I’ve been to my share of amusement parks in the last three decades, but for some reason I never thought to bring along a camera (even to Disneyland)… until I became a parent.
It may have taken me a while to discover how photo-friendly theme parks are, but I made up for lost time in the last few weeks. This summer I’ve snapped more than 300 photos of my daughter having a ball at Six Flags Great America and several other local amusement parks. Why it took me until I had a child of my own to realize that a theme park provides infinite photo opportunities, I’ll never know.
What I do know is that some photo tips are better heeded than others. The following are ones that proved most beneficial during our trip:
Don’t take your camera on water rides (unless its waterproof).
Use a wrist strap on your camera if you plan to take photos of your friends and family while riding on a roller coaster or other thrill ride.
Take advantage of the park’s designated photo areas. The well-groomed spots often provide stunning backgrounds to family photos. Also, you might consider shooting at these outdoor spots at dusk. When the natural light combines with artificial lights from the attractions your subject will be spectacularly illuminated.
Learn how to use your camera’s manual mode settings to your advantage. This is especially important if you are taking shots on an indoor ride (use a higher ISO, a slower shutter speed, open your aperture, and pop your flash), then want to follow-up with an outdoor shot.
If the theme park you are visiting includes an animal attraction, it’s best to turn off your flash. By doing so you will avoid startling or irritating the animals. What’s more, you will also avoid getting a nasty reflection from the glass partition, which separates you from the animals.