Bruce Flamenbaum
February 2025 - Sunny Afternoon Sydney, Australia
About the Image(s)
F9, 1/200 sec, ISO 400
Downtown Sydney, Australia from the Taronga Zoo across the bay. The iconic Opera House is shown. Ferries regularly ply the waters of the Bay. The Australian flag is in the foreground showing the Southern Cross.
4 comments posted
Hi Bruce. I haven't made it to Australia - for photography or anything else, so I am envious. The beautiful blues of the water and sky are consistent with the images of Australia that I have in my head. And the opera house is an epic subject for Sydney.
Overall the image has a lot going on - buildings, the opera, boats, trees, the flag. I feel like there is too much. I enjoy exploring it all, but then I don't quite feel it fitting together. The flag is the prominent visual element because of the bold colors. But I'd expect to be looking up at a flag vs. down, and to have it high in the frame if it is such a dominant element.
The image is obviously important to you in that it reminds you of your visit there. Ultimately that is what is important. If I wanted to improve it, I'd suggest simplifying. I'd clone out the yellow windsock because it is bright and way down in the corner. I'd crop out some of the trees on the right and some of the sky - they are framing what is important, but you don't need as much to do that. Then to me I think the image could be warmer, consistent with what I think about when thinking about Australia. I did that in the attached.
Going further toward a "fine art" image requires decisions on what the image is about, and I think requires sacrificing some of the elements. Only you can make that call.
Posted: 02/12/2025 20:44:21
Overall the image has a lot going on - buildings, the opera, boats, trees, the flag. I feel like there is too much. I enjoy exploring it all, but then I don't quite feel it fitting together. The flag is the prominent visual element because of the bold colors. But I'd expect to be looking up at a flag vs. down, and to have it high in the frame if it is such a dominant element.
The image is obviously important to you in that it reminds you of your visit there. Ultimately that is what is important. If I wanted to improve it, I'd suggest simplifying. I'd clone out the yellow windsock because it is bright and way down in the corner. I'd crop out some of the trees on the right and some of the sky - they are framing what is important, but you don't need as much to do that. Then to me I think the image could be warmer, consistent with what I think about when thinking about Australia. I did that in the attached.
Going further toward a "fine art" image requires decisions on what the image is about, and I think requires sacrificing some of the elements. Only you can make that call.
Posted: 02/12/2025 20:44:21
Hello Bruce,
I am a sucker for great cityscapes and you have recorded a great one.
I agree with the notion of removing the yellow windsock near the lower left corner of your image. I probably would like to remover the white portions of the sail boat masked in part by the tree leaves. I could be wrong, but if you were able to move your camera a couple of feet to the left, you might have been able to see more of what looks like a white lighthouse structure. Otherwise I find your image to be "spot on, mate". Posted: 02/14/2025 00:29:27
I am a sucker for great cityscapes and you have recorded a great one.
I agree with the notion of removing the yellow windsock near the lower left corner of your image. I probably would like to remover the white portions of the sail boat masked in part by the tree leaves. I could be wrong, but if you were able to move your camera a couple of feet to the left, you might have been able to see more of what looks like a white lighthouse structure. Otherwise I find your image to be "spot on, mate". Posted: 02/14/2025 00:29:27
Kenneth Taylor
Fantastic image, I think too much of the trees and the flag takes away from the city scape Posted: 02/16/2025 04:06:38
Thanks for the comments. Upon reflection, I must agree that cropping out the trees and sky would have made it more interesting. I also agree that I should have removed the yellow flag, but in addition I should have removed the white poles from the left of the flag. Posted: 02/20/2025 16:51:54