POTC Take 2

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Yesterday we got to spend about 5 hours at Disneyland since we had another engagement to attend last night in Anahiem. I want thank Todd for his recent insight on dark rides, Mark on the -1 EV and Jeff for his remarkable inspirational shots.

This was my second time to DL since purchasing my D90 so I was anxious to try the suggestions that have been recently posted. All pictures taken with Sig 30 @ f/1.4. I did switch to "S" mode (per Todd) and EV set at -1 (per Mark). ISO set at 3200 on all shots and I set the speed to 1/80 to get a little sharper shot. I do not have Noise Nija or other noise software so the only noise reduction was form on camera and in Lightroom. I know these are not as good as those with FX cameras but not bad for a DX. Thanks again to all of you.

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/552054772_PG7pR-L.jpg

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551935705_GWLS7-L.jpg

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551936769_3AG2F-L.jpg

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551937092_Z3K7q-L.jpg

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551937653_ZpopZ-L.jpg

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551938177_USpqs-L.jpg

Someone was asking about taking pictures of their kids while riding POTC. I tried a couple of times but there was just not enough light. So here is one while standing in line.

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/552053820_WCg6o-L.jpg

And one from HM

http://fourweeksphotography.smugmug.com/photos/551942871_ZA2MX-L.jpg

[oregondaddyof2]

WOW!! Great job Goofy... I am hoping to get shots like these when I go down in September... I have a D60, and am buying the 35mm f/1.8 tomorrow... Thanks for sharing..

[Todd_H]

Great shots, Roger! :thumbsup2 I've never been to DL, but will make it out there someday. It's interesting to see the differences between the DL and WDW attractions.

[handicap18]

Excellent work.

[annnewjerz]

If memory serves, these are the first pics anyone has posted using the D90 on any of the lower light rides. I know they're taken in DL rather than WDW, but I'm still hopeful that with the D90 and Sigma 30 in hand, I'll be able to get some decent shots after all. :woohoo:

Great work and thank you again to all of the regulars who offer so much advice to use newbs! :thumbsup2

[saturndb]

Very nicely done! I really like the second picture

Dave pirate:

[NostalgicDad]

Very good job indeed! :)

[wenrob]

At the risk of sounding like my tween: WOW Dude, AWESOME!!! Color me impressed!

Stupid question: When you say you did in camera noise reduction, did you set it up to do it as the photo was taken? If so did it seem to slow you down? Oh and were you shooting RAW?

Love the pic of your DD too!

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Thank you all for the kind words!

WOW!! Great job Goofy... I am hoping to get shots like these when I go down in September... I have a D60, and am buying the 35mm f/1.8 tomorrow... Thanks for sharing..

Great shots, Roger! :thumbsup2 I've never been to DL, but will make it out there someday. It's interesting to see the differences between the DL and WDW attractions.
I am kind of interested in what the differences are too. On our one and only trip to WDW 2 years ago we skipped all of the duplicate rides except for Buzz since we did the 4 parks in 4 days thing. This August were are going for 10 days and hope to see the similarities and differences in the similar rides.

Excellent work.

If memory serves, these are the first pics anyone has posted using the D90 on any of the lower light rides. I know they're taken in DL rather than WDW, but I'm still hopeful that with the D90 and Sigma 30 in hand, I'll be able to get some decent shots after all. :woohoo:

Great work and thank you again to all of the regulars who offer so much advice to use newbs! :thumbsup2

Actually I have posted some before but randomly. I don't think which park you are in makes any difference. The lighting should be the same for the dark rides. You will do fine as long as you take enough shots. Like Todd had mentioned I have about 5-10 bad/not so great ones for every decent one.

Very nicely done! I really like the second picture

Dave pirate:

Very good job indeed! :)


At the risk of sounding like my tween: WOW Dude, AWESOME!!! Color me impressed!

Stupid question: When you say you did in camera noise reduction, did you set it up to do it as the photo was taken? If so did it seem to slow you down? Oh and were you shooting RAW?

