Hi, and welcome to my blog, where I observe and document my life as a photographer, writer, podcast host, Papa and partner. As most of you will know, I love street photography, especially when out and about in my hometown of Melbourne. And whilst I usually hunt the light as a lone wolf, now and then I will join another photographer or even a group (look at me being social) to walk the streets of Melbourne with cameras in hand. On this occasion, I caught up with four photographers from the Geelong (Victoria) area late in the afternoon. Our meet-up location was the concourse at the northern end of Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. Southern Cross is a massive train station that serves both local suburban and subway loop lines, as well as incoming and outgoing V-Line trains and coaches that travel beyond Melbourne’s fringe. When I jumped on the train at my local station, it was dull, grey and drizzling heavily. I feared that our walk might be interrupted by the weather. However, after travelling through the Melbourne Loop and surfacing at Souther Cross, the weather had cleared, and the sun was shining through breaks in the clouds.

It wasn’t long before the Geelong Crew (Levi, Annmarie, Paul, and David) arrived, and we met at the pedestrian bridge located at the north end of the station. With greetings out of the way, we proceeded to head west through the towering buildings and the impressive Marvel Stadium. Given the rain had just passed, every surface was soaked and glistening, making for some dynamic outcomes. We slowly strolled and drifted apart to hunt our own slices of the afternoon light, only to regroup and continue conversations. The Geelong Crew are an amazing example of how photography communities can form and support one another, even with only a handful of people. Levi, Annmarie, Paul, David, and I spent our time together talking about all things photography, framing compositions, and showing one another’s outcomes. I couldn’t help but marvel at the connection this group of intrepid light hunters had with one another and how welcoming they were towards me. It’s yet another example of the power of community. It wasn’t my first time hunting light with the GC (Geelong Crew), and it certainly won’t be my last.

After crossing Harbour Boulevard, we explored the docks and waterfront, capturing images of the fading light as it cast a final dramatic glow across the clouds above the scene. The light was fading fast, but that didn’t deter us from experimenting with light, exposure, and composition. All of the images in this blog were shot with my Fujifilm X70 – not exactly a champion of low-light photography. But to its credit, the little compact camera held its own, and I was pleased with the outcomes. Plus, I didn’t have to carry much else with me for the night other than a couple of spare batteries and my usual EDC (everyday carry) gear. As the Docklands fell into darkness, we called it a day and headed to our pre-booked dinner, a stone’s throw away at LAN Palong Thai BBQ restaurant. We were all in the mood for curry, and we were not disappointed. It was such a lovely experience to spend time, light, and an excellent meal with these guys. Our night had come to an end as the Geelong Crew still had a long journey home by train. We said our warm goodbyes and parted ways with fond memories of a night of shared creativity and friendship. Be safe. G.