Tunnel and alley in the CBD

I took a couple of photos while I was in the Melbourne CBD. The compositions had a lot of great light-and-dark contrast, so I figured they’d work well in black-and-white as well – which they do :)

Crossing under St Kilda Road (in black-and-white)

Black-and-white photo of a very wide and very tall pedestrian underpass beneath a major road. Most of the underpass is in shadow and there is a bright square of sunlight at the end of the tunnel, where you can see a fence, some trees, and some buildings. A man and a woman are walking through this tunnel and are about to come out the other side.

Crossing under St Kilda Road (in colour)

Photo of a very wide and very tall pedestrian underpass beneath a major road. Most of the underpass is in shadow and there is a bright square of sunlight at the end of the tunnel, where you can see a brightly-painted fence, some trees, and some buildings. A man and a woman are walking through this tunnel and are about to come out the other side.

Lingham Lane in the Central Business District (in black-and-white)

Black-and-white photo of a short, empty, and very clean alley in a central business district. The section near the photographer is in shadow, but the rest of the alley is brightly sunlit.

Lingham Lane in the Central Business District (in colour)

Photo of a short, empty, and very clean alley in a central business district. The section near the photographer is in shadow, but the rest of the alley is brightly sunlit.

[Photo walk] Along Flinders Street #3

I took these photos on a quick walk along Flinders Lane and Flinders Street.

Clean your damn shoes

Photo of a glass-fronted store that’s named Sneaker Laundry. A neon sign on the window reads, in all capital letters, “clean your damn shoes”. A bright yellow sandwich board on the pavement outside the store reads, also in all capital letters, “slow down” and “clean your sneakers here”. A shop attendant on a laptop is visible through the storefront windows.

Be there in a Jiff

Photo of flat-bottom cargo skiff (a type of boat) named ‘Jiff’ being piloted along an urban river by a man with a neat beard and ponytail who is wearing a white t-shirt and sunglasses.

Chatting in the shade

Photo of a pedestrian bridge across an urban river. A walkway with a metal railing runs along the river and underneath this bridge. Directly underneath the bridge you can see the silhouette of a man leaning on the railing as he holds a phone up to his ear.

Boycott, Divest & Sanction, mate

Photo of a white sticker affixed to the top a dark green stairway banister. The reads, in large, all-caps text, “BSDM”. Below this is regular-sized text that reads, “Boycott, Divest & Sanction, mate” and the hashtag “free Palestine”.

[Photo walk] Collins Street, Melbourne #4

It’s been almost ten months since I last walked down Collins Street to take some photos!

Blue-on-blue of the sky and the building at 567 Collins Street

Photo looking up along a tall office tower with reflective, blue-tinted windows that are reflecting a clear, light blue sky. The photo is taken from under some trees, so the green canopy of these trees frame this scene.

Framing a scene through the ‘567’ forecourt sculpture

Photo taken through the stainless steel bars of a 14 metre tall piece of artwork at the front of an office building. The photo shows a woman in a long dress sitting in a public bench while looking at the phone in her hands.

Layers of tyres at the motorcycle parking on Collins Street

Photo taken through the spokes of a rear motorcycle tyre that has a sporty, bright orange rim. Through these spokes you can see another rear motorcycle tyre behind this one, through which you can see yet another tyre behind that.

Motorcycle parking on Collins Street

Photo of several shiny sports bikes parked at an angle along a street that runs through the central business district of a metropolitan Australian city.

Bikes parked in a line along Collins Street

Photo taken from a low angle of several shiny motorbikes parked at an angle along a street that runs through the central business district of a metropolitan Australian city. There are cars driving down one side the street and two trams running down tracks in the centre of the street.

Flower Boutique on the corner of Collins and Williams Street

Photo of a footpath flower shop with several bouquets of flowers arranged along the front of the shop.

[Photo walk] Webb Bridge and surrounds

This is the third of three photo sets from my walk between South Melbourne and Docklands.

Scooting onto the Webb Bridge

Photo of a man in blue leather boots, light khaki pants, navy blue jacket, and black helmet riding a stand-up electric scooter. The scooter has a carrier in which there is a small dog that is also wearing a navy blue jacket. The man is about to ride the scooter up the incline of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that crosses and urban river.

Corner seat at Hooks At The Yarra

Photo of the corner of a building with floor-to-ceiling windows. This floor of the building is a restaurant with several tables and chairs, all of which are currently unoccupied.

A little litter goes a long way

Close-up photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed on the banks of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads, “A little litter goes a long way. Keep the Yarra River clean. Bin your litter.”

Almost ready to press record

Photo of two people, a man and a woman, standing on the cemented banks of an urban river. The man is a camera operator and is manipulating a DSLR camera attached to a sturdy tripod. The woman, who is about to be filmed, is looking down as she composes herself for the recording take. The two are standing near the intersection of two cycle paths. In the foreground of the photo is a series of small directional signs mounted on a pole. These point to the three directions that cyclists can go in.

Crossing the Webb Bridge to Docklands

Photo of several people and cyclists crossing a bridge that spans an urban river. The bridge looks like a grey metal pipe that has been cut in half lengthwise.

Cleaning our rivers

Close-up photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed on the banks of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads, “Cleaning our rivers”

Heading up the Webb Bridge from Docklands

Photo taken along the length of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that spans an urban river. The bridge has several rings going around it at regularly spaced intervals.

Fishing along the Yarra River

Photograph of three people fishing along the banks of an urban river. On the other side of the river there are several large and small boats tied to their berths.

The Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of people walking along a curved bridge that spans a river in the middle of a metropolitan city. This bridge, the Webb Bridge, is modelled after a Koorie fishing trap used to catch eels. It is curved on one end, and this curved portion is covered (like a tube) by an organic, irregular net design made out of metal beams.

Cycling down the Webb Bridge

Photo of a cyclist heading down a curved bridge that spans a river in the middle of a metropolitan city. This bridge, the Webb Bridge, is modelled after a Koorie fishing trap used to catch eels. It is curved on one end, and this curved portion is covered (like a tube) by an organic, irregular net design made out of metal beams.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne, Docklands infrastructure and cars

This is the second of three photo sets from my walk between South Melbourne and Docklands.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings with a zoom lens

Black-and-white photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

Queueing for the Power Street exit on CityLink

Photo taken from between two elevated roadways of a large, overhead LED sign that shows icons of cars queueing. There is text on the sign that is cut-off by one of the elevated roadways, however you can make out the words ‘queueing’ and ‘power’.

Caution: queueing for the Power Street exit on CityLink

Photo taken from between two elevated roadways of a large, overhead LED sign that reads, in all capital letters, “Caution: Queueing traffic at Power St exit”.

Happy graffiti on the Charles Grimes Bridge Road off-ramp

Photo of a bright white graffiti spray painted onto perforated, black coloured metal sheets that line the underside of a road. The graffiti is a of a classic smiley face.

You can see a lot with a big zoom lens (this is a 31 storey tall building)

Zoomed-in photo of the very top of a 31 storey building with the green Linkt logo affixed to one side.

Portal across the West Gate Freeway

Black and white photo taken from ground level of several elevated roadways. A large concrete archway structure has been constructed around one of these elevated roadways. This otherwise-rectangular structure (called a portal) has been built with a slight rotation, so it looks like it is twisting clockwise.

Cars for sale at City Mazda

Photo taken along the back of several Mazda cars parked in a line at an outdoor car sales lot.

[Photo walk] Bolte Bridge

I repeated my earlier ‘South Melbourne and Docklands’ photo walk a week later because my car needed some additional repair. This time, however, I took my long lens with me and got a bunch of interesting photos along the way.

These are the photos I took of the Bolte Bridge, and there are two more photo sets to come.

Morning traffic across the Bolte Bridge

Photo taken along the length of an urban river that shows two bridges crossing this river. In the foreground is the Webb Bridge, a curved cyclist and pedestrian bridge. In the background is the Bolte Bridge, a large road bridge. The Bolte (as it is known) is a large, twin cantilever road bridge with two 140m tall towers that hold up the roadway that spans the width of the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour.

Busy morning on the Bolte Bridge

Photo taken along the length of an urban river of a large road bridge and the shipping dock in the background. There is bumper-to-bumper road traffic on the bridge and behind the bridge a large container ship is docked at one of the berths. The bridge is a large, twin cantilever road bridge with two 140m tall towers that hold up the roadway that spans the width of the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour.

Bolte Bridge just before sunset

Photo taken just before sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. There are tall buildings on both banks of the river and crossing the river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre. There are several shipping berths along the length of the river.

Bolte Bridge stretches across the Yarra River at sunset

Photo taken at sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. There are tall buildings on both banks of the river and crossing the river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre. There are several shipping berths along the length of the river.

Bolte Bridge silhouette at sunset

Photo taken at sunset along the length of an urban river that opens up into a sea port. Crossing this river is a large road bridge with two tall towers at the centre.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne and Docklands - follow-up

I haven’t focused much on black-and-white photography.

The only times I think in black-and-white (especially when taking photos) are when:

  • I want to capture a texture that lends itself to a monochromatic look,

  • I find myself in a scene in which the colours are a distraction, or

  • I’m at a location where there’s strong light-and-dark contrast.

Three of my recent photos fit the bill, so I converted them to black-and-white to see how they would look.

West Gate Freeway drainage overflow pipes

Black-and-white photo taken from underneath an elevated roadway out of which two wide draining pipes are emerging.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings

Black-and-white photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

West Gate Bridge sign under the West Gate Bridge Freeway

Black-and-white photo of the back of a large overhead road sign affixed to an elevated motorway. The sign is seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

I think they turned out pretty well :)

Here’s a side-by-side comparison. I actually think I prefer the black-and-white versions of all three! Though maybe the middle one (the buildings through the gap in the concrete) works both ways.

[Photo walk] South Melbourne and Docklands

I get my car serviced at a dealership in South Melbourne that’s a short walk across the Yarra River from where my office is in Docklands.

Naturally, I take a bunch of photos every time I take this walk – usually super early in the morning and then just returning before sunset (in winter).

Here are the most recent photos I took.

Early morning coffee in the shadow of Charles Grimes Bridge

Photo of a woman stepping out from around the corner of a building with floor-to-ceiling windows. The second storey of the building is bathed in warm sunlight from the rising sun, while the lower section is in cool blue shadow. The woman is wearing a long, grey overcoat and is carrying a disposable coffee cup in her hand.

Early morning traffic and tram

Photo of an intersection with a line of cars going through and several cars waiting. In the foreground of the photo is a green-and-yellow tram running on a set of tracks parallel to one of the roads. The photo is slightly washed out because of the bright glare of the early morning sun coming off a reflective office building.

Waving to the tram driver

Photo of a green-and-yellow tram driving through an area with several trees and bushes that is otherwise surrounded by tall office buildings. The tram driver is waving his hand at the photographer.

If it’s on the street, it ends up in the river

Photo of a Bandalong litter trap installed to one side of an urban river. This trap has collected a large amount of litter floating down this river. A sign affixed to this trap reads “It it’s on the street, it ends up in the river. Keep the Yarra River clean. Bin your litter.” In the middleground of the photo a wide footbridge (the Webb Bridge) spans this river (the Yarra River). In the background of the photo, on the other side of the river, are several tall residential buildings.

