Heat haze and time of day

[Kurt A]

Things have been a little hazy for Craig over the past 17 years

[Robbie J]

Originally Posted by Stefan Drury

I've been down to YSSY a couple of times now but each time has been between 11am - 2pm, so a lot of my photos on ground level end up with some heat distortion.

Any tips on best times to go in terms of natural lighting and low heat haze? Do late evenings still suffer from heat haze from the beach? Or would mornings from Foreshore Drive be better?

I'll get back to you later tonight with some locations, details and tips for getting the best results. I'm pretty sure there was a detailed discussion about the best YSSY locations for spotting and photography on this forum, but I can't find it now. Many people had added their Two Cents worth.

There is also a few new spots along the canal (along the northern perimeter fence) after this section of YSSY was recently rebuilt and beautified.

[Robbie J]

Stefan, here are some locations around YSSY for good photography opportunities. I will include the best time of day to be there.

Mornings: Shep's Mound, Domestic Terminal carpark rooftop, Foreshore Road

DETAILS:

Shep's Mound sits directly below the new air traffic control tower. There is plenty of parking space. This spot is good in the morning because everything will be frontally-lit (on sunny days) for maximum colouration in your photos.

With a long lens you can get shots of the International Terminal on the far side of the airport. You can also get shots of aircraft taxying out to Runway 16L/34R from the Domestic Terminal.

The taxying jets go right past Shep's Mound, so you won't need a long telephoto lens to get close, but you are separated from the jets by a wire security fence. However, the design of Shep's Mound, which is elevated, means you are higher than the fence line and can shoot images that are unobstructed by the wire.

The Rooftop of the Domestic Terminal Carpark is a perennial favourite of many spotters and snappers. There is a lot of parking space at the Domestic terminal and the best carpark for your purposes is called P3.

With a long lens you can get shots from here of aircraft movements on Runway 16R/34L. These are very nice shots when you include the waters of Botany Bay in the background. You can also get shots looking directly along the easterly Runway (16L/34R) and the East-West runway from the carpark roof, although the East-West runway doesn't get used much compared to the other runways. (These will also require a long lens, probably a 70-200mm zoom as a minimum.)

Foreshore Road is a handy spot in the morning for takeoffs and landings on Runway 16L/34R. You will have to pull into a parking bay on the fishing boat jetty ramp as there is 'No Stopping' on Foreshore Road except in emergencies, and the police often patrol the area, especially to catch speeding motorists.

There is also a smaller carpark along this stretch of road, north of the fishing jetty, but again you can really only photograph Runway 16L/34R from here. But be advised that the nearby Port Botany Container Terminal does not like to be photographed and security may stop you from taking shots (of Port Botany, not of the aircraft) if you point a camera lens in their direction.

Midday: Alexandra Canal / North Perimeter Fence, and its 'Hotdog Stand', the Nigel Love Bridge, and inside the Domestic Terminal

DETAILS:

The Alexandra Canal footpath and bicycle path runs between the airport's norther perimeter fence and the old Tempe Gully. The area has been beautified as part of the new Sydney Gateway road system into the airport.

When you are on this stretch of footpath, you have the airport on one side of the path and the gully and Sydney Gateway on the other side. In the middle of the day the sun is behind you, offering direct frontal lighting onto all areas of the airport.

The footpath pretty much runs all the way from the International Terminal to the Domestic. You will have to explore the area on foot because there is no car access - it's just for pedestrians and cyclists.

Some of the the best spots along the canal include the Nigel Love Bridge and the new 'Hotdog Stand'. (At the International Terminal end of the path there is also Billy's Bridge, near Tempe Reserve.)

Anywhere along the canal and its footpath offers good opportunities for shots of aircraft low in the sky as they commence takeoff or come in for a landing.

Inside the Domestic Terminal is another good spot in the middle hours of the day if you don't mind taking your shots through glass windows. To access the area, you will need to go through the Customs x-ray scanning area to go airside.

You don't need to be a flying passenger to access this area - unlike at the International Terminal, which only allows passengers past the security screening area - so you can simply walk out of the airside area and go back to landside after you've finished.

It's always a good spot for close-up shots of parked jets at the Domestic Terminal, and you can grab a bite to eat or a drink, too.

Afternoon: Tower Beach, Kyeemagh Beach, International Terminal carparks (if possible), Rydges hotel rooftop bar (the 'Cloud 9' bar)

DETAILS:

These beaches and rooftops are best visited in the afternoon because from this angle you get nice frontal-lighting in your images, which adds colour.

Tower Beach offers good spotting from its carpark and along the sandy shore. You can also get up close and personal if you trek across to the perimeter fence of Runway 16R/34L. Park beneath the old control tower. This part of YSSY has been a crowd favourite for many decades.

Kyeemagh Beach offers good side-on shots of Runway 16L/34R but may require a longer lens. There's a couple of rocky fishing outcrops that lead into Botany Bay on Kyeemagh Beach (near the Cooks River) and you can walk out along those to get a bit closer to the runway action.

The 'P6' Staff Carpark at the International Terminal was once another very popular spot, especially its rooftop, but it has recently been closed to spotters and photographers, with warning signs making this very clear. The loss of this location was a major blow for the spotting community.

Instead, you can try the Rydges Hotel rooftop 'Cloud 9' bar, which is adjacent to the P6 staff carpark. It has indoor and outdoor seating areas with good views of most of the airport, including Botany Bay to the south and the Sydney city skyline up to the north.

Entry is free, although it wasn't back in the days when the Rydges rooftop was only a spotters platform and not a bar.

Cloud 9 is open 7 days a week, but only from 3pm to 9pm. Spotting and photography from Rydges is beautiful at dusk and after nightfall as you can see all the neon and lights of the airport and its runways. The 'SydSquad' YouTube channel for YSSY spotting sometimes films their livestreams from this rooftop.

... So, overall, I hope this list of locations is handy and helpful. Don't be afraid to do some scouting around to find some good locations of your own... that's a part of the fun.

[rampdog]

I've found that early mornings are generally the best time to avoid it. The air is cooler and the light is usually pretty good.

Late evenings can still have some haze, but it's usually not as bad as during the day. Foreshore Drive in the morning is a good option, as you mentioned. You might also want to try shooting from higher vantage points, as the haze tends to be less noticeable the higher you go.

[Robbie J]

Originally Posted by rampdog

I've found that early mornings are generally the best time to avoid it. The air is cooler and the light is usually pretty good.

Late evenings can still have some haze, but it's usually not as bad as during the day. Foreshore Drive in the morning is a good option, as you mentioned. You might also want to try shooting from higher vantage points, as the haze tends to be less noticeable the higher you go.

Yes, mornings are generally clearer due to the lower temperatures and humidity.

Winter is also far better than the warmer months when it comes to low haze.

Foreshore Road is good for shots of the 16L/34R runway. It's not the best spot for any other parts of the airport.