Nightcapes, Melbourne

I've always been drawn to night photography, particularly the urban landscape. There’s something cinematic about the mood a scene creates with colour and available light. With Melbourne in lockdown, I thought this would be a great opportunity to capture the quiet and lonely streets of my neighbourhood. These are some shots I’ve taken within 5km of my house on my evening walks. Night time has always been this time of mystery and uncertainty. That makes for an exciting an environment to work.

COVID-19 Melbourne

It’s been a little while between posts. I haven’t had the opportunity to do much shooting since Covid-19 began. However, I did get manage to capture a few images in the city before we went back into lockdown here in Melbourne.

I’ve been eager to document the city in these unprecedented times but have been limited my neighbourhood. Here are a few of my favourites captured with my Fuji X-T100.

Urban Reflections

I’m always inspired by Melbourne’s architecture, the juxtapositions of old and new are endless and make for dynamic compositions. Lately, I’m intrigued by the reflections and the abstraction created by warped perspectives. Here’s a recent one shot on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD.

Collins Street, Melbourne

'Melbourne Street' Video

In recent months I’ve been experimenting with some video. As an extension of my interest in Melbourne’s urban landscape, I decided to explore an experimental piece that captures the city through my eyes. I wanted to combine a variety of visuals that celebrate the aesthetic and the energy of the city. Using a variety of stills and video as well as some experimental editing techniques, I’ve aimed to to produce a collage of urban fragments. Experimenting with moving image has inspired many new ideas and look forward to exploring more visual ideas in the new year!

I hope you enjoy Melbourne Street.

Surreal Street Photography Series

I've been exploring surrealism in street photography for my latest body of work. Inspired by Trent Parke and his incredible black and white images that encapsulate an ethereal quality while shot in our everyday surrounds.

The master of street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson was also influenced by surrealism.  For me there is something really exciting about playing with ordinary reality, and making it surreal. We are turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

There are many techniques that have been used when approaching surreal street images. Strange juxtapositions and scenes, silhouettes, double exposures, slow shutter speeds to create blur and the list goes on. Personally, I think the key is to take photos that suggest more questions than provides answers.

I decided to shoot with the iphone for this series. In order to capture the intimacy of these moments I needed to be virtually invisible. Here are some images from the series, as I set out to capture the streets with new eyes.

'Picturing Footscray' - Photography Exhibition

Picturing Footscray is an open-entry photography prize that focuses on Melbourne's unique inner-west suburb of Footscray.

Established in 2016, Picturing Footscray invites photographers of all capabilities to explore the streets of Footscray.

This was my first time submitting for the competition. I used to live in Footscray and still visit frequently to take photos.

The opening night was held at VU Metro West, in a salon-style exhibition. There was an incredibly diverse range of images that celebrate the essence of this unique melting pot. Jesse Marlow, renowned street photographer was this year's judge and he presented the 3 winners. I've been inspired by Jesse's street photography since moving to Melbourne, so it was a highlight for him to be there on the night.

My entry for the competition is in the centre above.

Jesse Marlow presents awards on opening night.

Tailors Mark - Autumn/Winter Shoot

These images are from a recent shoot with Tailor's Mark, a boutique tailoring company in Prahran, Melbourne. I had the pleasure of working with them on their Autumn/Winter shoot to advertise their suits and shirts for the season. They wanted to combine some corporate street shots in the CBD, as well as a more casual vibe that captured the atmosphere of Autumn. We chose Carlton Gardens which is beautiful at this time of year. Thanks to model, Ben Temby.

Changelings - Press Shots

Just recently, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the talented musician 'Changelings'.  We first worked together late last year and he approached me again to produce some new press shots for his upcoming album. We are both really pleased with the results, and Webb Bridge in Docklands proved to be a great location for the shoot.

'Hope Street' - Street photography series

Over the last few months I've been working hard on creating a body of work that explores the beauty in mundane and extraordinary in the ordinary. Shot in suburban Melbourne, I've aimed to capture and celebrate the special moments that occur in our daily lives. I decided to shoot in suburbia, rather than the city streets that I usually draw inspiration from. It was this decision that made project began to take on an exciting new direction.

Shooting in the everyday landscape of suburbia allowed me to simplify the subject in the frame and to focus on capturing 'the decisive moment' I was seeking. Most importantly I wanted to capture the emotion and the images to resonate with the audience. Here are a few of my favourites from the series. You can view more here.

