Melbourne Pride March 2026, part 3

Ameel Khan February 7, 2026

Finally, here my photos of some of the dogs at Melbourne’s Midsumma Pride March 2026 :)

Tiny puppy

Photo of a tiny, tan-and-white puppy straining on a leash in a grassy field. The puppy is only slightly taller than the ankle of the person it is standing next to. A small Progress Pride flag has been attached to its leash.

Dog playing fetch

Photo of a medium-sized, brown-and-white dog wearing a baseball cap. The dog is walking across a grassy field as it carries a stick back to its owner.

Fluffy white dog

Fluffy white assistance dog

Photo of a small, fluffy, white dog wearing an assistance-dog harness and a poofy, colourful skirt. A rainbow pride flag has been attached to the dog's harness. The dog is being walked on a blue leash that has an “assistance dog” label on it. The dog and its owner are walking across a grassy field.

Pride noodle

Photo of a greyhound dog wearing a rainbow-coloured sweater is being walked on a yellow leash across a grassy field before Melbourne Pride March 2026.

Fluffy backpack dog

Photo of a fluffy, white, medium-sized dog in a backpack. The backpack is being work by a man in a bright orange t-shirt with the Commission for Children and Young People logo on it. The man has a Progress Pride flag sticker on his cheek.

Fluffy white dog in a backpack

Photo of a fluffy, white, medium-sized dog in a backpack. The backpack is worn by a man in a bright orange t-shirt. Next to the man is a woman wearing a rainbow-heart-themed tie-dye t-shirt, with rainbow paint on her cheek and a rainbow hair tie.

Enjoying the event from a distance

Photo of a woman and her large, white dog sitting calmly in a children's play area close to the start of Melbourne Pride March 2026. The dog is looking off-camera at the crowd of people preparing to march.

Melbourne Pride March 2026, part 2

Ameel Khan February 7, 2026

Here are my photos of some of the marchers at Melbourne’s Midsummer Pride March 2026.

The kids are alright

Photo of dozens of teenagers holding pride signs getting ready to march at Melbourne Pride 2026. Signs include, “Bi, shy & ready to cry”, “Non-binary & proud”, and “Lesbians are lovely”.

This is pride at work

Photo of a placard being held by employees from Seek as they march at Melbourne Pride 2026. The placard reads, in bright-pink, all-caps lettering, “this is pride at work”.

RACV Pilot Service car

Photo of a bright yellow 1967 Morris Mini Deluxe car with “RACV Pilot Service” painted on it. The car is being driven along the Melbourne Pride March route by a woman in a bright pink t-shirt and a rainbow-coloured feather boa around her neck. A woman in the passenger seat, who is wearing a bright blue t-shirt, is smiling a she looks straight at the photographer taking this photo.

All-sparkly

Photo of two women in red and purple sparkly, strappy dresses and rainbow-coloured headpieces marching at Melbourne Pride March 2026.

Rainbow earrings

Melbourne Pride March 2026, part 1

Ameel Khan February 7, 2026

I didn’t spend as much at time as I wanted at this year’s Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne, but I did get a few good photos.

There are my general photos and photos of some of the kids there. Coming up after this are my photos of marchers and dogs :)

From Paris to Melbourne

Zoomed-in photo of a man wearing rainbow coloured sneakers and rainbow coloured socks with an outline of the Eiffel Tower on them. The man is standing in a grassy field alongside other people and a black-and-white dog.

Kinetic’s Pride Bus

Photo of a man wearing a rainbow jacket attaching a rainbow flag to a city bus that's been painted in rainbow colours. A heart shaped sign attached to the front windscreen reads, “You are loved”.

Riding along

Photo of a young girl in pink-and-blue clothes, with long, light-pink coloured hair extensions in two braids, riding on the shoulders of a person walking through the crown at Melbourne Pride 2026. Slightly out of focus, and in the background on the photo, is a large Progress Pride flag.

Having an important conversation

Photo of two toddlers sitting near a crowd of people who are preparing to march at Melbourne Pride 2026. One of the girls is pointing her finger at something while explaining something to the other girl. A slightly older boy who is walking nearby is looking at this exchange with a smile on his face.

Unicorn toddler

Photo of a small child sitting in a stroller while wearing a rainbow-coloured unicorn-horn headband.

Stepping up to take a photo

Photo of a young man in a purple t-shirt standing on something so he can raise himself well above the spectators and supporters lining the Melbourne Pride March route. The man has a phone in his hand is taking a photo or video of the group that is marching by.

Cleaning up after the crowds

Photo of a man in the section of a large, grassy, sports field that is now empty of people. The man is wearing a high-visibility vest and blue, plastic gloves. He is picking up fallen bits of pride-march costumes and is packing them into a very large garbage back. In the far background are marchers who have not yet started marching at Melbourne Pride March 2026.

