lean timms

t w o d a y p h o t o g r a p h y w o r k s h o p

B O O K L A U N C H

S P E C I A L E D I T I O N

m e l b o u r n e a u s t r a l i a

3 r d / 4 t h d e c 2 0 2 6

SPECIAL EDITION TWO DAY PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP AT THE MATTRESS FACTORY, LYNDA GARDENER’S HOME
IN CELEBRATION OF THE LAUNCH OF FACTORY CONVENT SCHOOLHOUSE HOME, BY LYNDA GARDENER AND LEAN TIMMS

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

WORKSHOP DETAILS:

Workshop Dates: Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th December, 2026

Workshop Location: The Mattress Factory, Lynda Gardener’s home, Melbourne Australia. Lynda lives in a former mattress factory and it is one of the homes featured in our book. It has recently undergone a complete reimagining and renovation, a transformation that Lynda has been keeping under wraps until the launch of our book! We’re incredibly excited that our workshop group will be the very first to step inside and experience Lynda’s newly transformed home in person, making this an extra special one-off workshop location!

Two Day Workshop Tickets: $2900 + GST. Please note we will be taking payments in two instalments - half when you book and the final half a week before the workshop, due Thursday 26th November.

Workshop Time: 8:30am - 6:00pm both days.

Guest Speakers: Lynda Gardener and Michelle Crawford - Lynda Gardener, stylist and co-author, and Michelle Crawford, writer of our book, Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home.

Suitable For: All photography lovers and levels - including small business owners keen to up-skill and create their own content, absolute beginners ready to dive in and take on new creative challenges, photography lovers wanting to step up and improve on their skills, those wanting to become professional photographers, and fellow photography professionals already in the field who are interested in furthering their industry insight, networking opportunities and creative nourishment. As a teacher it's my absolute priority to provide value for everyone, at all photography levels.

Catering: A lush morning tea, lunch and apéritif will be provided on both days. For lunch, we will be stepping out into Lynda’s local Fitzroy neighbourhood to enjoy two of the very best local restaurants. Morning tea and apéritif will be served at Lynda’s home with help from Michelle Crawford.

Please Note: Airfares, transportation to and from the workshop and accommodation are not included.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

Join me at The Mattress Factory, Lynda Gardener’s warehouse home in vibrant Fitzroy Melbourne, for an immersive and fun two days of learning, as I openly share everything I know about the art of photography with you. This two day photography workshop will be absolutely packed to the brim with educational, creative, inspiring and insightful content. It's the perfect opportunity to launch into the world of photography, or to give your current photography skills a confidence boost, some guided direction, or some delicious nourishment. As a small group we will explore the art of visual storytelling by embracing light, creative composition and working through your own photography style. We will focus in on the subjects of lifestyle, interiors, travel and editorial photography. We will explore your camera’s manual settings and together work through the skills and secrets of editing/post processing. We will lift the curtain and have candid chats about industry insights and thriving in a creative business. I will share the ins and outs of my own personal photography style and process, but most importantly will be there to help guide yours. The workshop will be part theory and part practical, to cover all learning styles, and with plenty of time to play and photograph across the two days. We will also have free rein to explore and photograph Lynda’s brand new renovated, yet to be revealed to the public, unique warehouse and character filled home.

Our workshop program will also include a very special guest speaker session where I will be joined by Lynda Gardener and Michelle Crawford to talk all about the making of our book, Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home. More below!

After two days together, you will go home with an abundance of photography knowledge, the ability to shoot your camera on manual settings, the confidence to approach and capture a scene using natural light, inspiration to photograph, curate and share your own stories through imagery, a new group of creative friends and an experience so special you won’t ever forget it. Two full days means so much to cover! Below is a list of topics we will be exploring. I can’t wait to share everything I know and love about photography with you!

TOPICS WE WILL BE COVERING:

Natural light digital photography 101
We’ll dig into photography and camera basics, and why it’s important that you understand them. You’ll walk away with a thorough understanding of the (magical!) exposure triangle and be able to use your camera’s manual settings to help you confidently capture a number of different subjects and styles. For the professionals, I will provide lots of juicy layers here, and will share my own personal professional tips and go to settings.

