Leicolhn McKellar Photography

21/08/2025

Presenting ‘Guma’, a visual exploration of contemporary pan-Aboriginal identity.
I’m excited and honoured to bring the faces and lives of those I love and admire from my beautiful, broad community, to the streets of Ballarat. Showing now as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale

ON THE ART SCREEN FROM 2 AUGUST: GUMA

‘Guma’ means ‘blood’ in the Budjiti language and is the title of Budjiti photographer Leicolhn McKellar’s visual exploration of contemporary pan-Aboriginal identity.

Her photo series and video challenge reductive visual tropes. Set in urban Darwin, Larrakia Country, ‘Guma’ captures the everyday lives of First Nations families, celebrating their strength, connection, and presence in spaces often excluded from mainstream representations.

‘Guma’ reclaims the visual narrative, presenting First Nations peoples as they are: multifaceted, contemporary, and unbound by stereotype.

Part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale 23 August – 19 October 2025

Image: Leicolhn McKellar ‘Gaminyarr’ 2025, digital photograph. Image courtesy of the artist.

15/08/2025

High fashion at high noon with Nelson Baker for Blaklist Agency.

Wearing Atyene Clothing by Rachel Perkins.
Original art print by Margaret Kngwarray Long, Utopia Art Centre.

Hat:
Bracelet:
Necklace:

14/08/2025

Loudly, shamelessly a Barkaa fan girl, cos who doesn’t stan big tidda energy? A Blak woman standing tall, proud and resolute in her identity is an immovable force
🖤💛❤️

Malyangapa and Barkindji sister performing ‘Ngamaka’ at the 2025 National Indigenous Music Awards.

📷 for

11/08/2025

🚩 The Red Flag Dancers of Numbulwar, dancing their age-old stories of cultural exchange with the Makassar people of Indonesia, at the 2025 National Indigenous Music Awards.

07/08/2024

The stamp of feet on the earth. The cries of ancient songlines carrying on the wind. The striking contrast of gapan, ochre, against skin. The sound of the sea breeze rustling the leaves of stringybark, the murmur of voices and children shrieking with laughter.

This is Yolngu country 🖤💛❤️

📷 Garma Festival 2024, as seen on Australian Geographic, for Yothu Yindi Foundation.

09/08/2023

Reflecting on the magic of Garma 2023 (and still removing red dust from my camera gear!) and revisiting images from Gulkala in 2022. Four days and 60,000 years of Yolngu culture, displayed through bunggal, weaving, art, sharing of knowledge around the campfire, story telling, medijin, sacred women’s healing. Four days of discourse, respectful debate, truth-telling, poignant reminders that Blak politics need to be adjudicated by Blak voices. I lived on Yolngu Country for 7 years, and dreamed of being entrusted with capturing the beauty of Garma since my very first visit. In 2022 I finally lived that dream-again this year- and I am forever grateful to record Blak excellence. Blak success. Blak joy. Yolngu tradition, and the forging of a Yolngu future that is self-determined.

📷 Garma 2022, for Yothu Yindi Foundation.

25/06/2023

Laughter. That's the defining word for Amy and Brentley's big day. There was peals of laughter as Amy regaled her bridesmaids with tales of how her love story began. There was chuckling as Amy showed a text message from her groom, joking that he was halfway to Mexico already. There was laughter ringing out from the bridal car moments before Amy walked down the aisle, so characteristic of the bride that the crowd gathered on the lawns chuckled at the familiarity of it. There was laughter throughout the vows, throughout the bridal portraits, throughout the night.

Amy | Brentley- simply two best mates who laugh wholeheartedly together.

© 2023 Leicolhn McKellar Photography

05/03/2023

Honoured to have spent time working with Buku-Larrnggay Mulka to photograph an array of incredible Yolngu bark artists for the ‘MAḎAYIN: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Art Painting from Yirrkala’ art catalogue. This spectacular exhibition is a partnership between Buku-Larrnggay Mulka and Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, the United State’s sole museum of Indigenous Australian art, and the pages of this beautiful tome pay homage to the cultural sanctity of Yolngu miny’tji.

1. Dhukal Wirrpanda at his home in Yirrkala NT
2. Mukul (aunty) Naminapu White-Maymuru with her larrkitj, at Buku-Larrnggay Mulka
3. Dhuwarrwarr Marika at work, Yirrkala NT
4. A beaming Garawan Wanambi, Nhulunbuy NT
5. Menga Mununggurr and a portrait in bauxite, Baniyala NT
6. Rerrkiwanga Mununggurr and gaminyarr (granddaughter) Minmin

28/11/2022

All dolled up to celebrate success in education.

Nhulunbuy High's Class of 2022.

©2023 Leicolhn McKellar Photography

12/10/2022

A N N I E + W I L L ♥

This wedding was classic Territory. Two legends in love, who give their whole spirit to the local community. Nuptials exchanged on a dusty cattle station by the banks of a croc-filled river. Akubras and starched collars and beauties in heels parading through the red dust. A couple of donkeys oversee

05/08/2022

More Blak excellence from Indigenous Fashion Projects Country to Couture 2022.

Featured designers:
- Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts with Aly de Groot
- Juluwarlu Art Group
- Ngali by Denni Francisco in collaboration with Lindsay Malay from Warmun Arts Centre
- Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance
- Buluuy Mirrii by Colleen Tighe Johnson
- Linda Puna from Mimili Maku Arts in collaboration with Unreal Fur

03/08/2022

C O U N T R Y TO C O U T U R E | 2022

BTS snaps from Indigenous Fashion Projects spectacular annual showcase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fashion and art. Supported by Country Road and Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair.

Featured designers:
-Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance
-Nagula Jarndu Desings
-Gapuwiyak Culture and Arts in collaboration with Aly de Groot