Cityscapes & long exposure

Serenity 30 s

Sydney after dark, drawn out one long exposure at a time — Vivid projections, harbour icons, and quieter studies of the city's light.

Vivid Sydney · Jun 2025

How these were shot: long exposures from the Harbour Bridge pylon

Panorama of the Sydney Opera House sails lit with Vivid Sydney projections at night
OPERA HOUSE · PANORAMA79 MM EQ · F/3.5 · 8 S · ISO 100
Sydney CBD skyline and Circular Quay lit up for Vivid Sydney, long exposure from above
VIVID · I50 MM EQ · F/8.0 · 10 S · ISO 100
Circular Quay and the Sydney skyline during Vivid Sydney with traffic light trails on the Cahill Expressway
VIVID · II24 MM EQ · F/8.0 · 10 S · ISO 200
Sydney Harbour Bridge lit blue during Vivid Sydney, looking along the deck at night
VIVID · III52 MM EQ · F/5.6 · 20 S · ISO 100

The harbour · Dec 2025

Sydney Harbour Bridge at night reflected in still water, 30-second long exposure
HARBOUR BRIDGE24 MM EQ · F/11.0 · 30 S · ISO 100
Sydney Opera House at night framed between a building and a tree
OPERA HOUSE · FRAMED48 MM EQ · F/11.0 · 30 S · ISO 100

Sydney Harbour · studies

Crown Sydney tower at Barangaroo against a burnt orange sunset sky
CROWN TOWER207 MM EQ · F/7.1 · 1/200 S · ISO 100
Silver gull on a harbour wall with the Sydney Harbour Bridge behind at golden hour
FROM THE OPERA BAR44 MM EQ · F/9.0 · 1/400 S · ISO 400
Silhouette of a jet under storm clouds and breaking sun rays
STORMS INBOUND, TIME TO JET277 MM EQ · F/8.0 · 1/2500 S · ISO 100
Luxury charter yacht with guests on deck cruising Sydney Harbour, seen from above
SHADOW · CHARTER YACHT600 MM EQ · F/4.0 · 1/1250 S · ISO 100
Cruise ship docked at Circular Quay on a bright sunny day, sunlight sparkling on Sydney Harbour
BRIGHT DAY · SYDNEY HARBOUR24 MM EQ · F/4.0 · 1/1000 S · ISO 100
Close-up of the Sydney Opera House sail tiles against a clear blue sky
BRIGHT DAY · II600 MM EQ · F/4.0 · 1/800 S · ISO 100
Motor launch MV Salute cruising past harbourside homes on Sydney Harbour
MV SALUTE580 MM EQ · F/4.0 · 1/500 S · ISO 100

Common questions

Where were the Vivid Sydney photos taken from?

The Pylon Lookout in the south pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in June 2025. From up there you look down over Circular Quay, across the CBD skyline and The Rocks, and along the bridge deck. More in the Vivid post.

What settings work for long exposures of Sydney at night?

Exposures of 8 to 30 seconds at ISO 100, with the aperture between f/5.6 and f/11 and a NiSi night filter on the lens. Anything longer than a second goes on a tripod.

Why use long exposures for cityscapes?

Over several seconds the lights build up into rich colour, traffic turns into clean light trails, and the harbour smooths out to glass. It also keeps the ISO at 100, which matters on a 1-inch sensor.

When is the best time to photograph Sydney Harbour?

Late-afternoon golden hour, and after dark.