Final day in Sydney – leaving the great city with a smile and some tears. Truth is I’d love to spend much more time here. I just got settled, have found my grove and the more I watch out the more exciting opportunities for photography I find.

But the schedule is relentless and the not less spectacular wonders of the 12 apostles are waiting in the wings.

Nonetheless, on this last evening Sydney presents itself from its most sensational side. Vivid Sydney, an open air lightning show, lights up all the big sights of city. There are also free concerts, internal food, theater and so on. It usually runs for three weeks during the Australian winter between May and June.

Of course from a photography perspective I was looking all week long forward to this. Given I had only this one night I had to shots in mind – two “money shots” – nothing too fancy, just something I can take home and look at in years to come and say: “wow, this was beautiful”.

A panorama from the Opera House side, spanning from Circular Key over the to the Harbour Bridge – I tested this on an earlier day during day time and I knew this was what  I wanted once everything is lit up. The image above is the result.

A second image I had in my mind, was the classic one: the Opera House. Now, during my days in Sydney I’ve got numerous shots of the Opera House. I like them. But to get the chance to get a photograph during the night with the projections on it – not a once a lifetime opportunity as such, but if you live normally on the other side of the world then it becomes a rare opportunity.

From an earlier walk I knew there is a little grass land right beneath the Harbour Bridge from where you get a prime view of the Opera. Armed with Tripod and 70-200mm lens I set up and captured the moment: