As I write this, there's an insane dust
storm that's sweeping over Sydney. I
found out about it by seeing a Twitter
post from Dan Hill. I'm based in San Francisco but found
it so extraordinary I decided to go and
see if I could spot pictures coming in
and make a little gallery out of them.
If you're coming here on the 23rd of September, you might want to see if any other new photos are coming in: on the Flickr Sydney tag page. Don't forget to organise by date! Oh and there's a group called the Red Sydney Project you should check out too.
If you liked this stuff, you might also like my photos and my Twitter feed. You can also buy a copy of a magazine featuring many of these photos at strangelightmag.com
If you're coming here on the 23rd of September, you might want to see if any other new photos are coming in: on the Flickr Sydney tag page. Don't forget to organise by date! Oh and there's a group called the Red Sydney Project you should check out too.
If you liked this stuff, you might also like my photos and my Twitter feed. You can also buy a copy of a magazine featuring many of these photos at strangelightmag.com
Tom Coates says: Difficult for me to describe how
beautiful this one is in any way that
would exceed the photo itself.
Tom Coates says: It might be the most sinister picture
ever taken. The red haze gives
everything a post-apocalytic feel to it,
and when you combine that with the
deserted fair imagery (and the
reflection) then it just makes me
shudder.
Tom Coates says: This one seemed to be the purest image,
really. The beach, the water and the sky
erased into a rusty blur.
Tom Coates says: It's almost a classic frame for a
picture, but the additional epic dust
and the fact that it's not a sepia image
but real-life makes it particularly interesting.
Tom Coates says: This one appealed to me mainly because
of the shock of the surfing year in this
environment.
Tom Coates says: This one got me excited because of the
depth of the haze and the colour. This
seems like an early morning photo.
Everyone's still asleep.
Tom Coates says: One of the first photos I stumbled upon.
It genuinely just looks like a sepia
print from the sixties or something. I
think that's why I like it so much.
Tom Coates says: A more urban view. You seem to get the
strongest colours when looking down on
the world. More air between you and the
stuff, I guess.
Tom Coates says: Just awesome because of the fish-eye
effect.
Tom Coates says: Trying to find a bit of older
architecture to highlight. Has a
different feel to it.
Tom Coates says: Another epic bridge shot. Disappearing
into nothing.
Tom Coates says: I went for this one because of the green
of the leaves and the older
architecture. It makes it clearer that
it's not just a photoshop effect.
Tom Coates says: One of my absolute favourites but one I
almost didn't put in here because the
green was such a contrast that it almost
breaks the effect of the rest of the
pictures. But again, it helps you
understand what's going on outside. So
in the end, it wins.
Tom Coates says: Last picture - this one I liked for the
contrast and the lines. The left side is
the hallucinogenic ultraworld, gone a
little unreal. The right hand side, the
normal world of our perceptions. It
looks startlingly real. It keeps
reminding me of Nick Harkaway's novel
The Gone Away World in which a lot of
the world goes... a bit strange ... and
only small areas are kept 'real'.
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Comments on this gallery
waferbaby (94 months ago )
So yeah, I am wearing a t-shirt over my face right now.
rlerdorf (94 months ago )
The bridge shots are amazing.
Lachlan Hardy (94 months ago )
Heh, you've a few from one of my colleagues. Here's another from another.
And Toby has a brilliant shot too.
Brenda Anderson (94 months ago )
So this is happening right now? Amazing!
(via @waferbaby's tweet)
zyrcster (94 months ago )
Whoa, this is unreal. Or life on Mars.
Tom Coates (94 months ago )
If you guys spot any other great pictures, let me know and I'll amend the gallery in semi-real-time
Andrew Muller (94 months ago )
Tom, if you're interested: www.flickr.com/photos/amuller/3945005515/ www.flickr.com/photos/amuller/3944980415/
deb sidelinger (94 months ago )
Amazing images, but scary too.
asphotos (94 months ago )
cool, thanks for adding my pic, :) its pretty eerie.
brokengod (94 months ago )
left the bedroom window open last night. my bedside table is covered in dirt.
christine.mcnab (94 months ago )
Amazing shots - love the buildings and bridges. Here's another beach view, from Coogee: www.flickr.com/photos/25154988@N02/3945976684 /in/set-7215...
'ju:femaiz (94 months ago )
@waferbaby I should be doing the same!
It's freaking weird!
Tom Coates (94 months ago )
That's a great picture Christine - I actually think I had it in the gallery for a little while, but then I ran out of space. Gah!
Meg Pickard (94 months ago )
I wish I could favourite galleries.
