Hi, and welcome back to my site, where I describe my life and times as a photographer, writer, partner, parent, and content creator. I’ve been receiving some really amazing feedback from folks about my most recent foray back into writing on the regular. I’ve decided to build up my site with new and interesting articles celebrating a creative life. I don’t write these articles to boast, brag, or make myself out to be some incredible photographer. I write these articles to explore my creative practices and also provide guidance, insight, support, and more for anyone who may find my work helpful. And as such, I always strive to be genuine, honest, and open about my experiences and the mental gymnastics that are sometimes involved in forging a creative life.

That’s enough of a preamble. Let’s get to the street photography. As described in my article ‘My 2025 Year In Review’, I had a couple of unpleasant encounters while out shooting street late last year. It spooked me and put me off my game for a bit while I pondered my next steps. It turns out, you can’t keep a good street photographer down…or off the streets for long. With the dawn of 2026 came a greater understanding of my craft and of why it is important to me to continue documenting my local neighbourhood and the inner-city suburbs of Melbourne. I am taking a more cautious approach to who and what I photograph. Instead of tackling compositions from a low angle (literally squatting), I stand up and back a little to frame a larger portion of the background. In turn, this gives me a little more distance from any subjects walking into frame. Given that I mostly shoot with wide primes, it doesn’t hurt to step back a bit to capture a broader picture.

One of the benefits of now shooting with the new Fujifilm X-E5 is the ability to crop my images. I’ve always shot in RAW format, which allows me to take my time editing my images in Adobe Lightroom. Given that the Fujifilm X-E5 packs a 40.2MP X-Trans 5 image sensor, the files contain a lot of data and bandwidth, allowing for quite aggressive cropping. As a result, I can stand well back from a potential composition and frame it up, knowing the bit I will crop. I don’t always approach my craft with the intent to ‘fix it in post’. It’s just an option that is available, especially when shooting street photography, where the final image quality isn’t as important as if I were shooting a wedding. Plus, the X-E5 now boasts In-Body Image Stabilisation, allowing me to confidently shoot at much slower shutter speeds for creative effect.

As for my most recent street walk, it was late afternoon on a sunny and warm Thursday. The previous week had been a nightmare of super-hot, windy days, with temperatures reaching 44º Celsius at their peak. But this day, it was mild yet not uncomfortable as I headed out the door. Given the lateness in the day, and thanks to Golden Hour, the sun was low on the horizon and cast long shadows and equally long shafts of golden light. I was walking around South Yarra from the Prahran Skate and Basketball Park and a little further west to Chapel Street. The sleepy days of the Christmas/New Year’s period were over as people returned to work and routine. But it wasn’t so busy that compositions were crowded or complex.

I took my time and strolled along with my Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujinon XF 27mm F2.8 pancake prime. I love this combo for both image quality and the shooting experience. Not only is it compact and lightweight, but it is also a joy to shoot with. The Prahran Skate Park has become a Summer of 2026 favourite for me as I take my time to watch the skaters, determine the best spots to compose, where to stand (safely), and who is an interesting character. From there, Chapel Street was busy, but behind the rows of shops is Prahran Square – used as a thoroughfare for those travelling to and from the Prahran Train Station and Greville Street shops. The light was falling in just the right places, so I took advantage of it and sat or stood, composing frames while waiting for the subject to enter the scene. I spent at least two hours out and about this afternoon, until the sun had all but dropped and the blues of Blue Hour began to creep in.

It was a great walk, and I am really pleased with the images I captured. I am equally pleased with how my camera and lens combo performed. The smaller camera body and compact pancake prime are discreet and don’t necessarily draw attention. And it’s not like I hide my camera or pretend not to be taking photos. I take almost every shot with the camera up to my eye as I build compositions. From time to time, I will take a lower hip shot. As the sun faded, the noise and activity of Chapel Street increased – some of it was intimidating as I could hear people yelling. It’s not an uncommon occurrence around here. Often, you will see or hear people having arguments across the street. I trusted my Spidey Senses and knew it was time to stop taking photos and wander safely home. G