Frankston City is home to some amazing local professional and hobbyist photographers and videographers, who fill our social feeds will beautifully captured moments at any time of year. 

As we edge towards the end of winter and start of spring, these photographers and videographers are shining a light on our city; showing us spectacular sunsets from the coastline, capturing native wildlife and snapping those momentary interactions that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. 

We are so lucky to have so many talented and passionate artists across Frankston City. And we want to take a moment to get to know a few of them a bit better as we celebrate the contribution they make to our daily lives.

First off the rank is, Neil McCarthy.

Neil is a self-proclaimed hobbyist and we couldn't be happier to find out that he has recently decided to start selling some of his pieces! No more do we have to admire from afar. Neil is a pro at capturing the most amazing parts of our natural world and how humans, animals and the built form interact with the environment with a colourful, yet somehow calming undertone.  

We can see his work is amazing - so let’s get to know Neil a little better…..

Tell us about yourself, what type of photographer are you? I am a self taught hobby photographer focusing mostly on landscape images with a passion for images of water and reflection

You share your work regularly on social media. What motivates you to keep taking and sharing your photographs? What’s your favourite part about sharing your work with others? My share is all about the enjoyment of others. I am privileged to see and capture what I do, if others receive enjoyment from seeing what I share then that is my reward. During our lockdowns my locally captured images reached many that could not get out to see our local beauty, the pleasure of the feedback was wonderful

Which social media account do you one day wish will feature your work? I have been so very fortunate to have had my images shared across many forums & every feature is filled with amazing satisfaction. I love it when local council tourism feeds, like Discover Frankston, feature my images. Local promotion is best & you can't beat the thrill of having a photo feature on the weather on the TV.

What do you think makes a great photo? As they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, everyone has their own thoughts about this question & they are all right !! From my perspective - colour, clarity & passion .... bring the “feel” & enjoyment will follow

Many of us don’t have the wiz bang camera or equipment, what’s your tip for capturing a frame-worthy pic using more readily available devices/smartphones? The beauty of many of today’s mobile devices is that the camera’s they possess are wonderful pieces of technology, my only advice would be to limit zoom. Beyond that, see something you like, frame it & shoot it .... & sharing is a must!!

Which is your favourite location in Frankston City to photograph and why? Within our local community we have so many beautiful places to capture, beaches, parks, wetlands, creeks, streetscapes, local art we are so very lucky. For me as a Seaford resident the beauty of Kananook Creek & our wonderful Seaford Pier are so very easy to capture.

Which location in Frankston City do you think is an under-rated gem for photographers? There are so many places along the length of Kananook Creek through both Seaford & Frankston so appealing to the camera, from the bank or indeed those that can from out on the water. There are places on the creek that you can easily imagine you are not in suburbia that you could be anywhere in a rural setting

How did you get good at photography? What tips would you give other aspiring photographers? I am purely self taught, fortunately I have had a couple of fantastic cameras at my disposal over the years. Practice, take lots of photos, learn & perfect your endeavours. Talk with & share your stories with other photographers & take on learnings from them. Most importantly, have fun

What is your favourite photo you have taken in Frankston City? After the lockdowns of 2020 & 2021 & so much time contained to my local area there are so many. One of my favourites is from an amazing sunset in May 2020 & another from July 2021 of an incredible rainbow, both of these taken at my local Seaford Pier. 

If the public want to purchase your work or use your services, how do they get in touch with you? Easiest ways to find me are via Neil McCarthy Photography on both Facebook & Instagram

Next we meet Vaughan from Vaughan Laws Photography...

You may have seen his epic storm photos across social media and television (both local and internationally!) once or twice.... Vaughan is a master at landscape and weather photography. Those summer storms can’t escape Vaughan’s lens and the result is always a spectacular display of bold colours that perfectly depict the raw emotion on a moment.

Tell us about yourself, what type of photographer are you? I am a local photographer and love to photograph landscapes, seascapes, and my favourite, severe weather! I use a Canon DSLR with a few different types of lenses. I also have been using drones for the past 4 years. I first picked up a camera in 2013 but didn’t really start taking it seriously till a few years after that. I started off shooting macro, portraits, and light painting images. I then moved into landscape/long exposure/weather photography followed by drone photography.

