Brisbane Night Ferris Wheel Long Exposure for Sunday Best

 

To undertake the task of long exposure photography amidst the throngs of Brisbane’s bustling South Bank is to court both patience and fortune. The city, vibrant and unceasing in its rhythm, seldom affords the stillness such a technique demands. Yet there, among the restless footsteps and the murmur of daily life, stands a quiet marvel — the Wheel of Brisbane — solemn, grand, and ever-turning.

Erected in 2008 to commemorate the sesquicentennial of Queensland, the Ferris wheel is no mere amusement; it is a modern monument, a gentle giant by the river’s edge, offering sweeping views and enduring symbolism. It revolves steadily, indifferent to the ceaseless passage of pedestrians below, many of whom scarcely glance upward. It is, in its way, a keeper of time — not by ticking hands, but by its own slow revolution.

To photograph such a subject using long exposure is to attempt an act of reverence. The camera, when held in stillness with the shutter drawn open, does not simply record an image — it collects time itself. Light weaves its threads across the frame, motion becomes memory, and all that is unmoving grows luminous and sharp.

Yet therein lies the challenge: the constancy of human movement. Strangers wander unbidden into the composition, their forms becoming translucent echoes — smudges of presence that both enrich and disrupt the clarity of the scene. The Wheel, by contrast, remains serene — turning, yes, but in such a measured fashion that it may appear suspended in time if one is patient and precise.

There is, in this pursuit, a certain poetry. As I adjusted my lens and steadied my breath, I began to perceive the act not merely as photography, but as a conversation between permanence and transience. The Ferris wheel — emblem of modern celebration, built upon a foundation of history — stood as the anchor. Around it, the city’s people flowed like a living river.

And in one fortunate moment — a moment gifted more by grace than by skill — the exposure yielded a quiet revelation. The wheel shone, sharp and majestic, while the crowd had melted into gentle motion, like ghosts in passing. Time, for an instant, had folded, and Brisbane had revealed its dual nature: ever-changing, yet ever the same.

Such is the beauty of capturing the ephemeral. The camera does not merely steal a moment — it elevates it. And in the luminous whirl of Brisbane’s Ferris wheel, we glimpse not only the present, but the echo of what has been and the promise of what may come.

Sony A7RV

Laowa 9mm f5.6

Linking Sunday Best

Warburton Creek

 

Long exposure in this waterway turns out quite rewarding 

Sony A7RIV + FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Long Exposure shots

Bridgewater Bay Long Exposure

 

I took at least 200 long exposure photos at this location in my last visit where I sustained an avulsion tendon tear in my left ankle. You can see the two people standing on top of the cliff in the distance. It was a worry that I thought one guy was going to push the lady off the cliff for a jump into the sea. 

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Linking Randomosity

Sunset long exposure at London Bridge for Skywatch Friday

 

The long exposure at the sunset can be very dreamy

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Skywatch Friday

Powlett River of Kilcunda, Gippsland for Treasure Tuesday

 

There was a time when I did not care for long-exposure photography. I preferred instead the water in its “natural” state, unsoftened, its surface rippling and restless, rather than rendered into a silken blur. Yet I must concede that the long-exposed image has its own particular merit, offering a dreamlike interpretation of movement and time.

The Powlett River, near Kilcunda on Victoria’s south coast, is no grand stream but rather a modest watercourse, carving a narrow channel through the sand before it yields itself to the Bass Strait. I am fond of it precisely for this reason: it is unassuming, like a quiet canal pressed into the earth. The river originates in the foothills near Wonthaggi and meanders through farmland and wetlands before finding its way to the ocean. Its estuary, fringed by dunes and saltmarsh, provides habitat for birdlife such as herons, egrets, and the shy Latham’s snipe, while native grasses and coastal scrub bind the shifting sands against the sea winds.

Though small in scale, the Powlett has played a quiet but enduring role in the natural and human history of the district. The Bunurong people knew its waters and fished its estuary long before European settlement. In the nineteenth century, the river valley served as fertile ground for agriculture and grazing. Today, it is valued both as a place of ecological significance and as a site of tranquil beauty—its modest waters flowing steadily toward the restless ocean, unchanged in essence by the passing of time.

