Australia/New Zealand Great 'street' locations

[James Burton]

We should be sharing locations good for opportunistic shots (read street). Looking back over my better shots following the light seems to be the key. Here are my best locations in Melbourne...

- Flinders st stn foyer under the clocks (light comes form several directions it's brilliant). People really hang here, it's dark so auto focus helps.
- southbank under the concert hall, especially if there's a busker there.
- bourke st mall in the afternoons has great light at the tram stop at the elizabeth st end.

I'll have another look through later and see what else I can think of.
It would be great if others would contribute to this thread.

James

 

[jmilkins]

Hi James
Pity we missed you on our recent outing. We hung around quite a few of those spots you mention !
I like some of the laneways (like the Block etc and one or two off little bourke, though it can get dark in there.

The Vic Market is one place I want to head out to early morning some time 'cos there's bound to be some excellent candid people shots there.

I reckon St Kilda in the late afternoon on the right day is nice and there's some landscape potential in Half Moon Bay too.

The Shrine of Rememberance as well.

Most places with that twilight or early morning glow show their best "colours " don't they, even in monochrome! 🙂

Further out (not really street) I also want to shoot images of the awesome 400 + year old river redgums on the grassy plains around Melbourne's north west - the sun slanting through those giants is beautiful, and there's only 0.3% of that ecosystem type left in the Australia...in fact, in the world..... 😡

Whaddya reckon Melbournites - any other fav's?

 

[Kris]

Hardware Lane is quite a favourite spot of mine especially on Friday/Saturday evening. Nice coffee, live Jazz and plenty of people all around you.

Collins Street has the appealing atmosphere to me but I've never managed to get a good picture there.

 

[jmilkins]

That's only 'cos Hardware lane is right around Melbourne's camera store precinct isn't it Kris, so you can shoot and vainly try to fend off the ol' Rangefinder GAS at the same time. 🙂 Nice example image of Hardware lane in your gallery BTW.

 

[Heath]

Here in Sydney there are a few good places.

Circular Quay
Darling Harbour
The Rocks
Manly Beach, Mall and ferry warf
Bondi Beach (of course)
SOP (Sydney Olympic Park)
Hyde Park

If I think of any more I'll let you know.

Anyone else in Sydney know of any?

Now, I used to live in Wollongong so I will also list a few places down that way too.

Wollongong mall
South Beach
Wollongong harbour
North Beach
Kiama (especially on market day)
Windang, especially the fishermen near the bridge and the families enjoying the foreshore parkland

Again, that is all I can think of at the moment.

Heath

 

[thedilettante]

In Sydney

Central Station / Haymarket area. - I know this sort of area has been done to death ( train/bus station, Chinatown, etc ) but I find it the most crowded part of a generally uncrowded city

Ben

 

[Tarzak]

Kings Cross is good.
As long as you can run faster than the Bouncers. They are very keen NOT to have their photo taken.

 

[2REP]

Here in Sydney there are a few good places.

Circular Quay
Darling Harbour
The Rocks
Manly Beach, Mall and ferry warf
Bondi Beach (of course)
SOP (Sydney Olympic Park)
Hyde Park

If I think of any more I'll let you know.

Anyone else in Sydney know of any?

Now, I used to live in Wollongong so I will also list a few places down that way too.

Wollongong mall
South Beach
Wollongong harbour
North Beach
Kiama (especially on market day)
Windang, especially the fishermen near the bridge and the families enjoying the foreshore parkland

Again, that is all I can think of at the moment.

Heath

Glebe (and its market), maybe?

 

[Heath]

Glebe (and its market), maybe?

Glebe would be great. Many colourful characters congregate there, plus it had a great coffe-shop culture, but can be a bit pricey. As a bonus you can visit the great book shop there. The shop has one of the best photography sections of any bookshop in Sydney.

Heath

 

[James Burton]

The Vic Market is one place I want to head out to early morning some time 'cos there's bound to be some excellent candid people shots there.

Speaking of markets, the vic is fantastic. But you have to get up early for the best stuff 🙁

The weekend markets are pretty good. The book market on sat in fed sq., sunday morning in camberwell, craft markets in concert hall + St. Kilda esplanade. can't think of any others at the moment.

oh, and of course the 6-monthly camera swap meet in camberwell town hall 🙂 Definately a rangeinder friendly event.

