Between Two Icons - Photographing Vivid Sydney
Every year, Vivid Sydney transforms Sydney Harbour into something completely different.
Lights sweep across the sky, ferries weave colourful paths through the water, and the city feels like it's constantly in motion. It's spectacular to experience, but surprisingly difficult to photograph. A single exposure rarely captures what it actually feels like to stand there.
For this image, I started with a simple idea. Use Sydney's two most recognisable landmarks, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, then let the movement of the harbour connect them.
Rather than making the projections the hero of the image, I wanted the ferries to become the visual thread, leading your eye naturally from one icon to the other.
Of course, that meant accepting that everything wasn't going to happen at the same moment. The bridge and Opera House were photographed separately, each at a time when the lighting was exactly what I was looking for. The camera stayed in the same position, but patience became just as important as the camera settings.
The ferry trails required even more patience.
Over the course of the evening, I captured fifteen separate 60-second exposures, waiting for boats travelling in different directions to gradually build the movement I had imagined. It wasn't about photographing every ferry. It was about collecting the right pieces until the harbour felt alive.
Back in the studio, every RAW file was first processed through DXO PureRAW before being matched in Lightroom. From there, everything moved into Photoshop, where the various exposures were carefully blended together using masks. Only then could I begin processing the finished image as a whole. It's a workflow that often surprises people.
One of the questions I hear most is whether an image like this came straight out of the camera.
The answer is no. Nor was it ever intended to.
For me, this photograph isn't about documenting one precise moment. It's about recreating the experience of standing on the harbour that night, watching the ferries cross, the lights change, and the city constantly reinvent itself over the course of an evening.
Sometimes one photograph is made from many moments.
馃摲 Photography Notes
Photography Settings
Harbour Bridge & Opera House
- Shutter Speed: 1/5 sec
- Aperture: f/4
- ISO: 2000
Ferry Light Trails
- Fifteen 60-second exposures
- Aperture: f/9
- ISO: 100
Post Processing
- DXO PureRAW
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Photoshop
- Exposure blending and selective masking
Tips & Techniques
Don't feel constrained by a single exposure
Some scenes simply can't be represented honestly in one frame. Multiple exposures can better communicate the experience without changing the character of the location.
Plan for changing light
At events like Vivid, projections and lighting constantly evolve. Sometimes the strongest composition comes from waiting for different displays rather than settling for whatever is happening when you arrive.
Think about visual flow
Instead of treating landmarks as separate subjects, look for ways to connect them. In this image, the ferry trails become leading lines that tie the entire composition together.
Be selective with your exposures
More exposures don't automatically make a better photograph. Capture images with purpose, collecting only the moments that strengthen the final composition.
Let post-processing finish the vision
Blending multiple photographs isn't about creating something artificial. It's about bringing together the moments that best represent what you experienced.
What You Can Learn
Photography often gets caught up in the idea that every image should represent a single instant.
But landscapes, cities and events don't always work that way.
Sometimes the experience unfolds over minutes, or even hours.
Learning to recognise when a scene benefits from multiple carefully captured moments can open creative possibilities that simply don't exist in a single frame.
Used thoughtfully, post-processing becomes an extension of the photographic process rather than a replacement for it.
Workshops & Photography Lessons
If you'd like to learn techniques such as long exposures, exposure blending, light trail photography and advanced post-processing, I offer both small-group workshops and one-on-one photography lessons.
The 2027 Vivid Sydney Photography Workshop is designed for photographers who want to move beyond snapshots and learn how to create images that capture the atmosphere and energy of this extraordinary festival. Over two days and two nights, you'll photograph Sydney's iconic landmarks, explore lesser-known viewpoints, and develop both your in-camera and post-processing skills.
Whether you're new to long exposures or looking to refine your creative workflow, you'll come away with practical techniques you can apply well beyond Vivid Sydney.
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