Sunset seating outside Hooks at the Yarra

Photo of outdoor cafe tables and chairs arranged next to a grid of very tall trees that are set into raised beds in an otherwise paved area. The tables are unoccupied and the whole place is lit with warm sunlight coming from the setting sun.

West Gate Freeway drainage overflow pipes

Photo taken from underneath an elevated roadway out of which two wide draining pipes are emerging.

Jaunty portal, serious hotel #2

Photo taken from ground level of a large concrete archway structure constructed around an elevated roadway. This otherwise-rectangular archway structure has been built with a slight rotation, so it looks like it is twisting anticlockwise. Behind the portal is the tall, thin building of the Novotel Melbourne South Wharf hotel. There is traffic stopped at a red light below the elevated roadway.

Layers of traffic where the West Gate Freeway meets Montague Street

Photo of an intersection above which there are two elevated roadways of different heights. A sight at ground level reads, “West Gate Br / Geelong”. A bright yellow DHL delivery truck is crossing the intersection at ground level while a refrigerated truck drives along the middle roadway.

Looking through to Yarra’s Edge buildings

Photo of two tall, residential buildings as seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

West Gate Bridge sign under the West Gate Bridge Freeway

Photo of the back of a large overhead road sign affixed to an elevated motorway. The sign is seen through a gap in the bare concrete underneath of a series of elevated roadways and off-ramps.

This year I had only my 27mm TTArtisan prime lens with me (42mm full-frame equivalent) and the photos turned out really well. Though, to be fair, the gorgeous golden-hour light – both ways! – had a lot to do with that.

Last year I took photos with my 18-55mm Fujifilm zoom lens and it was a dreary, overcast day. Those photos look little different :)

[Photo walk] Lygon Street #4

First I was unwell and then I was super busy at work, so it’s been over three months since my last photo walk. It’s good to be back.

Today’s walk was a quick one down Lygon Street in Carlton. It was lovely, sunny Saturday afternoon and it’s nice to be heading towards the end of winter in Melbourne.

All these photos were taken with my (relatively) new TTArtisan 27mm pancake lens (42mm full-frame equivalent).

Performance space at Argyle Square, Carlton

Black-and-white photo taken from behind and to the side of a large, high-ceiling, covered outdoor stage in a large public park.

Brand new ‘Sapphire by the Gardens’ building complex

Photo of two tall buildings framed by bushes and trees in the foreground. The two luxury towers are connected by a large, multi-storey skybridge. https://sapphirebythegardens.com.au/

The brand new ‘Sapphire by the Gardens’ building complex – as seen from Lygon Street

Photo of two tall buildings framed by bushes and trees in the foreground. The two luxury towers are connected by a large, multi-storey sky bridge. https://sapphirebythegardens.com.au/

Beaded friendship bracelets in a car

Photo of two brightly-coloured beaded friendship bracelets (or maybe necklaces?) hanging behind the rearview mirror of a parked car.

Bicycle loops on Lygon Street

Black-and-white photo taken from ground level looking up at several metal bicycle-parking loops installed on a sidewalk. One bicycle has been locked to the loop farthest from the photographer.

Post-lunch service emptiness

Photo of the covered outdoor seating areas of several restaurants along a road. All the tables in the photo are currently unoccupied.

Gluten free pasta and pizza on Lygon Street

Photo of a sandwich board on a sidewalk with text written in blue and pink chalk on a black background. The list on items on the chalkboard reads lamb shanks, tomahawk steaks, Atlantic salmon, arancini balls, barramundi, and gluten free pasta + pizza.

Photographer reflections

Photo of a closed glass door set in a bluestone alcove. The glass is very reflective on this sunny day. In the reflection you can see a commercial street with cars parked on it. The main subject of the reflection is a man wearing white sneakers, black jeans, a bright orange jacket, and a dark driver's cap. The man is holding up a camera at chin height and is taking a photo of his own reflection in the glass door.

It's pronounced ah-sigh-eeh

Photo of the entrance of The Acai Company. Text in a speech bubble below the company logo reads “pronounced ah-sigh-eeh, not ay-chay!!!”.

Pizza oven on Lygon Street

Photo of a large, currently-empty, wood fired pizza over through the window of a pizzeria.

[Photo walk] Around Southern Cross Station #2

I left work a little after lunchtime and took a quick walk around Southern Cross railway station to take a few photos.

I’m starting to get the hang of my new, budget TTArtisan 27mm pancake lens (42mm full-frame equivalent) and I’m enjoying seeing its colour rendering in various lighting scenarios. Some of its colours are halfway to Classic Chrome, for example.

I’m also enjoying taking photos with a prime lens instead of my usual Fujifilm 18-55mm zoom lens.

Looking down Collins Street, Docklands

Photo looking down the street in the central business district of a metropolitan city on a clear afternoon. There are tall buildings on both sides of the street and two pairs of tram tracks runs down the middle. There are no trams on these tracks right now and so a man is jaywalking across them.

Waiting for his bus outside Southern Cross Railway Station

Photo of a man wearing jeans and a hoodie leaning against a wide pole next to the curb of a city street on a sunny afternoon. Behind the man is his luggage, which is a large carpet bag / roller suitcase hybrid, with its handle extended.

Furiosa marketing campaign in full swing at Southern Cross Station

Photo of one of the main entrances to a large, urban train station. There are three escalators and a very wide set of stairs taking travellers to the upper levels. The sides of each step is painted with a slice of the main Furiosa movie poster, so that when you look at it head-on, you can see the whole poster. Hanging down from the station’s high ceiling are several, extremely long Furiosa banners, each featuring either the main protagonist or the main antagonist.