Sony A7III

Canon 35mm f1.4 L

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Forest Cave Phillip Island for Water H2O Thursday

 

I have sought a somewhat high-key approach in this composition. Though it is not the product of a long exposure, I endeavoured to capture the advancing waves as they swept across the shore, smoothing the sand as though polishing a vast marble floor. The shutter was set at neither too swift nor too languid a pace, thereby rendering a natural softness in the motion of the sea.

This scene unfolds upon one of Phillip Island’s secluded forest-fringed cave beaches, where rugged cliffs and weathered rock bear silent witness to millennia of wind and tide. The dense coastal woodland above, with its canopy of eucalypt and tea-tree, whispers of an ancient landscape that has sheltered wildlife and echoed with the passage of the Bunurong people long before European discovery. Here, in the meeting of forest, stone, and sea, the rhythms of history and nature are inscribed in every grain of sand and every retreating wave.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Pulpit Rock, Cape Shanck, Mornington Peninsula for Sunday Best

 

This shot reflects a time that I was into the soft dreamy look of a landscape. I do ultra long long exposure too. Funny how time has passed. This was taken 2 years ago. 

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

Pearses Bay Blairgowrie for Water H2O Thursday

 

Joel and I lingered far too long at the souvlaki shop on our way here, and by the time we arrived, dusk had already deepened into shadow. We hurried to our respective corners, cameras in hand, striving to capture what little light remained before the sun slipped entirely beyond the horizon. There was no time for the elegance of long exposure—only swift, instinctive shots taken in haste.

In my rush, I stumbled and twisted my ankle, the sharp pain dulled only by the chill of water seeping into my shoes. Joel, ever steadfast, came to my aid—only to meet misfortune himself, slipping and taking a fall soon after. Thus the evening unfolded: a pursuit of fading light, marked by mishap and the quiet grace of shared endurance.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Tenby Point for Sunday Best

 

Recently, I revisited the complete series of Tenby Point images that Joel and I once attempted in the ultra long-exposure style. Ultimately, we abandoned this approach to photography, as the results often appeared somewhat artificial, lacking the natural authenticity we sought. Nevertheless, this genre—once highly regarded—held a particular fascination prior to the widespread advent of AI-generated imagery.

Tenby Point, situated on the scenic coastline of Victoria, Australia, is renowned for its rugged cliffs, sheltered bays, and abundant marine life. Its natural beauty has long attracted photographers and nature enthusiasts alike, offering vistas of rocky outcrops, gentle surf, and abundant seabirds nesting along the shore.

In our attempts, we frequently had to employ neutral density filters exceeding 15 stops to achieve the extended exposures, which, when combined with an aperture stopped down to f/22, rendered automatic metering impracticable. Consequently, manual focus was an absolute necessity. Upon revisiting these images, I find that they no longer seem so unsatisfactory and possess a subtle charm that had previously eluded us. 

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

Back Beach at Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, Australia

 

Back beach is about 72km long along Mornington Peninsula. It is about 150km out of Melbourne but still getting classified as a Melbourne suburb. Some said Melbourne is similar to Los Angeles in US. It has a wide span really.

Love long exposure. Here we go, another "unnatural" photo. 

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Photos of Mornington Peninsula

Hopetoun Waterfall Beech Forest for Water H2O Thursday

 

Hopetoun Falls, located within the verdant Beech Forest region of Victoria, Australia, is a remarkable natural landmark renowned for its single-span cascade, which makes it an exceptional subject for long-exposure photography. I first visited this magnificent waterfall over ten years ago, and since then, it has remained one of my most cherished photographic locations. The falls descend gracefully through a steep gorge, surrounded by lush temperate rainforest dominated by ancient myrtle beech trees (Nothofagus cunninghamii), which contribute to the forest’s rich biodiversity and striking beauty.

The approach to Hopetoun Falls requires a gentle 30-minute walk along a well-maintained trail, winding through dense ferns and towering tree trunks that evoke the area’s long geological and ecological history. Over the past two decades, I have documented the falls extensively, noting significant changes in the environment, such as the increased accumulation of large fallen logs at the base of the cascade—remnants of the forest’s natural cycles of growth and decay. My earliest photographs, taken before these changes became pronounced, reveal a clearer, more unobstructed view of the water’s powerful descent.

The Beech Forest itself holds great natural heritage significance, forming part of the Great Otway National Park, an area that preserves ancient ecosystems that have persisted for millions of years. This forest and waterfall not only offer stunning scenery but also represent a vital refuge for numerous native species, making Hopetoun Falls a site of both scenic and ecological importance. Despite its popularity and the increasing number of visitors, which sometimes detracts from the tranquil atmosphere, Hopetoun Falls remains a timeless and inspiring symbol of Australia’s unique natural heritage.

Pentax K10D

DA 14mm f2.8

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Bridgewater Bay Blairgowrie for Water H2O Thursday

 

Both Joel and I longed to breathe the briny air and hear again the timeless voice of the sea. A fortnight past, we made our way once more to the cliff-tops overlooking Bridgewater Bay at Blairgowrie, drawn by the desire to attempt long-exposure photography in a place yet untried. Though the conditions were far from perfect, the novelty of the location, with its rugged beauty and the promise of new discovery, gave the venture a certain poetry of its own. Joel, ever patient, came to collect me from my home, but through my own misjudgment—having earlier taken my mother to supper—I delayed him by forty minutes. That tardiness weighed heavily upon me, for I felt I had stolen time from both him and the sea itself.

Bridgewater Bay, where we stood, is no ordinary shoreline. It is a place where the restless waters of Bass Strait carve their legend into limestone cliffs and sandstone shelves, where tidal pools mirror the heavens and the wind carries whispers of ancient times. Once a hunting and gathering ground for the Boonwurrung people, who knew the rhythms of these shores long before our cameras sought to capture their moods, it later became part of the maritime frontier of the Mornington Peninsula. The bay has borne witness to shipwrecks and storms, and its eroded rock formations—arched, honeycombed, and sculpted by centuries—stand as natural monuments to endurance.

Thus, as Joel and I set up our tripods against the evening light, I could not help but feel that our own small pursuit of a perfect image was but a fleeting gesture in the vast theatre of time. The bay, with its layered history of people, tides, and stone, seemed to forgive my lateness, reminding me that all human haste dissolves before the patience of the ocean

Sony A7RV

FE 16mm f1.8 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

ACDC Mural for Mural Monday

 

This mural is sitting in AC/DC lane for a long time. It is also fading. 

Panasonic G9

Leica 15mm f1.8 GM

Linking Mural Monday

Joel and I visited Pinnacles last night. After the usual routine getting the sunset shots and long exposure in some dangerous locations, we noticed so many wallabies staring at us on the grass fields. They were like scouts evenly spaced out into the horizon. It was so eerie. We also spotted a fox popping its head out of the wattle tree bush then roamed through the grass fields like a giant earthworm. Joel enjoyed it but I was rather freaked out. 

Sydney Harbour night view for Water H2O Thursday

 

The Aster Bar, perched atop the 32nd floor of the Sydney Intercontinental, proved to be a splendid setting for an evening of quiet repose. Though Joel withdrew from the trip, claiming Sydney had grown tiresome to him, I found contentment in solitude, relishing the panoramic view all to myself.

Regrettably, the long exposure photograph did not come out as I had hoped; I ought to have set the exposure time beyond two minutes, rather than the mere thirty seconds I employed. Moreover, the balcony's corner—where I had positioned myself—was frequently besieged by other patrons seeking the same vantage, some attempting to displace me outright. Still, despite the challenges, I did manage to capture at least one photograph of the moment.