Love the pic of your DD too!

Having a tween no need to apologize. As for the in camera noise reduction, there is a range setting for high ISO shots (low, med, high) which I set to high before getting on the ride and as far as I could tell no it did not slow the camera down. I was not taking 4.5frames/sec mind you. And yes I only shoot in RAW anymore thanks to everyone here. For POTC it is only way to correct the funky lighting on the ride. Thanks to Groucho and I think Code I learned to reduce the saturation by -30 to -40 and a temperature just above 2000 for most of the shots but that does not apply to all of them.

[jfinke]

Nicely done from a Canon shooter... ;)

[wenrob]

Having a tween no need to apologize. As for the in camera noise reduction, there is a range setting for high ISO shots (low, med, high) which I set to high before getting on the ride and as far as I could tell no it did not slow the camera down. I was not taking 4.5frames/sec mind you. And yes I only shoot in RAW anymore thanks to everyone here. For POTC it is only way to correct the funky lighting on the ride. Thanks to Groucho and I think Code I learned to reduce the saturation by -30 to -40 and a temperature just above 2000 for most of the shots but that does not apply to all of them.
*Raises hand again* Shooting in RAW we have to apply sharpening etc. Does the noise reduction automatically become part of the RAW image?

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Nicely done from a Canon shooter... ;)

Thank you, especially from a Canon shooter.

*Raises hand again* Shooting in RAW we have to apply sharpening etc. Does the noise reduction automatically become part of the RAW image?

Anyone, Anyone? Well someone will be along shortly to correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the RAW file is untouched at least what I have read of LR and others. They store all of the adjustments that you make in a separate file that is applied to the JPEG etc when exported/developed.

[zackiedawg]

Nice work! I definitely need to remember to shoot this in RAW...I always get lazy or forget, and just rely on JPEG, and the white balance kills me every time. I think I'll have to write down the settings with regards to the underexposure and bump up speed to at least 1/50 or 1/80 - with my F1.7 lens I could only scratch out 1/30 or so without getting too dark. With the Sigma 30mm F1.4, I should get a little more leeway.

I think the biggest factor will be to use RAW, which I've never done on my dark ride shots.

Thanks for the great shots, and the tips too!

[Anna1227]

Great shots! Thanks for sharing them.

As for taking shots of people riding Pirates - I was able to get a pretty good shot of my husband and daughter at the very end of the ride when we were sailing by the entrance doors with the parrot/treasure map area in the background, due to the extra light coming in from the entrance.

[Todd_H]

Nice work! I definitely need to remember to shoot this in RAW...I always get lazy or forget, and just rely on JPEG, and the white balance kills me every time.

I think the biggest factor will be to use RAW, which I've never done on my dark ride shots.



Right on. The white balance is extremely tricky on PotC. As Roger said above, Code nailed it by backing the temp down to around 2250 and saturation down to @28-33, depending on the scene, and was then kind enough to share that knowledge!

[My2Girls66]

Nice job!:thumbsup2

[thesimson01]

Nice Work:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

[Groucho]

Thank you all for the kind words!
I'll add one - you probably made Gdad cry with your shot of the caretaker in HM, he keeps complaining that he can't get a decent shot of him. :) I don't remember that he's much better lit at DL, but maybe he is...?