It is cool to see how much I’ve improved as a photographer since 2023 (part 1, part 2), which is when I last took my mirrorless camera (Fujifilm X-S10) to Pride to take photos.

Because I got almost everything right in-camera, this year’s photos are brighter and cleaner, and I’ve had to do far less cropping and post-processing on them.

Also, because I now know how to use my camera’s burst modes properly, this year I missed far fewer “moments” and expressions that I wanted to capture.

The difference in skill is even more stark when you look back at the photos I took in 2020 (with my Google Pixel 3XL phone) or, heck, my photos from as far back as 2010 (with my Canon IXUS 80 IS). Though to see those 2010 photos you’ll have to scroll to the bottom of my ‘Melbourne Pride March’ album of Flickr.

So yay for experience and, of course, better cameras and lenses!

[Photo walk] Little Collins Street, Melbourne #1

Ameel Khan January 30, 2026

It’s been a while since I did a photo walk in the city, so today I grabbed my trusty 40mm prime lens and walked a few blocks down Little Collins Street.

It was a hot, sunny, 30 degree day, but it was quite pleasant in the shade. And not only did I get a couple of decent photos, I also got to check out a half-assembled film set, which was fun :)

Fonz electric motorcycle parked in the corner on Little Collins Street

Photo of a dark green, classic Italian style, electric motorcycle parked on the pavement outside a building.

Things are looking bright for this Fonz electric motorcycle

Photo of a dark green, classic Italian style, electric motorcycle parked on the pavement outside a building. The font of the motorcycle is in shadow of the building, but the back is brightly lit by the sun.

After-hours at Five Points Cafe on Little Collins Street

Photo through the shop window of a stack of paper coffee cups stacked neatly next to a coffee machine in a cafe. The ‘Five Points’ wordmark is stamped on each coffee cup.

Ready for the night shoot with this lantern soft box mounted on a crane

Photo looking up at a powerful cinema light mounted on a crane. The light is covered by a large, lantern-shaped soft box, which is a box made out of white cloth that softens the light that's coming from the LED bulbs.

I don’t know which movie is being filmed here, but I do know what city Melbourne is standing in for today

Photo of a white Ford sedan parked on the side of a narrow city road in Melbourne, Australia that will eventually become a film set. An orange crane with cinema lights mounted on top of it is parked behind this car. There are lights on top of this car that identify it as an American police vehicle. Blue stickers pasted on the car read, “NYPD Police”.

Australian Open 2026

Ameel Khan January 26, 2026

Unlike last year’s Australian Open tennis tournament – during which there was a thunderstorm – this year’s tournament featured two heatwaves.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We were there during the second of those heatwaves, but we took good care of ourselves :)

Here are my photos from this year’s tournament.

Our 2026 annual Australian Open selfie

Selfie of a man and a woman sitting outside a tennis complex on a sunny day. The man is wearing a black t-shirt and glasses; the woman is wearing a black sleeveless top and sunglasses. They are both wearing straw hats.

Lots of shaded seating at ANZ Arena

Wide-angle photo of an outdoor tennis court at a tennis tournament. The tennis court has seating all around, and shading has been erected so that almost all the seats are in the shade. The blue-coloured tennis court is empty because the next scheduled match has not yet started.

Hanyu Guo serving in her round 2 women’s doubles match

Photo of professional tennis player Hanyu Guo (China) in the air while in the middle of her tennis serve. The players are playing in a tennis court with a hard, blue coloured surface.

Australian supporters at Australian Open 2026

Photo of five women sitting in a row in the stands of a tennis court during a tournament. They are all wearing identical, patterned green-and-yellow tops as well as green straw hats with a yellow tennis ball affixed to the top.

View of Rod Laver Arena from ANZ Arena

Photo of the signage at the top of the Rod Laver Arena tennis court, as seem from the stands of a nearby outdoor tennis court.

Ball kid running to grab a tennis ball

Photo of a ball kid in blue shorts, a blue shirt, and a blue hat stopping his run across a blue-coloured tennis court as he approaches a tennis ball lying on the ground.

Ball kid running back having grabbed a tennis ball

Photo of a ball kid in blue shorts, a blue shirt, and a blue hat running back across a blue-coloured tennis court after he has retrieved the tennis ball that was lying on the ground.

Ball kid passing tennis balls across the court

Photo of a ball kid in blue shorts, a blue shirt, and a blue hat rolling tennis balls across a blue-coloured tennis court to another ball kid that’s off-camera.

Ball kid holding up a tennis ball for the serving tennis player

Photo of a ball kid holding up a tennis ball in case the serving tennis player wants another ball. Only the top of the ball kid’s hat at the ball kid’s arm are visible, with the rest being blocked from view by the wall of the tennis court.