You share your work regularly on social media. What motivates you to keep taking and sharing your photographs? What’s your favourite part about sharing your work with others? I love getting out and taking photos. It’s my time to turn everything else in life off and focus on what’s in front of me. Foremost, I do photography for myself as a mental release. It’s one of my favourite things to do. I also love sharing my work with others. I love to share my work and show everyone all the amazing scenes I come across that they themselves may not get a chance to see.

Which social media account do you one day wish will feature your work? Would love to be featured by Tourism Australia.

What do you think makes a great photo? I think a great photo needs to be eye-catching. Weather that’s seeing something amazing like a beautiful sunrise/sunset or have a crazy shelf cloud or storm. One thing to remember is to have a look at your surroundings and trying to find a different composition to what you would normally see. Most people want to see a familiar place in a new light.

Many of us don’t have the wiz bang camera or equipment, what’s your tip for capturing a frame-worthy pic using more readily available devices/smartphones?  My advice would be to shoot when its good light such as sunrise or sunset. This includes before or after (golden hour/blue hour/twilight) as it’s the best time to shoot with the best light.

Shooting in the wet is also a good time as you can get low and get some beautiful mirror reflections from puddles etc. My favourite time is when there is severe weather. I love to capture those moments you don’t always see. Some of my images and videos have been captured off a phone camera and been licensed by various news agencies, so don’t always feel limited if you don’t have proper camera equipment. Some phone camera’s today is basically like carrying around a mini dslr in your pocket!

Which is your favourite location in Frankston City to photograph and why? I love shooting anywhere along the beach around Frankston. I really like photographing the jetties as a subject with a beautiful sky. All the ocean jetties and structures around the Frankston Council face the perfect direction for sunset and some areas work well for sunrise too!

Which location in Frankston City do you think is an under-rated gem for photographers? There are lots of different nature reserves around Frankston municipality that have plenty of potential in the right conditions. One that I have found to be an underrated gem is the Cruden Farm driveway lined with trees. Also, the McClelland Sculpture Park, Ocean boardwalks, wetlands etc. Basically, get out and explore. You won’t know unless you get out and try different locations.

How did you get good at photography? What tips would you give other aspiring photographers? I think it takes time and practice. I was not good at all when I started, and it took many years for my photography to start getting the progress I wanted. Even now I will look back at my work from 6 or 12 months ago and still be very judgmental on it. We are always improving and should keep striving to get better.
Some tips I have is to get out as often as you can behind the camera. When you’re out, look for different types of perspectives. Shoot low and high. Use different focus points. Use Neutral Density filters to get long exposures and change the appearance of the scene. Practice your post processing techniques. Try and meet other photographers and ask questions, learn from them. And of course, do plenty of online research. I am still constantly learning new techniques from online research weather it’s for camera techniques or the editing process.

What is your favourite photo you have taken in Frankston City? (Can you share this with us?) I have so many different types of photos I have taken from Frankston and is hard to choose my favourite.  But one of my new favourites is one I took when we had some spectacular severe thunderstorms hit Frankston with one of the most incredible shelf clouds I have seen. These photos got licensed to the Daily Mail and Fox news Weather in the USA which included a 7 minute live broadcast interview.

If the public want to purchase your work or use your services, how do they get in touch with you?  Anyone can reach me, purchase prints or license images from my website: www.vaughanlawsphotography.com and you can keep up with my newest work on my various social media accounts which are: 

Facebook: @vaughanlawsphotography  I  Instagram: @vaughanlawsphotography  I  Twitter: @VLphotographyAU  I   Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCouC9TjIeYVmcfM1aTHiSbg

And last, but certainly not least is Steve Brown....

Steve is a long-time local who is no stranger to capturing the perfect shot of Frankston - particularly Frankston's events! You may not always notice Steve, but he is almost always there at the most pivotal moments - as new street art is created, when a restaurants opens, when the sun sets perfectly on the horizon and when the city's events are their brightest and most colourful. 

Did you know, Steve Brown WON the Focus on Frankston Photography Competition in 2013 with his colourful photo of the Ventana Fiesta in Wells Street (image below).

