UKOO FAMILIES

In a world filled with fleeting moments, Michaela Barca's photography offers pause. As Ukoo "All Around Us Contributor" Michaela helps us centre the community, relationships, and everyday scenes that shape our lives. Her images don't just capture they invite presence.

Michaela has built Michaela Barca Photography into a practice that moves across weddings, editorial stories, brand campaigns, and fine art prints. Her work has been featured in campaigns such as Revlon's "Live Life in Full Colour" and in fashion/hair projects like "Spectrum / Chiselled Hair" projects that demand both technical skill and emotional sensitivity. She also offers limited-edition fine art photographic prints (for example, her Isole Eolie series) produced with museum-grade materials a reminder that her lens is as much about art as it is about documentation.

But beyond those external projects, Michaela is deeply rooted in the everyday. She's drawn to the spaces between moments the laughter, the gestures, the quiet exchanges and believes that what's "all around us" tells as much story as what's put front and centre. Her images aim to feel warm, honest, and grounded in human experience.

As a mother, she moves between roles: observer, participant, nurturer. That interplay gives her photography sensitivity she sees both the big picture and the small details. In her work for Ukoo Family, she will bring that sensitivity to the stories of our community visual narratives that remind us of connection, presence, belonging, and the beauty in what's unfolding around us.

We are honoured to have Michaela in this role, and look forward to sharing the images and perspectives she will bring to life.

Michaela Barca is a Melbourne-based documentary, editorial, and lifestyle photographer. She brings warmth, authenticity, and storytelling to everything she shoots, whether for a brand, a family, or a community moment. Michaela graduated from RMIT University with a Bachelor of Photography in 2015 and has since built a thriving practice, Michaela Barca Photography, working with leading Melbourne brands and publishing her fine art prints.

5 Recommendations on taking the perfect photo

1. Find the best light. Light is everything! Whether it's soft window light or the golden hour glow, take a moment to see how it falls and use it to your advantage.
2. Focus on the details. It's always the little things that make a photo special. The way someone holds their favourite coffee mug, the colourful door that perfectly matches their outfit, or the artwork hanging behind them that ties the whole story together. Those small, thoughtful details are what make an image feel personal and full of life.
3. Create a relaxed atmosphere. People look their best when they feel comfortable. I like to keep things calm, chat naturally, and let genuine moments unfold.
4. Look for connection. Whether it's between two people or within a scene, finding the sense of connection is what brings emotion into an image. A glance, a laugh, a touch — wait for the right moment. That's when people relax and the magic happens.
5. Keep it simple. You don't need too much going on. Clean backgrounds, natural poses, and honest moments often make for the most timeless images.

Your favourite quote or life philosophy

I have been raised by a crazy Beatles, specifically Paul McCartney fan — my dad. So it's always Beatles quotes for me. It sounds cliché but… 'All you need is love, love is all you need'. Does it get much better?

Tell us a little about your family—what does a day in your world look like right now?

We have a little family of three: my husband Dan, our son Sol, and me (oh, plus our dog Frankie, who is always close by). It's hardly ever quiet music is always playing, a lot of Beatles. I'm one of three girls and we all live close by in the hills with our families. My sisters each have three children, so Sol is busy running around and keeping up with his cousins. We are always together, corrupting cafés and shops, trying to stay calm, taking many forest walks, and enjoying the rollercoaster of raising children.

Shooting feels like 'me' time  it's where I get to tune in and create. Stepping into different homes, spaces, stories. Connecting with people and capturing something that feels honest and lasting. It's a privilege to do what I love and call it work.

Michaela's approach to photography rooted in warmth, presence, and honest storytelling  aligns perfectly with UKOO's vision of celebrating the beauty in everyday life. Her ability to capture the in-between moments, the quiet gestures, and the connections that shape our days reminds us that what's "all around us" holds profound meaning. Whether documenting a family in their home or finding light in the ordinary, Michaela's lens invites us to slow down and truly see.

You can explore more of Michaela's work at michaela-barca.com, follow her on Instagram, or book her services directly through her website.