Talia Gibson’s ball toss

Photo of professional tennis player Talia Gibson (Australia) tossing a tennis ball in the air at the start of her serve during a tennis match.

Talia Gibson ready to strike the ball

Photo of professional tennis player Talia Gibson (Australia) mid-swing as she prepares to strike a tennis ball during her women’s doubles match.

Sara Errani winning the point / everyone going in a different direction

Photo of professional tennis player Sara Errani (Italy) as she hits a ball into the opposing court during a tennis match.

Ball kid waiting for Kimbery Birrell to serve

Photo of a ball kid waiting by the side of the net at a tennis tournament. In the background of the photo professional tennis player Kimbery Birrell (Australia) prepares to serve.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 9

Ameel Khan December 30, 2025

Nadia and I have been enjoying our time off during the year-end break, going on walks around various parts of the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Nadia at a community football pitch

Close-up photo of the back and side of a woman’s head and shoulders. The woman is wearing a black hoodie and a cyan 2020 ICC Cricket World Cup cap. Out of focus, in the background of the photo, is a neighbourhood football pitch.

Nadia looking out over a community football pitch

Photo of the back and side of a woman’s head and shoulders. The woman is wearing a black hoodie and a cyan 2020 ICC Cricket World Cup cap. Out of focus, in the background of the photo, is a neighbourhood football pitch.

Plane spotter waiting patiently in the Essendon Fields Airport flight path

Photo of the valley of a suburban river with a rail bridge crossing over it. A plane spotter is leaning against a wire fence that runs down the decline of the valley. A camera mounted on a tripod in set up in front of him.

Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge

Photo of a railway viaduct built across a creek’s valley and flood plain. The viaduct comprises steel girders supported by steel-framed towers. Behind the viaduct is the residential suburb of Gowanbrae.

Top of a Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge tower

Photo of the top of a steel-frame tower that is supporting a rain bridge, also built out of steel girders.

Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge on a bright day

Looking up at the Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge

Photo of a railway viaduct built across a creek’s valley and flood plain. The viaduct comprises steel girders supported by steel-framed towers.

Looking up along a tower of the Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge

Photo looking up along the length of a steel-frame tower that is supporting a rain bridge, also built out of steel girders.

Police helicopter over Strathmore Heights

Photo looking up at a blue-and-white Victoria Police helicopter hovering in the air above a residential suburb. Several tree branches and leaves can be seen in the foreground of the photo.

Walking her dog along Moonee Ponds Creek Trail

Photo of a woman walking a black dog along a trail that runs alongside a suburban river.

The Glenroy side of the Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge

Photo looking up, along an incline, at a railway viaduct built across a creek’s valley and flood plain. The viaduct comprises steel girders supported by steel-framed towers.

Riding a toy sled down a walking path

Photo of a young boy riding a wheeled children’s sled down a cemented walking/cycling path that descends into a suburban valley.

About to fall off a toy sled because he was going too fast

Photo of a young boy riding a wheeled children’s sled down a cemented walking/cycling path that descends into a suburban valley. The boy is leaning hard to one side so that he can follow the sharp curve of the path.

Walking path up Kingsford Smith Ulm Reserve

Photo of a walking/cycling path that goes up a suburban valley. The path is surrounded by trees on both sides. In the background of the photo a railway bridge can be seen crossing the valley.

Walking path at Kingsford Smith Ulm Reserve

Photo of a walking/cycling path that goes up a suburban valley. The path is surrounded by grass and trees. By the side of the path is a hairpin-turn sign for cyclists. In the background of the photo a railway bridge can be seen crossing the valley.

Moonee Ponds Creek Viaduct Rail Bridge from Kingsford Smith Ulm Reserve

Photo of a railway viaduct built across a creek’s valley and flood plain, which is the Kingsford Smith Ulm Reserve. The viaduct comprises steel girders supported by steel-framed towers. Behind the viaduct is the residential suburb of Gowanbrae.

Nadia keeping an eye on her surroundings as she takes a photo

Photo of the back of a woman holding up her smartphone to take a photo. The woman is looking to her left to make sure she isn’t in the path of a cyclist. Her long, black hair is in a ponytail and she is wearing a brown sweatshirt and a cyan 2020 ICC Cricket World Cup cap. In front of her are the trees and bushes growing along the side of a suburban valley.

Straight stretch of walking path at Kingsford Smith Ulm Reserve

Low-angle photo of a walking/cycling path that goes up a suburban valley. At the end of this long stretch of path is a hairpin-turn sign for cyclists.

Turtles in a large pond

Photo of several brown turtles swimming along the banks of a large pond.

