Vivid Sydney x Mari Usagi
I had fun shooting at Vivid Sydney this year with a new camera. I challenged myself to improve my photography and videography skills and had the chance to team up with Mari Usagi to try to shoot some “cinematic” footage.
About Mari Usagi
Mari Usagi is a Filipino-Australian performer who originally studied psychology but is now pursuing her passion for music & singing. As small creators, we actually connected over the interview piece I did with Denpa that explores J-Idol culture in Sydney.
Having not much of a plan, we picked a day to go out and shoot some footage of Vivid. Luckily, Mari is a natural when it comes to acting / modelling so I didn’t have to give too much direction. The final clip ended up a bit disconnected but was happy with the results given it was on a whim. Check it out!
Also, give Mari Usagi a follow on her socials:
On Vivid Sydney Photography & Instagram
I got the inspiration for many of my landscape shots from Instagram, but I was disappointed when I actually turned up at a particular location as many of the popular photos seemed to be heavily edited.
Nevertheless, I challenged myself to learn how to compose my shots better and keep improving my video & editing skills. You can see some of the footage I took on Instagram and YouTube:
Final Words
With any large event in the CBD, it always seems the whole of Sydney turns up, so it’s challenging to get good photos/videos even at the best of times.
My recommended photo locations if you want to avoid crowds are:
- The Cahill Expressway at Circular Quay to get great photos of both the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
- The Overseas Passenger Terminal at the Rocks gets you a great view of the Opera House and Circular Quay.
- Observatory Hill Park gives you a unique view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, but you probably need a good telephoto lens.
Overall, I thought Vivid Sydney 2022 was a bit disappointing as it seemed scaled back with no displays at the Royal Botanic Garden or at Martin Place this year (which is understandable given they had to cancel the prior 2 years due to COVID). However, the laser display at the Goods Line Tunnel was a nice addition. Hopefully, future Vivids will be even better!
