Portrait photographer Milly Hooper captures striking images of Indigenous families in the stunning natural surrounds of central Australia.

The self-taught mother of four started her business after realising that few Aboriginal people were using mainstream photography services.

"I wanted to be an outlet — an affordable and approachable option for Aboriginal families to get their family photos done," she said.

"Too often with Aboriginal mob we get photos when we're at funerals. That's when all our families are all together and that's a sad time.

"Why can't it be when it's a happy time, or why can't it be just 'because'?"

Milly Hooper, her partner Steven Renehan, and their four children on their outstation west of Alice Springs. ( Supplied: Milly Hooper )

Country and culture captured in images

A Ngiyaampaa woman from Wilcannia in far west New South Wales, Ms Hooper has lived in Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory, for six years.

Her partner is a local Arrernte man and the family live on his outstation about 40 kilometres west of Alice Springs.

"I'm still a visitor here on this country," Ms Hooper said.

"So, it's an absolute honour when I can do a photo session with a family that's chosen a location because it's got significance for them — it's their nanna's country or their dad's country."

Alice Springs family Ruby Hart, Albert Bailey and their children. ( Supplied: Milly Hooper )

Ms Hooper's photos are captured at picturesque waterholes, gorges, and river beds in and around the MacDonnell Ranges.

"Where I believe I stand out is that I can capture Aboriginal culture and identity and the strength and importance of that," Ms Hooper said.

"But [I can] also showcase the beautiful central Australian landscapes.

"You can get your photos done in a studio but why would you when you have a landscape like this?"

Ms Hooper said she hoped her images would challenge negative stereotypes about Aboriginal people.

"When you see things in the media, more often than not it's about negative things that Aboriginal people have done," she said.

"These sorts of images are shining a light on happiness and love in Aboriginal families and that's a really important thing."

Milly Hooper says she hopes her images will challenge negative stereotypes about Aboriginal people. ( Supplied: Milly Hooper )

Targeted by 'pop up' photography companies

In recent years Aboriginal people across Australia have been targeted by unethical photography companies who have breached consumer law to sign people up for expensive family photo packages.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) was successful in issuing proceedings against Lifestyle Photographers Pty Ltd in 2016 and Tiny Tots Images Pty Ltd in 2014.

Commissioner of NT Consumer Affairs Gary Clements confirmed that similar practices had occurred in the Northern Territory and may still be occurring.

Milly Hooper holds a rare photo of herself as a child, taken with her mother Selina Burke. ( ABC Alice Springs: Emma Sleath )

"Many of the contracts involved payments over time and quite expensive contract terms," Mr Clements said.

"Some years ago we also arranged to have a number of contracts cancelled as they had clearly not met the requirements of the Act."

Ms Hooper is aware of the practice and said it was disappointing that Aboriginal people were being targeted.

"You hear stories of these mobile photographers from interstate coming in and knocking on the doors of people in town camps," she said.

"It's not about the value of the photography, it's more about the money you can make from it."

Lack of childhood photos

Following a challenging upbringing, some of it spent in foster care, Ms Hooper has few photos of herself as a child.

Her parents separated and when she was two years old, she was taken by her father and didn't see her mother for more than a decade.

Milly Hooper often uses Aboriginal artefacts and fabrics with traditional central Australian designs in her portraits. ( Supplied: Milly Hooper )

"When you don't have a lot of photos of yourself growing up, you ask the question, where do you belong," Ms Hooper said.

"It made it so important for me to capture and take photos of my own kids. I didn't want them growing up asking what they looked like when they were [young].

"Now, I'm honoured to take photos of other people and their families."

Demand growing around the country

Ms Hooper has just returned from her first interstate photography job for aid agency Save the Children.

She photographed a ceremony welcoming babies back to country in Doomadgee, in the lower Gulf of Carpentaria in Queensland.

"I got invited over because they saw my photos on Facebook," she said.

"It was a great opportunity. The people and the country were all beautiful so it was really nice to be there."

Arrernta elder Jean Mack has her portrait taken on traditional country near Alice Springs. ( Supplied: Milly Hooper )

While at the community, Ms Hooper was inundated with requests for family photos.

"I did five family photo sessions in three days and I was still getting enquiries as I was getting on the plane to leave," she said.

"The pride in the families to get their photos taken... They were all so keen to get their photos done, it was a very memorable experience."

For the moment, Ms Hooper is juggling a part-time office job with her photography business, but she is hoping that one day she can take photos full-time.

"We need more Aboriginal photographers out showcasing the positive side of Aboriginal people and what we do each and every day," she said.

"Our culture is still strong and with photography we can capture that without any words and that's what I love about taking photos."