Turtle poking its head out of a pond

Photo of a brown turtle swimming in a pond, with its head poking out of the water.

Two turtles in a pond

Photo of two brown turtles swimming in a pond, one with its head poking out of the water and the other swimming completely underwater.

[Photo walk] Walking around the city and suburbs, part 2

Ameel Khan December 20, 2025

Here are some photos I took in the southern, eastern, and northern suburbs of Melbourne over the last couple of weeks.

Someone had a good night last night in St Kilda, Melbourne

Photo of an almost completely empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey lying on a stone wall around a public park in a suburb of Melbourne.

Arrow “head” mailbox and newspaper slot

Photo of a triangular, bare metal mailbox outside a house. The mailbox looks like a creature’s head, complete with holes for eyes and the mail slot as its mouth.

Grumpy arrow “head” mailbox and newspaper slot

Train waiting at the elevated Murrumbeena railway station

Photo looking up, through the leaf-filled branches of a tree, to an elevated train track and train station platform. A blue, silver, and yellow coloured train has stopped at this platform.

Underneath the elevated Murrumbeena railway station

Photo looking down the length of a pair of elevated train tracks being held up by massive concrete pillars. This area under the tracks is a parking lot, which is almost full of parked cars.

Facilities for humans and their dogs at Murrumbeena railway station

Photo of a stone bench around next to some bushes underneath an elevated train station. Next to the bench is a metal drinking-water fountain. On the floor, next to the fountain, is a bright blue water bowl for dogs.

Part of the Frogtopia mural by Anthony Breslin next to Murrumbeena railway station

Photo of a vibrantly coloured mural showing fantastical characters that resemble frogs, flies, and other insects. These characters are taken from Anthony Breslin’s children's book Brezania.

Part of the Frogtopia mural by Anthony Breslin next to Murrumbeena railway station

Traffic light on Murrumbeena Road, directly underneath Murrumbeena railway station

Photo looking straight up along the pole of a traffic light that’s located underneath an elevated railway station.

Bench outside Murrumbeena railway station

Photo taken from the seat level of an outdoor bench at the intersection of two suburban streets.

Bank of Australia Post post office boxes

Black-and-white photo of over a dozen post office boxes, each with an embossed Australia Post logo, a keyhole, and a PO box number.

Had a collision, but didn't need to call the cops?

Photo of a sticker on the back of a sign that's on a bicycle path. This bicycle path is about to cross a suburban road. The sticker contains and QR code and text that reads, “Had a collision, but didn’t need to call the cops? Report it to Merri-bek Council! It takes 1 minute and helps identify hot spots. Scan me.”

Share the love of gardening

Photo of a two large plastic bottles filled with a dark liquid and a few small plants in plastic pots placed on top of a residential wall. A hand painted sign on what looks like a wooden chopping board reads, “Share the love of Gardening. Please take”, followed by a smiley face.

[Photo walk] Jim Stynes Bridge

Ameel Khan December 6, 2025

Back on my go-to 40mm lens, I took these photos as I walked along the Jim Stynes Bridge on the Yarra River.

It was a hot, sunny day as I walked to my car after my team’s year-end lunch at the newly-opened 1 Hotel Melbourne.

Outdoor seating still-life

Photo of some metal-and-wood outdoor furniture that almost looks like a still-life painting. The photo shows a tall, narrow, black table with two tall, dark-green chairs arranged on either side of it.

Artistically arranged outdoor seating at 1 Hotel Melbourne

Photo of some metal-and-wood outdoor furniture that almost looks like a still-life painting. The furniture has been placed in the ‘Seafarers Event Space’ outside 1 Hotel Melbourne. This space consists of an outdoor wooden deck constructed around a historic, bare-concrete building. The furniture is a tall, narrow, black table with two tall, dark-green chairs arranged on either side of it.

Ladder and mooring bollard on the Yarra River

Black-and-white photo of a wide, urban river with a bridge running across it. Immediately in front of the photographer, along the near bank of the river, is a sturdy mooring bollard, next to which is a metal ladder leading down to the river level.

Jim Stynes Bridge running underneath the Charles Grimes Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a curved, wood-and-metal, pedestrian and cyclist bridge that runs along the length of an urban river. The walkway and cycle path along the river have been interrupted by a road bridge that spans the river. This pedestrian and cyclist bridge connects these interrupted paths via a curved section that goes below the road bridge.

On the Jim Stynes Bridge that runs under the Charles Grimes Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a cityscape taken from a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that runs below a road bridge that spans an urban river.

Foul ground below

Walking and cycling along the Jim Stynes Bridge on the Yarra River

Black-and-white photo of a cyclist and pedestrian walking on a bridge underneath another bridge that spans an urban river.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #6

Ameel Khan December 6, 2025

I finally got the chance to use make the most of my new wide-angle lens when I walked along the Yarra River after work one afternoon.

