My friend told me about this “House in focus” competition so I promptly went to the Sydney Opera House to take some photos for it.

I got up at 5am. It was pitch black and freezing (and yes I am crazy) so I could get there before the sun rose at approximately 7am. It was actually really cold and ends of my fingers remained red till about 10am.

But it was all worth it! There is hardly anybody around at that time and there was an eerie stillness and quietness. As I was walking around Farm Cove in the Botanical Gardens up to Mrs Macquaries Chair I saw lots and lots of joggers. All ages, races, shapes and sizes. It actually took a lot longer than I thought to walk there – almost 30mins from the Opera House to the northern tip of Mrs Macquaries Road – but in doing so I realized I wasn’t cold anymore, as I was ‘power walking’. It was all so beautiful I can’t even begin to describe. The sun casting a golden glow over everything and the morning just about to begin. The tranquility of the gardens juxtaposed against the hustle and bustle and skyscrapers in the background not far away. The whole experience was amazing and fills my heart with pride because I live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

I tried to take the photos from non-traditional angles (well maybe not the third one) as everyone has seen the postcard type shot so many times. Here are the 4 I entered into the competition which you can vote for here (if you can find them!).