Aster is an exclusive rooftop bar located on the 32nd floor of the InterContinental Sydney, offering a refined drinking and dining experience. Guests can indulge in creative cocktails, artfully plated small dishes, and personalized service while enjoying expansive 270-degree views of Sydney Harbour, including the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The bar's interior combines contemporary elegance with a breezy outdoor terrace, providing a sophisticated atmosphere for patrons. Aster is open to the public, with reservations recommended due to limited space

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Pearses Bay Blairgowrie For Treasure Tuesday

 

While Joel remained absorbed in his phone for the greater part of our venture, I busied myself with the more patient art of observation. Along the curve of the bay, I lingered with my camera, experimenting with various lengths of exposure, seeking to capture the secret motion of water and light.

The tide moved in soft eddies, curling like pale silk across the sand, and the wind traced fleeting patterns upon the surface. Each long exposure revealed another rhythm — the sea breathing in slow, translucent whirls, the rocks standing still as time itself slipped past in silver veils.

I found a quiet pleasure in these swirls, these transient forms that vanished even as they appeared. In them lay something of the eternal — the ceaseless conversation between sea and shore, between motion and stillness, between the human heart and the timeless patience of nature.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Old Vintage Hardware Store in Maldon at night for Skywatch Friday

 

This photograph was taken several years ago. The tungsten street lighting along the roadside proved a formidable obstacle to achieving a proper long-exposure capture of the Milky Way. As can be seen, the galactic core appears somewhat distorted, and the roadside sign bears an intense orange-yellow hue that disrupts the serenity of the scene. In post-processing, I was compelled to subdue the colour saturation almost entirely. Perhaps a monochrome rendering might better preserve the atmospheric quality of the composition.

Yet, despite its technical imperfections, the image remains a cherished memory. I would not now venture into the quiet hours of the night to attempt such a shot again—too great the risk of passing traffic or untoward encounters on those dim country roads.

The scene was taken near the old hardware store in Maldon, Victoria—a fine relic of the gold rush era. Established in the late nineteenth century, its timber façade and pressed metal signage speak of a time when craftsmanship and commerce flourished hand in hand. The store once supplied miners and settlers with shovels, nails, and kerosene lamps—tools that built not only homes but entire communities. Even now, its weathered walls stand as a reminder of Maldon’s industrious past, the first town in Australia to be officially classified by the National Trust for its historical significance.

Thus, the photograph—though imperfect in exposure—captures more than the night sky: it holds a fragment of history, both personal and regional, where the stars and the spirit of an old goldfields town meet in quiet dialogue.

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

Laser show in Yana Waingi in Swan Hill

 

This was quite dazzling in the laser room

Taken in one frame long exposure

Sony A7RV

Laowa 9mm f5.6

Linking Wordless Wednesday

Pulpit Rock, Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula for Water H2O Thursday

 

I kind of dragged Joel along to this location again. We often encountered overcast sky with zero colours.  The waves hitting on the rocks vibrate the whole ground steadily. This was often why I got crappy shots here doing long exposure. This time, the tide was unusually low that there was not much vibrations on the ground level.  

Joel went onto the other side of this coast which was said to be popular with photographers. His view was photo bombed constantly and I could hear him swear from a distance. Haha

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Water H2O Thursday

I bumped into this old song today. I loved the tunes so much.

Cape Woolamai long exposure in Phillip Island for Sunday Best

 

At the time leading up to the setting of the sun, the atmosphere remained tranquil. The hues of the sky were devoid of sophistication, displaying an unsophisticated dullness typical of the summer season. Joel, exasperated by the mundane appearance of the sky, threw a bit of tantrum. In his wanderings, he discovered the sizable carcass of a seal amidst the rocky shore. I refrained from hastening to his aid, perceiving the shore as perilous and not worth the risk.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sunday Best

Upon reflecting on those moments, I began to gather photographs featuring Joel, who masterfully juggled the cherished memories. These images vividly capture the essence of our experiences, highlighting the diverse shots we took together

Cape Schanck Long exposure for Water H2O Thursday

 

I have many captures of the region in different light here

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Water H2O Thursday