Seating area outside Collins Square, Docklands

Photo of cafe/bar seating area outside a central business district/downtown building complex. There are several tall tables arranged in an outdoor courtyard, each with several stools and a large umbrella (currently tied down).

Spiral staircase at Melbourne Quarter, Docklands

Photo looking up through a spiral staircase leading to an upstairs pavilion constructed between a group of tall office buildings.

Looking through the spiral staircase at Melbourne Quarter, Docklands

Photo looking directly up through a spiral staircase leading to an upstairs pavilion that's been constructed between several tall office buildings. The side of one such building, with a large AMP logo on it, is visible through the spiral of the staircase.

Melbourne City Helipad on the Yarra River

Photo of a large, two-aircraft helipad floating on an urban river in the middle of a metropolitan city. The helipad is anchored to one bank of the river using thick, black, metal poles. A walkway connects the helipad to the bank of the river on which the photographer is standing.

Melbourne SEA LIFE Aquarium on a bright day

Black-and-white photo looking up at a large neon sign in the shape of two stylised fish. The sign is held above the top of a building via two tall poles. A logo on this aquarium building reads, “SEA LIFE”.

The birds of Enterprize Park are unbothered by the trains

Wide photo of a blue, yellow, and silver coloured train running along set of elevated train tracks. In the bottom half of the photo you can see a few dozen birds spread out across the grass of a public park.

Sticker on a pillar underneath Queen Street Bridge

Photo of a thick concrete pillar with a red-brick and yellow-plaster facade that's holding up a bridge. A round, black-and-white sticker pasted on this pillar reads, “In 1788 Queen St Bridge was a waterfall”.

In 1788 Queen St Bridge was a waterfall

Close-up photo of a thick concrete pillar with a red-brick and yellow-plaster facade that's holding up a bridge. A round, black-and-white sticker pasted on this pillar reads, “In 1788 Queen St Bridge was a waterfall”.

Queen Street Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo taken through some trees of a vehicle, tram, and pedestrian bridge that spans an urban river.

Underneath Sandridge Bridge on the Yarra River

Wide-angle photo taken under a wide pedestrian bridge that spans an urban river.

West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day

Ameel Khan November 18, 2025

Last weekend Nadia and I were among the fifty thousand people who ran, walk, or wheeled their way around the newly-built West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne during its Discovery Day.

Here are my photos from that event. Well, except for that random Southern Cross station one at the start :)

Quiet afternoon at Southern Cross Railway Station in Melbourne

Photo looking down from the first-floor concourse of a major urban railway station. The station has a massive, wave-shaped roof and you can see all the way to the elevated concourse on the other end of the many platforms.

Entry portal of the newly-built West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne

Photo of a massive, curved structure above the entrance to a road tunnel. The design of this entry portal is inspired by the nets used to catch eels – historically an important Aboriginal food source. Hundreds of visitors are walking in and out of this entryway during what a banner says is West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day.

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 1

Black-and-white photo of the eel-net inspired design of a road tunnel entryway portal. Thick curved beams create successively shallower arches across the entrance. Thinner beams crisscross these large beams at an angle, creating the effect of a traditional eel net.

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 2

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 3

Photo of the eel-net inspired design of a road tunnel entryway portal. Thick curved beams create successively shallower arches across the entrance. Thinner beams crisscross these large beams at an angle, creating the effect of a traditional eel net. All the beams are made of metal but are painted a streaky brown colour to resemble natural materials like wood and twine.

Nadia pointing out the transition from deluge zone 2 to 3

Photo of the inside of large road tunnel. White panel segments along the wall have text painted on them tells us that we’re moving from deluge zone two to deluge zone three. A woman in jeans and t-shirt with a comically excited expression on her face is pointing to the transition point between the two zones.

Thousands of people walking through the newly-built West Gate Tunnel

Extremely wide-cropped, wide-angle photo of thousand of visitors walking into a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking out.

Nadia inside the West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day

Photo of a woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt posing near the wall of a massive road tunnel. She is surrounded by hundreds of other visitors and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the far background of the photo. The woman is wearing jeans and t-shirt, with pink coloured text printed on the t-shirt that reads, “Less stress, more boogie”.

People checking out the newly-built West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day - 1

Wide-cropped, wide-angle photo of thousand of visitors walking out a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking in.