Looking up at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne

Photo looking up from the ground of a very tall, blue-glass covered building. The building has rounded edges and two large curves along its length, making it look somewhat like a fancy water bottle.

Bourke Street entrance to Southern Cross Station

Photo of an extremely wide staircase at the entrance of an urban train station. The staircase has several banisters running along the steps so people can ascend or descend safely. On the left side of the photo is a large way finding sign with headings for Metropolitan Trains, Regional Trains, and Coach Terminal.

Walking up the stairs at Southern Cross Station

Photo of an extremely wide staircase at the entrance of an urban train station. The staircase has several banisters running along the steps so people can ascend or descend safely. A woman wearing black pants and a dark mango coloured jacket is walking up the stairs.

Train tracks heading into Southern Cross Station - moody version

Photo of four train tracks and three train platforms in an urban, outdoor train station. The photo has been taken through a clear plexiglass safety barrier that used to have an opaque covering, parts of which have since been peeled off. The photo is desaturated and moody.

Train tracks heading into Southern Cross Station - negative version

Photo of four train tracks and three train platforms in an urban, outdoor train station. The photo has been taken through a clear plexiglass safety barrier that used to have an opaque covering, parts of which have since been peeled off. The photo is high-contrast, with the bright, beige, half-removed covering in the foreground standing out sharply against the tracks and platform, which are darker shaded.

Scratched-off opaque shading on a plexiglass barrier

Photo of a tall plexiglass safety barrier that has been erected along the side of a bridge that spans a dozen train tracks. Some panels of plexiglass have advertising on them. The one in focus has a plain, beige covering that provides shade from sun. About a third of this opaque covering has been scratched off so people are able to look through the plexiglass at the trains running underneath.

Cranbourne train heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a modern, blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. A digital sign above front windscreen reads ‘Cranbourne’.

Flinders Street train heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. The photo has been taken through the holes of a perforated metal sound-and-safety barrier erected along the side of the bridge that the photographer is standing on.

107M heading into Southern Cross Station

Photo taken from a bridge, looking down at the front of a blue, silver, and yellow train running along its track. The lead carriage is numbered 107M. The photo has been taken through the holes of a perforated metal sound-and-safety barrier erected along the side of the bridge that the photographer is standing on.

Testing out my new 40mm lens

I bought a new camera lens!

It’s a TTArtisan AF 27mm F2.8 – which means it has autofocus, a 27mm focal length (40mm full-frame equivalent), and its lowest f-stop is 2.8. ‘TTArtisan’ stands for ‘The Thinking Artisan’, by the way.

I bought this lens for three reasons:

  1. Size: I wanted a pancake lens that would make it easier for me to carry my mirrorless camera around everywhere.

  2. Focal length: I wanted a 40mm full-frame equivalent prime lens because 27mm and 40mm are the two focal lengths I am most comfortable shooting at (which are 18mm and 27mm on my mirrorless, APS-C camera, by the way). I even did a whole ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise last year to figure this out.

  3. Availability: The Fujifilm XF27mm F2.8 R WR lens that I actually wanted has been out of stock since the end of last year.

This TTArtisan lens is one-third the price of its Fujifilm counterpart, so it’s not as good. But I didn’t want to wait any longer and I was willing to deal with whatever shortcomings it had.

The plan with my most recent photo walk, then, was to try out the new lens to see how it performs. And you know what? It does pretty well.

Yes, it has issues dealing with strong light sources: bright lights get overly glow-ey and, if you face the sun, your whole photo gets washed out. But these are things you can work around.

And yes, it has vignetting that gets worse the wider-open you shoot it. But (a) I rarely shoot wide open and (b) that vignetting is ridiculously easy to fix in post.

Finally yes, it has some interesting colour and contrast characteristics: its colours a little muted and its contrast is slightly soft. But that is what you would call the character of the lens.

I didn’t have time to do a long photo walk yesterday, so these are the only decent photos I managed to take. I think they came out quite well :)

Half-open train door at Southern Cross Station

Road expansion joint in Collins Street, Docklands

St. Brew Dining area on Friday afternoon (when this cafe is closed)

Roast meats in the window at China Bar on Elizabeth Street

Coop’s Shot Tower inside the Melbourne Central complex at sunset

My initial thoughts about this lens are that I quite like it. It’s less pancake-sized and more scone-sized, but it’s still much smaller than all my other lenses.

The photos I took with it weren’t brilliant right out of the box, but it took only a little tweaking to get them to where I wanted. And frankly that’s to be expected with a lens that costs a little as this one did!

So I’m very happy I bought this and I’m looking forward to talking lots more photos with it.

[Photo walk] Around Flinders Street Station

I got the chance to take a couple of photos around Flinders Street Station this morning. And because I’m still considering buying a pancake lens, I restricted myself to shooting at only the 40mm focal length (which is 27mm on my APSC camera).

Haircut and free whisky from $40

Photo of a chalkboard sign outside a barber shop that reads (in pink and green chalk), “Haircut + free whisky from $40” above the ‘hair guys aus’ Instagram handle and the text “Walk ins welcome”.

Next Yarra River cruise is at 12:15pm

Photo of a small whiteboard on a small counter that's been placed outside an exterior door. Written on the whiteboard in red and black marker is, “Next cruise 12:15. 1 hour cruise sightseeing”. A tall blackboard attached to the wall behind this reads, ‘Yarra River Cruises’, lists cruise times for the day, and also reads, “Bar on board, free coffee/tea, free Wi-Fi, live commentary, and luxury seating”.

