Hi and welcome to my blog, where I document my life as a photographer, writer, podcast host, and much more. As many of you will know, I am a Melbourne-based street photographer and have spent more than a decade walking the streets of Melbourne to document the human experience. While I (and most street photographers I know) often hunt the light alone, I also love catching up with friends old and new to walk, talk, and document our surroundings. In fact, I recently launched my Street Level Photography Workshops doing just that! Guided street photography workshops on the streets of Melbourne – one of the world’s most incredible cities. I’ve lived in Melbourne my whole life and love showing its architecture, history, and vibrant street scene to others. Last week I had the absolute pleasure of catching up with fellow photographer, published author, educator and amazing mate, Samantha Ohlsen. Sam has been a guest co-host on The Camera Life Podcast, and is also joining us at the Bright Festival Of Photography later this year as a workshop instructor!

Sam is a pro wedding, family, and event photographer but has a deep love of landscape photography in and around Australia. As an educator, she has expanded that love of the Australian landscape into a phenomenal project that resulted in the publication of her first book – A Photographer’s Guide: The Great Ocean Road & Otways. The book is a highly detailed companion guide for anyone travelling the Great Ocean Road with a camera in hand. Sam’s commitment to making this book the best guide it can is commendable. And her determination to publish it, despite the considerable hurdles she had to jump, is incredibly inspirational. A Photographer’s Guide is an in-depth reference for every point of interest along The Great Ocean Road and Otways – one of Australia’s most picturesque and photography-friendly stretches of road. While I haven’t been down that way in a while, I recall travelling the Great Ocean Road to visit surf towns with mates back in my youth. Anglesea, Torquay, and Lorne were frequent destinations for us, and I later visited these same towns with my own children while on holidays. What’s most impressive about Sam’s book (the first of many I hope) is just how much information it contains – not just for photographers, but also for dedicated explorers.

Featuring 152 shoot locations from across the Great Ocean Road and Otways region, this guide provides all the information you will need to ensure you get the most out of each shoot location. It includes detailed directions, walking information, weather and tidal tips, gear recommendations, and expert photography instructions. This book will save you countless hours of research to avoid missed opportunities and provide the chance to learn insights from an expert who spent over 4 years mastering the region.

Plan smarter, shoot better, and make the most of your photography adventure with The Ultimate Photographer’s Guide to the Great Ocean Road & Otways – Sam Ohlsen

And while Sam obviously has a love of Victoria’s coastline, she actually lives in NSW. But on a sunny and almost warm mid-winter Melbourne day, Sam was in town and keen to get out and hunt the light in Melbourne’s CBD. We met up at Flinders Street Railway Station (under the clocks) and set off on an afternoon of image-making and an experience shared with a friend. While Sam was punctual as usual (a former nurse in the Australian Defence Forces), I was running late as that morning Justin and I interviewed the one and only Steve Parish on our podcast. The 3-plus hour podcast ran overtime as we unpacked a fraction of Steve’s phenomenal story, journey, and art from decades as an Australian wildlife photographer. With the podcast over, I grabbed my camera bag and jumped on a train to the city. We enjoyed a late lunch together with a big, hearty bowl of Ramen before hitting the streets to take some photos. We walked and followed the amazing light that cast Melbourne in an almost golden glow. We explored Flinders Street Station and surrounds, Degraves St, Federation Square, and many of the fascinating graffiti-covered laneways that Melbourne has become famous for.

It was a lot of fun to get lost in conversation while observing the light, possible compositions, and fascinating characters that were before us. I noticed that while we were often lost in conversation, both of us would stop talking mid-sentence to frame up a shot and capture that decisive moment. Then the conversation would pick up where we left off like we had never stopped talking. I was feeling especially creative and determined to nail some artsy street shots that captured the mood of that day. An almost warm, sunny Melbourne day saw me playing with composition and a narrow depth of field with subjects in and out of sharp focus. I was also attempting to be mindful of the final image and consider how I wanted to edit each image. It’s a tricky gig, and it was semi-successful. That extra level of mindfulness was hard to anchor in my conscious thoughts, but it’s a process that will take time to grasp and master. Sam and I wound up our walk at Federation Square (Fed Square), where we sat to grab a cuppa and reflect on our afternoon. It was a lot of fun catching up with Sam, and I especially loved talking about her recent trip to Japan. All images in this blog were shot with either the Fujifilm X-E5 and Fujinon XF 23mm F1.4 (35mm full-frame equivalent), or the compact Fujifilm X70 with its fixed 18.5mm F2.8 (27mm full-frame equivalent). I carry my street photography kit in a Wotancraft Pilot sling bag. You can check out my review of the new bag over at Lucky Straps. Be safe. G