Soft pink and golden sunrise light illuminates the Rhodes skyline in Sydney as reflections of the buildings shimmer across the calm waters of Homebush Bay, photographed from Wentworth Point.

There’s something deeply rewarding about waking up before dawn, especially as a landscape photographer. On this particular morning, I headed out from Blackheath before first light, hoping to capture the sunrise over Govett’s Leap, one of the most iconic lookouts in the Blue Mountains. It had rained overnight, and the air was thick with fog as I made my way through the sleepy town. There’s a stillness at this hour that makes every step feel like a quiet prelude to something extraordinary — a feeling landscape photographers know all too well.