MURU GILIGU (Path of Light), Sydney

Muru Giligu (Path of Light) is a 67 metre long pedestrian tunnel linking the North and South concourses at Sydney Metro Martin Place. It is fascinating, using interactive colour-changing LED lighting, sounds and responsive sensors. It could be argued that it is a sensory overload but I found it quite relaxing and interesting. Like a mood ring or something.

What do you think? (feel free to click on images to see them larger).

The name Muru Giligu describes Sky Country, stars and navigation. The Gadigal people used these things to make decisions on the timing of spiritual ceremonies. The passing down of knowledge and information through active storytelling plays an important part of Gadigal culture.

Lighting Designer: Electrolight

Light + Audio Supply/ Controls: Xenian

Light + Audio Programming: iion/ David Hayes

Audio System Design: ARUP

Architect: Grimshaw Architects

Victoria Cross Metro Station - Sydney Australia

Photographing underground/metro stations in cities is one of my fave things to do when I travel. Some of the architecture and design is so beautiful to look at, as is the artwork and things of interest to make your time underground more enjoyable. Sydney Metro Victoria Cross Station in Australia is absolutely stunning and I could not stop finding more areas to photograph on my most recent visit. Feel free to Click on any image to see it larger!

 

The architecture, interior design, signage and wayfinding for the station was created by the team led by David Holm of Cox Architecture @coxarchitecture . The design aesthetic is a futuristic look.


My tips for photographing the station are: if you prefer images with few or no people, wait a few minutes until after everyone leaves the metro and departs out of the exits, and choose slower traffic times. I don’t mind people in my photos sometimes (expecially if it’s one person on their own) but other times I prefer no people (and yes, you could edit them out later but it’s far too much editing time for me!). When I’m holding my camera up to my eye, I can usually sense if there are other people around, and I’m quite happy to let them go before taking a photo (let’s all be conscious of other people trying to get somewhere!). I usually find strangers quite accommodating and friendly, and interested in what I am doing.

 

I like to use a wide angle lens, my Canon RF15-35mm f2.8 IS USM. I love my wide angle however…it can cause issues with distortion and when you are photographing symmetrical things, it can really mess you up!


Initially I had my white balance settings on cloudy/shade, which is what I use mostly for landscapes. But I changed it to get more of the white/ almost high-key effect. Always hand-held, with manual settings, and always viewing through the lens once I pick a spot to photograph to create a composition. In particular I look for curves, lines, and interesting textures, ALL OF WHICH feature at this station.

 

I edited these images very lightly: mostly I used de-noise in Lightroom, and tried to adjust any straightening/ symmetry issues. It’s always better to get it right ‘in camera’ and I work really hard at doing this. It is most annoying when everything doesn’t line up perfectly, and I’m still learning!

 

What do you think about this station? Please leave a Comment below!