Vivid Sydney 2011

[aim54x]

Yes, its on again!! We normally head out as a group at least once during the festival and then bombard each other with images, but since it is that time of year again I am keen to meet up and have a roam around town again if others here are as well.

http://vividsydney.com/

Lights will be on 27 May - 13 June so there is a good few weeks for us to get out and about with tripods and kit!

WHO is interested, when is the best time for us to meet? Better start the planning process now!

[Mr Darcy]

I would love to get to this this year.
As usual for me though, it will depend very much when the meet is & I won't be able to give notice on whether I will make the date, so plan away & I will come if I can.

[Remorhaz]

Sounds good

[surenj]

Keen.

[aim54x]

I suppose it is time to try to set a night for a meet. Most of the lights appear to be around Circular Quay this year, so maybe after work on Friday, possibly the first night (27/5)??

[Remorhaz]

Friday nights are generally no good for me - but mon to thur are usually good.

[stubbsy]

I'd be up for a Monday night on either 6/6 or 20/6 since I'm in Sydney those nights with nothing to do but sit in my hotel room

[aim54x]

I'd be up for a Monday night on either 6/6 or 20/6 since I'm in Sydney those nights with nothing to do but sit in my hotel room

Friday nights are generally no good for me - but mon to thur are usually good.

We are looking good for a Monday night it seems. Unfortunately for you Peter, the lights would be off by the 20th.

Now I wonder where all our other members have crawled away to?

[Mr Darcy]

Now I wonder where all our other members have crawled away to?

Into the nearest swamp

[gstark]

Now I wonder where all our other members have crawled away to?

Into the nearest swamp

Don't you mean "Back to ... " ???

[surenj]

I am keen on the weekends but I guess it will be chockers.

Bit hard during the weekdays though. What time would we meet if it was a weekday?

[Remorhaz]

I can probably make Mon but there are others here at my work who'd like to go Tues or Wed night.

I assume we'd probably meet sometime after 5PM (early if we wanted to do sunset/twilight images and/or later for some dark sky vivid sydney shots)?

[dviv]

I'd be keen for Monday the 6th...

[Mr Darcy]

I have consulted the Oracle and she tells me the 6th is feasible at this time.

[surenj]

Just a note that you guys need to be there around 1630 or so to get those twilight shots. Sunset is around 5pm. Just sayin.

[biggerry]

weekdays are out for me if sunset is part of the plan i am hard at work way past that time.

to throw a complete spanner in the works - I was thinking tentatively to having a crack this weekend. That said I am not overly concerned if I miss the whole thing, two years runnign and its getting a bit thin on me.

there will be crowds of peeps (opening w/e) but really, that adds to the whole atmosphere...

[surenj]

Gerry, txt me. I am available all saturday for a few shanigans...

[biggerry]

Gerry, txt me. I am available all saturday for a few shanigans...

will do.

[aim54x]

i was out there tonight...and from the bits I saw (SOH, Circular Quay) I really hope the other locations in the Rocks have something more worthwhile.....

[biggerry]

*yawn*

not much happening there...great for the kids and will go back for that but way too many people with cameras

Observatory hill was nice and quiet though.

[aim54x]

You have done well out there Gerry....I am not happy with anything that I took the other night and will be looking to head out again...but you are correct about the crowds!

Did you manage to see some of the other installations in the Rocks area?

[surenj]

Did you manage to see some of the other installations in the Rocks area?

'
Short answer, NO. I was little tired from the sunrise etc and felt somewhat un-inspired. In our defence, the Rocks area wasn't lit up around 0520 ish when we left Observatory hill.

The overall VIVID feeling was that it was mainly for the kids between 2 and 12.

[aim54x]

Did you manage to see some of the other installations in the Rocks area?

'
Short answer, NO. I was little tired from the sunrise etc and felt somewhat un-inspired. In our defence, the Rocks area wasn't lit up around 0520 ish when we left Observatory hill.

The overall VIVID feeling was that it was mainly for the kids between 2 and 12.

I attempted to get down that way tonight...and got greeted by a torrential downpour......Yes Vivid is starting to grow tiresome to me as well

[Mr Darcy]

Is Monday the 6th still a goer for this. I'm keen.

Say Pier 5 at 17:30 unless you want sunset beforehand.

[stubbsy]

Cameron (aim54x) and I are both meeting up tomorrow night. I suggest the best spot is the Overseas Passenger Terminal. We could meet at the foot of the stairs near Cadman Cottage. As for Customs House I'm thinking we could move on to there later and a good angle to shoot it may be from Circular Quay railway station (we'd need a train ticket to get on the platform I guess) to avoid the ice bear and people at street level being in front of us.

