Epcot at night

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Dan

Member
http://dan7790.photos.de.com/p25459988.html

Again, I can't be sure that link is going to work, I'm only using it because the picture is very large, well beyond the what can practically be posted in a forum.

Since I posted an Animal Kingdom Lodge panorama, I figured I'd put this one up too. I'm getting all critical of my work now and I'm not entirely liking this either, it's too dark, but the lights on the water are rather nice.

I've got some more pictures, and since I don't yet know any way to comment on each attached picture individually, I'll just say a few words and then post the lot.
Night photography has always interested me, it's part of the reason I got into DSLRs (the combination of unlimited exposure length and low long exposure noise levels). And Disney World is in many ways the peak of artistic night lighting. I love that they're willing to leave some places relatively dark in order to enhance the atmosphere, rather than just blasting flood lights everywhere.
In 2004 I spent a night at Epcot on a photography mission. Basically I rode Mission Space at least 4 times (because the line was just nonexistant) and did a few Test Track rides, and otherwise spent all my time taking pictures of the place, actually focusing on closed attractions at times. I felt kind of odd wandering around otherwise abandoned areas, on the hunt for convienent trash cans which I could place my mini tripod on.
I lack the post processing finesse to bring out the full potential in these shots. I just don't know how to adequately balance the light and the darkness. But I've done the best that I can.
I have extreme difficulty handling Imagination, the fountain comes out nice but the structure behind it ends up shrouded in darkness. Basically I think I need to start making at least two different exposures and then blend them in photoshop, but my early attempts at that technique have been failures.
And as for the Living Seas.. that'd be a really nice picture of that trash can hadn't been placed so prominently right in the middle.
I like the Spaceship Earth one though. Well.. I'm not totally sold on the color balance, I think I made it way too blue.. I've been struggling to figure out exactly what color Spaceship Earth should be at night. I think I've decided that it should be a lot more purple since the time that I made this picture.

[This attachment has been purged. Older attachments are purged from time to time to conserve disk space. Please feel free to repost your image.]
 
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i love the way you remove the 'color wash' from the skies. that's the one thing i am still trying to get right. nice job...i agree the living seas would have been classic if not for the trash can. when confronted with the situation, i might move the trash can out of the frame....gets some funny looks from CM's but i always put it back where i got it from. nice shot...thx.
 
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Very nice, Dan. I don't mind the trash can too much, but I have been known to move stuff out of the way, too!
 
maybe it's just these old eyes of mine but spaceship earth looks great to me, it seems to me that that's just the way it looks to me at night, i've always accepted the blue tones as the lighting that is there, and yes that is with my glasses on, and i do get the eyes checked yearly
gary
 
Great pictures!

You could always say that trash can was "Push" visiting from the Magic Kingdom. :D
 
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"DisneyDame" said:
Great pictures!

You could always say that trash can was "Push" visiting from the Magic Kingdom. :D
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I love that picture of the seas but it does seem that the can has moved from Electric Umbrella. There is a missed talking can in there also.
 
"ilene" said:
Very nice! But where are all the people?
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I was happy to have my shots devoid of people.. but you're right, it doesn't look right. The Living Seas in particular looks abnormaly barren due to the large expanse of open ground visible. But I had a shot that looked almost just like that in a book that I was trying to match, having it clear of people helped me get the look I was going after.

If you're asking why there's no people, it was night, the Living Seas was closed. I had the whole area practically to myself. Which was VERY nice.. people are always thinking they're getting in my way, apologising, ducking out of the way, etc.. I actually don't want them to do that, I don't want to be such an obstruction. When I'm hand holding the camera I lower it if there are people approaching so they don't feel the need to stay out of my way. But when I'm using the tripod I can't do that, the camera stays pointed at my target and passing people don't realize I'm waiting for them to pass.. or else don't mind them showing up in the picture.
 
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it's funny isnt it that if you want people to walk right in front of you, all you have to do is raise a camera and they will happily oblige :)
 
Not in the same caliber as Dan's pics, but here's one from a couple of years ago.

8e07f8ed.jpg
 
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My favorite Epcot night photo, althought the beam of light on the left side bothers me :-[ I tried to clone it out with no luck, oh well I still love the pic.
original.jpg
 
"Kelly Grannell" said:
:o A M A Z I N G ! ! ! :o
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Thank you, people think I'm a little strange for hanging out @ the Canada showcase all night! Wait that is a little weird :-\
 
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Oh Canada.. Can-a-da.... That song is cool. Anybody know what I'm talking about about? If not, feel free to stare and point at the weird one. LOL! :-[
 
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