Photography Walks Melbourne

Hosier Lane is the most famous street art laneway in Melbourne. The murals rotate constantly, so repeat visits always produce different images. The lane runs off Flinders Street, just east of Federation Square.

Look for the Aboriginal boy artwork. It's one of the most recognised pieces in the lane and a strong focal point for compositions that include both the art and the surrounding laneway context.

For large wall murals that fill an entire wall, shoot at 24mm. A wider focal length like 24mm captures the art in context with the laneway itself. This works with any lens that covers 24mm: a kit zoom set to 24mm, a 24mm prime, a 20mm, or similar. The light in Hosier Lane varies dramatically from the street entrance to the back wall, so expect to adjust exposure as you move through.

AC/DC Lane runs off Flinders Lane, near Pastuzzo restaurant. It's a narrow lane with street art, giant wall murals, and a rock-and-roll atmosphere from the band posters and gig flyers layered across the walls.

The lane is very Instagrammable, with strong colour and texture on both walls. The narrow width creates natural framing for portraits and environmental shots. For the large wall art pieces, 24mm gives you the full mural plus enough laneway context to show scale.

Light is limited in AC/DC Lane due to the narrow width and tall buildings either side. Midday provides the most overhead light, but the moody, shadowed look works well for the gritty aesthetic of the lane.

Drewery Lane and Drewery Place sit in the network of laneways between Flinders Lane and Collins Street. The highlight here is looking up: the Angel art installation overhead is the main draw and one of Melbourne's more distinctive laneway features.

Shooting upward in a narrow laneway means working with a wide lens and managing converging verticals. At 24mm or wider, you can get the Angel artwork and the buildings either side into a single frame. Tilting the camera straight up produces the least distortion.

Sniders Lane is another street art laneway with less foot traffic than Hosier Lane. The relative quiet makes it easier to set up shots and experiment with different angles without crowds moving through the frame.

The same 24mm focal length recommendation applies here for any full-wall murals. Sniders Lane is a good spot to slow down and try compositions that include the laneway floor, walls, and sky together.

Birrarung Marr is a riverside park near the Arts Centre. Walk from the Arts Centre straight toward the river. There's a landing where you can step out slightly over the water, which gives you an unobstructed vantage point for river and city shots.

From this position, the Melbourne skyline reflects in the Yarra when the water is calm. It's a strong spot for wide-angle cityscape compositions, particularly around golden hour when the buildings catch warm light. A 24mm or wider lens works well here to get the full skyline in.

Princes Bridge connects Flinders Street Station to Southbank, crossing the Yarra River. The elevated position gives you a symmetrical city skyline photograph with the river running through the centre of the frame.

The bridge works for city photography at most times of day. Morning light hits the northern bank, and sunset lights up the western skyline. A wider focal length captures the full span of the cityscape. Trams cross the bridge regularly, which adds movement and a distinctly Melbourne element to longer exposures.