I am sitting on a tram as I type away, unconscious of the world around me due to my snazzy new headphones. I’ll give this mobile blog upload thing a go.

A 6pm tram is the perfect time to see the city transform from the clear frosty air of day to the twinkling lights of the Melbourne night.
After a couple early classes today, a good friend and I wandered the city streets with his Nikon DSLR. We’ve decided to try our luck at a local photography competition. The theme is ‘Melbourne by the Water’ and comes with a first prize of $1500 – that would go very nicely!
So we ventured up and down the banks of the Yarra, attempting to find that perfect aesthetic balance between iconic Melbourne and water, while encompassing the natural beauty. We began with some simple shots; water in the foreground, skyline in the background. Let’s add another element, we thought. So we tried to capture movement in a variety of ways. A tram passing on a bridge, seagulls in midflight above the river, a boat and it’s ripples gliding across the water.

Let’s go one step further. How could we make it more ‘Melbournised’? Besides the obvious landmarks, I wanted to encompass aspects of culture too. Well then, the first things that came to mind were Coffee, street art and multiculturalism, as well as the frantic weather changes. With this in mind, we decided to keep it simple with the inclusivity of a take-away coffee cup. We positioned it deliberately in multiple locations which added that extra personification of the city and culture.

Seeing the town from a photographers perspective, in search of that perfect image, really made me appreciate the beauty of the city. As a local, you don’t usually set aside time to admire the architecture, scenery and icons. But when you see it from the view of a tourist, it allows for a completely new understanding and admiration for everything that is out there.

Fingers crossed that the judges love our images as much as we love Melbourne by the water!

Here’s a similar photo I uploaded to Instagram a couple weeks ago. After the winners of the competition are announced I’ll upload my other best ones.