In memory of a great summer at the Queen Victoria night market.

Every day as I walk to work, I walk through one of Melbourne's iconic markets, the Queen Victoria market. It's known for its fresh food, most of which are sold by the farmers who farmed the produce themselves.

On top of that there are also a wide variety of stalls that sell clothes, toys, watches, art works and every other knick knack you can think of.

During the summer months, the Queen Victoria market holds a night market every Wednesday evening which has a more festive, celebratory atmosphere. The fun begins early evening when the sun is still up until long after the summer sun sinks below the horizon.

So every Wednesday as I walk home from work, I walk through the night market and soak up the festive atmosphere and take a few photos, both with my LX5 and my M8.2.

Here are some photos (many of which I have posted before) in memory of a summer of Wednesday night markets:

5501470153_22865a962e.jpg

L1005740 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5369190219_47efb0e089.jpg

L1005756 cyan by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5369172799_2675e3c0d3.jpg

L1005758 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5369221925_0b90cf0f08.jpg

L1005750 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358758875_0bfa0060ba.jpg

P1010889 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359399830_066ab3a393.jpg

P1010919 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359397042_95f954fe43.jpg

P1010917 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359551026_9f9c008ac0.jpg

P1000915 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359548500_b8cf56c4ee.jpg

P1000914 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358908255_4656a0e241.jpg

P1000875 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358814281_9edf2e7881.jpg

P1010909 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359431450_d264ac3607.jpg

P1010910 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359553328_8c3d829d71.jpg

P1000927 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5470919093_71356918ff.jpg

L1008438 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5471572886_73b6b9931b.jpg

L1008457 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5471516466_e91796f61a.jpg

L1008440 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359415380_64b238532f.jpg

P1010926 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5369784664_0331d786ab.jpg

L1005771 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr


The food was amazing. You could find almost ALL kinds of great food there from all parts of the world. Last year every week I'd go back and get myself this amazing African mince and sour bread dish. The year before that it was kangaroo burgers. This year I couldn't wait to get some Greek kebabs:

5322348184_a6f5ed2eab.jpg

P1000898 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359537374_ce12e24aa1.jpg

P1000893 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359374656_b05689e506.jpg

P1010891 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358811103_a2cb915825.jpg

P1010890 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517243194_b3d2594b1b.jpg

P1000944 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5516649831_e905e0e61e.jpg

P1000946 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr


They always had some kind of live music going on:

5470839267_2ca5b14101.jpg

L1008083 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5501449143_3e612d9f54.jpg

L1008109 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5470858735_33d149f902.jpg

L1008084 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr


By the time I get there straight after work, the early evening summer sun is still quite bright so I could use the sun in some of the photos I took:

5470936217_c345676ebf.jpg

L1008446 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359082001_1146f371a2.jpg

P1010901_5_2 wide by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5485099065_e0b2431ffe.jpg

L1008452 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358942359_60b5846e8a.jpg

P1000939 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5485092673_d199f38e27.jpg

L1008451 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5485685192_12c99d0152.jpg

L1008445 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359387824_2e23d793c1.jpg

P1010908 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358918653_6f6ac7a4d4.jpg

P1000882 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358927903_db9a174088.jpg

P1000906 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5358913261_82bfa87ee9.jpg

P1000880 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5359518556_1160549abe.jpg

P1000874 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr
 
Autumn began officially in March and it was with a tinge of sadness when it sunk in last Wednesday when I walked through the empty market that I would have to wait another year for the night market to return. As a reminder that summer is over, it also happened to be raining:

5517141518_0eaea0f3c6.jpg

L1009072 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517134302_57c9ac7043.jpg

L1009096 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517126486_1869ed4f96.jpg

L1009094 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5516533659_3f69d79795.jpg

L1009091 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5516559269_4e32874f8d.jpg

L1009079 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5516549709_b8c57c89fe.jpg

L1009090 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517120494_4eefef5e18.jpg

L1009088 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517131422_c10ba989b6.jpg

L1009095 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5516556123_eb9eb0c813.jpg

L1009086 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr

5517110572_8fbb3be221.jpg

L1009075 by thelateshowwithsanjuro, on Flickr
 
James, I am so glad that I have finally found this thread of yours. I agree with Jason/Djarum that these make up a really nice set of visual memories. I think that you've done some beautiful ones in both color and black and white. I've been a bit crazed of late and haven't been able to keep up as well as I'd like both on here and on Flickr. One of these that really pops out at me is this one: L1009086, however there are a whole bunch that I really enjoy a great deal. How lucky you are to be able to walk through there throughout the season everyday - I'd miss it very much, too, I'm sure. Great lighting in there and beautiful colors, James.
 
Great work James. I've thoroughly enjoyed this reportage, not only for your superb content, but also because it inspires me to seek documentation opportunities in my own backyard. Keep up the great work, and thank you so much for sharing!!!
 
Thanks Djarum, BB and stillshunter. That was a great summer that was, and I missed the final Wednesday of the night market so the last set of photographs was taken with some disappointment and sadness that I missed the last Greek kebab until they come back year... IF they come back. The African stall never returned from last year so I've never had that mince/sourbread dish again!

The end of the night market also probably spells the end of my weekly photo ops. It's all going to be all pet photos from now...
 
Great set James. I too recall seeing a few of them before, but many new ones to me and they have additional power in a long series like this where you really get the feel for the place. I lived in downtown Seattle for a couple of years as a young adult and the Pike Place Market was on my walk home from work also (took me only about a block out of my way) and I'd buy fresh fish and veggies on the way home from work for dinner. Almost daily, but several times a week at least. Such a nice way to live and such a nice time. But then we had kids, wanted a bigger place, moved out of downtown to one of the city's neighborhoods, etc. Which was still very nice in its way but I've never lived anywhere quite as cool as within a few blocks of that market. So savor it, treasure it, etc!

-Ray
 
Back
Top