Sydney Harbour & Sydney Opera House

Description

SYDNEY PANORAMIC ~ AUSTRALIA LANDSCAPE AWARDS 2025 – AERIAL COMMENDED
Presented by Australian Photography Magazine. Judged by a global panel including Serena Dzenis, Petra Leary, Anthony McKee, Ignacio Palacios, Matt Palmer, Will Patino, and Steph Vella.

As a professional photographer, I’ve learned that the most unforgettable images often emerge in life’s smallest windowsand at the most unlikely times. For me, this one came on my honeymoon.

We were flying from the Gold Coast to Europe, a once-in-a-lifetime trip. But fate gave me an unplanned opportunity: a 3-hour stopover in Sydney. To most travellers, it’s just dead time. To me, it was a photographic gift. Especially with a flawless blue-sky forecast over the harbour.

With my drone packed in my carry-on and the support of my newlywed wife, who understands the mission, I made the move. We dashed from the domestic terminal to Mrs Macquarie’s Point, a launch site I’d scouted weeks earlier. Legal airspace, direct line of sight, and one of the most iconic vantage points in Australia.

When I arrived, the harbour was glowing.

The Opera House shimmered white against the cobalt sky. The Harbour Bridge stood proud, its shadow arching across water that looked like it had been brushed with diamonds. No haze. No gusts. Just stillness and sun. I launched the drone with deliberate hands and a clear vision: a four-frame panoramic that would freeze Sydney in a perfect light.

Frame one: Royal Botanic Garden. Frame two: the Opera House. Frame three: skyline, ferry wakes, glass and steel.
Frame four: the arc of the Bridge.

In less than 10 minutes, it was done. We were racing back to the terminal, adrenaline still high. On the flight to Europe, I previewed the raw frames. The moment was there. Framed. Balanced. Alive.

That image, captured in a narrow window between flights, went on to earn recognition as Aerial Commended in the 2025 Landscape Awards, standing beside works taken with weeks of planning.

Photography isn’t about convenience. It’s about being ready when magic appears. Even on your honeymoon. Even on a stopover. Now available as a collector’s edition panoramic print. Awarded. Timeless. Pure Australia.