Light
Nothing gets me more excited than reading and embracing natural light. We’ll explore light direction first, and how to use it to enhance your photography. We’ll find light and shadow and all the ways they can both make a photograph sing. We’ll work with harsh light and soft light and learn how to love and manipulate the outcome of both. We’ll follow it around inside Lynda’s home and go hunting for it outside in the streets of Fitzroy. I’ll share with you all my tips on light and bright photography along with the contrasting moody chiaroscuro style.

Composition
The way a photograph is framed can completely shift the way a subject is viewed. It’s a really fun game. We will play with lots of different perspectives, angles, and formulas and I’ll give you plenty of helpful guidance to develop your own composition style, too.

Storytelling
No matter the subject, a story is always worth being told. We could spend the whole two days on storytelling alone. I have a special formula, you’ll love it. I can’t wait to dig into this with you.

Interior Photography
Photographing interiors is a beautiful and fun process, and Lynda’s home is the perfect place for us to learn and play. Especially because The Mattress Factory features as one of the homes in our new book! I’ll share all the tips I have for taking a photograph that helps to make an interior space look delicious and inviting for both commercial and storytelling/editorial purposes, and together, Lynda and I will share with you how we styled and shot her home for our book. Of course, Lynda will have every corner styled to perfection, giving you the opportunity to explore, photograph and capture exclusive content of Lynda’s home with your own cameras.

Travel/Location Photography
This one makes my heart sing. It’s really all about sharing a genuine sense of place. We will go for a wander around Lynda’s local Fitzroy neighbourhood and use our light and composition skills to capture transportive photographs that tell the story of this very fun corner of Melbourne. As Lynda says, "Fitzroy is probably the most unique part of Melbourne. It has this cool energy; it's artsy, edgy, full of life. It's a short walk into the city, but it still feels like its own world. I've lived here for nearly forty years, and I still think it's the best part of the city."

Post Production/Editing
I will step you through my editing flow, both on Lightroom and phone. We will cover basics, explore your style, exporting tricks, and how to develop your own preset.

Industry Chat
Let’s chat openly - the best type of industry chat. Marketing, pricing (actual numbers!), getting published, pitching, image licensing, editorial insights, creative inspiration etc, etc. This part is always juicy, insightful, and fun. Anything and everything is on the table.

Q&As
I want to answer any and all of your questions. We will have plenty of time for questions throughout the workshop, and special allocated time toward the end of our second day. I am an open book and want you to go home with loads of information and value no matter what your level in photography - so please bring your questions and we can chat through them as a creative group together.

Photo 1 of Lean Teaching by Katie Carmichael, photo 3, 6, 8 & 9 by Sabine Bannard

ABOUT LEAN:

LEAN TIMMS is an internationally renowned travel and lifestyle photographer whose images explore the atmosphere, character, and stories of places, spaces, and faces. Lean draws her inspiration from natural light, in-situ spontaneity, and transportive storytelling and is known for her instinctive eye, playful use of light, and ability to find beauty where others might overlook it. Originally from Australia and now based in Sweden, Lean works across editorial, commercial, and publishing projects worldwide. She has photographed and contributed to several books, and is commissioned regularly by magazines, tourism bodies, and luxury travel and design-led brands. Alongside her work as a photographer, Lean is an educator, teaching photography workshops and courses around the world. Lean’s first book Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home, co-authored with Lynda Gardener, is out around the world this November, and reflects her enduring interest in storytelling through photography, particularly the quiet drama of honest, lived-in spaces.