People checking out the newly-built West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day - 2

Extremely wide-cropped, wide-angle, black-and-white photo of thousand of visitors walking out a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking in.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 8

Ameel Khan November 1, 2025

I’ve been wanting a wide-angle camera lens for a while, but I didn’t need one enough to justify spending serious money to buy it. [1]

Happily, the folks from TTArtisan released their AF 14mm F3.5 prime lens (21mm full-frame equivalent) with a Fujifilm X Mount a few months ago and I just bought one for myself when it went on sale :)

Here are the photos I took with this lens during a recent walk Nadia and took around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Public barbecue and gazebo in a local park

Wide-angle photo of a public barbecue and a rectangular gazebo that's covering a table and two benches. This barbecue area has been built right next to a children's play area.

Rope gym for older kids at a local playground

Wide-angle photo of playground equipment in a local park. The equipment consists of poles, bars, and ladders made out of metal with ropes and handles tied all around them, making for a challenging traverse across to the other side.

Bottom of the slide – wide

Wide-angle photo looking up from the bottom of a bright orange coloured children’s slide in a local park.

Bottom of the slide – tall

Closed community footy ground on a bright afternoon

Photo of the shaded veranda of a brick building at a local Australian rules football ground.

Closed canteen at a community footy ground

Photo of a shuttered-closed canteen window at a local Australian rules football ground.

Hadfield Hawks Canteen is closed post-season

Photo of a shuttered-closed canteen window at a local Australian rules football ground. A printed canteen menu has been attached to shutters on the side of the window, with the title, ‘Hadfield Haws Canteen Menu’ and menu item prices written in whiteboard marker.

Slow down

Slow down your walking

Close-up photo of a concrete footpath with a white-coloured ‘slow down’ warning painted on it. The front of the photographer's black-and-white sneakers are visible in the bottom of the frame.

I really like this lens!

TTArtisan makes solid, low-cost lenses that have an interesting character that (a) I like and (b) works really well for the type of photography that I do.

I now have three TTArtisan prime lenses [2]:

And I’m super happy with all of them! Here’s to many more photos with this lens trio :)

[1] The Fujifilm 16mm prime lens costs around $570 on sale and the Fujifilm 14mm prime lens costs around $1,300 on sale. The TTArtisan 14mm prime lens, on the other hand, costs just under $200 when its not on sale!

[2] I’ll probably (almost definitely) also buy the TTArtisan AF 75mm F2 lens whenever it goes on sale :)

[Photo walk] Around the city, part 1

Ameel Khan October 28, 2025

I took these photos back in June but never got around to uploading them thanks to a bout of post-viral fatigue. Better late than never!

Dubai chocolate egg tarts at #1000 Bread on Swanston Street

Close-up photo of a tray of egg tarts in a bakery display window.

Cube croissants at #1000 Bread on Swanston Street

Close-up photo of a tray matcha cube croissants and blueberry cube croissants in a bakery display window. A small paper label stuck to the top of each croissant reads, “#1000 Bread”

Waiting for the Koko Black baristas on Swanston Street

Photo of a Koko Black coffee stand on the sidewalk of a metropolitan city. Two baristas are making coffee at the coffee machines along the back of the stand. In the foreground are a woman and a girl waiting for their drinks, with the girl gripping the back of woman's jacket with her hand.

Tram-track crossing on Swanston Street

Photo looking straight down at a metal plate embedded into the road surface on top of which two tram tracks cross each other at an acute angle. The photographer's white sneakers are visible in the bottom of the photo frame.

Tagged Silver Gull at Federation Square

Close-up, black-and-white photo of a bird with silver-grey wings with white head staring straight at the camera. A small plastic ring attached to the bird's left leg indicates that it has been tagged.

[Photo walk] Walking around the city and suburbs, part 1

Ameel Khan October 28, 2025

Here are some photos from my recent walks abound Melbourne city and its various suburbs.

Life-size statue in a manicured garden

Photo of a manicured residential garden in which there is a full-size stone statue of a woman in traditional European clothes pouring water out of a bucket.

Reflecting the neighbouring building

Photo looking down at a tall office building with an all-glass exterior. A reflection of the less-tall, neighbouring residential building can be seen in the exterior of the first building.

Australian Ballet fashion capsule for Melbourne Fashion Week 2025

Photo of several high-fashion ballet costumes arranged on mannequins and other display stands in the massive foyer of an office building.

Cafe tables accommodating the slope of the footpath

Photo of two long, outdoor, wood-and-iron cafe tables and their accompanying benches. The tables are placed outside the building where the footpath is sloping downwards towards the street. The legs on one long side of the table are taller than the legs on the other side, resulting in the eating surfaces of the tables being perfectly horizontal.

Statues above the entrance of the Former AMP Building

Photo of the front archway of a 1920s office building with a pink Casterton granite and Sydney freestone facade. Above this entrance are statues of three adults and one child, with all three adults looking down to street level. The Latin phrase “amicus certus in re incerta cernitur” (meaning “a true friend is discovered in times of uncertainty”) is engraved on a plaque below these statues.

