We photographed local mum and new business founder Sarah Jelly at home in Manly with her newborn baby and family and heard how she opened her studio space only two weeks before her baby arrived. Whoa - two babies born at almost the same time.

Sarah Jelly’s newborn son arrived a little early, but only two weeks before, she opened her creative co-working studio space, The Studio Collective. A just-opened business, new baby, and busy toddler have been pretty crazy for her, but her enthusiasm for her gorgeous space, love of connecting people, and of course her family, has kept her going. 

Sarah found a space during the lockdown and fast-tracked her five-year goal into a five-month deadline, to fit in with her baby’s due date. Super inspiring, and some said crazy, but the more people doubted, the more Sarah was determined to make it happen. The creative, collaborative co-working space in the heart of Manly had been an idea and passion project for a long time. She had all the beginnings of the idea, but the time frame wasn’t part of the plan. ‘There’s never a perfect time – that’s what this year has proven to me’, she says. ‘Working on it definitely gave me a focus away from my body aching and pregnancy stuff, and gave me a timeline - I probably would have taken longer to find somewhere, longer to renovate, but nope, I’m having a baby soon, I need to make it happen! Not long after opening, James Griffin MP came to visit on a Friday, and I had my baby on Saturday morning.’ 

Amongst the craziness, Sarah was delighted to have captured her baby, Fred, at two months, and her daughter Margot, 2, in lifestyle family photos. ‘People say you don’t have as many photos of your second child, so I’m really pleased I did a photo session now as I didn’t have photos done first time around with our daughter, and there are lovely ones of my husband Sean and Fred. These are all my lasts, rather than my firsts. Our family is complete now, so every time I do something it’s like the last time, so I’m really pleased to have captured our babies and this crazy moment in time’, she says. 

Have a look at our at-home newborn photography. To see Sarah’s beautifully curated and designed co-working space, check out @thestudiocollective.co

Interview Janine Phillipson

Little Manly Photography