Sydney in the Fog: A Blue-Hour Surprise

I spent few days in Sydney this week to visit my clients, and I packed my camera expecting the city's usual sunshine. Sydney had other plans. It rained almost the whole time, and between meetings and wet streets I barely had a chance to take the camera out. By midweek I'd nearly given up on any decent shots, but the forecast for Wednesday the 23rd said the rain would finally clear.

I set my alarm for 4:30 am, hoping for a clear sky before sunrise. When I looked out the window, the rain had stopped, but the city was wrapped in thick fog. It wasn't what I'd hoped for, but it was interesting enough to get me out the door. The streets were empty and the light rail sat quietly at its platforms, headboards glowing for Randwick and Kingsford, waiting for the day to begin. I headed down to the harbour to see how far I could actually see.

At first I could barely make out the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge vanished into the cloud halfway across. I knew daylight was coming quickly, so I moved fast to catch the city in blue hour: the sails glowing against a deep blue sky, the ferries resting at Circular Quay, and the old sandstone warehouses of The Rocks sitting empty and still. The light changed by the minute, but the fog stayed put. As the sky brightened, the fog scattered the light and kept pushing my exposures too bright, so I adjusted and kept shooting. I managed a few rounds before the rain came back, and at that point I decided to cut my losses and head back to the hotel.

Looking back, the photos were the secondary part of this trip, a bonus I could easily have lived without. What made it truly worthwhile was sitting down with my clients face to face. There's something about being in the same room that no video call can replace, and those conversations are what I'll cherish most until I see them again in December. Sydney didn't give me the sunny city I'd imagined, but it gave me good company and one quiet, foggy morning I didn't plan for. I'll be back, hopefully with clear skies in the forecast.

Light rail at Circular Quay:  5:00 am. The trams are parked and waiting, and the city hasn't woken up yet.

Opera House from across the Quay:  My first look at the harbour. The sails were barely there, lost in the fog, and the only real sign of the city was the lights along the water.

Opera House, warm tones: The sails slip in and out of the fog while the forecourt lights draw long golden lines across the harbour.

Circular Quay ferries (colour): The ferries are still docked for the night, and the tops of the towers have vanished into the cloud.

CBD towers (black and white): Sydney's skyline, half-erased. The fog did the editing for me.

The Rocks, ASNC building: Old brick and palms in The Rocks, with the modern city fading into grey behind them.

Harbour Bridge in fog: I came for the bridge and got only half of it. The arch disappears into the cloud before it reaches the other side.

Harbour Bridge (black and white, with the walkers): Early walkers blur past on the promenade while the bridge's great arch dissolves into white.

Campbell's Stores, The Rocks: A row of identical sandstone warehouses, each with the same peaked roof. They were built for the harbour trade in the 1800s and now house restaurants. At this hour they sit empty and still, with Metcalfe Bond and the Harbour Bridge above them.

Opera House: By the time the daylight arrived, the colour was gone and the fog was still there. Soon after, the rain came back, and that was my cue to pack up.