Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Devine Inspiration #2

The Great Movie Ride - Wizard of OzI was flipping through Tim's online photo album and came across this little gem. I thought I'd like focus on images contained within an attraction.

The reason for this decision is that pictures taken inside attractions are pretty tricky. For one, you aren't armed with a tripod to keep the camera steady in the low light conditions. You, therefore, are at the mercy of your ability to make the right settings on your camera and work with whatever lenses are in your arsenal.

At first, I thought of showcasing an obligatory Pirates of the Caribbean shot. It's recognizable and a beloved ride. I also thought about doing an It's a Small World photo. Why? Why not?

But, when I saw this picture of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz, I knew I found my shot.

For those of us who've tried to take pictures of this particular part of the ride, we know that getting a great capture is difficult. This isn't a truly dark ride in the traditional sense. The large "dioramas" are heavily lit with lights while, where you are sitting in the ride vehicle is not. It's almost like trying to take pictures of a stage show.

Tim's capture of this part of the Great Movie Ride is wonderful especially considering he hadn't used a flash device. How do I know he didn't use a flash? I know because flash photography in Disney attractions is very, very big faux pas and bad form and it detracts from the enjoyment of rides from others. You'll know this if you've been on rides such as Space Ship Earth that has the non-Imagineer approved addition of the strobe affects of flash photography.

But I get off track.

I have seen other photos of this particular character where the focus is hard to maintain, or the colors are more muted because of the attempt to compensate for the low light or the hot spots in the ride produced by the spotlights in the ride. This picture, from my recollection, does a fairly good job of capturing what I actually saw with my eyes.

Click here to to to the photo in Tim's online Photo Album.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Tim takes such great photos.

I hope to make it to his MouseFest meet at the Magic Kingdom. If not, I am sure he will give the Disney Geeks some special tips and advice (and maybe a Castle picture).

Andrew said...

Grumptastic! What a unique photo. It goes to show how much talent Tim has. I have almost stopped taking ride pics because without the flash, all my pics look like black and white from the late 1800's. Wait, I give myself too much credit.
I love the idea of examining these pictures. Finding the ones that are off the beaten path makes it all the more fun. Thanks!