An amateur photographer has captured a unique perspective of what life is like for Australian travellers forced into self-isolation during the coronavirus pandemic.

The man used his phone to take a photograph of quarantined guests at Sydney's Amora Hotel staring longingly out of their window.

Under strict new laws introduced by the Federal Government to stop the spread of Covid-19, thousands of travellers returning to Australia must undergo a mandatory 14-day period of quarantine under police guard.

The reluctant photographer, who wished to remain anonymous, said he didn't understand what all the fuss was about after his photo went viral on Reddit. 

'I haven't got any story for this other than I found it interesting that everyone happened to be doing the same thing at the same time which made me think about isolation and how we all aren't very different,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I'm just a guy with a camera phone. I don't consider myself a photographer and yeah this a chance encounter.

'I took this on my Google Pixel 4 XL phone.'

In order to get the attention of the subjects in the frame, the man said he went out onto the balcony and waved at them.

'I indicated with my hands that I would like to take a photo and they nodded,' he said.

Australians were quick to heap praise on the man for his photograph.

'Putting aside the creepiness, it's quite poignant actually. Will be looked back upon in the future,' one person said.

'I feel this picture will feature on one of those 'look back' videos about the great coronavirus crisis of 2020 some time in the future,' added another.

A third person compared the photo to the work of a revered 20th century American realist painter known for depicting New York during the Great Depression.

'It's like an Edward Hopper painting,' they wrote.