Join us as we sit down with Matt Ferguson, Melbourne photographer, to discuss his experiences photographing Melbourne, Australia.
Melbourne is the place that you now call home so you have a lot of opportunity to capture the city. So can you tell us what you like about Melbourne photography?
Something is always happening in Melbourne. It goes back to what I think I've said in our previous blog posts and my love of photographing cities in general. I love to capture the hustle and bustle. And it is such a beautiful city. There's the Yarra River going through the heart of it. It is the history behind the buildings and the streets. And you want to capture the stories.
So older style buildings are of particular appeal to you?
I like the mix of old and new. The contrast is interesting.
What are some of your favourite places to photograph in Melbourne?
I love Flinders Street Station. Tram 35, I really like the old style trams. Princess Bridge which looks down toward South Melbourne and then the other side that looks toward the MCG. But there are so many places in Melbourne to photograph and they all offer very different perspectives. Especially if you are exploring with both your DSLR and your drone. There is a fantastic shot down in Williamstown by the Sea Shepherd with a telephoto lens looking back to Melbourne. Walking down St Kilda Rd looking toward the Shrine of Remembrance - that is a great visual of Melbourne. And the drone over the Tan is beautiful viewpoint too.
Drone photography or DSLR photography?
Sky is quite impressive because you are able to capture fuller cityscapes, but they are different perspectives. With a DSLR you capture Melbourne as a city on a micro level - an insight into people living their day to day lives. They are both great, I don't have a preference.
How does your approach change when you are photographing a city in comparison to say, photographing wildlife?
Buildings stay still haha. You can plan out your shoot based on the weather, the time of day, various other elements...I can know that if I'm down at Flinders Street at a certain time I am guaranteed to capture Tram 35 going past. There is no certainty in wildlife photography. So the components that make up a shot are much more controlled.
Do you enjoy that predictability and that ability to control the shoot conditions?
It's definitely nice to know what is going to happen when. With cityscapes I can plan where I want to be and what time I want to be there so the light is just right. You can plan your day. Wildlife photography requires a lot of time and patience.
What is the best time of day in your opinion to photograph Melbourne?
Hard to say. If you are on the eastern side I would say early morning so that sun is hitting the buildings. But then the sunset behind the buildings with all the lights on is also nice. Depending what you are aiming for. There is no real best time to capture a city, it is more a case of the best time based on what you are planning to photograph.
What about best time of year?
All year round. In Melbourne we are blessed with four seasons so each time of year has something different to offer. The beautiful autumn leaves. The flowers coming through in spring. The cool tones of winter. Melbourne has something different to offer all times of the year.
Do you have a favourite photograph that you have taken of Melbourne?
That's a hard one. I would have to say it would be the portrait show of Flinders Street station with Tram 35 in the foreground, where Tram 35 is in colour and everything else is in black and white. The green and gold colours of the tram really pop. And Flinders Street is such an icon.
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