Fire and Light

Sydney, December 18, 2021

Lightning crackles over Sydney Harbour and fireworks explode over the Sydney Opera House.

After Carols in the Domain had finished, the storm we had been watching out of the corner of our eye coming in from the south west swept in over the harbour; the wind picked up and electricity crackled in the air.

What started as a night to capture fireworks turned into an even later night trying to capture the storm.

I called it a night when the sky opened up and I started getting pelted with rain, and with no umbrella I was soaked. Though of course as soon as I packed up my camera the shot I had been waiting for happened: three massive forks of lightning split over and around the Opera House!

This image is inspired by Rob Mulally's photo from the same night, and is a composite of several photos (15 or so I think) for the lightning, and one image for the fireworks.

Merry Christmas!

The details for this image are:

• Nikon Z6ii

• Sirui W-1204 tripod with K-20x Ball Head⁣

Lightning

• Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 G2

• 8s

• f/9

• ISO100

Fireworks

• Nikon Z 24-70mm f.2.8 S

• 6s

• f/16

• ISO100