 

[James Burton]

The events in Fed Sq. over summer of course are not to be missed. I assume that I have photos of you all. I have a horrible habit of snapping the snappers.

 

[Andrew McPhee]

I haven't done any street photography but I'm starting to feel the urge. Thanks for this thread guys, I'll check out the Melb sites next time I'm down that way. I'll drop a note here before I leave, it'd be nice to meet up with you guys.

 

[Erl]

IMHO, a danger with 'street photography' is that the 'location' becomes predominant in one's thinking, rather than the 'image.'

eg. Soon, I think it may be this W/E, there will be a 'fly past' of vintage aircraft starting and ending at Moorabbin airport. There is a reason for it which I can't remember. Anyway, I will probably be there, at DAWN for the take-off, just to get pics of some great machines taking to the air. BUT, they will not be great pics, just geat machines. Pics will be merely 'records.' . . . unless I get lucky!!

Same with street photography. Largely boring/record stuff, but just occasionaly, one jumps up as brilliant.

My point, if I can remember is, its NOT the location, to stay on topic, but the 'reflexes at the moment' for which there is no prediction.

Maybe I am not making sense, I have just had dinner with a few drinks, so I am feeling soporifhic (sp), ignore me if that is easier. Ha Ha. Whoops!

 

[simonankor]

I have to say, I'm with Erl on this one. Melbourne being such a vivacious and energetic city, there are opportunities for street photography practically anywhere you look! 🙂

But I've never set out to find "a location" to do it... just carry a camera with you everywhere, and work around what you find.

PS I'm heading over on Thursday night with my FED 1 to do exactly that in Melbourne!

 

[Peter]

Sydney's George Street, Darling Harbour and Circular Quay is my favourites when I was studying in Sydney! 🙂

 

[Andrew McPhee]

Erl said:
"My point, if I can remember is, its NOT the location, to stay on topic, but the 'reflexes at the moment' for which there is no prediction."

Good point. But my thoughts are that a good location brings good opportunities. If a location has good light, atmosphere and a good selection of subjects (people) then there's a better chance of coming away with some good photos.

 

[Erl]

Good point. But my thoughts are that a good location brings good opportunities. If a location has good light, atmosphere and a good selection of subjects (people) then there's a better chance of coming away with some good photos.

Andrew, I think we may differ on this one, which is fine. If I read you correctly, a 'good location' is fine IF you want a location shot, otherwise, I believe it is almost immaterial. The subject is all that matters, if it is a good shot. Where it happens to be can be irrelavant. I should stress, that is my biased belief. I don't expect anyone else to subscribe to it. 😉

As a matter of interest, I have a client (a bank) who wants me to shoot their top managers for the year with a couple of Limmos on the way to a lunch as their reward. The client suggested a few 'scenic' locations to park the lommos and arrange the managers around them.

I said: do you want a picture of the location or the managers!

The client thought for a moment and then said: yes, you are right. The managers is the picture.

However, I do feel the buzz of a 'good location' effecting me. It's just that my best pics always come out of 'nowhere', rather than 'somewhere.' :bang:

Erl

 

[James Burton]

I said: do you want a picture of the location or the managers!

Erl

All good points. But for me, for "street" work rather than for setups, a good location is one where the likelyhood of getting something good is increased. E.g. good light, a place where people congregate, where people walk past.

Some more good ones - embarrassing in their obviousness. Cnr Latrobe & Swanston outside the library in the afternoon (12:00 winter - 5:00 summer) -
in fact any north-south street. Cnr little collins & Queen, midday winter.
Inside QV.

 

[hugivza]

"Flinders st stn foyer under the clocks (light comes form several directions it's brilliant). People really hang here, it's dark so auto focus helps.
- southbank under the concert hall, especially if there's a busker there.
- bourke st mall in the afternoons has great light at the tram stop at the elizabeth st end."

I am currently visiting Melbourne until Christmas so appreciated the heads up. I dine in ?Hardware Lane most nights, but am too lazy/tired to bring a camera. Tomorrow is my big day out with the Zorkis. If you have get together during the next month in Melbourne let me know - I am staying in the city centre, and working from Spencer St next to the jail.

 

[James Burton]

Tomorrow is my big day out with the Zorkis. If you have get together during the next month in Melbourne let me know - I am staying in the city centre, and working from Spencer St next to the jail.

Zorkis? I hope they're not too heavy 🙂

Perhaps next week. I'm free mostly, just not this weekend :-(

James