Photographer getting her clients ready for their newlyweds photoshoot

Photo of a photographer laughing as she talks to a newlywed couple who are standing on the steps of a train station in the middle of the city. The photographer is posing them before she photographs them.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #2

On this week’s photo walk I decided to use only my long lens (50-230mm APSC, which is 77-352mm full-frame). This let me really zoom-in and isolate my subjects in the frame, which can be challenging, but is fun to do.

Parks VIC boat and runabout on the Yarra River

Photo of a green-and-cream, flat-bottom boat towing a runabout next to it as it makes its way down an urban river. The boat is about to pass underneath an eight-lane road bridge.

Bicycle hoops in Docklands, Melbourne

Black-and-white photo of maybe twenty metal bicycle hoops installed in a covered area outside an office building. There is one bicycle locked to a hoop about two-thirds of the way down.

Collins, Bourke, and La Trobe Street crossings over Wurundjeri Way and Southern Cross train lines

Photo that shows three vehicle and pedestrian bridges across a road and several train lines.

I don’t do drama, I do nails

Photo of an advertising chalkboard placed outside a nail salon that reads, in bright, stylised, chalk colours, “I don’t do drama, I do nails”.

Frankston train crossing the Melbourne Aquarium building

Close-up photo of a yellow-and-blue train train travelling down an elevated train line next to a blue building.

Let them out!!!

Photo of a sign on a building that reads, “Melbourne SEALIFE Aquarium” below which someone has graffitied, in all capital letters, “let them out!!!”.

Guiding boat renters back to the dock

Photo of a woman standing at the end of a short dock on an urban river. The woman is talking to some people on a boat that’s just off-camera.

Getting new boat renters on their way

Photo of a man standing at the end of a short dock on an urban river. The man is talking to some people on a boat that’s just off-camera. In the foreground are four people sitting on a small boat that has a large table build into the middle of it. This and several other identical rental boat are docked along the river.

Go-Boat ‘GOBO’ docked along the Yarra River

Photo of a motorboat docked on its own alongside a short dock on an urban river.

Checking her phone while heading slowly down the Yarra River

Photo of a woman piloting a motorboat down the middle of an urban river. The woman is looking down at the phone she is holding in her hand.

Killing time while waiting for friends

Photo of a man sitting in a river-viewing area next to some trees. The man is looking down at the phone in his hands.

Chatting on the Evan Walker Bridge across the Yarra River

Photo of a man and woman standing on a pedestrian bridge across an urban river, chatting with each other. The man is leaning back onto the railing. Another man, wearing earphones and looking at his phone, is walking along the bridge near them.

Sweep rowing training on the Yarra River

Close-up photo of two sets of sweep rowers (in which each person holds only one oar with both hands) from the Australian national team rowing along an urban river.

Sweep rowers on the Yarra River

Photo of two sets of sweep rowers (in which each person holds only one oar with both hands) from the Australian national team rowing along an urban river. In the background, and parked along the farther bank, is a low, flat, blue-and-white, river cruise boat with a ‘Melbourne River Cruises’ sign painted on it.

Guiding the sweep rowers on the Yarra River

Photo of a motorboat with three rowing coaches/trainers making their way along an urban river.

Piloting the Yarra Duchess along the Yarra River in Melbourne

Photo of a man piloting a blue-and-white coloured, flat-bottomed, river cruise boat along an urban river.

Barista at AFLOAT pouring a beer from the tap

Photo of a barista at AFLOAT, a floating bar and restaurant on the Yarra River in Melbourne, pouring a beer while chatting to one of the servers.

Don't forget life.

Photo of a postcard-sized, zine-like, printed poem stuck with tape to the pillar of a green-coloured outdoor stairway. The poem reads, “Life is frantic chaos. But there are still roses for you to stop and smell. Don’t forget life”. It is signed @jaidynpoetry.

[Photo walk] Lonsdale Street (40mm only)

This week I concluded my ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise with a repeat of shooting at only 40mm (which is 26mm on my mirrorless, APS-C camera).

I can now confirm that the first pancake prime lens I will get for myself will indeed be a 40mm one. When I’ll actually go out and get this, I don’t know. But at least I know where I’m going to start :)

Here are the photos I took during my last photo walk of 2023.

Three flights down to Village Street, Docklands

Black-and-white photo of a set of stairs leading down to a street that is three storeys below where the photographer is standing. This staircase is built into the side of the building, with the lowest flight of steps inside the rectangular columns of the building. A woman carrying one large bag and several smaller ones is walking on the pavement that runs along this street.

The curves of the Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne building

Photo looking up from the ground of a very tall, blue-glass covered building. The building has rounded edges and two large curves along its length on either side, making it look somewhat like a fancy water bottle.

Mural at one corner of 246 Spencer Street, Melbourne

Photo of a large, four-storey high, spray-paint mural in several shades of blue. The anime-ish style mural shows an image of a woman with long hair, large eyes, and full lips manipulating energy fields. She has formed a swirl of light in her left hand and there are bits of rock and swirls of more solid looking energy rotating around her face.

Mural at the Lonsdale St corner of 246 Spencer Street, Melbourne

Photo of a large, four-storey high, spray-paint mural in several shades of yellow and pink. The hyper-realistic mural shows an older man and woman, both with white hair and wrinkled, slightly droopy faces. The man has is arm around the woman's shoulder. Both figures are looking straight across the street and, in this case, directly at where the photographer is standing.

Not where I expected to see this argument take place!