Select Photography Clients and Publications:

Tourism Australia
Condé Nast Traveller
QANTAS
Australian Traveller
Vogue Living
Murdoch Books

Photo 1 of Lean by Alicia DeSario, photo 2 of Lean by Hugh Stewart, photo 3 of Lean by Doreen Kilfeather

ABOUT FACTORY CONVENT SCHOOLHOUSE HOME

Our book, Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home, is a celebration of homes that weren’t always homes to begin with. Where curious and creative humans have transformed utilitarian and unusual buildings as beautiful and soulful places to live. We travelled all over the world to pull together interiors and stories that inspired us most, including homes reimagined by some of the industries most revered interior designers and architects. Within its pages you’ll find a mattress FACTORY in Melbourne, Australia (Lynda’s never seen before, newly renovated home!); a medieval CONVENT in Tuscany, Italy, reshaped by a truly visionary mother and daughter team; the vibrant rescuing and redesigning of an abandoned SCHOOLHOUSE in Merida, Mexico; plus 19 more gorgeous spaces from across Europe, Australia, Japan and the USA, that people now lovingly call HOME.

Published by Artisan NYC and out around the world this November.

Photo 2 of Michelle by Hugh Stewart, photo 3, 4, 5 & 6 of Michelle, Lynda and Lean shooting on location in Australia, Japan and the UK for Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home.

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER SESSION

In celebration of the launch of Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home, I am thrilled to be welcoming the team behind our book to share in an open conversation about the process of making a book together - from pitching, publishers, printing and everything in between. Together with co-author and stylist, Lynda Gardener and our incredibly dedicated and talented writer Michelle Crawford, we’ll take part in an open panel style discussion, sharing in detail about our experience making the book. For those interested in making your own book, or understanding more about the publishing industry, or in the behind the scenes of pulling together an epic project such as this one, we know you are going to gain a lot of insight and inspiration from this very special session.

ABOUT LYNDA GARDENER:

Lynda Gardener is a Melbourne-based stylist, interior decorator, and hotelier who has spent more than thirty years creating spaces that feel layered and lived-in, with an intuitive focus on atmosphere, texture, and connection. Drawing on history, craftsmanship, and natural materials, her work is both considered and distinctively original. Her career began with visual merchandising, evolving into independent retail and boutique accommodation ventures. Today, Lynda’s work spans private residential and commercial interiors, editorial styling, and fashion collaborations. She also maintains a portfolio of iconic short-stay properties that showcase her signature blend of industrial, antique, and modern design. Coauthor of the widely successful book Curate, Lynda has established a visual and editorial style defined by warmth, restraint, and an enduring sense of place that resonates with audiences worldwide.

ABOUT MICHELLE CRAWFORD:

Michelle Crawford is a stylist, photographer and writer based in Tasmania’s Huon Valley.  Michelle creates content for many Tasmanian foodies such as Sally Wise, Ben Milbourne, Massimo Mele and Matthew Evans, and iconic brands such as Blundstone, Bruny Island Cheese, Lark Whisky, Forty Spotted Gin, Tasman Sea Salt, and Hill St Grocer. She has written four books, articles on Tasmanian tourism and food stories that have been published in Country Style, Galah Magazine, Graziher, Jetstar Magazine, Feast Magazine, Inside Out and Lunch Lady Magazine. Michelle lives in an enormous old Edwardian bank in the riverside village of Franklin known as The Bowmont, where she’s created a food-focused photography and event studio and where she happily, cooks, styles and shoots content, inspired by the incredible region she calls home.  

ABOUT THE LOCATION: THE MATTRESS FACTORY, FITZROY MELBOURNE

The Mattress Factory, whose story began as just that, is one of the 20 homes from around the world that is featured in our book, Factory Convent Schoolhouse Home. Of course it’s only fitting that we celebrate our book launch within its unique, reimagined warehouse walls!

Lynda lives in a former mattress factory in Fitzroy, and it has recently undergone a complete reimagining and renovation, a transformation that Lynda has been keeping under wraps until the launch of our book! So much so that we can’t even share photos of her home with you here - you’ll have to come and experience it for yourself! We’re incredibly excited that our workshop group will be the very first to step inside and experience Lynda’s newly transformed home in person, making this an extra special one off workshop location.

