Council of the City of Sydney

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Pylon Lookout Sydney Harbour Bridge New South Wales

In our hectic lives, it is often very easy to lose track of time and forget some of our side goals. I am definitely guilty of that! I have neglected my photography for way too long, in pursuit of other more intangible goals.

Now more about this image. A sunset shot from the pylon lookout is only possible in the month of June, as the lookout closes at 5pm. On the day of the shoot, I wasn't very optimistic about the sky, it was clear blue. The forecast predicts cloud cover clearing in the afternoon. Thankfully, I decide to go against my gut instinct and was treated with an unexpected surprise!

Just as the sun was setting, it lit up the only band of clouds that was located behind the city. By now, everyone at the lookout was congregating at the ledge, blown away by the breathtaking view. Knowing that it is impossible to set up a tripod, I increased the ISO and opted for 3 exposures bracketing. I took dozens of shots hoping to get some of them to be sharp.

In post production, I manually blended the sky with cityscape foreground to achieve the necessary dynamic range. I sometimes forget how rewarding photography can really be!

2 exp shot, edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!

From North Sydney

Sydney Tower Eye Sydney, New South Wales

What a great way to admire the sunset from the tallest building in Sydney! However, scenes that look beautiful to the eye can be a pain in the ass to capture. Firstly the windows of the observatory deck had not been cleaned for months or even years! Dust specks were appearing in the shot, which I had to clone in the post processing. The reflection was also a big problem. Even though I was using a circular polarizer and the camera was tilted such that the lens was parallel to the window, I still had to use my hand to block out some of the bright reflections from hitting the lens.

Oh well, as the phrase goes 'no pain, no gain'. Hope that you enjoy this and upcoming shots from this location. Please view it in detail: www.flickr.com/photos/jcheaphotography/8295647603/sizes/k...

2 exp (1 for the sky, another for the buildings) manual blended and edited in Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!

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... lit up during the "Vivid" light festival

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Mrs Macquarie Chair Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, New South Wales

I found this old image hidden deep within my archives when I was organizing my photo collections. It was taken just before the Sydney fleet review 2013 fireworks display took place (see the photo named 'Sydney Celebrations'). I was shooting through a fenced barrier which lined the whole waterfront. I remembered being very annoyed about that as it severely restricted the composition of the image. That's probably why I didnt post this image then because I wasn't entirely happy with the balance of the scene.

Irregardless, I have to say that was the best sunset I photographed in Sydney thus far. In terms of the vibrancy in the colors and the festivity surrounding the event. Living further away from the CBD now and other commitments, I seldom wander down to the beautiful harbour.

1 exp shot Edited in Lightroom and Photoshop!

Sydney Tower Eye Sydney, New South Wales

Must view it large! : www.flickr.com/photos/jcheaphotography/8414925237/sizes/l...

Doesn't Sydney look pretty lit up at night? Standing on the observatory deck of the Sydney Tower eye, looking down as nightfall engulf the city. Lights are switched on and slowly transforming the whole city skyline. A truly beautiful sight to witness. That is the reason why twilight is the best time to photograph cityscapes. Having explained the difficulties shooting through a dirty window in one of the previous post, I will spare you the rambling. All I can say is that this image turned out better than expected :)

1 exp and edited in Photoshop! Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated :)

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Pylon Lookout Sydney Harbour Bridge New South Wales

This 9 exposures pano was shot a few minutes prior to the previous shot and before the large crowd swarmed the observatory deck. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture any of the intense colours during the sunset. Setting up a tripod was not longer an option due to the sheer number of people occupying the space. However, I still like the juicy details and the sheer scale this image provides! I strongly encourage viewers to zoom in for a closer look :) I don't think I will ever get sick of this view!

9 exp panorama, edited in Lightroom and stitched in Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!

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Sydney Harbor Bridge

I took this shot on a recent weekend away to attend FOCUS annual awards night. At the same time, we've been kindly sent some...

Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge

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Dusk

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Vivid Sydney 2014 Cahill Walkway Circular Quay, New South Wales

I have always wanted to photograph a unique shot from this location and the Vivid Sydney event provided the much needed motivation. This is a composite shot of the Opera house, in its Vivid's colours, blended with a blue hour panorama photographed half an hour before. Being the first night of Vivid 2014 and having no past experience, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I had the impression that the Harbour Bridge would be lit on both sides, only to be slightly disappointed. Overall, the Cahill walkway provided a fantastic vantage point to enjoy the dazzling light and carnival atmosphere, while providing some breathing room from the crowds gathered below.

7 exps panorama, plus one exp blended in Photoshop. Comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!

Opera of Sydney at sunset