15 Best Photo Spots of Sydney Opera House, Australia

             Sydney Opera House is a great landmark and the most popular travel destination in Australia. With the unique modern architecture form and location by the bay where can be seen from many angles. Each spot has the unique and its own beauty. However, some people  are not sure where to take photos and where the best spot is.

             Palanla.com went to capture 15 best photography spots of Sydney Opera House around the bay area. And also had a chance to capture some beautiful pictures in Vivid Sydney 2018, an annual festival of light and music. The Highlight of the festival is the beautiful lighting on Sydney Opera House where you can see one time in a year.

1. Mrs Macquarie's Chair

           The first spot is one of the most favorite spots for photographer and tourists. Mrs Macquarie's Chair is the walkway by the bay located in Royal Botanic Gardens. From this spot, You’ll see Sydney Opera House together with Habour bridge. You can also walk down to the coast and use the stone as a foreground to capture Sydney Opera House or use tree branches as another style of foreground.

Recommended time : After sunset (around 6.00 – 7.00 pm depends on the season)

Tip : During June daytime shooting from this spot tends to result the silhouette shots. Therefore, taking pictures from the evening onwards is the best. To check the closing times of the Royal Botanic Gardens each season is necessary. (The park has different closing hours at 17.00, 17.30, 18.00, 18.30, and 20.00 hrs.) Since when the park is closed, you will not be able to walk back to the same gate that runs through the Opera House and need to go the other way instead.

GPS Coordinates :  33°51'33.2"S 151°13'18.6"E

2. Royal Botanic Gardens

           From the first spot, when you walk along the walkway by the bay, you’ll get to the second photography spot. From this spot, you’ll see Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge overlaps in nice position and this is the unique scene that you can only see here. And you can also find Sydney Tower Eye, another landmark of Sydney located in nearby area.

Recommended time :  After sunset (around 6.00 – 7.00 pm depends on the season)

Tip : You should check closing time of Royal Botanic Gardens before enjoying spending time taking photos from this spot, to ensure that you’ll manage to leave the gate before the closing time. If the garden was closed, the door of walkway by the bay also closed too. And you need to use another way which takes more time.

Opening hours : October 7 am - 7.30 pm, November to February 7 am - 8 pm, March 7 am - 6.30 pm, April and September 7 am - 6 pm, May and August 7 am 5.30 pm, June and July 7 am 5 pm

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'42.7"S 151°13'14.1"E

3. Playhouse Bar

           Some other photography spots are taken from afar. But this one is very close to the building and we really recommend. This is the Playhouse Bar, where you can stroll along the walkway by the bay from Royal Botanic Gardens or nearby port. One thing that creates the unique scene in this spot is the curve line of the walkway that became leading line in the picture, and the curve also separates land and sea apart. So, you can capture beautiful pictures here in both day and night.

Tip : The colorful lighting on Sydney Opera House can be seen only in Vivid Sydney Festival around the end of May - Mid-June only.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'28.7"S 151°12'50.8"E

4. Front of Opera House (Tarpeian Way)

           Taking pictures from this spot you will get a wide angle perspective of the front of the Opera House. With the Opera House visible on the right hand side and the Harbor Bridge on the left. On clear days, as the blue skies contrast with the white roofs of the Opera House, the ferries that ran across Sydney Harbor and those tourists enjoy visiting and taking pictures with the stunning Opera House, is the perfect atmosphere that brings vitality to the photos of this Australia’s iconic landmark shooting from this spot.  

Recommended time : Sydney Opera House shooting from this spot can be taken at any time, day or night.

Tip : In June. Taking photos in the afternoon from this spot, you will get the silhouette shots.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'30.2"S 151°12'52.7"E

5. Opera House (Right Side)

           This spot is where reveals a distinct shape, beautiful structure and the whitewashed- glazed ceramic roof of the Sydney Opera House, which is neatly laid and roofed. Shooting from this angle, you will get a close-up view of the beautiful and perfect composition of this world-class architect. By shooting this angle is the most beautiful in the morning and after the sunset, because if it is during the day, the image will be backlit and dark.

Recommended time : In the morning and after Sunset.

Tip : To get the most beautiful results, is shooting in the morning and after the sunset since during the day the pictures tend to result the silhouette shots.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'26.6"S 151°12'55.1"E

6. Overseas Passenger Terminal

           Along the walkway from Circular Quay, you can capture many beautiful spots of Sydney Opera House, and you can use some ferries as a fore ground. But one spot which is the less known spot we recommend in this area The  viewpoint from Overseas Passenger Terminal building, where you can take the top view of Sydney Opera House. And you can get to this view point free of charge.

