Melbourne, renowned for its vibrant culture and contemporary charm, stands as a global hub for artistic expression. The city’s captivating blend of heritage architecture and modern infrastructure make it a paradise for stunning photography. Melbourne’s diversity and creative energy offer an experience for capturing truly stunning images.
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ToggleBatman Avenue Bridge
Batman bridge is one of my favourite iconic locations in Melbourne for street photography. Designed by the talented John Wardle and Oculus Landscape architects, and is designed to go over the train tracks that lead to Flinders Station. The thing I love most about this composition is the way the trains create these wonderful leading lines toward the Southbank skyscrapers in the background. This is artistically, very appeasing to the eye.
The best time to photograph this spot is at dusk, so that you can capture a long exposure of the train lights moving under the bridge. This creates the light painting effect as you can see in this photo.
To access this location, you can start at the corner of Flinders and Exhibition street and walk towards Birrarung Marr.

Evan Walker Bridge
The Evan Walker bridge, also known as the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge, is one of Melbourne’s most iconic photography locations. It was names in honour of the late Professor Evan Walker, a visionary architect who played a key role in the development of Melbourne’s Southbank precinct. The bridge offers a modern design with sweeping curves and sleek lines, giving you compelling architecture photography for your portfolio.
The best way to photograph this bridge is my using the arch to frame the city centre in the background. You can use a narrow aperture (f/18-22) to create a diffusion star effect with the lights on the bridge, adding an element of flair. Using a longer exposure can capture the clouds in motion, as well as blurry the lights on the Yarra, adding depth and movement to your shot.
The bridge is accessible either via the Southbank precinct, near Southgate avenue or from the CBD side via the Flinders station pedestrian underpass.

Flinders Station
Flinders Street station is Melbourne’s most iconic landmark and one of the best locations for magazine worthy photography.
It was built in the 1800’s as just a collection of weatherboard sheds, but today Flinders Station’s iconic clocks and grand facade are a recognisable symbol of Melbourne. Its distinctive architecture featuring a prominent dome and intricate detailing, provides plenty of opportunities for capturing interesting photos. The best location for capturing the best perspective is on the opposite corner to the station, in front of Saint Paul’s Cathedral.
I recommend visiting at a time outside of peak traffic. This is one of the busiest streets in Melbourne and can be impossible to set up a tripod for long exposure shots. I took this photo at around 8pm, and it was quiet enough to set up a tripod without hassle, but not so much that I was still able to capture some the liveliness of the city.
I wouldn’t use a shutter speed too long (a couple of seconds maximum), because you still want to capture cars and trams passing by. By using a shutter speed too long, these will blur out too much and you won’t be able to recognise the vehicle. Photographing Flinders Station in or after the rain is also great, as it amplifies the colour by reflecting the city lights.

Princes Bridge
Princes bridge is one of the most important 19th century Melbourne bridges, being established as the major crossing point across the Yarra River. Its architectural style is characterized by graceful arches and ornate detailing, reflecting the design style of the late 19th century. The bridge features a combination of stone and ironwork, giving it a timeless and majestic appearance in the heart of Melbourne.
One of the best views of both the CBD and Southbank is atop the Princes Bridge. This can accessed via Swanston street on the corner of Flinders street station. This location provides remarkable scenery encompassing both the Southbank and city side of the Yarra.
On a still night, you can photograph the reflections of the city lights on the Yarra by using a long exposure setting on your camera. The photograph below was taken using a 30 second exposure. By using a longer exposure, the movement of the clouds can also be shown, creating atmosphere and depth to the photograph.

Southbank Promenade
Another great photography location in Melbourne, especially for capturing Princes Bridge, is the Southbank Promenade.
This is a great artistic composition, with the iconic Yarra River in the foreground and the Princes bridge leading your eye toward the towering skyscrapers on Melbourne’s CBD. The important part about this composition is to get as close to the water as possible, to capture the reflection in the Yarra. There is a lower platform in front of Southgate where you can walk toward a ferry platform. This location is ideal for capturing the iconic essence of Melbourne in a photograph.

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