Photography MAP Explore Nature and Local Treasures

Last month, students in Photography Map visited the Frankston Foreshore as part of this semester’s theme, Nature and Wildlife.

Students explored one of our local natural treasures, photographing the coastline and natural textures. The afternoon concluded with a visit to the Frankston Arts Centre, where students explored Auto-Photo: A Life in Portraits, an exhibition celebrating the life and work of Alan Adler. Adler, often described as “Australia’s most photographed man”, spent more than 50 years maintaining Melbourne’s iconic analogue photobooths, particularly the famous booth at Flinders Street Station. As part of his weekly servicing routine, Adler would take test strips of self-portraits to check the machines, unknowingly creating an extraordinary archive of thousands of images documenting his life, Melbourne’s culture, and the enduring appeal of analogue photography. The exhibition also explored the history and cultural significance of photobooths and featured works connected to Melbourne’s creative community, inspiring students to reflect on photography as both artistic expression and historical documentation.

This month, students travelled into Melbourne to explore the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The group travelled via the newly opened Anzac Station and enjoyed discovering the impressive Shrine of Remembrance and surrounding gardens before continuing on to the Botanic Gardens. With beautiful sunny weather throughout the day, students explored many areas of the gardens, photographing plants, wildlife, landscapes, and architectural details connected to the semester’s theme.

Plenty of steps were taken as students enthusiastically explored the grounds and captured a wide range of images. The day finished with a relaxing lunch along the Yarra River before returning home.

These excursions have provided students with valuable opportunities to strengthen their practical photography skills while engaging with both natural and artistic environments.

We have one more excursion planned to finish off the semester, followed by a student exhibition showcasing the fantastic work produced throughout the first half of the year — so watch this space!