Darling Harbour, Sydney

skumar25

Hi,

I'm new to Dgrin.

Here are some pictures I took in Darling harbour in Sydney.
Would love some comments and some brutally honest criticism.

Thanks!
#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

skumar25

Anyone!?! :cry

dlplumer

The cardinal rule of landscape work is shoot at dawn or dusk, but never any other time. These are nice photos but in very harsh light which produces way too much contrast. Others here will give you better feedback I'm sure. Personally I like #3 and #5. Keep posting and welcome to dgrin

schmoo

I actually really like #8 with the reflections of the water on the underside of the boat! It's a great example of a creative use of light, any light, and making something conventional just a little unconventional.

I enjoyed the walkabout of Sydney! Thanks for sharing with us

ian408

I too like the reflections on the underside of the boat. #3 has good potential as well--what would make it better is to let the monorail lead the train out of the shot more towards the corner and maybe down about half way? In other words, give the train a place to go.

Welcome and look forward to more shots!

NeilL

You have a sense of play - all those tone variations! - and a sense of humour - the three-master of the last!

As Dan said, like horses for courses, it's light for locations. I don't agree that you should only shoot landscapes when the sun is coming up and going down. Sure you get nice effects that hit a reflex nerve, but if all landscapes were sunrise-sunset lighting, well, I reckon that would be destructively limiting of what is out there to capture.

Anyway, these are not landscape but cityscape. As I rephrased Dan, it's light for locations. Sydney is often glaringly bright, dazzling, as you would know. The harbour sparkles with a very lively light. The city was built under that light and its architecture and colour-scheme, at least in recent times, have responded to, incorporated and restated that light. Just have a look at the buildings in your photos. They have an intense relationship with Sydney light. The Opera House roof is shiny white ceramic tiles!

Darling Harbour's location on the harbour - it's part of the harbour, and its reason for being as a concentration of conference, recreation and sightseeing facilities, right under the city skyline, the crowds that stream around its precinct, all give it a heightened vibrancy on top of the vivacity of the city of Sydney location as a whole.

I doubt that kind of 'light' can be got at sunrise and sunset! I know how stimulating it is in the middle of the day! But just at the time the lights come on, and again in the blackness of night there are other beauties to be got there!

So don't pay too much attention to the soft waxing and waning glow 'rules' of other parts of the world. Sydney needs its own photographic language!

I like #3, that vanishing point you have created is breathtaking! and adds to the futuristic feel of the image. However, I think the buildings and the monorail need to pop more, the sky is too dulling, and I'd clean the dropped icecream off the pavement!:D

dlplumer

Good point Neil

grimace

Welcome to DGrin!!

I'd have to say #3 and #7 are my favorites. I like the comp and treatment of #3 and the color and wide angle of #7.

skumar25

dlplumer wrote:

The cardinal rule of landscape work is shoot at dawn or dusk, but never any other time. These are nice photos but in very harsh light which produces way too much contrast. Others here will give you better feedback I'm sure. Personally I like #3 and #5. Keep posting and welcome to dgrin

Thanks for your comments. These were taken in the late afternoon, but the sun was still quite high. I will try reshooting at dust.

skumar25

schmoo wrote:

I actually really like #8 with the reflections of the water on the underside of the boat! It's a great example of a creative use of light, any light, and making something conventional just a little unconventional.

I enjoyed the walkabout of Sydney! Thanks for sharing with us

Thanks very much, that is probably my favourite too.

skumar25

ian408 wrote:

I too like the reflections on the underside of the boat. #3 has good potential as well--what would make it better is to let the monorail lead the train out of the shot more towards the corner and maybe down about half way? In other words, give the train a place to go.

Welcome and look forward to more shots!

Thanks very much. I can picture the shot you'rs describing, I'll go back and give it another try some day.

skumar25

grimace wrote:

Welcome to DGrin!!

I'd have to say #3 and #7 are my favorites. I like the comp and treatment of #3 and the color and wide angle of #7.

Thank you very much.

skumar25

NeilL wrote:

You have a sense of play - all those tone variations! - and a sense of humour - the three-master of the last!

As Dan said, like horses for courses, it's light for locations. I don't agree that you should only shoot landscapes when the sun is coming up and going down. Sure you get nice effects that hit a reflex nerve, but if all landscapes were sunrise-sunset lighting, well, I reckon that would be destructively limiting of what is out there to capture.

Anyway, these are not landscape but cityscape. As I rephrased Dan, it's light for locations. Sydney is often glaringly bright, dazzling, as you would know. The harbour sparkles with a very lively light. The city was built under that light and its architecture and colour-scheme, at least in recent times, have responded to, incorporated and restated that light. Just have a look at the buildings in your photos. They have an intense relationship with Sydney light. The Opera House roof is shiny white ceramic tiles!

Darling Harbour's location on the harbour - it's part of the harbour, and its reason for being as a concentration of conference, recreation and sightseeing facilities, right under the city skyline, the crowds that stream around its precinct, all give it a heightened vibrancy on top of the vivacity of the city of Sydney location as a whole.

I doubt that kind of 'light' can be got at sunrise and sunset! I know how stimulating it is in the middle of the day! But just at the time the lights come on, and again in the blackness of night there are other beauties to be got there!

So don't pay too much attention to the soft waxing and waning glow 'rules' of other parts of the world. Sydney needs its own photographic language!

I like #3, that vanishing point you have created is breathtaking! and adds to the futuristic feel of the image. However, I think the buildings and the monorail need to pop more, the sky is too dulling, and I'd clean the dropped icecream off the pavement!:D

Thanks very much for your comments Neil.

Sydney is very photogenic and shines in bright daylight. A slightly lower sun would have given a different mood to the photos.

I'll try different processing for #3. I agree, the little uitlity cover is a bit distracting. I'll try and photoshop it out.

lenseye

Light
I agree with dlplumer's comments regarding timing of making images.This is the ideal timing. Anyway, I appreciate your effort.

skumar25

lenseye wrote:

I agree with dlplumer's comments regarding timing of making images.This is the ideal timing. Anyway, I appreciate your effort.

Thanks Lenseye.

Internaut

Shoot later but not too late.
I did some shots of Darling Harbour at dusk proper but that deep blue sky of the afternoon was a little too washed out by then. You have a window of an hour or so before dusk where the sun is low enough to avoid blowing highlights on the lighter architecture and, on a clear day, the sky is still a nice blue.

Also, don't forget that Darling Harbour looks fab at twilight and into the night:

NeilL

There is another perspective - looking out Darling Harbour towards the Bridge, with the conference centre and hotel on the left. I don't have any, and it might need a WA to do, but I remember that as being a very nice experience.