Photographing Laneways in Melbourne
Photographing laneways in Melbourne allows you to create visually dynamic images.
Photographing laneways in Melbourne is great fun for locals and tourists alike. Here’s what you’ll discover as you explore the laneways of Melbourne with your camera.
Are you prone to claustrophobia? Have you ever felt like the walls were closing in about you?
Most cities include laneways and alleys that the average person remains oblivious to.
One of the great things about photography is that it encourages us to explore the world around us and through an exploration of the laneways of Melbourne you’ll discover all manner of hidden gems.
I love exploring such spaces. Clearly, you have to keep your wits about you, particularly when exploring a city with which you’re unfamiliar.
Whether it’s the narrow cobbled streets of Bruges, the Barkhor in Lhasa or the backstreets of Kolkata, there’s plenty of vibrant local culture and photographic opportunity to explore.
For example, take a look at the above photo which explores the relationships between our three dimensional world, as we perceive it, and the more confined two dimensional space of the photograph.
In this case I’ve used a telephoto lens to visually compress the impression of space between the buildings.
I also like the photo because it gave me the opportunity to contrast notions of traditional and contemporary architecture in the city of Melbourne, Australia.
A steep staircase leads through a narrow laneway in Melbourne, Australia.
Laneways - Exploring Color and Space
The above photo was made in a very narrow lane way in the city of Melbourne.
I love the color contrast within this scene.
There’s the warm, yellow/orange of the incandescent interior, evidenced in the window on the left of the frame, against that of the cool bluish hues in the shaded staircase and walls.
You might also notice how the yellow color of the light that’s emitted from the dominant foreground window is referenced further back in the frame.
This relationship helps link the foreground with areas further back in the image. As a result, despite the lack of traditional beauty, the image appears more cohesive and harmonious.
Wide Angle Lens Distortion
Other than the vivid yellow color within the window, perhaps the most obvious thing about this photo is the distortion of that same window.
This is a consequence of using a wide-angle lens from a position that’s not directly parallel with the subject being photographed.
As you can see, this effect is more noticeable towards the edges of the frame.
The distortion came about through the use of the magnificent Nikon 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens on my full-frame Nikon D800e camera.
This is the widest lens I’ve ever owned and it was a hoot to use.
Actually, while I rarely used it as wide as 14 mm, I simply could not have produced an image with this exact perspective, from the point at which I was standing, without it.
I wouldn’t want all my photos to so boldly proclaim the use of such a very wide angle focal length. That’s because I want my photos to be about so much more than the camera or lenses used to produce them.
But once in a while, for drama as much as for practical purposes, I think it’s okay.
In fact it can be a lot of fun to push the boundaries of perspective through the use of ultra wide angle lenses.
How To Photograph Laneways
By the way the extreme 14 mm focal length provided me with a sufficiently large depth of field (DOF) to render everything in that particular image acceptably sharp at the relatively modest aperture of f/5.6.
This allowed me to make the above HDR composite photograph, from a series of five individual exposures ranging from 1/125 second down to 1/8 second, hand held at ISO 1600.
With practice, despite what you may have read, it’s also possible to produce sharp photos, of inanimate objects, down to (maybe) 1/8 second without a tripod.
I’ve been doing it for years. Even on the high megapixel (i.e., 36MP) Nikon D800e or my current Sony A7R ii (42MP) camera it’s possible.
But I wouldn’t recommend you do so, when photographing something that’s important to you, without first undertaking quite a bit of testing.
The great thing about digital photography, unlike in the days of film based photography, is that, as you’ve already purchased your digital camera, there’s no extra cost involved.
About To Travel?
Explore your Creativity By Photographing Laneways
Next time you’re out and about, whether on holidays or just wandering around your own town or city, consider spending some time exploring some of its hidden gems.
You’ll likely find walls, windows, urban art and, perhaps, puddles. But with careful composition you’ll photograph those objects in a creative way that explores color, shape, texture and space.
You may even have the opportunity to explore metaphor or to present your view on a range of social or environmental issues.
After all, they’re your photos. It’s up to you if you want to make photos that explore issues or express an opinion?
One thing I know is that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore your creativity while photographing laneways in Melbourne, Australia.