Looking through the hallway at the former Commercial Bank of Australia building

Photo of the hallway than runs through the middle of a baroque 1890s building with a Chicago-style facade and fittings.

Schoolboy at a bus stop, as seen through a wooden pallet

Photo taken through the bottom part of a wooden pallet, where the forklift's forks go. Behind the pallet is a wooden, cyan-coloured bus shelter with a single bench. Seated on this bench is a schoolboy, though you can only see his black shows, grey pants, and red-and-grey striped tie dangling between his legs.

No

Close-up photo of the white-coloured, all-caps “no” of a “no parking” sign painted on a road.

[Photo walk] Webb bridge

Ameel Khan October 4, 2025

My office is in Docklands and, super conveniently, the place I get my car serviced is in the corner of South Melbourne that’s a short walk from there. I got my car serviced yesterday so I took these two photos while crossing the Webb Bridge.

(I’ve taken several photos of, on, and from this bridge in the past.)

Scooting up the Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a man in a dark blue suit wearing a light blue cycling helmet, sunglasses, and brown formal shoes. The man has a black messenger bag slung across his back. The man is riding an electric scooter up a cycling and pedestrian bridge that spans an urban river.

Pushing a pram onto the Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a man in a brown jacket, black pants, and white sneakers pushing a baby in a pram up the incline of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that spans an urban river.

Suspicious sulphur-crested cockatoo

Ameel Khan October 4, 2025

I spotted a sulphur-crested cockatoo on one of my walks and, since I happened to be using a long lens at the time, I stopped to take its photo.

The cockatoo has noticed me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo is looking over its shoulder because it has noticed the photographer taking its photo.

The cockatoo is suspicious of me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo has turned the other way and is making sure the photographer is standing still behind it.

The cockatoo has decided to keep a closer eye on me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo has turned itself to face the photographer so it can keep an eye on that human.

[Photo walk] Along a flood plain in the northern suburbs

Ameel Khan October 4, 2025

Nadia and I try to take walks along various parts of the northern suburbs. This time we walked along a creek and floodplain.

The forbidden hole

Photo of a round culvert around a floodplain. Even though it is daylight outside, the interior of the culvert is pitch dark. A warning sign posted next to the entrance hole reads, “no entry” and “trespassers prosecuted”. Explanatory text above this reads, “lack of oxygen and sudden rising water”.

Floodwater culvert under a walking path

Photo of a set of large, rectangular culverts underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.

Looking through the floodwater culvert

Photo looking through a large, rectangular culvert that's underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.

The northern suburbs say We Luv U Gaza

Photo of a sound- and wind-dampening fence that's been erected along the top of a rise that's next to a floodplain. Spray painted on the fence is graffiti that reads, “WE LUV U GAZA”. In the background of the photo are high-voltage electricity transmission towers.

Flood-level markers along a creek in a floodplain

Photo of a series of white, graduated flood-level markers installed in the steep walls of a floodplain. Each marker is one metre tall and is painted white with black level-marks on it. Text next to these marks shows that the highest marker measures flood waters as high as seven metres above sea level.

A creek that’s on a flood plain

Photo looking down at a creek running through a grassy area. There are structures built along this creek to manage its flooding, such as a drain pipe that redirects flood waters via smaller creek into a flood retarding basin. A series of flood-level markers have been installed along the wall of this creek so observers can note the height of the floodwater.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 7

Ameel Khan October 4, 2025

I took a few photos while taking a longer photo walk around the northern suburbs of Melbourne

A newspaper ring in the wall

Photo of a residential red-brick wall with a round section cut out of it so a rolled-up newspaper or magazine can be placed in it by the mail carrier. The wall and ring itself are out of focus. What is in focus is a bush that is growing in the garden behind this wall.

The garden behind the newspaper ring in the wall

Close-up photo of a residential red-brick wall with a round section cut out of it so a rolled-up newspaper or magazine can be placed in it by the mail carrier. The wall and ring itself are out of focus. What is in focus is a bush that is growing in the garden behind this wall.

Classic 70s/80s residential garage

Photo of the brick-lined front of a residential garage with an metal roller door that's been painted in an pink/peach colour that matches the surrounding brickwork. This paint has peeled in several places so the grey of the metal roller door is exposed.

Brake lights at sunset

Photo of the brake lights of a silver sedan that are being lit with warm, golden light at sunset.

Cherub fountain in a residential garden

Photo of a vibrant residential garden with a stone fountain that’s mounted on a stone pillar. Both fountain and pillar are made from the same pinkish stone. The fountain contains a statue of two cherubs, one playing the panpipes/pan flute and the other holding a fish. Were the fountain to be running, water would come out of the fish’s mouth.

