Nikki McLennan, Lion & Cub Photography is custom-designed to capture your story as it really is – from glowing maternity portraits to wild-haired toddlers, multi-generational families, and fur babies…
Based in Sydney’s inner west, Nikki shoots both outdoors and in-studio, runs creative children’s workshops at Tortuga Studios, creates bold business portraits, and takes on a handful of weddings each year for couples who love something a little different.
Nikki McLennan WON the Australian Small Business
Champion Awards 2022
We invest time, energy and thought into every shoot, from the first call to the presentation of finished work for you to proudly display. We are a bespoke service, crafted with people in mind, so we tailor the experience to you.
From maternity and newborns to families, weddings, pets, and boudoir, Lion & Cub is about people, and our studio/ outdoor sessions are designed to be relaxed, informal and focused on connection, confidence and love.
Elevate your business image through personal branding portraits, polished headshots, and professional coverage of corporate events.
Ideal for websites, media, and social channels, our images help you stand out, tell your story, and keep your brand presence fresh.
Practical, inspiring, and hands-on, Lion & Cub workshops are art incubators designed to spark creativity, and build confidence, from one-on-one creative tutoring for students, to fun school holiday programs, and tailored sessions for adults.
A photograph. It’s a moment in time, a journey to the past, a memory of a loved one, their laughter, their tears. It’s a precious moment from the past revisited through a photograph.
At Lion & Cub, we have years of professional experience. With an artist’s eye and a knack of making our clients comfortable and at ease, we capture natural moments and genuine emotions in stunning portraits.
Lion & Cub capture all the most significant moments in life. We offer family portraits, wedding photography, maternity and newborn photos, as well as business and personal branding photography.
Lion & Cub Photography Studios
31 Princes Highway, St Peters, 2044 NSW Australia
Our industrial inner-city warehouse photographic studio is the epitome of grungy cool. Located in St Peters, directly opposite the lush wilderness of Sydney Park, we love showing clients this fully fitted, 90m² photographic studio environment.
Just a few minutes walk from St Peters station, there is plenty of free parking in nearby streets, and directly outside the studio after 10am.
Award-winning portrait photographer
With over 25 years of experience, countless photography and business awards, and a background as a qualified Visual Arts and Photography teacher, Nikki brings both technical mastery and an artist’s intuition to her work.
A regularly exhibiting artist, she creates portraits that feel alive — textured, cinematic, and deeply personal.
Golden light, salty hair, sandy toes, and the kind of laughter you can’t fake. If your family feels most alive outdoors — running, exploring, cuddling in the breeze, and soaking
(Sydney Park vs Camperdown Memorial Park vs Sir Joseph Banks Park) If your dream family photos involve rolling hills, leafy trees, wide open space, and kids free to run around,
WINNING!!! I have achieved the goal of being in a National portrait photography exhibition! Being self-employed means I don’t experience typical career promotions, so entering awards has become my way
Before reaching out, check out some handy FAQ’s below that just might have the answers you need.
Lion & Cub Photography is where art and emotion meet — capturing connection in its most honest form. My style is creative, natural and authentic, with an emphasis on genuine connection. I’ll guide you just enough so you never feel awkward in front of the camera, but your photos will never look forced or overly posed. Instead, they’ll reflect who you really are—unfiltered, relaxed, and full of real moments. Using Sydney’s superb outdoor locations or our incredible studio space with backdrops and striking natural light, every session is a creative collaboration built on trust, artistry, and heart. The result is a collection of photos that truly represent you: relaxed, joyful, and full of genuine moments to preserve.
I have a Bachelor of Arts/English Literature from Sydney University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts/Photomedia from National Art School and a Master of teaching from The Univesity of Melbourne. As a qualified Visual Arts and Photography teacher and regularly exhibiting artist, I adapt my fine-art portraiture style first developed 25 years ago in an age where it was still film, drawing inspiration from Cindy Sherman, Annie Leibovitz, and Olive Cotton.
Her creative portraits reflect a deep love of black and white tones and the evocative beauty of film. Nikki lives and breathes photography — it is her language, her craft, and her life’s purpose.
My speciality is photographing women at all ages and stages of life, from boudoir to maternity, newborn to older children, extended families, pets (even cats!). I also offer business and branding, with corporate headshots and networking events and I take on a few wedding bookings a year.
My creative portraits reflect a deep love of black and white tones and the evocative beauty of film. I lives and breathe photography — it is my language and my life’s purpose.
Lion & Cub is about to have its 14th birthday. My journey spans photographing performances at the Actors School of Theatre and Television back in an age where it was still film, to documenting artists like Akira Igosawa hand-printing designs at Signature Prints factory. I have learnt from working with senior photographers just like a rookie, and have also actively entered awards and competitions, as I enjoy the feedback and inspiration gained from meeting other artists. I have also written for Capture Magazine, which involved interviewing photographers all around the globe on topics such as newborns to nudes…
It depends on the type of session:
Yes! I’ll help style your whole crew so everyone looks sharp and cohesive. Women, little girls, and babies can borrow from my curated studio wardrobe, or we can mix in pieces from your closet—or even shop online—so it all feels effortless, comfortable, and totally you. See my blog post here on What to Wear or see this PDF to a family session and this one for what to bring to a personal branding session.
Tortuga Studios, 31 Princes Highway, St Peters, NSW 2044. You can park on the Princes Highway opposite the BP Service Station or in Sydney Park across the road. You can catch the 422 bus from the city, or it is only a 4-minute walk from St Peter’s train station or 20 minutes from the Sydney Airport.
Wed 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Thu 4.30 pm – 7.30 pm – for spring/summer sunset sessions
Fri 4.30 pm – 7.30 pm
Sat by appointment only for special events
Sunday 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
You can view a mobile-friendly PDF guide here. There is also more information under the Family dropdown and Products section of the website. If you would like help choosing the right option, you are very welcome to book a call or send an enquiry above.
If you are ready to book, click here to pay the $200 booking fee and secure your session. Available dates will be shown for you to choose from. A consultation is always arranged before your shoot, and your date can be adjusted later if needed.
To secure your session, a $200 booking fee is required. The remaining balance depends on the collection and products you choose after your session, whether that is digital files, albums, framed artwork, or gifts for family. This gives you the flexibility to decide once you have seen your images.
No problem. For a quick quote, fill out the enquiry form above and let Nikki know which service you are interested in. If you would prefer to chat first, you can also book a call here. Nikki will be in touch as soon as possible to learn more about what you are looking for and what matters most to you.
The earlier the better! I recommend reaching out as soon as you’re considering a session — ideally in your second trimester for maternity or before your baby arrives for newborn photos. For family sessions, I book up especially quickly in the spring so it’s best to reach out early if you’d like a spot during peak season, though it is likely I am available for a sunset session during the week for a mini session.
Every image collection includes a selection of fully retouched digital files delivered in a private online gallery — ready to download, share, and back up for your family archive. You’ll also receive a print credit to use toward heirloom-quality artwork.
