St Marys Glow

by Zelko
(Sydney, Australia)

I took this photo at a friend's engagement party in Sydney just after it stopped raining.

The air was super clear and the Cathedral just stood out amongst all the modern buildings.

The photo has not been touched up in any way, however I was tempted to erase the crane on top of the building but stopped short of doing this.

The lights on it and the Australian flag above it somehow adds to the scene.

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Sydney is such a great city to photograph. I was there a couple of years ago and couldn't stop clicking!

Night time photography is a fun genre. The bright city lights set against an inky black sky can't fail to impress.

Given this, is there anything that could improve this lovely photo?

First of all, the composition is alright. Nothing too grand, but nothing appalling either!

It's not the composition I would look to change, it's the focus of the photo.

I wonder how Zelko took this photo, as it looks a little on the blurry side to me (or maybe I've reached the age where glasses are needed!).

Night time photos need long exposures (about 10 seconds isn't unusual). And to ensure the picture remains sharp the camera mustn't move at all.

The best thing to do is place the camera on a tripod to take the photo. But, in the absence of a tripod a solid surface coupled with good use of the self timer can work just as well.

Have a read through the night photography tips section for more on how to capture cities at night.

All in all though, this is a nice photo. Thanks Zelco for the submission,

Ed.
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