I am kind of interested in what the differences are too. On our one and only trip to WDW 2 years ago we skipped all of the duplicate rides except for Buzz since we did the 4 parks in 4 days thing. This August were are going for 10 days and hope to see the similarities and differences in the similar rides.
I've been to DL twice since 2005... here's a quick rundown on similar things in both parks IMHO.
HM: DL had the edge when they got the updated attic and floating Leota first, but the WDW exterior had always been much cooler IMHO and after the recent rehad, it is easily better inside, too
PotC: Some love the DL version but I don't think it's so clearcut. There's virtually no queue (as opposed to WDW's long and very themed queue) and a long, pointless-to-the-story section at the end. WDW's loses the opening bayou scene and a little other near the beginning - but as cool as the bayou is, it doesn't really fit the pirate motif IMHO.
Space Mt: DL version, after the rehab, beats the WDW version and the queue is better inside but worse outside. The upcoming WDW rehab may tilt the balance back.
Fireworks: DL's Remember Dreams Come True completely blows away Wishes! However the smaller area makes actually watching them a little more difficult.
Fantastic: DL is supposedly a better show but IMHO is terrible for seating. WDW's theater makes it much easier to see. It is definitely a fantastic show in WDW.
Indiana Jones vs Dinosaur: Indy is certainly better but Dinosaur is pretty good in its own right.
Autopia vs Tomorrowland Speedway: Autopia has a much cooler track layout
Splash Mt: DL has an extra show scene (short) but you can only fit one rider in each row. I prefer WDW's two-riders-per-row logs.
Buzz: DL version is better because the guys aren't bolted to the car.
Tiki Room: No content - DL version is the original classic, WDW version is a repulsive mess
Jungle Cruise: DL has the piranhas, but WDW has the dark temple. If WDW gets the piranhas and a few other updates in the upcoming rehab, it'll be no contest.
Tower of Terror: No question, the WDW one is much, much better. The DL one does have an extra "reflection" scene and a cool shuddering effect, but the queue is much shorter and you lose the 4th dimension scene. You also have no theming around the building.
Soarin', Star Tours, Big Thunder, the 3D movies, and most of the Fantasyland dark rides are sometimes mildly different but not enough to have a clear favorite. (Exception being DL's Small World with its outdoor load zone, which is kind of neat.)

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Thank you all.

Nice work! I definitely need to remember to shoot this in RAW...I always get lazy or forget, and just rely on JPEG, and the white balance kills me every time. I think I'll have to write down the settings with regards to the underexposure and bump up speed to at least 1/50 or 1/80 - with my F1.7 lens I could only scratch out 1/30 or so without getting too dark. With the Sigma 30mm F1.4, I should get a little more leeway.

I think the biggest factor will be to use RAW, which I've never done on my dark ride shots.

Thanks for the great shots, and the tips too!

Justin you will love the Sigma 30 for the dark rides

Great shots! Thanks for sharing them.

As for taking shots of people riding Pirates - I was able to get a pretty good shot of my husband and daughter at the very end of the ride when we were sailing by the entrance doors with the parrot/treasure map area in the background, due to the extra light coming in from the entrance.

Nice job!:thumbsup2

Nice Work:thumbsup2:thumbsup2

I'll add one - you probably made Gdad cry with your shot of the caretaker in HM, he keeps complaining that he can't get a decent shot of him. :) I don't remember that he's much better lit at DL, but maybe he is...?



I remember that previous conversation that Jeff and Todd had on the caretaker and was hopeful when I saw my results on my LCD after the ride. Still a little grainy. My kids just recently started riding HM again (due to a fear of ghosts) so I am still learning when everything shows up.

[Todd_H]

I'll add one - you probably made Gdad cry with your shot of the caretaker in HM, he keeps complaining that he can't get a decent shot of him. :) I don't remember that he's much better lit at DL, but maybe he is...?


:lmao: :thumbsup2

No offense to Roger, but doing a quick EXIF comparison... I think the caretaker would have to be much better lit in DL than WDW. Roger's shot above was at 1/60 sec., f/1.4, ISO 3200, with EV-1 (which effectively means ISO 6400 when exposure is pushed 1 stop in post, right?... that concept still confuses me a bit). Here's a shot I took in WDW (which is horrible, btw), but my EXIF is 1/30 sec, f/1.8, ISO 12800, which if I calculate correctly is 2 1/3 stops faster than Roger's.
http://thh.smugmug.com/photos/542930978_2yY5Y-M.jpg

[zackiedawg]

I'll add one - you probably made Gdad cry with your shot of the caretaker in HM, he keeps complaining that he can't get a decent shot of him. :) I don't remember that he's much better lit at DL, but maybe he is...?

