Pictures from the Haunted Mansion - May 2008

[Todd_H]

Hi everyone,
I was fortunate to be in FL on business the week of May 11 - 18 and decided to get some practice in with my new Canon 40D in the evenings while I was there. Here are a few shots inside the Haunted Mansion (which seems to get darker and darker every trip).

For some reason, this one was really tough for me to get a clear shot of

I took a bunch of these guys (and other ghosts from the graveyard), but couldn't get any good exposures... this was about the best I could do (and even this is post-processed a bit)). Anyone have any good tips about shooting in the graveyard?

The singing busts

The new bride

Self portrait

Thanks for looking!

 

[Code]

I took a bunch of these guys (and other ghosts from the graveyard), but couldn't get any good exposures... this was about the best I could do (and even this is post-processed a bit)). Anyone have any good tips about shooting in the graveyard?

Looks like you needed to use a bit of positive exposure compensation. Your shutter speed was 1/50, that still gives you a bit of latitude given a bit of luck (and shooting continuously knowing that many will be junk).

The only way I was able to get a decent shot in the graveyard (with a camera limited to ISO 1600) was when the ride stopped for me in there and I was at 1/5 sec shutter speed ISO 1600, f/1.4. The body IS in my camera made all the difference in that situation.

The extremely low light isn't the only challenge, though, as the black lighting is extremely hard to get a focus lock on.

 

[Groucho]

The graveyard is extremely difficult, bordering on impossible, to get a decent shot in.

I did a couple attempts last trip, once with my 31mm F1.8 going up to ISO 6400, and once with my 50mm F1.4 going up to ISO 4500 (in retrospect, I should have left it at 6400, noise appears identical as 4500 but with another half-step of light.)

This is probably as good as I could manage, with the 31mm. ISO 6400, F1.8, 1/8th of a second. And it's not very good.

A few of the 50mm F1.4 shots have half-way decent exposure but the slow shutter speeds makes them unavoidably blurry. If I'd gone to ISO 6400, then maybe, but it'd be very tough.

 

[ukcatfan]

Don't be too discouraged. HM shots are probably the hardest shots in all of DW.

Here are some of my best.

 

[Todd_H]

The extremely low light isn't the only challenge, though, as the black lighting is extremely hard to get a focus lock on.

Yes indeed. My 40D has trouble auto-focusing in extreme low light, so I was using MF the entire ride (which added another level of difficulty).

 

[Todd_H]

Don't be too discouraged. HM shots are probably the hardest shots in all of DW.

Here are some of my best.

Those are great shots! What great timing you had with that shot of the bride! I kept trying to get her with the axe, but couldn't get a decent exposure at that time. Your self portraits are fantastic! Did you use live-view with the second one?

 

[Todd_H]

The graveyard is extremely difficult, bordering on impossible, to get a decent shot in.

I did a couple attempts last trip, once with my 31mm F1.8 going up to ISO 6400, and once with my 50mm F1.4 going up to ISO 4500 (in retrospect, I should have left it at 6400, noise appears identical as 4500 but with another half-step of light.)

This is probably as good as I could manage, with the 31mm. ISO 6400, F1.8, 1/8th of a second. And it's not very good.

A few of the 50mm F1.4 shots have half-way decent exposure but the slow shutter speeds makes them unavoidably blurry. If I'd gone to ISO 6400, then maybe, but it'd be very tough.

Groucho, I noticed that spotlight on the curtain last trip and thought it really distracted from that scene in the graveyard. I rode the HM about 5 or 6 times that week and could never figure out what the purpose of that spotlight was. Any ideas?

 

[Groucho]

I have no idea what's going on with the lighting effect - but naturally it threw off the metering a little bit, that shot is darker than most of my other graveyard shots (even with a little exposure compensation.) But then again, it let it get a remotely usable shutter speed! It must be something that was added during the rehab? I don't think it was there before.

My "holy grail" for the graveyard scene is a shot of the arm coming out of the mausoleum with a trowel in his hand. That's a tough one!

Those are great shots! What great timing you had with that shot of the bride! I kept trying to get her with the axe, but couldn't get a decent exposure at that time. Your self portraits are fantastic! Did you use live-view with the second one?

I'm sure he didn't as his camera doesn't have live view. I do know his secret for the hitchhiking ghost shots at the end, though... but I'll let him tell it.

I think I did OK on the bride, though. Here she is with her axe...

...and without.

And one of her with one of her hubbies! "I do... I did!" The slightly mottled texture is from resizing, at 100% you can see that the picture is a bunch of thin lines, perhaps that's how the do the transition? Anyway, it's very sharp at 100%, one of the clearest from the ride that I was able to get.

Those were with my 50mm, here's one from a different ride with my 31mm (I think it's cropped, too, but still much wider):

 

[Todd_H]

I'm sure he didn't as his camera doesn't have live view. I do know his secret for the hitchhiking ghost shots at the end, though... but I'll let him tell it.

I didn't want to guess photoshop... but I just can't figure another way

I think I did OK on the bride, though. Here she is with her axe...

...and without.

Great shots of the bride! I love the way you got the white in her eyes in the first one, like that's the point where she's completely possessed or something.

 

[ukcatfan]

I'm sure he didn't as his camera doesn't have live view. I do know his secret for the hitchhiking ghost shots at the end, though... but I'll let him tell it.

I didn't want to guess photoshop... but I just can't figure another way

It is called pure luck. The ride stopped for about five to ten minutes right there, so what better way to kill time than take pics. I still had to have the ISO boosted and aperture wide open to get them. Here are a couple more.

Kevin

 

[handicap18]

I tried HM on the last trip and just about gave up with trying to get decent pics. Maybe with a D300 and ISO6400 (but that would be future trip). I really only got 1 on ride shot with ISO1600 with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens:

This is the only other shot I got but not "on" the actual ride:

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Well these aren't really worthy, but since HM is my favorite ride, I'm gonna play anyway (I'll just subscribe to the "Marla Hooch" philosophy of viewing, LOL).

Taken with my Canon S3 IS last trip. Not sure I'll have better luck with my dSLR next time, but who knows. It's fun trying.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

BTW, Kevin - your Doom Buggy shots always crack me up.

 

[ukcatfan]

BTW, Kevin - your Doom Buggy shots always crack me up.

Thank you. Nobody knew before then that the ghosts are Cats fans!!!!! Go Blue!!!!!

 

[christa112]

Great shots!!!

 

[Shutterbug]

Kudos on all the NON flash photography!

 

[JR6ooo4]

Kudos on all the NON flash photography!

ya, I pretty much take lobby pics and enjoy the rest of the ride.... Hehehehehehe

Mikeeee