Melbourne (metro)

Melbourne, also known as Narrm, is Victoria's capital and one of Australia's most varied urban photography environments. This page is an overview: use it to choose subjects and plan a route, then follow the links to Auspano's detailed location pages where they are available.

Within a relatively compact central area, photographers can move between nineteenth-century architecture created during and after the gold-rush era, modern skyscrapers, railway stations, arcades, street art, the Yarra River, bridges, gardens and major civic buildings.

Melbourne is particularly rewarding because many of its strongest photographs are not isolated landmarks. They come from the relationship between old and new architecture, trams and pedestrians, reflections, changing weather and the network of narrow lanes between the major streets.

Melbourne is also an excellent city for blue-hour and night photography. Building lights, illuminated bridges, moving trams and reflections in the Yarra often become more photographically interesting after sunset than during the middle of the day.

Other priority subjects introduced on this overview page include Princes Bridge, Federation Square, Southbank, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, the Shrine of Remembrance, Docklands, the historic arcades and Melbourne's network of laneways.

Viewpoints

Melbourne is better approached as a collection of photographic subjects than as a single viewpoint. Choose between heritage and modern architecture, people, street art, gardens, the river, trams and changing city light; several can be combined in one walk.

1. Flinders Street Station

   Flinders Street Station is one of Melbourne's most recognisable buildings and should be regarded as an essential photograph for any Melbourne gallery.

   The best-known view is from the intersection of Flinders Street and Swanston Street, where the station's yellow facade, dome and clocks can be placed against the surrounding modern skyline.

   Trams, pedestrians and traffic provide opportunities to show the building as part of a working city rather than as an isolated architectural subject.

   Best for: architecture, trams, long exposures, blue hour and night photography.

   Recommended lenses: 24-70mm and 70-200mm.

   During blue hour, try combining a relatively static exposure of the station with blurred trams moving through the foreground.

2. Princes Bridge

   Princes Bridge is one of the most productive central Melbourne photography positions because it gives views in several directions.

   From the bridge you can photograph:

   1. Flinders Street Station.
   2. The Yarra River.
   3. Southbank.
   4. Arts Centre Melbourne.
   5. Melbourne's central skyline.
   6. Rowing crews and river traffic.

   Best for: skyline landscapes, river reflections, sunrise, blue hour and night photography.

   Recommended lens: 24-70mm.

   A 70-200mm is also valuable for isolating buildings and compressing layers of skyline beyond the river.

3. The Yarra River / Birrarung

   The Yarra River provides the strongest natural foreground for Melbourne skyline photography.

   Bridges, city lights and towers can all be reflected in the water, particularly on calm evenings.

   Useful photographic positions occur on both sides of the river between Princes Bridge and the Docklands end of Southbank.

   Best for: skyline reflections, bridges, long exposures, blue hour and night photography.

   Recommended lenses: 16-35mm and 24-70mm.

   A tripod becomes particularly useful from approximately sunset onwards.

4. Southbank Promenade

   Southbank provides long, largely uninterrupted views across the river towards Melbourne's older central-city architecture.

   It is particularly useful at dusk because the river can reflect lights from Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, Princes Bridge and surrounding towers.

   Best for: city skyline, river reflections, street life, bridges and night photography.

   Walk slowly along the river rather than choosing one fixed viewpoint. Small movements can considerably improve the separation between buildings.

5. Federation Square

   Federation Square provides a deliberately modern architectural contrast to Flinders Street Station directly opposite.

   Its angular facades, irregular geometry, steps and open public spaces work particularly well for architectural and street photography.

   Best for: modern architecture, geometry, people, abstracts and night photography.

   Try photographing small architectural sections rather than always attempting to fit the entire complex into the frame.

   Recommended lenses: 16-35mm and 70-200mm.

6. Hosier Lane

   Hosier Lane is Melbourne's best-known street-art location and functions as an ever-changing outdoor gallery.

   Because new murals, paste-ups and graffiti continually replace earlier work, photographs made here become a record of a particular moment in Melbourne's street-art history.

   Best for: street art, people, colour, environmental portraits and urban detail.

   Recommended lenses: 24-70mm and 16-35mm.

   Early morning provides the best chance of photographing the lane before large numbers of visitors arrive.

   Wet weather can be especially attractive because dark paving and reflected colour can make the lane considerably more atmospheric.

7. Centre Place

   Centre Place offers a more intimate expression of Melbourne's laneway culture.

