Street Art in Melbourne, Australia is a celebrated art form. On a recent family vacation, I was amazed at how much graffiti art there was. It was everywhere throughout Victoria, and it is not shunned. Instead, it is promoted.There are dedicated alleys in the city where street artists showcase their work. We visited two of the more popular alleys, AC/DC Lane & Hosier Lane.
Crowded Alley
I wanted to view them at night. Apparently, so did a lot of others. Because they are actual alleys, they are dimly lit – but not dark. There’s enough street light from the surrounding streets for you to clearly see the walls. When we rounded the corner, I was in awe. We were immediately hit with a vibrant array of color, made more dramatic by the low light. Pieces by different artists literally cover every inch of the main two walls of the alley. If you only look at eye-level, you’ll miss the ones that are up higher. It was amazing!
Photo Worthy
Each painting was unique and worthy of being photographed. So, I set up my tripod and worked my way down the alley. Because I was shooting in low-light, my shutter speeds were slower. With all the people out there, I had to time my shots when the coast was clear. Then I hoped that no one would walk stop in front of my camera to take a selfie.
Questions
Of course, most of the people were taking pictures with their cellphones. At that time, I was the only person out there with a tripod. Naturally, I attracted a little attention. A couple people stopped to ask me a question, and I was asked to take a picture of a group with their camera.
Serendipity
I wasn’t aware of the street art in Melbourne. Fortunately, we discovered it when we were at the Queen Victoria Market. While I was waiting for some food, a photograph at a booth caught my attention. It was a picture of a graffiti painting. Under the picture was the title Hosier Lane. Google revealed to me that it was in Melbourne. At that moment, I knew I had to see it for myself.
