The Melbourne Project - Gallery 01

As a working professional photographer, I have always recognised the importance of pursuing personal projects; to continue to grow creatively it is essential to step outside of a client’s brief and explore a subject without expectation or confinement, allowing the eye and mind to wander.

Having lived in the beautiful city of Melbourne for over 24 years, I found myself drawn to trying to unveil the character of the city through it’s many wonderful architectural details (I started my career as an architectural photographer after all). Naturally I also captured some wide angle views and expansive panoramas, but it was more about really looking at the city, and seeing those little details that are hidden in plain view. So often we walk in a familiar environment with our eyes at street level (or in a mobile phone induced trance), and yet if we just look up, there is really so much waiting to be discovered. If we were to translate the expression ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ into photographic terms, it could perhaps be said that ‘familiarity breeds blindness’, and so with camera in hand I began wandering through the city at a relaxed pace, looking up, looking down, and so capturing details and shapes that I once may have missed. It was also a chance to indulge in some dark contrasty black and white imagery, combined with a few selectively coloured pictures, something that I personally used to have a real aversion to, but which I felt just really worked in this setting. The project took shape over a few (rare) days off over a couple of years, and is in essence ongoing (caution, there are many images in this gallery!). I have deliberately left in some older images such as Etihad stadium, alongside a view of it’s latest incarnation under the Marvel banner, just to give a feel for how the city, like life, is constantly evolving …

The collection of images will soon be available as a coffee table book.