St Kilda Pier

St Kilda Pier stretches out into Port Phillip Bay and gives you one of the most iconic vantage points for photographing the Melbourne CBD skyline across open water. Walking to the end of the pier puts the city directly in front of you, and you can use the pier's timber railing and planks as a strong leading line pulling the eye toward the distant skyline. A wide angle lens works well for capturing the full sweep of the bay, while a telephoto lets you compress the skyline and isolate the city towers against the water. Sunset is the classic time to shoot here, with warm light catching the bay surface and the city gradually lighting up as the sky darkens into blue hour. The pier is flat, paved, and easy to access at any hour, so you can arrive early and take your time setting up a tripod for long exposures. (St Kilda, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)