As possibly our most quiet achiever, we wanted to get know a little more about the man behind so many of the most promoted shots of our city....

Tell us about yourself, what type of photographer are you? I first became interested in photography when my grandchildren came along. I wanted to document all stages of their progress through life from day one.

Soon after that I found myself immersed in the beauty of nature with magnificent sunrises and sunsets available along with all the other unusual weather conditions that get thrown at us by nature. My favourite photography style is landscape.  Nothing better than venturing out to capture some of the beautiful scenic sights around Frankston and the Peninsula. It’s also great for physical exercise and to soothe the soul.

I also enjoy event and festival photography and often capture many of the local events in the area.

You share your work regularly on social media. What motivates you to keep taking and sharing your photographs? What’s your favourite part about sharing your work with others? I do my best to promote Frankston and the entire Peninsula area with my photographs. I figure the more we can raise the profile of our area, the better off the local businesses and the local people will be. My photos often appear on the weather reports of the 6 o’clock news and in local magazines etc.

Which social media account do you one day wish will feature your work? I’m not a big social media user, it really doesn’t interest me all that much. I must be the odd one out!

What do you think makes a great photo? The one that captures something different to all the rest! It’s easy to go to a location and stand in the same spot as a hundred people before you, but to come up with a new angle or style will give it the Wow effect. I’m still working on that one LoL

 Many of us don’t have the wiz bang camera or equipment, what’s your tip for capturing a frame-worthy pic using more readily available devices/smartphones?  Many smartphones these days take amazing photos, and they always say “the best camera is the one you have with you” so don’t be afraid to take shots with a smartphone.

If taking landscapes with a smartphone you are probably best holding the phone in “landscape mode” (i.e., sideways.) and try to have leading lines in the shot that draw your eye into the picture. Piers/ roads etc. are always good for that effect.

Many reasonably priced cameras will also take a good picture, you don’t need to spend a fortune if you are interested in getting into photography. If your camera has detachable lenses, try to get the best quality lenses you can afford. The better glass does make a difference.

Which is your favourite location in Frankston City to photograph and why? Frankston’s coastline is its finest feature. Throw in a few piers that face the setting sun and you have got a perfect photo location.

My favourite spot is around Oliver’s Hill. There is beach, rocks, and a small pier. And views to the City and Dandenong’s from up top. You can always find a nice photo there.

 Which location in Frankston City do you think is an under-rated gem for photographers? George Pentland Botanical Gardens is a beautiful spot especially with a light mist and the morning sun breaking through. The Street Art around Frankston also makes for some great photos.

How did you get good at photography? What tips would you give other aspiring photographers? Plenty of information on the internet these days, find a few professionals that you like and follow their blogs. Take info from each and blend it into your own personal style. Get out there and experiment. Lots of camera clubs around if you want to join. Photographers are a friendly lot that love a chat about the weather and their gear etc. You can also do TAFE courses on all levels of photography if you want to.

A few simple tips for the newcomer are:

• Keep your horizons level – try not to have your lovely landscape sloping down to one side.

• Learn the basic rules of composition.

• Always look behind you – sometimes the best shots are behind you, especially with sunrise/sunset shots.

Having said that, remember that the rules of photography are made to be broken, so don’t be afraid to experiment and do your own thing.  But make it work.

What is your favourite photo you have taken in Frankston City? (Can you share this with us?) This is one of my favourites, it's not particularly good from a technical aspect, but it does bring back great memories of those beautiful warm summer nights we get down the beach when mother nature turns it on.

If the public want to purchase your work or use your services, how do they get in touch with you? I don't sell any of my works at the moment - maybe at some future time.  People are welcome to have a look at many of my Frankston area photos on Instagram:  @steveb3199

Time to share the love.....

Anyone who follows Discover Frankston on Facebook or Instagram will know how blessed we are to have so many amazing photographers on our doorstep, capturing the most amazing moments and then sharing them with the world. 

They spread the love to us, so please spread the love back to them by following their social pages, liking and sharing their images and of course if you ever see their images on sale consider buying a truly unique artwork for yourself or someone dear. 

If you are a budding photographer and would like to share your images with the community please tag @discoverfrankston when posting and we'll give you a share when we can!