Photographing Hosier Lane
About Hosier Lane
About the lane
Hosier Lane was one of the original Street Art sites approved by the city of Melbourne. The street is only about 100 metres long and it runs from Flinders Lane, down a gentle slope to Flinders Street near Federation Square. This site is a couple of blocks from the centre of Melbourne and within walking distance of most of the Melbourne hotels.
Viewpoints
There really is no viewpoints in the Lane. The Lane consists of a range of walls and paintings that are constantly changing. Anywhere up and down the lane will provide an interesting photo.
- Near Flinder Lane, looking North-East. (Canon 5DmkII, EF24-105mm f4 lens @ 28mm, 10 sec f9.9 ISO 100)
- Near Rutledge Lane, looking down the lane. This is the style that I was looking for. By shooting near dusk, the city itself becomes darker and less colourful, juxtaposing the oasis of colour and light in the lane. The yellow lines running down the left hand wall are a car that entered the frame just after I started. (Canon 5DMkII, EF 16-355mm f2.8 lens, 4.0 secs @ f14, ISO 100)
The contents of Melbourne's Street Art lanes changes every few weeks. This means that the viewing points for the art also change weekly.
The lane has an ever changing collection of street art. Unfortuantely, some of this art gets 'tagged' after a while.
How I photographed Hosier Lane
What I took - what was in my kit
I took my LowePro Backpack loaded with Linhof Technorama with Velvia 50 film for the panorama, and Canon 5DSR body, Canon 24 mm TS, Canon 16-35mm and 50mm Sigma Art Lenses, Manfrotto 190 Tripod, and of course a range of lens wipes, spare batteries, sunscreen and bug repellant.
Techniques
Other things to look out for
The lane is one of the many art lanes in Melbourne, and if you are looking for art, then I suggest you look at:
- Drewer Alley, off Little Lonsdale @ Melbourne Central
- Mornane Place
- Hosier Lane
- Meyers Place
- AC/DC Lane
- Duckboard Place
- Upper West Side Street Art Precinct (639 Little Bourke St)
- Little Lonsdale Street / Melbourne Central
- Bullens Lane
- Blender Lane
- Presgrave Place (off Howey Place)
- Outdoor Living (Hanover House, South Bank)
- Flash Forward. (see Flash Forward Laneways
- Croft Alley
- Blender Lane
One block further east from AC/DC Lane (over Exhibition St) are the Fitzroy Gardens. One block (up Exhibition towards Collins St) is the Victorian Parliment, and another block further north is the St Patrick's Cathedral. Melbourne has many photograhic opportunities and hopefully this site gives you some of them.
Location
Location: Hosier Lane, Melbourne 5XM9+9M, Melbourne Vic 3000 ///ally.guides.define (-37.816133, 144.968988)
Techniques used
Kit used
How to get there
How to get there
The lane is very close to middle of Melbourne, so it is within walking distance of the main shopping / tourist areas, and on the Art Trail. Most suburban trains terminate at Flinders St Station, which only a couple of blocks away. Trams run down Flinders St, and the free city tram goes up Flinders St. If driving into the city, then there is parking on Flinders St (between St Pauls and Hosier Lane) or over the road besides Federation Square.
Best time to visit
As the Lane does not get much direct sunlight and has very little vegitation, any time of the year will suit, and any daylight hours will suit. The Lane can become busy with people, but I have only had to wait a few seconds for someone to move on when I have been there.
Accessability
The lane is wide enough for small trucks and paved, although on a slight slope.
Melbourne caters for the elderly and people with disabilities. There are trains, buses, trams, hire cars and uber cars. There are also bikes and scooters to rent in most tourist or business areas. The city is essentially flat (there are a couple of 'hills', but these are slight and tiny by overseas standards). Australian law requires firms and shops to have wheelchair access, so where there is stairs, there is usually a ramp nearby.
Where to stay
Melbourne is a city of several million people - it has a large number of accomodation options from high end hotels, to general tourist hotels, bed & breakfast, hostels, and some caravan parks. I dont know of any camping options in the city, but they are definitely available an hour or so out by public transport.