Tip : The colorful lighting on Sydney Opera House can be seen only in Vivid Sydney Festival around the end of May – Mid-June only.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'26.8"S 151°12'37.0"E

7. Hickson Road Reserve

           Photography spot from Hickson Road Reserve is one of the most popular spots for many tourists. You may familiar with picture of the green foreground of lawn in the park and the Sydney Opera House in crosswise position. You can also choose some trees or the people who walk around as a foreground of picture or you can relax yourself and wait for the best time to take photos when sunrise or sunset.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'20.5"S 151°12'38.0"E

8. Pylon Lookout

           Another beautiful top view of Sydney Opera House is from the Pylon Lookout located on Harbour Bridge. To get there, you need to walk up along 210 steps of the stair. But the view that you’ll get is worth for. You can see the panoramic view of the city in both bay area and the buildings in town. And this is one of the best viewpoints for Sydney Opera House.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'16.3"S 151°12'34.3"E

9. Habour Bridge

           From Pylon Lookout, you can walk along the Harbour Bridge and find some beautiful spots on the way. But the walkway along the bridge was covered by the fences that prevent people from falling,  which you may find difficulty in capturing pictures. But the fences also have some opening space that you can hold out  your hand and your camera to take some photos. But please be aware of dropping your camera!

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'07.8"S 151°12'39.4"E

10. Milsons Point (Right Side)

           In addition to the earlier spot where the Opera House can be seen perfectly on the opposite side, the Milsons Point area yet has another spot where you are able to capture a tiny white Opera House, and views of Sydney with a distinctive steel frame of the Harbour Bridge shooting from this angle.

           Especially at night, with lights from the city and the bridge, the photos will come out even more splendorous with the feeling of softness from the white building of the Opera House combined with the feeling of  vigour from the enormous steel bridge in the foreground. When the two landmarks merged together, it becomes another impressive picture of Sydney.

Recommended Time : After sunset (around 6.00 – 7.00 pm depends on the season)

GPS Coordinates : 33°50'59.8"S 151°12'41.5"E

11. Milsons Point (Left Side)

           Most of the spots that we recommend are located in the same side of Sydney Opera House. But now we will take you to another side of the building. One of the spots that located opposite the Sydney Opera House is Milsons Point. Where you can start taking photos from under the Harbour Bridge, walk along the walkway by the bay and wait for some ferries as foreground.

GPS Coordinates : 33°50'59.0"S 151°12'50.3"E

12. McMahons Point

           McMahons Point is a northern suburb of Sydney, about 3 kilometers away from CBD. There are cafes, restaurants, parks that are popular among tourists and visitors since it can travel easily from Sydney. Taking a ferry from Circular Quay takes only 10 minutes to get here.

           To photograph the Opera House from the McMahon Point area, the perspective that you will get is having the Sydney Opera House as a backdrop on the right hand side along with the Harbor Bridge, which a giant brick pillar of the Pylon Lookout viewpoint is noticeable. Shooting at different times gives the beautiful atmosphere differently, according to the colors of the sky.

GPS Coordinates : 33°50'56.0"S 151°12'22.3"E

13. Hop-on Hop-off Cruise

           Not only travel around the Sydney by bus, train or Taxi, you can also use ferries as a choice for travelling. Due to the geography of the city that was separated by the bay, sometimes taking ferries will save your time more than using another travelling choice. And Sydney also has Hop-on Hop-off Cruise pass that you can get ferries to 12 famous travel spots in the city. The one that we recommend is the route from Circular Quay to Taronga Zoo, which you can take the pictures of Sydney Opera House closely with Harbour Bridge. And this spot will be more beautiful when sunset.

GPS Coordinates : 33°51'17.3"S 151°13'06.4"E

14. Cremorne Wharf

           The Cremonrne Warf may not be a well-known shooting spot of the Opera House. But if you are looking for a photography spot that gives a different perspective of the Sydney Opera House, this is another place where you can find the beauty of Sydney Opera House across Sydney Harbor.  With the Opera House on the right hand side and the Sydney Tower on the left the left, plus a backdrop of those tall buildings that surround Sydney City especially at night with city lights that make the Sydney Opera House even more impressive.

Recommended time : In the morning as the sun rises behind the Opera House and after Sunset onwards. 

GPS Coordinates : 33°50'48.7"S 151°13'47.3"E

15. Taronga Zoo

           After taking photos along the way on ferries, now let’s get off at Taronga Zoo, the most famous zoo of Sydney, where you can enjoy viewing many animals. You can also take the beautiful photograph of Sydney Opera House from here with the unique scene that you can use some animals such as giraffe as a foreground.

Tip : Taronga Zoo is located far from Sydney Opera House, so you need the telephoto lens at 70 mm. or more to take photos.

GPS Coordinates : 33°50'39.6"S 151°14'18.3"E

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