Photo of a boarded-up window with the top of a mostly torn off music posted still stuck to it. Several different people have scribbled things on the wooden board in red and black marker. These include text in all-capital letters that reads “anarchy rules”. Below this is a Christian cross with the words ‘remorse’ and ‘pain’ written on it, with text close to this that reads “one rule is pain, the other rule is remorse”. Next to that is a crown with a number ‘666’ written below it and text that reads “eighth and last link to walk this earth”. Two pieces of text in black marker have been crossed off. The first, written below the cross, reads, “The fucking cross you fucking Christians were suppose(d) to bear!!”. The second reads, “We are the Anti Christ and we don’t fuck your children. So can anyone explain Christianity to us? So fuck them, just not with my dick!!”. Written below these crossed-off bits of text is the phrase “Jesus loves you” and a heart symbol. This is repeated on the other side as well. Also written there is “Choose love”, with a heart symbol instead of the word ‘love’. The final bit of text along the top, seemingly in response to this back-and-forth, reads “Have a nice day and do it your way”.

EzyMart is not going to run out of candy anytime soon

Photo looking through the open doorway of a glass-fronted convenience store. Arranged on one entire wall along the side of the store are hundreds of candy packets and bars.

And just how is that working out for y'all, hmmm?

A simple, text-only advertisement painted along the windowless side of an eight storey building. The large, all-white lettering reads, “Create your life’s work”. Below this is the WeWork logo and the text “established 2010”.

This was the first time I’d walked down Lonsdale Street in the CBD to take photos. By restricting myself to shoot at only 40mm I was immediately frustrated by not being able to take good architecture photos, and I take a lot of those types of photos. I guess what I’m saying is that the second prime lens I’ll get will likely be the 27mm pancake prime :) Hopefully I’ll be able to get both in 2024. I guess we’ll see!

Random photos from around the city

I wasn’t able to go on a photo walk this week, so here are some photos I took on my way to various places in the city.

Taking a nap at Federation Square

Photo of a middle age man asleep on a deck chair in a large, outdoor, brick-and-marble, public square. There are people sitting in other deck chairs placed around the square as well.

Looking down into City Hatters, below Flinders Street Station

Black-and-white photo looking down a steep, slightly curved flight of steps that lead to a shop front. Through the open doorway of this glass-fronted hat shop you can see a salesperson adjusting a hat while standing at the payment counter.

Reading a informational brochure on a bus

Black-and-white photo of a man sitting on a bus a few seats in front of the photographer. The man is reading a large, two-page informational brochure which, on the left hand page, has the title “Key benefits of the design”.

City Circle tram in Docklands

Photo of a classic Melbourne tram, with its distinct green-and-yellow livery, waiting at a stop light. A sign painted on the front reads, “City Circle Tram, Melbourne” and shows the number 35 as the tram’s route number. The tram is on a pair of tracks that run parallel to a curving roadway.

I also didn’t get the chance to shoot at a focal length of only 40mm this week. I’ll try to do that next week.

[Photo walk] Southbank, Melbourne (85mm only)

This is my second week of shooting at only 85mm (which is 55mm on my mirrorless, APS-C camera). It was super hot (approaching 32 degrees) when I went out to take these photos, which is why I took a handful.

Cool AF backpacker chilling in the sun

Photo of a middle-aged, dark-skinned man with silver-grey hair styled into a short, soft mohawk with buzz-cut sides. The man is sitting on a long bench next to a tall hedge in an urban park. He is leaning forward, elbows rested on thighs, as he reads a newspaper that he is holding in his hands. On the ground next to him is a large, professional hiking backpack that is full with his gear.

Sir Charles Hotham Hotel building

Photo of the round, domed tower at the corner of a dilapidated, four storey, 111 year old building. The pale yellow paint on this building is cracked and peeling. Long-since faded paint on the side the building reads, “Sir Charles Hotham Hotel”.

Sweep rowing training on the Yarra River

Photo of four sweep rowers (in which each person holds only one oar with both hands) and their coxswain rowing along an urban river. Riding on a motorboat alongside them with a megaphone in their hand is (presumably) their trainer.

Crown Towers Melbourne, as seen through The Guardians artwork

Photo of the top of the Crown Towers building seen through a large ceramic ring that is part of some artwork on the ground floor outside. The artwork in question is ‘The Guardians’ (2000) by local artist Simon Rigg.

Office corners on a Friday afternoon

Close-up photo of the corner of an office building, with two of the floors in frame. On one floor there are tables and chairs set along the windows. On the other floor is an empty, darkened corner office with a large Dyson air purifier visible through the window.

This was the last formal step in my two-and-a-half-month long ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise. Woohoo!

Next week I’ll repeat shooting at only 40mm. If I’m still happy with that focal length, then the first pancake prime lens I get will be a 40mm one. This’ll be great for street, travel, and everyday photography. Especially since it’ll make my camera kit small enough to carry around with me pretty much everywhere I go.

And then I sit and wait till I get a get a good deal on a new (or used) Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 R WR lens. Or I just get the TTArtisan AF 27mm F2.8 third-party lens for my Fujifilm camera. I guess we’ll see how things go.

[Photo walk] Collins Street, Melbourne #3 (85mm only)

We’re on the final stage of my ‘one focal length at a time’ exercise. That means this fortnight I am shooting only at 85mm (which is 55mm on my mirrorless, APS-C camera).

I like shooting at 85mm because part of what I enjoy doing is capturing specific aspects of the world around me, and this focal length lets me zoom in to isolate the thing I want to highlight.

In this particular photo walk I focused on both people and a building details. The advantage of this focal length, of course, is that you can take photos of people from further away without ‘bruising the scene’ (ie without them noticing you and stopping doing whatever interesting thing they were doing that made you want to take their photo in the first place). Is taking photos like this somewhat voyeuristic? Yes, it is. But as long as you’re not being a creep or an asshole about it, I think it’s okay. I, for example, only take photos of people doing things that I wouldn’t mind being photographed doing myself. Most of the time this is just standing around in a public place.