   Narrow buildings, cafes, signs, pedestrians, graffiti and overhead structures create layers that work well for street photography.

   Best for: street scenes, rain, reflections, people and Melbourne laneway atmosphere.

   A 35mm or 50mm equivalent focal length works particularly well because it produces a natural perspective without exaggerating the narrow space.

8. AC/DC Lane

   AC/DC Lane provides another useful street-art location and has a strong association with Melbourne's music culture.

   The artwork changes, so I would treat the lane as documentary photography rather than expecting any single permanent mural.

   Best for: street art, music culture, signs and night photography.

9. State Library Victoria

   State Library Victoria is one of Melbourne's strongest interior architectural photography locations.

   The principal photographic subject is the famous La Trobe Reading Room beneath the great dome.

   Look for:

   1. Symmetrical views of the reading room.
   2. Radial desk patterns.
   3. The geometry of the dome.
   4. Staircases and balconies.
   5. Historic architectural details.

   Recommended lens: 16-35mm.

   State Library Victoria permits private, non-commercial photography in public areas, subject to staff directions and signage. Do not photograph staff or other visitors without their consent.

   At the time of review, general opening hours were 10am to 6pm daily, with specified public-holiday closures. Check the Library website before relying on these hours.

   State Library Victoria

10. Royal Exhibition Building

    The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens provide one of Melbourne's finest combinations of architecture, gardens and formal symmetry.

    The building was constructed for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880 and was designed by architect Joseph Reed.

    Its dome, long facade, formal gardens and fountains provide numerous compositions.

    Best for: heritage architecture, symmetry, gardens, reflections and blue hour.

    Recommended lenses: 24-70mm and 70-200mm.

11. Shrine of Remembrance

    The Shrine of Remembrance is important both as an architectural subject and as one of Melbourne's best elevated viewpoints.

    The strong central axis towards the city creates an excellent composition incorporating the Shrine forecourt, trees and skyline.

    From the upper Balcony, photographers can obtain broad views across the Shrine Reserve towards central Melbourne.

    Best for: architecture, symmetry, skyline panoramas, gardens and long-lens city landscapes.

    Recommended lenses: 24-70mm and 70-200mm.

    At the time of review, opening hours were 10am to 5pm, with last entry at 4:30pm, and general admission was free. Check the Shrine website for closures or changed access before visiting.

    Note that the upper Balcony is reached by stairs; the internal lift does not extend to the Balcony.

    Shrine of Remembrance

12. Docklands and Victoria Harbour

    Docklands offers a more modern and open interpretation of Melbourne than the central grid.

    Modern apartment towers, harbour water, bridges and promenades provide strong reflections and clean architectural compositions.

    Best for: contemporary architecture, reflections, minimalist compositions, sunset and blue hour.

    Calm evenings are particularly useful when harbour reflections are strong.

13. Webb Bridge

    Webb Bridge at Docklands is one of Melbourne's strongest modern architectural details.

    Its curved structural frame provides repeating lines that work well for both wide-angle and abstract photographs.

    Best for: architecture, geometry, leading lines and monochrome.

    Recommended lenses: 16-35mm and 70-200mm.

14. Melbourne Skyline from the South

    Some of Melbourne's most balanced skyline views are obtained from the southern side of the Yarra and from elevated positions around the Shrine precinct.

    Telephoto lenses are particularly useful because they compress historic landmarks and modern skyscrapers into dense architectural layers.

    Best for: skyline compression, sunrise, dramatic weather and city-atmosphere photographs.

Melbourne's principal photographic locations are close enough that many can be combined into a single walking route. Their numbered positions are shown together in the Apple Map below.

Other Things to Look Out For

I have photographed Melbourne many times, and the most useful kit depends on the intended subjects. A tilt-shift lens helps control perspective in architecture; a wide-angle lens suits interiors, the river and gardens; and a fast 24–50mm lens is particularly useful for laneways, street art and available-light street photography.

1. Melbourne Trams

   Trams are one of the defining visual elements of central Melbourne.

   Rather than treating them simply as transport, deliberately include them as photographic subjects.

   Particularly strong locations include:

   1. Flinders Street and Swanston Street.
   2. Bourke Street.
   3. Collins Street.
   4. Elizabeth Street.
   5. St Kilda Road approaching the city.

   Slow shutter speeds between approximately 1/4 and 1 second can produce controlled movement while keeping surrounding buildings relatively sharp.

2. Block Arcade

   The historic Block Arcade provides ornate nineteenth-century interiors, mosaic flooring, glass roofing and shopfront details.

