Street Photography in Brisbane

Queen Street Mall is the pedestrian heart of the CBD, lined with shops and arcades. In the morning, office workers stream through and the low sun cuts between the towers, which is the light Tony Whitehead worked with. Buskers set up during the day. Stand at the end of a side street where it meets the mall and wait for walkers to cross a strip of sun. Reflections in shop windows give you layers. It is busy but relaxed, and few people will notice you. The arcades off the mall give you cover from rain and midday sun.

South Bank is a long riverside park opposite the CBD, with the Grand Arbour walkway of curling steel columns covered in bougainvillea, and a man-made city beach. It is busy on weekends with families and visitors. The Arbour's curves make strong frames: stand at a bend and wait for a figure to walk into the pattern of shadows. The Gallery of Modern Art is at the northern end. Keep a distance from people at the beach and pools. Weekday mornings are quieter, with joggers and people walking to work across the bridges.

Fish Lane is a laneway in South Brisbane lined with small restaurants and murals. The UQ guide points to its bustling hole-in-the-wall restaurants. It is quiet by day and busy from early evening, when diners fill the tables under strings of lights. Use a mural as a background, or stand at the end of the lane and shoot along it as people walk in. A fast lens helps after dark. It is a short walk from South Bank, and the nearby railway viaduct adds hard lines to the frame.

Brunswick Street Mall is the pedestrian center of Fortitude Valley, Brisbane's nightlife district. By day it is quiet cafes and shoppers. From about 20:00 on Friday and Saturday it fills with people heading to bars and clubs, under neon signs. Stand at the edge of the mall and work the lit doorways and queues. It gets rowdy late, so keep your gear close and your interactions light. Early evening, before the clubs fill, gives you the neon with fewer drunk crowds.

Chinatown Mall is a block from Brunswick Street, with red lanterns overhead and restaurants along both sides. Evenings are best, when the lanterns glow and diners come and go. Use the lanterns as out of focus color behind a face, or shoot from low with the lanterns filling the top of the frame. Lunchtime brings a quieter crowd of workers. Many restaurant windows are lit from inside, which gives you figures framed against warm light. The Valley's train station is close, so it is easy to reach.

Howard Smith Wharves is a strip of bars and restaurants on the river under the Story Bridge, one of Brisbane's landmarks. At sunset it fills with people having drinks by the water, and the bridge lights come on. The UQ guide recommends it for a sunset beer. Shoot silhouettes of people along the river edge with the bridge behind, or frame diners with the lit bridge above. It is busiest on weekend evenings. The riverside boardwalk continues toward the city, so walk it after sunset for the lit skyline.

Kangaroo Point Cliffs rise across the river from the CBD. The UQ guide calls it one of the best views of Brisbane, over the river toward the Story Bridge. Rock climbers work the cliffs while people gather at the top for sunset. Shoot climbers or runners on the stairs against the skyline, or walk the riverside path below. Late afternoon and blue hour are best, when the CBD lights come on across the water. The cliffs are lit at night and stay busy after dark.

Davies Park Market runs on Saturday mornings in West End, under big fig trees near the river. It has food stalls and buskers, and draws locals from the surrounding streets. The dappled light under the figs is soft and even. Come early, when stallholders set up and the crowd is thinner. Stand near a busker or a coffee stall and wait for moments between customers. Dogs and children add a lot to these scenes. West End's Boundary Street is a short walk away.