Here are the photos I took.

Early dinner while stuck in traffic on Collins Street, Docklands

Photo of a man wearing a yellow high visibility vest and an orange turban sitting the the drivers seat of a large, white panel (delivery) van. The van is stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and so the man is using a fork to eat something out of a glass storage bowl on his lap.

Grey building reflecting a grey sky

Photo looking up to the top of a very tall, blue-glass covered building. Because the sky is grey and overcast, however, the windows are looking blue-grey instead. The building has rounded edges and two large curves along its length, making it look like a fancy water bottle.

Taking the time to smoke before heading into Southern Cross Railway Station

Photo of a man with pale blonde hair and a long, white beard sitting on a concrete bench outside on the footpath outside a large building. The man, who is wearing dark clothes and shoes, is holding a cigarette up in his right hand. In the background a woman is walking down the footpath.

Tram line inspectors heading to a job along Collins Street

Photo of two people in safety work wear (blue pants with reflective stripes, orange high visibility top with reflective stripes, white hard hats, and safety glasses) standing on top of a retracted scissor lift that’s been built on to the back a large truck. The truck is white and is covered in a Yarra Trams decal. The truck has just crossed an intersection and is proceeding along a tram track running down the centre of a road.

Triple denim, waiting on a bench

Photo of a young woman wearing blue denim jeans, a grey denim jacket, and a grey denim cap sitting on a long wooden bench outside a large building. She has a metal water bottle lying next to her. She is wearing wireless earbuds and is looking down at her phone.

It’s been a long week

Photo of a man wearing blue pants, yellow hoodie, and grey cloth cap who is sitting on a long wooden bench outside a large building. The man has a duffel back by his side and is leaning forward, head down and elbows on his thighs, looking very tired.

Heading out for Friday evening social event

Photo of four people waiting at the pedestrian crossing at an urban intersection. The two men are dressed in dark pants and untucked casual, button-up shirts. One woman is in a long, checkered dress in shades of brown. The other woman stands out because she is in a shorter, frilly, flower-patterned, blue dress.

Waiting for someone while while wearing the Melbourne uniform

Photo of a woman wearing the Melbourne uniform: black boots, black pants, black shirt, and black puffer jacket. The woman is looking down at her phone while waiting outside the steps leading up to an office building.

Keeping physiotherapists employed

Photo of a young man wearing sneakers, blue jeans, and a cream coloured t-shirt sitting on a large, black-painted concrete block outside a building complex. The man is hunched over as he looks at the smartphone he is holding in his hand.

Happy couple heading out for an evening in Melbourne

A woman and a man are walking down a footpath in a city centre with their arms on each others’ backs. They are wearing matching rings on their right ring fingers. In the background of the photo is a flower shop on the wide sidewalk.

Tourists checking out Melbourne's office-building architecture

Photo of a couple standing on the other side of the road from the photographer. They have their arms around each other and are looking up at the top of a building across the street from them. A green-and-white tram is about to cross in front of them.

Stained glass window of the 'Gothic Bank' in Melbourne

Photo of a round stained glass window with an interior seven-petal shape carved out of brownstone. The front façade and spire of this ornate, gothic-revival style, brownstone building is being seen through a gap in the trees across the street.

Front façade of the 'Gothic Bank' in Melbourne

Photo of the front façade and spire of an ornate, gothic-revival style, brownstone building that is being seen through a gap in the trees across the street. The year 1890 is carved into a shield at the top of the central spire.

Taking a selfie in front of Flinders Street Station in Melbourne

Photo of a man and a woman standing in the crowd in front of the steps of a train station. The man has is hand raised as if he has just taken a selfie of the two of them.

Next week I’ll continue shooting at 85mm, and after that I’ll probably repeat a couple of earlier focal lengths.

Since I’m doing all this to potentially buy myself a compact prime lens in this year’s Boxing Day sales, I think I’ll spend the last two weeks before Christmas back at 27mm and 40mm. Those are the two focal lengths at which Fujifilm sells compact primes.

Happily, I really enjoyed shooting at those focal lengths. So if I am going to buy one of those lenses this year – assuming the sale price is good enough or I can get them second-hand – then I should repeat those two to see which one I should go for first.

[Photo walk] Lygon Street #3 (40mm only)

Here’s part three of my recent Lygon Street walk.

Conclusions about this stage of the exercise are at the end.

Statue of Zelda D’Aprano (2023) at Victorian Trades Hall

Photo of a large bronze statue of Melbourne feminist activist Zelda D’Aprano, founder of the Women’s Action Committee in Melbourne. The statue is holding a large sign in her right hand that reads, “No more male & female rates. One rate only.” while in her left hand she holds a broken length of chain.

Front façade of Victorian Trades Hall

Photo of the light brown façade of historical Victorian Trades Hall that was first built in 1859 and then upgraded between 1874 and 1925.

Sprinkler booster that looks like a robot with large eyes

Photo of a red sprinkler booster that’s part of a fire fighting system installed in front of a building. The sprinkler booster is a large metal pipe sticking out of the ground with a red two-headed terminator at its top. The two fire hose attachments of the terminator look like large eyes. A sign affixed to this apparatus reads “Sprinkler booster. Working pressure 900 kPa. System tested to 1400 kPa.”

Carlton Audio Visual, the fanatic’s choice

Photo of a large blue sign attached to a wall above the entrance of a shop. The sign reads ‘Carlton Audio Visual’. A light blue sign above this shows the street number of this store (164) and reads ‘Fanatics choice’. Smaller signs painted to the left and right of the main store sign read “Hi-Fi sound. Home theatre. Projection room.”

