Street Photography in Sydney

Circular Quay is the ferry hub, with commuters pouring off boats in the morning and tourists heading for the Opera House all day. The train station sits above the wharves, and its platform has a clear view of the Harbour Bridge. Shoot the 8am ferry rush from the wharf gates, with people backlit against the water. Late afternoon, the sun lights faces on the promenade toward the Opera House. Try silhouettes against the glare off the harbour. Caution: harbour foreshore rules restrict commercial photography without permission, so keep it personal.

The Rocks is Sydney's oldest quarter, with sandstone lanes and stairways between terraces. The weekend market fills George Street here with stalls and browsers. The narrow lanes make strong light and shade, good for silhouettes against lit sandstone. Go on a weekend for the market crowd, or at golden hour for warm light on the stone. Stand at the top of a stairway and wait for someone to climb into the light. Caution: this is harbour foreshore land, and staff may question tripods or anything that looks like a commercial shoot.

George Street is the spine of the CBD, now largely closed to cars with light rail trams gliding down the middle. Office towers turn it into a light canyon: a strip of sun where cross streets meet it, and shade everywhere else. In winter, shadows run long most of the day. Pick a patch of light at a corner and wait for walkers to step into it. Expose for the highlights. On wet, windy days the CBD acts like a wind tunnel, and umbrellas turn inside out at the crossings. Caution: watch the trams.

Martin Place is a long pedestrian plaza between banks and office towers. At lunch it fills with office workers grabbing food and walking fast. Suits against old stone facades give you a formal, graphic look. The towers throw hard shadows across the plaza, and the sun moves strips of light over it through the day. Stand at one end and look for a lone figure walking through a shaft of light. Weekday lunchtime, noon to 2pm, is the time. Caution: it is quiet at weekends, so don't plan it for a Sunday.

King Street in Newtown is Sydney's alternative strip. It is full of street art, op shops, bars and students from the nearby university. People dress for themselves here, so you get strong personal style. Murals cover whole walls, and the side streets have more. Late afternoon into evening is best, when the bars fill and the sidewalks get busy. Put a character against a mural and match the colors. Caution: people here are relaxed about cameras, but a long lens pointed from across the street still gets noticed.

Bondi is Sydney's beach culture in one place: surfers, swimmers, sunbathers and joggers on the promenade. Early morning brings regulars swimming and walking before work. Weekends in summer bring crowds. Shoot from the promenade looking down onto the sand for layered frames, or walk the coastal path toward Tamarama for people against the cliffs and sea. Harsh midday sun works for high contrast shots. Caution: be careful with children on the beach. Photographing in public is legal, but parents may object. Council pools set their own rules.

Chinatown is dense with signs and late night crowds. Dixon Street is the pedestrian heart, with lanterns and neon. Paddy's Markets next door fills with shoppers. On Friday nights the night market fills Dixon Street with stalls and steam. Shoot after dark with a fast lens, and look for faces lit by stall lights or neon. The Lunar New Year festival brings crowds and lion dances in January or February. Caution: stallholders are working, so don't block their counters to get a frame.