PAST WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT TESTIMONIALS:

- Without a hesitation, Lean's workshop is the single best investment I have made in myself. Lean is an effervescent breath of fresh air. I came away feeling inspired, with more confidence and knowledge in my practice, with a whole lot of new photographer friends and jumping with excitement to get out there in all that incredible light. The workshop was superbly curated with the perfect blend of content, time to connect, to practice and create. All this while surrounded by the most spectacular venue and treated to the most delectable food! It was 150% more than expected! - Kim Dekretser @kimdekretser

- Lean’s workshop was 2 of the most enriching and joyful 2 days I have had in my photography journey. Her generosity and delivery in sharing her incredible creative and industry knowledge is amazing! If you have the opportunity to do a workshop with Lean - don’t think twice it’s just the best x - Katie Carmichael @katiecarmichael.studio

- I have admired Lean's beautiful work for some time, and it has been a dream of mine to attend one of her workshops. The opportunity finally came and I joined Lean and her wonderful team at the magnificent @loscoglio_byronbay. The experience was so much more than I hoped for. Lean is warm, generous with her knowledge of all things photography, and a natural teacher. I could listen to her talk and share stories of her travels & adventures for days. I love the way that Lean embraces natural light to capture her stunning images and it was a thrill to watch her in action. Lean’s way of seeing the world around her resonates so deeply with me, and provides further validation that photography can be incredibly creative without a heavy reliance on the traditional, technical methods that I was taught. My senses were completely overwhelmed and the experience will stay with me for a long time to come. - Tash Carah @tashcarahphotographer

- I still can’t believe what a high I am on from Lean’s workshop. It’s a strangely non-linear kind of revelation. Moments have greater and new meaning… there’s an energy that ebbs and flows but with an intensity and richness like nothing before. New eyes. New connections. New seeing of moments in ways I hadn’t before. It’s not just about photography either or a specific image but a way of weaving stories, making sense of place and time…. Almost impossible to put into words… visceral. I thought it would be good but I had no idea of the impact it would have on me. And the timing was so perfect as I move through this journey. Creative fuel on Avgas! - Natasha Morgan @natashamorgan

- I honestly had the best time over the two days of the workshop. Lean really is an amazing educator, but she also creates a beautiful space of creativity and collective positive energy and brings together the loveliest people. I'm so glad I got to be part of it and learn from her, and meet all the wonderful people. So grateful for you and all the magic you create Lean!!! - Ishita Moghe @ishitamoghe

- Why would I do a photography workshop? I was asked this many times in the lead up and over the course of the 2 day workshop with the incredible Lean Timms. No I didn’t need to know which buttons to press or that my subject would be blurry at 1/20 of a second and to be honest I didn’t even know what I would learn, I just knew I had to go. The last 2 years I came to feel unworthy and undervalued in many ways, some obvious, some subtle and some I convinced myself of. I stopped creating, I stopped sharing and I stopped trusting myself. But in the two days I spent with Lean, and a group of other women - all carrying their own problems to solve and self doubts - I watched them teach, share and create with such heart and generosity that they shifted something in me that I didn’t think could be shifted. In what will come as no surprise to anyone, I got a bit teary saying goodbye to Lean and even in the car on the way home as those voices seemed to fade. Now despite family, friends, some beautiful clients and psychs over the last couple years convincing me of my worth as an artist, sometimes it really does need to come from someone you admire, someone who doesn’t even know you (and maybe someone you have stalked on instagram for years). If you need to learn any of the above, including the buttons on your camera (which she teaches so incredibly well!) then you too need to spend a couple of days with Lean and the incredible people she surrounds herself with.  - Anitra Wells @anitrawells_

Are you keen but not quite sure yet? Do you have some questions for me? Please send me an email and I would love to chat more with you!

CANCELLATION POLICY:

Please kindly note that this is a strictly non-refundable workshop. However we do understand that things change and life happens, so should you need to reschedule we are more than happy to rebook you to another workshop at another time. Valid travel insurance is also encouraged for your trip. Thank you for understanding.

We hope so much to learn and celebrate with you at Lynda’s home in Fitzroy, this December.

Lean. X

Photo above: shooting on location in NYC for our book.