   Best for: architecture, symmetry, interior detail and heritage photography.

3. Royal Arcade

   Royal Arcade provides another compact heritage interior with distinctive arches, shopfronts and the famous Gaunt's Clock.

4. Manchester Unity Building

   The Manchester Unity Building opposite Melbourne Town Hall provides excellent Gothic-influenced architectural detail.

   A telephoto lens is valuable for photographing the tower, decorative elements and contrasts with surrounding modern buildings.

5. St Paul's Cathedral

   St Paul's Cathedral provides a strong heritage counterpoint to Federation Square and the modern skyline.

   Excellent compositions can be found from Federation Square, Princes Bridge and Flinders Street.

6. Chinatown

   Little Bourke Street becomes especially photogenic after dark when signs, restaurants, lanterns and pedestrians combine with reflected street light.

   Best for: night street photography, colour and people.

7. Melbourne's Weather

   Changing weather should be regarded as an opportunity rather than a problem.

   Rain produces reflections on dark paving, while storms and rapidly changing cloud can provide dramatic backgrounds behind otherwise familiar buildings.

   Melbourne often becomes more interesting photographically in imperfect weather.

Nearby Locations

Beyond the central city, worthwhile photographic directions include Princes Pier, St Kilda and its foreshore, Brighton's bathing boxes, Williamstown and Werribee Park. They are not all genuinely “nearby” on foot, so allow a separate half-day or day and check travel times before combining them with a CBD walk. Selected metropolitan locations are included after the central subjects on the Apple Map below.

Location

Melbourne's photographic centre is best considered to be the area around Flinders Street Station, Federation Square and Princes Bridge.

Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Overview reference point: -37.8136, 144.9631. Individual photographic subjects and their verified GPS positions are listed on the Apple Map below.

Apple Map – Location and Nearby Photographic Locations

This interactive Apple Map shows the principal Melbourne photographic subjects described on this overview page, followed by selected metropolitan locations that warrant a separate excursion. Select a numbered marker or a location in the list below.

How to Get There

By Train

Flinders Street Station is the most convenient starting point for the photographic route described on this page.

Southern Cross Station is also useful for Docklands and the western end of the CBD.

By Tram

Melbourne's tram network provides excellent access throughout the city.

Tram travel is free when the whole journey remains within Melbourne's Free Tram Zone, which includes the CBD and Docklands. Check the current zone map before travelling beyond the signed boundary; a valid fare is required outside it.

By Car

Driving between individual CBD locations is generally less convenient than walking or using public transport.

For photography I recommend parking once, then travelling on foot and by tram.

If visiting with substantial equipment, select a central commercial car park and confirm its opening hours before beginning a night shoot.

On Foot

Walking is by far the best way to photograph Melbourne.

Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, Hosier Lane, Princes Bridge, Southbank, Centre Place and several other major subjects are all within a relatively compact area.

Driving from the State Capital

The state capital is used as a consistent reference point. Apple Maps calculates the automobile route to this location; your actual route may vary with your starting point, traffic, roadworks and temporary closures.

Current Access / Conditions

Central Melbourne is normally straightforward to reach, but it is a working city and conditions can change daily. Major events, demonstrations, construction and planned rail or tram works may alter access, crowd levels and tripod positions.

Before a time-critical sunrise or evening visit, check current public-transport disruptions and event or venue notices. Observe temporary barriers and signs, keep tripods clear of pedestrian routes, and ask permission before undertaking commercial photography or using substantial lighting equipment.

Best Time to Visit

In winter, Melbourne's temperature would generally be 6⁰C to 16⁰C. In summer, more like 15⁰C to 28⁰C. However, the weather is driven by a series of high pressure systems coming from the west, these high pressures slowly build up northely winds (hot), but then quickly change to southerly winds (cold). The saying in Australia is that Melbourne has 'four seasons in one day'. So in winter, you can have warm (25C days) and in summer and it can drop to below 20C. In both cases, you can get a shower of 1-10mm, but Melbourne has very little drizzle compared to overseas places. So while it may have the same rainfall as say London, it would get that rain in 30 mins as compared to several days in London.

Autumn - March to May

Autumn is one of the most comfortable periods for walking around Melbourne.

Trees in parks and gardens provide additional colour, while cooler mornings can sometimes produce mist along the river.

Good for: street photography, architecture, gardens and river landscapes.

Winter - June to August

Winter provides short days, low-angle light and a greater likelihood of rain and dramatic skies.

