Footscray is one suburb westward from where I live. I haven’t been shooting in Footscray much in recent months, preferencing  the CBD instead, but this week I made a conscious effort to go there every day. The beautiful light and early winter sunsets made the decision an easy one. 

I’m normally asleep in the early afternoon, owing to my 2am starts for work, and heading back into the city after I’ve got myself out of bed can be a test of one’s motivation. So popping over the Footscray is a low-effort solution if I want to get a couple of hours’ shooting in before the sun goes down. The trade-off being the relatively low volume of people. 

Footscray isn’t always the easiest place to photograph. Local traders have been troubled by an increase in anti-social behaviour. It was reported this week that shop owners have now resorted to locking the doors of their premises between customers. Drug use on the street is conspicuous. And you’ll often find people drinking themselves into the stratosphere in Maddern Square. Not many people walk around with a camera in Footscrazy - well, not that I’ve seen anyway - so you do get a few sideways glances.

But I like being there all the same. 

These are some of the images I made during my walks. Not all are good, or probably worth showing, but I think it’s important to keep a record.

I think as photographers we should make an effort to photograph what’s immediately around us more often. We may think it boring but sometimes that challenge of finding something of interest on your doorstep can pay off in the long run. 

I’m keen to go back and improve on some of these. There’s a germ of an idea in a few of these photos like I quite like, especially the hair salon and reflection shots. So looking forward to blasting through more rolls of film and wasting a lot more money!

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