Eleesha Quinn: How Queensland mum’s life was changed by a single Instagram photo

Living in a small town with nothing to do, Eleesha Quinn began taking photos to pass the time — and one changed everything.

For Eleesha Quinn, posting photos on Instagram started as just a fun way to pass the time.

The young mother had moved with her husband to a small country town and starting taking photos of her children.

“Where we lived there’s literally only like a thousand people there, there’s nothing really there to do. So of course having new babies you want to take photos of them,” she told news.com.au.

Ms Quinn would dress her daughters in matching handmade clothes from local boutiques and soon her efforts caught the attention of one company — and her life changed.

“I was posting these pictures and one day tagged I tagged the company that I’d bought the dresses from, they loved it, they wanted to feature it on their page,” she said.

When they moved home to Bundaberg, Ms Quinn started jumping in photos too.

“It just sort of snowballed from there, from then people seeing my girls on this particular company’s page, then they would get in touch with me so they could send things to the girls. That’s how it all started.”

When they returned to Bundaberg four and a half years ago Ms Quinn realised her growing Instagram page could become her full time job.

She began getting in photos alongside her daughters, seven-year-old Logan, five-year-old Aleeia and three-year-old Isla.

“We moved back here so my eldest could start school,” she said.

“I started getting in pictures with the girls at the beach, because we live at the beach, and my page went gangbusters from there. I think people just liked the real life style of it.”

The family now work with some big name Australian brands.

Today she has nearly 200,000 followers and works with big name brands such as Seed, Bonds and Cotton On Kids.

“It’s really fun, I’m able to actually pursue my passions of fashion, photography, travel, all things interiors, life that I love doing,” Ms Quinn said.

“To be able to do it on an everyday basis for my job, it’s great.”

Using Instagram, Ms Quinn documents her family’s adventures too, which includes trips to places like Bali, as well as a seriously glam makeover she did of a Bunnings cubby recently.

But one of the toughest parts of her work is something other mums can relate too — dressing three girls requires a lot of time in the laundry.

“It’s mainly just the ironing of the clothes, planning what I want to go with what,” Ms Quinn said with a laugh.

“All mums do that when they’re planning to dress their kids, it’s no different, just I take a picture at the end.”

While Ms Quinn spends time planning and thinking about what kind of photo she wants to take next, the “girls just jump in it and then there’s the shot done”.

However Ms Quinn is strict about when she takes photos.

“I always say to anyone that wants to work with us that obviously the kids come first and they are my children. I can’t guarantee if they don’t want to be in a photo that day I’m not going to take the photo that day,” Ms Quinn said.

“I’m never going to make my kids do anything they don’t want to do.”

Part of this means making sure brands understand she might not be able to deliver at a certain time.

“I am very much always open and honest with the people I work with and say, ‘sorry I will 100 per cent try my best and meet your guidelines and deadline, but if it can’t happen it can’t happen, I’m not going to make my kids do something that isn’t happening’.

“If they’re in a bad mood or if they’re tired I’m never going to ask them too, it’s all just a balancing act.”