Sydney, Australia is one of the most photographed cities in the world because of landmarks like the Sydney Opera house, but there is so much more to the Harbour City than that. 22-year-old photographer Vinh Pham spends his free time snapping shots of what he calls the "unexplored playground" in his backyard. Pham describes himself on Instagram as an "explorer, looking for treasure," and he goes to great heights and depths to find it.
Inspired by American Instagrammers who shoot their cities with a "top down view," Pham tries to go off the beaten path, looking at the place where he was born and raised from every angle. "I've always believed that you don’t need to travel to be inspired," the young explorer told us. "Simply by slowing down and taking a different route, the exotic and unexpected can be found on your doorstep." We asked Vinh Pham to share a few of his favorite photos with us and to describe what he captured in the frame, while also telling us a little about Sydney and his passion for photography. Check out the 11 photos that he shared below.