Little Raven in a driveway

Photo of a Little Raven (a species of raven roughly 1cm shorter than an Australian Raven) that’s standing in a residential driveway. The photographer has taken this photo partly obscured by a bush so as not to startle the bird.

[Photo walk] Walking in the suburbs, part 1

Ameel Khan October 4, 2025

Even now and then when running errands, commuting to work, or going out to meet friends, I take my camera with me. I then walk around whatever suburb I happen to be in, taking photos of whatever catches my eye. Over the last few weeks that’s been a brick recycling place and signs painted on roads and footpaths.

Brick recycling yard at sunset

Black-and-white photo of a line of standard transport pallets – the square wooden types that can be easily picked up by forklifts. Each pallet is fully loaded with layers of recycled bricks, the top layers of which have plastic wrap rolled around them. The pallets have been stacked four-high in a large outdoor yard, with several empty pallets on top of these already high stacks.

Office building at the brick recycling yard

Photo of a line of standard transport pallets – the square wooden types that can be easily picked up by forklifts. Each pallet is fully loaded with layers of recycled bricks, the top layers of which have plastic wrap rolled around them. The pallets have been stacked three-high in a large outdoor yard, with several empty pallets on top of these already high stacks. Also on this yard is a medium-sized wooden shed. A sign on the door of this shed reads, in all capital letters, “office”.

Watch for cars at the curb cut

Photo of a combined walking-cycling path that meets a road with a curb cut/ramp that is designed to let wheeled vehicles get on and off this path easily. A strip of tactile paving has been installed across the path just before the curb cut begins. A little behind that strip of bumps is a warning sign painted across the path in large, yellow, all-capital letters that reads, “watch for cars”.

Wat

Photo looking down at a pavement with a large, yellow warning sign painted across it. The full sign reads, “watch for cars” but the photographer has cropped-out most of the message so all that’s visible in the frame are the first three letters, “wat”.

No

Photo looking down at part of a faded sign on a road. All that is visible in the frame of the photo is the word, painted in white, all-capital letters, “no”.

[Photo walk] Weekend walks in the suburbs and the city

Ameel Khan September 27, 2025

I took the first two of these photos at a community footy ground and the rest when I went to an Emerging Writers’ Festival event at narrm ngarrgu Library in the city.

Up close with a drinking-water fountain in a sports field

Close-up photo of the spout of a public drinking-water fountain in a large sports field. This water fountain has not been used in a while and is completely dry.

Nets behind the goals on a footy field

Photo of one end of an Australian Rules Football field in which tall nets have been installed behind the goal posts.

Stand behind this (line) at a tram stop on a sunny, rainy day

Photo looking straight down at a bright yellow line painted on the asphalt of a tram stop. An incomplete phrase written in black, all-capitals text on top of this line reads, “stand behind this”. Installed just behind this line is some tactile paving: a series of raised, white-coloured, reflective circles that are looking strangely bright in the harsh, eerie light making its way through the clouds on a sunny day. In the bottom of the photo are the front of the photographer’s white sneakers stepping on the first two rows of tactile pavement dots.

This way to the narrm ngarrgul Library, right next to Queen Victoria Market

Photo of a sandwich board placed on a pavement with a sign on the floor painted next to it. The sign on the floor contains an arrow and text that reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Service”. Text drawn with multicoloured chalk on the black sandwich board reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library, all welcome. Take one cookbook from your library, combine with fresh market produce for a winning recipe”.

narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Services, right this way

Photo of the corner of a brick building with two large, solid-letter signs on it. One has an arrow and reads, “library entrance” while the other is around the corner and reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Services”. Below this, a sign painted on the floor and a sandwich board on the pavement both also point towards the library entrance.

Side of Queen Victoria Market along Victoria Street

Photo of a wide pavement next to a large market. The pavement is completely covered by an awning that has lights strung up below it. Also attached to the awning are signs showing the names of the shops along the market. There are several sets of tables and chairs arranged on the pavement. The area is not very busy, though there are several people walking along the pavement.

2025 Emerging Writers’ Festival event at narrm ngarrgul Library

Photo of a sandwich board on a pavement. A sign painted on the pavement next to the sandwich board contains an arrow and text that reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Service”. Pasted on the sandwich board is the posted for the Emerging Writers’ Festival being help between 11 and 18 September 2025.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #5

Ameel Khan September 26, 2025

It’s been months since I’ve posted any of my photos here, so here’s me catching up :)

This batch is from my first photo walk after recovering from my latest bout of post-viral fatigue. I basically walked from my office in Docklands to Flinders Street Railway Station, and I did that by walking along the Yarra River (as I have several times before).