"Photography is an art of observation – it’s about creating something extraordinary out of the ordinary. You choose a frame and then wait until the right time for something magical to come along and fill it. ” – Elliott Erwitt

The Typeset - Melbourne

In recent months, my friend and fellow creative, Leanne Franks and I started a new project to share our passion for typography and sign painting. We're collaborating to chart out the type and signs of Melbourne's yesteryear. Not only are we drawn to their aesthetic qualities, but they also provide interesting clues about the city's quirky past and social history.

The image below for example, is a recent discovery of a ghost sign in Carlton North, "DeWitts Otis Tonic Tablets". The name was an early twentieth-century product for "making your nerves stronger and your blood richer", released amid the post-WWI pharmaceutical boom.

You can follow the project via Instagram at @thetypeset, and join us as we continue to discover more hidden gems around Melbourne. Enjoy!

Ottis Tonic Tablet - Ghost sign, Melbourne

Tarax ghost sign, Melbourne

Newmans, ghost sign - Melbourne

Vintage Coke, ghost Sign - Melbourne

Ghost signs, Melbourne

I've been out shooting a lot around Melbourne lately. I'm always inspired by the city surrounding me, the people and the urban landscape. As a designer, I also notice good typography and interesting signage. I love the old heritage buildings and ghost signs that are still fairly prevalent in Melbourne today. It's what makes this city so unique and interesting.

Here are a few shots I've taken of signs in various locations around Melbourne.

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'Street Focus' Melbourne

My passion for street photography started about 5 years ago when I moved to London. I started out shooting on my iPhone for fun and was lucky enough to connect with the mobile photography community early in it’s rise to popularity. I built relationships with some excellent street photographers, such as founders of the Mobile Photo Network, Ollie Lang and Misho Baranovic. It was also around this time that Instagram launched and provided an excellent platform to share my images and learn from others.

There is a rawness and an excitement to shooting on the street that I find addictive. I suppose it’s because you’re concentrating on what’s right in front of you and really 'in the moment'. I photograph urban landscapes too, but I decided to get back out on the streets of the Melbourne CBD and shoot with a focus on the people of the city.

I wanted to get as close as possible to the subjects, which is of course very difficult. It’s quite hard to take a good photo of someone without them noticing. The iPhone provides a discreet and wide angle camera which makes it a good option for street photography.

These were shot on my DSLR at around 50mm, which is closest to what the viewer would see if they were actually there. I'm pretty happy with results and found it quite thrilling getting amongst the action and capturing the people surrounding me. 'Street Focus' will be an ongoing series documenting urban Melbourne. Stay tuned for more images soon and follow the series here on Instagram.

Flinders Street, Melbourne

This shot was captured on Flinders Street, during my daily commute home from work. The street crossing provides a good backdrop to capture the energy of Melbourne's CBD, combining interesting architecture with people in motion. Like this image, I shoot and edit a lot of my street images with my iPhone, because it's the camera that's always with me.

Street photography, Melbourne

I've been trying to challenge myself with my photography lately and experiment with more with shooting film. I seem to be more thoughtful about my composition and lighting, and I can anticipate the 'moment' better which brings a true sense of achievement. Here are a few images I shot around my neighbourhood in Brunswick and Northcote.

'Urban Fragments' photo series

Here are the latest landscapes from my my 'Urban Fragments' series, capturing Melbourne abstract and up-close. I'm engaging with the streets around me with a fresh perspective and framing these small details that draw my eye on a daily basis.

These street walls are in themselves a canvas for texture, typography and photography to be revealed in abstract and interesting ways. It's the smaller details we are surrounded with and the beauty in the ordinary that I'm celebrating with these images. They have a strong focus on composition and typography and by cropping a small section and creating an abstraction, a new narrative can be created. More to come, stay tuned...

Celebrating the ordinary

I've started a new photographic series documenting Melbourne's urban surrounds. The focus is on the visual fragments surrounding as all on a daily basis, but are often overlooked or ignored. These details attract my eye and I have an irresistible urge to record them.

Melbourne in particular, has a very rich urban landscape of street art, posters, signage and architecture. The torn poster for example, in itself is not all that interesting, but occasionally the elements come together in a way that I find pleasing. This series aims to zoom in on the details and celebrate the ordinary. Here are a few new images shot around Brunswick. Enjoy!

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