I haven't seen DL's since the renovation, however I know many people who have who are avid photographers and frequent both parks - and they all agree HM in DL is significantly better lit throughout.

PotC: Some love the DL version but I don't think it's so clearcut. There's virtually no queue (as opposed to WDW's long and very themed queue) and a long, pointless-to-the-story section at the end. WDW's loses the opening bayou scene and a little other near the beginning - but as cool as the bayou is, it doesn't really fit the pirate motif IMHO.

Just wanted to add one little point on this: The bayou scene is actually quite integral to the pirate theme. Louisiana was one of many pirate hideouts, and there were a few quite famous pirates known there who would have been very big in the 40s and 50s due to movies portraying them - something that would put that idea in Walt's mind when the ride was developing. Pirate Jean Lafitte used New Orleans and later the bayou as his base of operations, until invaded and captured by Americans during the War of 1812 - he was released if he agreed to defend the unprepared city against the British invasion and helped to successfully defend New Orleans against the invasion, and was pardoned. He then set up in Galveston Texas, and continued pirating and privateering for another decade.

He was well portrayed in the adventure and pirate movies post-war, including Yul Brenner in 1958's The Buccaneer.

Just my theory...but I think that's where the inspiration came from to portray the bayou region as a base of operations for the Caribbean pirates - and why it seems appropriate (and cool) to me.

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

:lmao: :thumbsup2

No offense to Roger, but doing a quick EXIF comparison... I think the caretaker would have to be much better lit in DL than WDW. Roger's shot above was at 1/60 sec., f/1.4, ISO 3200, with EV-1 (which effectively means ISO 6400 when exposure is pushed 1 stop in post, right?... that concept still confuses me a bit). Here's a shot I took in WDW (which is horrible, btw), but my EXIF is 1/30 sec, f/1.8, ISO 12800, which if I calculate correctly is 2 1/3 stops faster than Roger's.
http://thh.smugmug.com/photos/542930978_2yY5Y-M.jpg

I was actually scared to post the picture because if you and Jeff could not get the shot Fx bodies cranked up how could I have been so luck as to get this shot. Of course I did have my wife with me and she has been known to produce a glow. :rotfl2: Maybe she is my answer to Jeff's light producing f1.2.

[Groucho]

I haven't seen DL's since the renovation, however I know many people who have who are avid photographers and frequent both parks - and they all agree HM in DL is significantly better lit throughout.
Well, it changes, too... I remember riding HM and PotC in late 2003 in WDW and noting how bright it was, to the point that you could easily see the ceiling tiles in PotC and the scrims in the graveyard at HM. (It was distractingly bright.) My next Disney park trip was DL in 2005 and it was much darker, which was a good thing (unless you're battling for best dark ride photo ;) )... but when we went back to WDW in January 2006, the WDW ones were darker, again. We did a Keys to the Kingdom tour that trip and I asked the tour guide about it and she did say that they had brightened it for safety reasons then they decided that it didn't improve safety, it just made things look worse. I got the impression that they tweak that stuff now and then.

Just wanted to add one little point on this: The bayou scene is actually quite integral to the pirate theme.
Fair enough... but at the end of the day, it just seems a little disconnected from the rest of the ride. The load zone is relatively unthemed, then you basically float past a restaurant on one side and swamps on the other, and suddenly you have a talking Jolly Roger above you. It just feels like some of these long introductions are more to do with getting you under the train tracks and out to the main show area than with actually being an integral part of the ride.

Regardless - I definitely stand the the queue comments, the DL PotC queue is dull-dull-dull except for the plaque out front with the two sexy mermaids. :teeth: The WDW PotC queue and facade are great.

[kaffinito]

I am seriously impressed! I'll have to write down what you did and try again next trip. :goodvibes

[racreel]

Excellent images! I especially like the one of the caretaker.