What began as a hobby has turned into a fully-fledged obsession for Mitch Clark.

It all started when the Melbourne spearhead seriously injured his foot last season. While the injury prevented Clark from taking the field, it also meant he couldn’t play golf – one of his main interests away from football.

“Obviously walking around the golf course with a sore foot isn’t a great idea, so I thought I’d step out of my comfort zone a bit and give something else a go,” Clark says.

Needing an activity to take his mind off footy and the rehabilitation that accompanied his foot injury, Clark began taking photos. He hasn’t stopped since.

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Initially Clark just took photos of his daughter and his dogs. These days, aside from taking portraits, he photographs architecture, fashion, cities and anything else that takes his fancy.

“I suppose I am always in the mindset of looking to take a photo of something,” he says.

“If you do that, there is always something that will make a good photo.”

Clark credits Melbourne – the city, rather than the football club – with continually providing inspiration.

“I love Melbourne – it’s a great city to live in. I love the coffee culture and the cafes and when you go out to a bar, not that I do that often, it has a really cool feel about it.”

He cites the city’s laneways as some of his favourite shooting locations.

“Union Lane or Hosier Lane in the city are two great spots, with all the graffiti. I also like ocean stuff, but it’s hard to find in Melbourne.”

Throughout the 2014 AFL season aflplayers.com.au will feature a selection of Clark’s favourite shots each week. Below is the first instalment, featuring his wife Sam, daughter Sienna and Times Square – a location he visited during the off-season.

More of Clark’s photography can be found via his official Instagram and Facebook pages.