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Modern cameras allow us so much control over our images that it's easy to become distracted by the technical nuances of image making. Sometimes, it's good to let go of the technical side and respond to a situation in a more intuitive manner that is not weighed down by the details of precise exposure control. Working with light trails in a dark setting is a good way to do this. The opportunities for making these type of images can be found in cities, county fairs, the Las Vegas strip, interior rides at theme parks, anywhere there is an array of brightly colored lights set against a dark background.
I recently returned from a three-day trip to Disneyland with my wife and four year-old daughter. On my last trip to Disneyland in 1988, I had made several long exposure images on many of the rides. My camera at the time was loaded with 35mm slide film, so the exposure time for each shot was as much a wild guess as it was a reasoned decision. This trip, I decided to indulge in this genre of photography again. I had a digital SLR with me this time and that made this type of image making so much more enjoyable since I could see the results immediately and make exposure adjustments if necessary.
My exposure method was not at all complicated and I approached this project with an open mind as a collaboration between myself and serendipity. After all, when you are being transported through a ride surrounded by many moving and changing colored lights, control over the shot is not something you have a lot of! I set the camera to Program mode, and used an ISO of 100 for most shots. As we moved through a ride, I would focus on a bright point of light, press the shutter button and slowly pan the lens across the lightscape I was moving through. On some exposures I zoomed the lens during the shot to create a streaking effect. I let the exposure meter calculate how long the exposure should be. In areas where there was a lot of light, the exposures are much shorter than on some of the darker rides (like Pirates of the Caribbean ).
In looking over these images afterwards, I feel they are a good visual interpretation of the frenetic pace and pulsing, sensory overload of a crowded theme park. The wonderful thing about this type of photography is that each image is a surprise when it first appears on the camera monitor. You may have a vague idea of what the photo might be, but the final result can never be wholly anticipated and the contrived tableau of a theme park attraction is transformed into a beautiful abstract of ligth and color.
--Sean Duggan
Technical Notes:
Canon 10D with a 28 – 135mm lens
Most shots are at ISO 100 at f/3.5
Shutter speeds vary and are noted with each image.
Formats: RAW and JPEG
Rides photographed: Dumbo, It's a Small World,
Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean
(Most of the images are from It's a Small World. The reason for this is simple: My Disneyland itinerary was determined by my four year-old daughter and that was her favorite ride. We rode it six times!)
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