[dviv]

Will hopefully be there.

Will confirm tomorrow.

[aim54x]

As for Customs House I'm thinking we could move on to there later and a good angle to shoot it may be from Circular Quay railway station (we'd need a train ticket to get on the platform I guess) to avoid the ice bear and people at street level being in front of us.

As good as this sounds, I am not 100% sure if the CityRail Gestapo will be happy for us (with all our tripods and camera gear) to operate from that area. I did see a few people use that vantage point, so it is still worth a try.

Say Pier 5 at 17:30 unless you want sunset beforehand.

This will be good time/place, I am uncertain as to when I get off work tomorrow, but I will call yourself and/or Stubbsy to find where your up to when I do make it down there, if I am not there by 17.30.

[Mr Darcy]

Stubbsy's suggestion of Cadman Steps is probably the better option as it is a more contained space. & likely fewer people.

As for the Circular Quay viewpoint, there is a little known public walkway above the railway alongside the Cahill Expressway. Free access from
1. Macquarie St near the Botanic Gardens (S 33° 51.694 E 151° 12.806)
2. The Bridge Walkway
3. An elevator near Pier 1 (The one to Manly)
(I don't have the other two geotagged)

The lift is most convenient, but also the most likely to be busy.
When I was there during the first Vivid, there was almost no one up there.

[aim54x]

The lift is most convenient, but also the most likely to be busy.
When I was there during the first Vivid, there was almost no one up there.

I have not been up there this year, but yes it was very quiet there during the first Vivid event...I even managed to get a stitch pano without being disturbed.
http://dslrusers.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=36626&p=389450&hilit=vivid+pano#p389450

[dviv]

So it's the Cadman steps at 17:30?

[Alpha_7]

A work friend and I might be able to attend, I've got all my gear, he's got to get his wife to brings his in, so he is a maybe.

[Remorhaz]

I joined a handfull of my work colleagues from the office on saturday evening to take some photos of sunset on the harbour (which wasn't particularly great) and the lights of Vivid Sydney - until early rain halted our evening.

The view of the Sydney Harbour bridge from the Sydney Opera House towards the end of twilight (5:25PM)

Twilight Show

NIKON D7000 + 8.0-16.0 mm f/4.5-5.6 @ 8 mm, 30 sec at f / 11, ISO 100

After grabbing some dinner in the Rocks Markets it was just starting to sprinkle lightly so we quickly headed down to the overseas passenger terminal to grab some obligatory shots of the Opera House being painted

Beaming Sails

NIKON D7000 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 34 mm, 20 sec at f / 7.1, ISO 100

A shot timed to have a Water Taxi bob it's way through the image

Taxi Anyone?

NIKON D7000 + 17.0-50.0 mm f/2.8 @ 50 mm, 15 sec at f / 5.6, ISO 100

Then it really started to rain so the evening was abandoned

[stubbsy]

Lovely images Rodney. How did you get such long exposures - a grad filter of some type?

[stubbsy]

For those going tonight you should all have my phone number. if you don't please PM me. To unambiguously sort where we meet here is the google maps link. There is a pedestrian crossing that comes over from the rocks to the Overseas passenger terminal and steps lead from this spot UP to the Overseas terminal. It should be relatively uncrowded and so easier to see each other. We'll meet at 5:30 pm which gives time for setup.

[surenj]

Have fun guys!

a grad filter of some type?

He can't fit filters on him 8mm lens so I am guessing none. I found that one had to time these exposures well otherwise they got mixed in with each other and reduce the overall 'sharpness' of the lights.

[Remorhaz]

Lovely images Rodney. How did you get such long exposures - a grad filter of some type?

No that was the normal exposure (at ISO 100) - I even went for a wider aperture with some (e.g. 5.6) so I'd get shorter exposures (the scenes seemed to change more frequently this year).

[Remorhaz]

He can't fit filters on him 8mm lens so I am guessing none. I found that one had to time these exposures well otherwise they got mixed in with each other and reduce the overall 'sharpness' of the lights.

Thats true but all the SOH images were taken with the Tamron 17-50 so I could have used filters for those - and you are very correct - the imagery this year seems to be more dynamic (and doesn't stay the same for very long) - which is annoying for photography because you will get mess if you don't have good timing on them.

[dviv]

I'll definately be there - Peter, you have a pm

[Matt. K]

Gerry
That first image is simply stunning! Beautiful work!

[MatthewRoberts]

Here is my Vivid Sydney slideshow on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/55995461@N05/sets/72157626696493591/show/