Rushcutters at First Light

Photography, Photo Essay, Fine Art, Made with Leica, Sydney, Australia

The first light of autumn slips softly into Rushcutters Bay, tracing golden lines across the dew-kissed grass. In this quiet hour, before the city stirs, Sydney holds its breath. The masts of moored yachts stand still like sentinels, and the harbour glows with a silvery calm.

There’s a hush here that only morning knows—a moment where everything feels suspended between night’s retreat and day’s arrival. Joggers and dog walkers move like silhouettes through the mist, their shapes softened by the low sun and filtered air. Even the trees seem to exhale, their amber leaves catching fire in the light before fluttering to earth in silent surrender.

These images are not just of a place, but of a mood—a gentle reverence for the in-between. Autumn in Sydney doesn’t roar in; it drifts. It leaves hints: the crisp edge to the breeze, the golden spill of sun through thinning branches, the sense that change is in the air, but not yet urgent.

This series captures that quiet magic. Rushcutters Park, often bustling by mid-morning, offers a different kind of beauty when greeted early. It’s a space for reflection, for noticing the play of shadow and light, and for finding stillness in motion.

:: Rand

If you'd like to delve deeper into my photography visit my website and Instagram (@randleebdutoit). Please reach out if you'd like to suggest a collaboration.

All images are copyright Rand Leeb-du Toit, 2025