Same-sex couples’ intimate and magical moments of parenthood are captured in a thought-provoking new exhibition to be unveiled next month.

Sydney photojournalist Isabella Moore has been photographing rainbow families going about their day-to-day lives for one and a half years, gathering pictures that will help others relate to the love and equality at the heart of a devoted family.

The images, captured in black and white, hope to raise awareness in our community and our society of the evolving concepts of marriage and family, and the importance of acknowledgement and recognition for same sex couples, says Moore.

“I found same sex parents by going to the PFLAG stand at Fair Day,” she tells Same Same, “where I was told that there are many same-sex parents in the Blue Mountains and because of this it was at times nicknamed the ‘Pink Mountains’!

“I then went onto the Rainbow Parents in the Blue Mountains website and wrote to the head administrator of the group, explaining my project and why I was doing it. They were all willing to help out and support it.

“Everywhere I turned there were families that were happy to be photographed. So in that sense it was perfect.”

Moore says she’s most interested in documenting the diverse and unique subcultures of our society, and her previous works have helped break barriers. Back in 2010, her entry into a community photography exhibition sparked attention with its nudity, making the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald prompting debate over censorship in art.

Her latest exhibition may well help to normalise same-sex couples raising their biological children is a society where gay parenting is seen be some as unnatural.

“Photographing the children was one of the highlights,” Moore smiles when Same Same asks how well the kids behaved during the shoots. “I tried to capture a variety of ages, yet the majority of the children I photographed were between two and three years of age. The younger they were the less aware they were about the camera.

“Although when they looked straight down the camera, it was a bonus for me, as I like my subjects glare/glance to translate through the picture into the viewers’ eyes. There is a more intimate contact this way.”

The exhibition Rainbow Parents in Australia can be seen in Surry Hills Library at 405 Crown Street throughout the month of August.

And you can see more photography by Isabella Moore on her website here and tumblr here.