Back in the day, before Covid turned the world upside down, I used to be a regular attendee at the Queen Victoria Market, Night Markets. I documented a lot of those events and evenings in past blogs here. I also organized several meet ups for the Fuji X Aus photography community for which I am an admin. They were really fun events and we’d often get a decent turn out of Fuji photographers to join in. My blogs were noticed by the marketing team that promotes the Night Markets and I started to get VIP invites for myself and some friends. This would include anything from drink vouchers to VIP treatment in a fenced off area with a bar and lots of yummy food. Then Covid came along and spoiled all the fun. The night markets stopped for a while due to lockdowns and social distancing rules and limits on the amount of people permitted in event spaces. 

The Night Marketa at QVM are back in full swing and, on Wednesday night,  I attended my first Winter Night Market in years. I organized a Fuji X Aus meetup event on our Facebook page. On the day of the night market, I headed into the Melbourne CBD around 4pm to scout the location, meeting place, and to shoot a little street photography. It was a cold but sunny afternoon and the sun was already making its slow path to setting. The angle and quality of light was perfect for some dramatic shadows and contrast. I circled the market a couple of times as the interior where the night market was being held was fenced off till opening time at 5pm.

Along the way I bumped into Simon, a fellow member of the Fuji X Aus group and we walked a little more just chatting and catching up on things. Before long it was time to head to our meeting point, a donut van that’s permanently parked outside the entrance to market sheds. There was a huge open fire pit nearby and we were waiting there for the other members of the group to arrive. I love an open fire and absorbing the warmth and smell of burning wood. 

In total, around ten other members of the Fuji X Aus community showed up for the event. As is tradition, we made our greetings and introductions before launching into asking one another what camera and lens we brought to the occasion. As the sun dipped lower, the temperature continued to drop and we all surrounded the fire pit. As the event organizer, I let everyone know that we will make our way through the large market sheds to explore the market. Chances are we were going to get separated as people stopped to take photos while others chased the light in other directions. I suggested that I keep an eye out for a large table so that we could reunite for some amazing food. 

The night market is a draw card for Melbournians looking for a night out. Given that it’s at the edge of the CBD, hundreds of people make their way to the night market from work. By day, the Queen Victoria Market is a traditional market with a great deli hall and then countless sheds packed with vendors selling everything from veggies to books. The night market takes up around four of the large sheds and is surrounded by food trucks, vans and stalls selling food from all corners of the globe. So many amazing smells and the halls fill with smoke from the large open barbecues. It’s a wonderful atmosphere with one critical exception; the sheer volume of people attending the market. 

Within 15 minutes of the night market opening, the flux of incoming people had escalated. It was already difficult to keep track of everyone in the group and after a few more imputes I was walking alone and couldn’t see a single member of the group. The food stalls already had long queues of hungry Melbournians lining up. I continued on my path moving with the flow of people as much as possible. I completed a full lap of the exterior of the market before taking my time to walk through the middle. Aside from the food vendors, other stalls were selling books, hats, alcohol, hot drinks, and sweet treats. 

Every now and then, I’d pass or bump into a fellow member of the Fuji group. But before long we’d be swept along with the growing crowd. My good friend Ian was also part of the group and he called me about an hour in to see where I was. We set a meeting point and joined up to continue walking around the market together. Before long we decided that it was time to eat something warm. It was a cold night of around 5° so a warm meal followed by a hot coffee was in order. Ian and I decided to head to a quieter corner of the market to a food van we had spotted earlier. The food van was selling boutique hotdogs, burgers, and soup. We both opted for a hotdog and were lucky enough to find a small table at a cafe. We ordered coffee and sat to enjoy our meal. 

The cafe was right next to one of the entrances to the night market and we both marveled at the number of people streaming into the event. We finished our meal and decided it was time to head off. It was just too busy and had become a bit overwhelming. A few other members of the Fuji group had arrived by this time and they agreed it was too busy. We made our slow way out of the market. It was crazy how many people were still coming in. 

While it was cold and incredibly busy, it was still a good night out and great to meet up with my friends and peers among the Fuji X Aus group. I’m really glad to see that the Night Market is back in full swing. I look forward to organizing many more meetups there with future events such as the Hawker Night Market and Summer Night Market. And thanks to the Fuji X Aus members who attended on the night. Happy shooting. G