Wet streets can dramatically improve Melbourne night photography by reflecting signs, headlights and tram lights.

Good for: moody architecture, reflections, laneways and night photography.

Spring - September to November

Spring provides comfortable temperatures, longer daylight and flowering gardens.

It is an excellent general-purpose season for combining city and garden photography.

Summer - December to February

Summer provides long evenings and considerable time after normal business hours for city photography.

Harsh midday sunlight can create very deep shadows between tall buildings, so early morning and late afternoon remain preferable for most architectural subjects.

Best overall conditions

Unlike many landscape destinations, I would not wait exclusively for clear weather in Melbourne.

Some of the strongest conditions are:

1. Clear sunrise for skyline photography.
2. Broken cloud around sunset.
3. Rain followed by blue hour.
4. Low cloud around skyscrapers.
5. Calm evenings for Yarra reflections.

Accessibility

Melbourne caters for the elderly and people with disabilities. There are trains, buses, trams, hire cars and uber cars. There are also bikes and scooters to rent in most tourist or business areas. The city is essentially flat (there are a couple of 'hills', but these are slight and tiny by overseas standards). Australian law requires firms and shops to have wheelchair access, so where there is stairs, there is usually a ramp nearby.

Melbourne's central photographic district is generally much more accessible than the bush and coastal locations featured elsewhere on Auspano.

Most major streets have sealed footpaths, pedestrian crossings and kerb ramps, while public transport provides access between widely separated locations.

Yarra River and Southbank

Large parts of the Southbank Promenade and riverfront are relatively level and provide excellent photographic views without requiring stairs or rough terrain.

This makes the river one of the strongest Melbourne photographic locations for visitors with limited mobility.

Hosier Lane and other laneways

Melbourne's laneways are urban environments but may contain uneven paving, cobblestones, drainage channels, narrow footpaths and substantial pedestrian traffic.

Some are considerably easier to negotiate than others.

State Library Victoria

State Library Victoria provides extensive accessible facilities.

Visitors should check the library's current access information for lifts, entrances and any temporary room closures before visiting.

Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine Visitor Centre and Education Centre are step-free.

Lift access is available to the Galleries, Crypt and Sanctuary.

The lift does not continue to the upper Balcony, which requires stairs.

Accessible parking spaces and accessible toilets are available.

Shrine of Remembrance - Accessibility

Where to Stay

Melbourne is a city of several million people - it has a large number of accomodation options from high end hotels, to general tourist hotels, bed & breakfast, hostels, and some caravan parks. I dont know of any camping options in the city, but they are definitely available an hour or so out by public transport.

For a dedicated Melbourne photography visit, location is more important than the particular hotel.

I would favour accommodation within walking distance of either Flinders Street Station or Southbank.

Flinders Street / Federation Square

This is the best position for early-morning photography of:

1. Flinders Street Station.
2. Princes Bridge.
3. Federation Square.
4. Hosier Lane.
5. The Yarra River.

Southbank

Southbank is particularly useful for photographers concentrating on blue-hour and night skyline images because accommodation is only a short walk from many river viewpoints.

CBD north

Staying near the State Library or Carlton end of the city is useful if architecture, the Royal Exhibition Building and northern laneways are major priorities.

Photography Recommendations

1. 16-35mm wide-angle

   Particularly useful for architecture, interiors, Federation Square, State Library and narrow laneways.

2. 24-70mm standard zoom

   This would be my principal Melbourne walking lens.

   It is useful for street photography, architecture, trams, skyline views and the Yarra.

3. 70-200mm telephoto

   Extremely useful in Melbourne and often underestimated for urban photography.

   Use it to:

   1. Compress skyline layers.
   2. Isolate architectural detail.
   3. Photograph trams from a safe distance.
   4. Frame pedestrians against buildings.
   5. Create abstract building compositions.

4. Tripod

   Valuable for Yarra reflections, blue hour and night photography.

   Position it so that it does not obstruct pedestrian movement, particularly on bridges and busy promenades.

5. Use reflections

   Melbourne contains reflections everywhere:

   1. The Yarra River.
   2. Glass buildings.
   3. Shop windows.
   4. Rain-covered paving.
   5. Temporary puddles.

   Wet-weather reflections are especially valuable after dark.

6. Photograph trams with movement

   Experiment with shutter speeds between approximately 1/4 second and 1 second.

   Keep a stationary landmark sharp while allowing the tram to blur through the composition.