This is so weird, yet cool
Though gritty, I expect.
emilythepanda (94 months ago )
All the shots are amazing, I esp like the one from inside the laundry room, good contrast
southernbase (94 months ago )
hmmm... yep certainly looks like it's the end of the world for Sydney... was nice knowing you all but :)
lakeline (94 months ago )
This is spectacular. I agree that it would be nice to be able to favorite galleries.
Ben Terrett (94 months ago )
Superb.
arkay1962 (94 months ago )
Hi,
I have created an Australia Dust Storm group. Please join and add!
finchproductions (94 months ago )
Fantastic!
veganstraightedge (94 months ago )
No words. Should've sent the poet.
Jeremy Vandel (94 months ago )
Mad Max finally happened.
JAEV1N (94 months ago )
i woke up and thought my house was on fire! it's so cool but it hurts to breathe it in
FezzusAustralis (94 months ago )
Because of this, I have a tortoiseshell car this morning.
It's turned white now.
Miranda_Dutchie [deleted] (94 months ago )
i'll see if I can post some of the pics tomorrow...right now I just hope the delays at Sydney airport do not get too bad and I can go home :s Fingers crossed!
Esther17 (94 months ago )
these are amazing! thanks for creating the gallery!
Ian Kath (94 months ago )
Great to see a record of the Dust Storm as it happens.
rosewal (94 months ago )
Great collection, thanks for doing the dirty work for us and putting it in the one spot! Cheers.
megcampbellback (94 months ago )
amazing gallery, thank you so much. LOVE the first bridge shot (tom hide) and the dust day in the laundry one is stunning, you're quite right about the green and red...
lhl (94 months ago )
What's great about the gallery is how much more powerful these are together than any shot individually.
Now where's the fav gallery button? :)
Ren Oakenfull (94 months ago )
I'm a 3 hour drive from Sydney and we were also blanketed in this... I looked outside at 7am and we didn't have that rich rusty colour though, more of a dull gold
wow
deludedpenguin (94 months ago )
One of mine, non-shopped which adds to the eerieness. I woke up to this outside early this morn: www.flickr.com/photos/binnsy326/3945913698/
clickykbd (94 months ago )
wow... crazy... and great use of a gallery.
MikeBrowne (94 months ago )
Amazing, eerie and beautiful.
styler* (94 months ago )
that's what overfarming and draught will do to you
JT Images (94 months ago )
Incredible images!!!
mrandypuppy (94 months ago )
Awesome - here's one from up here on the Central Coast www.flickr.com/photos/mrandypuppy/3946069534/ in/photostream/
jasohill (94 months ago )
Amazing gallery!
--
http://blog.flickr.net/en/2009/09/22/red-dust -over-sydney/ (?)
andoru (94 months ago )
Great gallery, excellent work as a curator.
Russell Ward (94 months ago )
as an expat it's amazing to see your set... cheers
Polaritypictures (94 months ago )
What a Great Photo Opportunity!!! We have fire here in California that dark ash the sky with ash and makes things look eerie too. Take as many photos as you can!
phocks (94 months ago )
another world. wonderful
FortyK (94 months ago )
Happening up here in Brisbane now too. Freaky.
dakusaso (94 months ago )
Wow, breathtaking, thanks for posting this amazing gallery and wishing I could be there too!
Fedaykin Smith (94 months ago )
Looks like it is out of Dune.
Missmcj (94 months ago )
I love the laundry
Sanchita Mukherjee (94 months ago )
amazing to see these images
frenchy614 (94 months ago )
Amazing and crazy pics man, feels like watching screen pics from Dune.
PinkLizzy Sews (94 months ago )
Amazing photos! Thanks for putting this collection together.
gregearle (94 months ago )
Fantastic collection Tom, good sleuthing.
Did anyone get the transition from 'light' (if you can call it that) to complete blackness in Broken Hill? There is this incredible YouTube video but some stills taken in sequence would be awesome.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrlD22HwPvI
Shenanigans in Japan (94 months ago )
Wow this is crazy! i would have loved to be there to experience it! great shots!
BigBean (94 months ago )
that's incredible.
End of the World kind of stuff.
I bet this dust wreaked havoc with air conditioning systems.
Happy cleaning!
Robb Wilson (94 months ago )
Unbelievable images! Like something from a sci-fi post-apocalyptic film.
mark: (94 months ago )
hit us 3 hours ago. At midday not so orange, but sunset will be cool. visibility down to 125 meters, and we are 800 km from Sydney!
mansun79 (94 months ago )
amazing. i read about this today but i had not seen any images.
ntakos (94 months ago )
www.smh.com.au/multimedia/national/dust-storm -swallows-sy...
atariboy (94 months ago )
Great collection!
.mye (94 months ago )
fascinating!
