31/07/2026
Photo of the Day
Credit: Davis Wu
Olympic Drive near Sydney Harbour Bridge
The photo was taken from Olympic Drive beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Before capturing the final image, I made several scouting visits to the location during daylight hours to evaluate different viewpoints and compositions. This particular spot matched my vision for the night scene.
My goal was to create an image with the city skyline as the background, the Harbour Bridge as the mid-ground anchor, and the light trails from passing buses forming the foreground. Initially, I was concerned that the light trails might obscure the skyline, so I captured many test exposures to refine the composition.
The tourist buses (tall) proved to be ideal subjects. Their primary light sources come from the illuminated passenger windows, while the headlights and taillights remain low to the ground. By positioning my tripod so that the camera aligned with the middle section of the bus body, the bus itself effectively disappeared during the long exposure, leaving only the elegant light trails above and below. This leaves the skylines completely unobstructed as I hoped for.
Another element worked in my favour. The road curves gently downhill to the right, producing graceful sweeping light trails rather than a simple horizontal pattern. This curve added movement and visual interest, helping to guide the viewer?s eye naturally through the composition.
Canon R5, EOS16-35mm, f8, 8sec, ISO100, with light touches in post processing (Lightroom) to remove a few rubbish on the road.
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