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I'm now an Award Winning Cityscape Photographer.

Winning photograph of Camera Pro Queensland Photography Competition themed 'Cityscape."
Henry Lam

Henry Lam

Story

I had planned this shot for weeks: the perfect sunrise shot from the top floor of the hotel’s sky pool deck. I had set my alarm for 6 am, hoping to catch the sun just as it peaked over the horizon. As the alarm blared, I groggily got out of bed and stumbled to the window. The sky was just starting to lighten, and I knew I had to hurry if I was going to make it in time.
I quickly got dressed and made my way to the elevator. My heart was racing with excitement, and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. As I reached the top floor, I could see the beautiful pink and orange hues of the sunrise stretching across the sky. I couldn’t wait to capture this moment on camera.
But as I approached the entrance to the sky pool deck, I was stopped by a security guard. He wouldn’t open the access to the area until opening time, which was still an hour away. I pleaded with him, explaining that I had come all this way just for this shot, but he wouldn’t budge.
I was annoyed and frustrated. The opportunity for photography was slipping away with every passing second. I knew I had to do something to get access. I couldn’t let this shot slip away.
With no other options, I decided to contact the duty manager. After a few words, he granted me access. I was elated! I rushed to the top floor, set up my camera and tripod, and began snapping away. The colors were breathtaking, however the humidity of the area was horrible, and my lens kept fogging up. Trying my best to set aside the concern of my lens, I used the most sophisticated anti-humidity device I possessed: my t-shirt. It was a matter of spray and pray at this time. This was my only opportunity for this trip to capture this scene.
Although I prefer to capture the scene with the combination of building lights, I was too late. I settled for this silhouette scene instead. By the end, I was happy with the final result. This photograph reminds me to never give up, and if you are pushed to the last opportunity, you need to dig deeper to get what you want.

 

Photography and Camera Talk

It was a bumpy start take this picture. First I had to contend with entry from the life guard, and then the intense humidity of the environment. My camera lenses fogged up as soon as I opened the lens cap. I was so concerned that my gear was not going to work after that, but I knew I had to take something – This is my only opportunity this trip to capture this scene.

 

I ended setting up the TSE 24mm tilt-shift lens for a vertical composition. I started my 5 stitch panorama with the Petronas towers on the far left of the frame. I swept across each scene with a 50% overlap all the way till I finish with the Merdeka 118 building on the right side of the photograph, I had to get this building into this shot as it is currently the second tallest building in the world.

 

With the $300 voucher I purchased 2x 64GB Lexar 300MB/sec UHS II V60 SD cards. 

 

Moral

  • Always present something, never leave with nothing.

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