JoeInSouthernCA (94 months ago )
Many thanks. A great curation work.
Mister Tim (94 months ago )
Wonderful gallery - thank you for putting it together. I completely agree with your comment about the Luna Park photo too.
Benn... (94 months ago )
You may like these:
www.flickr.com/photos/royaltech/3945089157/
www.flickr.com/photos/royaltech/3945875344/in /photostream/
fauve_gal (94 months ago )
I'm 500k's north of Sydney and we're covered in dust too.Thanks for putting this gallery together,I'd have given anything to be in my old home town ,under the bridge or down at the beach this morning with a camera!
Heather Truhan (94 months ago )
wow - thanks for sharing. It's like Sydney has become the red planet!!
publikaccion.es (94 months ago )
really beautiful shots and great documentary expo :o) congratulations :oD
Jack Toohey (94 months ago )
Wow these are amazing.
I live in sydney myself and took some this morning found here: www.flickr.com/photos/42712104@N04/sets/72157 622437451556/
But these are magnificent! The one of the cathedral is my school!!!! But I'm on exams so today I didn't get to go into school! :(
My favourite is the last one and the first two! :D great job everyone who took those!
Ellis_ Johnson Author (94 months ago )
Gosh it is absolutely amazing...
costasba (94 months ago )
i hope everyone is ok there...
the images are fabulous!!!
moggierocket (94 months ago )
Makes me think of the Siouxie song: Cities in Dust....
sugboanon (94 months ago )
this the scene outside our window when i woke this morning around 545AM
www.flickr.com/photos/maniniyat/3945233601/
lynxpardina (94 months ago )
Impressive images.
baidevei (94 months ago )
Amazing. :)
beth.armsheimer (94 months ago )
that is CRAZY!!!! sick pictures!!
Nir Tober (94 months ago )
nice!
huey.haque (94 months ago )
thanks for this gallery
annwitbrock (94 months ago )
Wow. Stunning. Favourite is the laundry, for its surreal contrast of the banale and the rare.
Duddy1 (94 months ago )
That Luna Park one is seriously creepy - even without the red background.
Al'Bert (94 months ago )
Excellent collection of orange shot here ! I am impressed by the dust storm and by what people do with it ! this is art !
--
http://blog.flickr.net/fr/2009/09/23/tempete- rouge-sur-sydney/ (?)
melpo (94 months ago )
Flickr turned in to ORANGE ! ;-p Like the one with washing machine. Interested to see their isobaric chart.
gavin.burnett (94 months ago )
strewth!
Ice Age Coming [deleted] (94 months ago )
Man, these shots are amazing. They do look startling post-apocalyptic. So did you have to wear eye wear while you were taking these photos outside, or was it safe without it? The last photo would imply the latter I guess.
Passetti (94 months ago )
great gallery!
pl47 [deleted] (94 months ago )
thats amazing!
Rob & Evy (94 months ago )
Great!
FamkeZ (94 months ago )
Mad, lived there for 5 months or so years ago.. Inspite of these beautiful and mad pictures still happy this didn't happen while I was there.. ; )
Pedro Moura Pinheiro (94 months ago )
It reminds me of a post apocalyptic science fiction movie where everyone who wasn't in a hermetically sealed place when a meteor struck turned to red dust... :-)
jstepniewski (94 months ago )
this is the first flickr gallery I've seen, and 'curated' is so very apt here - awesome work.
Tessa Smeding-Hagen (94 months ago )
On days like this it is unfortunate that I don't live in Sydney but in the Netherlands.
photoArt (94 months ago )
this is really special
dweller88 (94 months ago )
these images are so sci-fi
Vents du Nord (94 months ago )
this expo is ace ! thx for putting it together.
David M Turner (94 months ago )
unreal :)
chris__reed (94 months ago )
Fantastic pics. Cheers for curating
zpoonz (94 months ago )
absolutely amazing
Emanuel. [deleted] (94 months ago )
pretty cool gallery. it looks so unreal. awesome. and thanks for sharing and putting the stuff together.
COLLTHINGS (94 months ago )
Very cool pictures that do look slightly post-apocalyptic!
blacque_jacques (94 months ago )
@frenchy614:
I was thinking the same thing, with a bit of J.G. Ballard and maybe Damnation Alley. The second pic looks like a Guild Heighliner's landing ship passing overhead.
And Luna Park looks even better at night:
www.flickr.com/photos/bjacques/3097141043/in/ set-72157610...
Neil F Atkinson (94 months ago )
Great pics - very apocalyptic!
Boback (94 months ago )
That's nuts.... so bizzar
laparejachevere (94 months ago )
in Mars for a day
cordes (94 months ago )
... let me be there!