I've been producing a wall calendar for a few years now, for reasons I've outlined in a previous post. In the last few years, and certainly since I started selling my calendars commercially, they have been black-and-white affairs. This was partly because I like the style of monochrome, partly because I like the artistic challenge of making good monochrome images and partly because black-and-white tends to suit Melbourne.

This year, for the 2018 calendar I've gone colour. Why? Mostly for the challenge. Again it comes down to finding a specific reason to take pictures – something that can be useful for anyone whether they are doing it for professional reasons or not.

I also did it because I know Melbourne has some great colour and I felt it was time to give a nod to that aspect of this wonderfully picturesque city.

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Henri Cartier-Bresson is one of the most famous photographers of all time. His images, taken during a period when photography was still a rare thing, provide us with incredible insights into ordinary life during the first half of the 20th century.

Another more recently famous photographer is Vivian Maier who took pictures on the streets of Chicago in the mid-20th century. What both Cartier-Bresson and Maier have in common is that they were street photographers. They took candid pictures of people in the street, usually without their subject's knowledge. In doing so they created bodies of work that provide us with lasting insights into society in their times.

Street photography has a history as long as the history of the camera. However, in more recent times it is increasingly frowned upon.

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The switch to colour: why I've gone colour with the 2018 calendar

No, it's not illegal to take pictures of people in the street