Nauru House Courtyard 80 Collins Street

This one is best with a model. The courtyard offers some of the best backgrounds in Melbourne.

It is situated at 80 Collins Street – there is a sign out the front. It offers an entrance to Nauru House from Collins Street, but it is not completely obvious from Collins Street. Here is what the entrance looks like on Google Street View.

The rather boring view from the street belies a great location.

Both the left and right walls have photogenic surfaces. The left side in the google street pic has a neutral colour and concrete texturing. The right side has an exposed brick wall that suggest ye olden tymes.

Again, the light needs to be just right to get the best effect. I would recommend black and white here as the colour is a bit on the poxy side. The black and white really highlights the textures.

There are also some cool benches to sit on as well. It is virtually deserted on weekends as it is an office area. You might get one or two people drift through, but having a model with you is the best option to ensure you get the right shot.

The best shot I have come across shot in the courtyard is this one by Rhys Allen :

Wonderful use of light and the textured backgrounds.

Here are some shots also demonstrating the utility of the backgrounds :

Yeah, I know, a lot of the “same” shots here, but at least you can see the walls.

There are also some geometric lines if that is what you like at the building entrance.