Closed for the weekend

Photo of a several stacks of outdoor chairs next to several outdoor tables, all of which are lying in the outdoor seating area of a restaurant that is currently closed.

Local area map at the corner of Grattan and Lygon Streets

Photo of a tall, wide sign on a sidewalk. The top of the sign reads ‘Grattan Street’. Below this are sections with arrows pointing up, right, and left. Listed under each arrow at the points of interest that a visitor can get to if they walk in that direction. Below all that is a map of the local area, with a large circle drawn around the sign's location on the map. The circle has a label that reads “5 minute walk’.

Cakes at Brunetti’s in Carlton

Photo of two shiny, rounded, pale yellow coloured cakes for sale in a refrigerated display window.

Cake in the Brunetti’s display window

Photo of a shiny, rounded, pale yellow coloured cakes for sale in a refrigerated display window.

I find that I’m so comfortable with shooting at 40mm that there’s no point in sticking to just this focal length for another week. So I’m now going to move straight to 55mm.

Why am I going with 55mm instead of the more standard, ‘nifty fifty’ 50mm focal length? Well, technically, I’m going with neither :) I’ll be shooting at 54mm.

The sensor on my Fujifilm S-X10 mirrorless APS-C camera has a 1.53 crop factor. Meaning if I wanted to shoot at a 50mm full-frame equivalent, I’d need to shoot with a 33mm lens (because 33 × 1.53 = 50mm).

Fujifilm does make 33mm prime lenses, but I already own a 35mm prime lens (the cheap and cheerful Fujifilm XC 35mm F2) so I might as well use that for this part of the exercise. And since 35 × 1.53 =54mm that’s the focal length I’ll actually be shooting at.

It’s easier still to refer to this as 55mm, and so that’s what I’ll continue to say going forward.

I might try shooting at 50mm in the future (now that I’ve sped up this exercise by shooting at 40mm for one week instead of two) but for now let’s go with 55mm and see how I do there.

[Photo walk] Lygon Street #2 (40mm only)

Here’s part two of my recent Lygon Street photo walk.

Bench at Argyle Square

Photo of a park bench under a large tree in an urban park.

Front façade of Building 56 at RMIT on Queensberry Street

Photo showing the regular red brick and grey concrete façade of a university building.

Front façade of Building 56 at RMIT on a sunny day

Photo looking through green shrubs and trees at the regular red brick and grey concrete façade of a university building.

Abandoned shopping cart at RMIT Building 56

Photo of an abandoned shopping card at the bottom of the basement stairwell of a red brick university building.

Reflections of the city

Photo of a large glass skylight that shows the reflection of several tall buildings.

Victorian Trades Hall framed by buildings in the Melbourne CBD

Photo of a historic brown building that is partly hidden by several tall trees growing in front of it. There are three flags flying on this building, the Australian Aboriginal flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag, and the red flag (signifying left-wing politics).

Delivery driver in hi-vis on Victoria Street

Photo of a delivery driver on an electric cargo bicycle waiting to turn right at an intersection. The driver is wearing white sneakers, high visibility fluro-yellow pants and jacket (with hood), and a grey bicycle helmet. The cargo section of the e-bike is holding a large, insulated, soft shell, fluro-yellow coloured food delivery box.

[Photo walk] Lygon Street #1 (40mm only)

I know some of this has to do with the location, the time of day, and how much energy I had at the time, but I found it much easier to take photos at only 40mm (which is 26mm on my mirrorless APS-C camera) than at only 35mm (which I’d been doing for the last two weeks).

In case this is the first time you’re reading about this, I’m in the middle of conducting a creative exercise: for a fortnight at a time, when I go on my photo walks, I’m taking photos at only the 27mm, 35mm, 40mm, 55mm, and 85mm focal lengths.

Aside for the creative challenge of shooting at just one focal length at a time — which I am really enjoying and also learning a lot from — by the end of this exercise I should have a decent idea about which prime lens I’m going to buy next.

I managed to take a bunch of decent photos at 40mm on my last photo walk, and so I’ve split this into three posts. Here’s part 1.

Regular menu and the day’s specials at an outdoor café

Photo of a café menu in the form of a brown leather binder that’s lying on top a single sheet of paper. Both of these are lying on a wooden table in the outdoor seating space of a café.

Readings bookshop

Photo of a large sign on a shop awning that reads ‘Readings’. A smaller sign affixed below the awning reads “Readings. Melbourne’s own since 1969. Books. Music. Film.”

Entrance to Readings bookshop

Photo of the entrance of a bookshop. A woman with her hands on her hips is looking at the books arranged in the display window. A man inside the shop is looking at books displayed on a bookshelf. Entering the frame from the right, and slightly blurry because of the movement, is a small child being pushed in a pram.

Cocktails, pasta, vibes on Faraday Street

Photo of a sandwich board sign next to the outdoor seating of a café. The sign reads (across four lines), “Open all day. Cocktails. Pasta. Vibes.” The café is located inside a wide, red brick building with doors and windows that have been painted green.

Seating outside Vintage Cellars on Lygon Street

Photo taken just above the surface of a wooden table that’s part of the outdoor seating of a liquor store named Vintage Cellars.

Pasta display

Photo of five different types of pasta arranged on a wooden chopping board in the display window of an Italian restaurant.

Gelato at Gelatissimo

Photo showing the inside of a gelateria, with various flavours of gelato on display.

Outdoor heater

Close-up photo of a large, outdoor space heater that is used to warm customers sitting in the outdoor seating area.