7. Use people for scale and movement

   Melbourne should not necessarily be photographed as an empty city.

   Pedestrians can provide scale and energy, particularly in laneways, stations and major intersections.

8. Look upward

   Some of Melbourne's strongest architectural compositions appear above normal eye level.

   Look for towers, fire escapes, reflections, rooflines and old facades surrounded by modern skyscrapers.

9. Look downward

   Tram tracks, paving patterns, road markings, puddles and shadows can become useful foregrounds and abstract subjects.

10. Keep verticals under control

    Architectural photographs made with a wide-angle lens can develop severe converging verticals.

    Where possible, keep the camera level and allow additional space for perspective correction during processing.

11. Carry less equipment when walking

    Melbourne rewards mobility.

    For a long city walk, a 24-70mm plus 70-200mm combination may be more productive than carrying every lens available.

12. Return after dark

    Many ordinary daytime compositions become substantially stronger once buildings, trams and bridges are illuminated.

Suggested Photographic Sequence

Melbourne works particularly well as a full-day photographic walk. I would organise the day approximately as follows.

1. Pre-dawn - Southbank / Yarra River

   Begin on the south side of the river looking towards the city.

   Photograph illuminated buildings during blue hour and remain for sunrise.

2. Sunrise - Princes Bridge

   Move towards Princes Bridge and photograph the river, skyline and Flinders Street Station as the city begins to wake.

3. Early morning - Flinders Street Station

   Photograph the station facade, clocks, dome and passing trams before pedestrian numbers become very high.

4. Early morning - Hosier Lane

   This is probably the best opportunity to photograph the street art with relatively few visitors.

5. Morning - Federation Square

   Concentrate on modern architecture, geometry and people.

6. Late morning - Melbourne laneways

   Walk through Centre Place, Block Arcade, Royal Arcade and nearby lanes.

7. Midday - State Library Victoria

   Use the harshest outdoor light for interior architecture and the La Trobe Reading Room.

8. Early afternoon - Carlton Gardens

   Photograph the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding gardens.

9. Mid-afternoon - return towards the river

   Photograph trams, street life and architectural detail as you move through the CBD.

10. Late afternoon - Shrine of Remembrance

    Photograph the Shrine and use its elevated position for long-lens skyline compositions.

11. Golden hour - Yarra / Southbank

    Return towards the river as lower light begins to strike the buildings.

12. Sunset - Princes Bridge or Southbank

    Choose the side of the river according to the most promising sky and reflections.

13. Blue hour - Yarra River

    This is one of the most important periods of the day.

    Balance the remaining blue sky against illuminated buildings and their reflections.

14. Night - Flinders Street Station

    Finish with illuminated architecture, moving trams and longer exposures around the Flinders Street intersection.

15. Optional late night - Chinatown and laneways

    Continue with handheld street photography using illuminated signs, pedestrians and wet pavement if conditions are favourable.

How Long Should a Photographer Stay?

Melbourne can provide worthwhile photographs in a single day, but two full days and two evenings would be much better for a serious photographic visit.

I would divide the time approximately as follows:

1. Day 1: Flinders Street, river, Southbank, Federation Square and laneways.
2. Day 2: State Library, Royal Exhibition Building, Shrine, Docklands and Webb Bridge.
3. Evenings: Yarra skyline, trams, laneways and night architecture.

Three days would give useful flexibility for changing weather and allow selected locations to be revisited when the light is substantially better.

My Priority Photographs

1. Flinders Street Station with a Melbourne tram passing through the foreground.
2. Flinders Street Station during blue hour.
3. The Melbourne skyline reflected in the Yarra River.
4. Princes Bridge and the city skyline.
5. A symmetrical architectural photograph inside State Library Victoria.
6. Hosier Lane early in the morning before it becomes crowded.
7. A tighter street-art detail rather than only a complete mural.
8. A rainy-night laneway photograph with reflected colour.
9. Federation Square architecture photographed as an abstract composition.
10. The Royal Exhibition Building framed by Carlton Gardens.
11. Melbourne skyline from the Shrine of Remembrance.
12. A compressed 70-200mm skyline containing several layers of buildings.
13. A slow-shutter photograph of a tram moving past a stationary Melbourne landmark.
14. A Southbank blue-hour reflection photograph.
15. Webb Bridge as an architectural abstract.
16. A photograph of an old Melbourne facade surrounded by modern towers.
17. Chinatown or another laneway photographed after dark.
18. A deliberately simple image showing rain, umbrellas and reflected city lights.