Ferris Wheel on the Island
2016, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Island is a fairly new development in the heart of Pigeon Forge. It features shops, restaurants, a water show set to music an...
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2016, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The Island is a fairly new development in the heart of Pigeon Forge. It features shops, restaurants, a water show set to music and this giant ferris wheel. To get this shot, I took a series of 7 exposures on a tripod at sunset, then combined them all in the HDR filter in LR6. Even with 100 ISO and the lens stopped down all the way, ambient lighting was still too bright for the 25 sec exposures, so I added a polarizing filter to darken the scene. The fun thing in this is that the colors in the wheel and fountain were constantly changing, so each of the 7 exposures was different. By leaving out even one exposure in the HDR process, the final look would be totally different. I was hoping that there would be more of a sense of motion, but even though the water jets were pulsing up and down and the wheel moving, the sense is more of a still shot.
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Feb, 2016Views
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Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in My City At Night Marketplace Project
Contest Finalist in Fun At The Fair Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image is a composite of several individual shots taken on a tripod at the Island, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 2016. The fun part was that I really had no control over any of the colors. The fountain had its own light show going on and the Ferris wheel had its own. It seemed like everything was just random. Taking lots of shots allows you to pick the colors to merge into the final result. I choose 7 for my final image.Time
Because of the subject, early evening lighting was necessary. In total, I took maybe 15 shots for this image, over about a 20 minute period. starting around 7:20 PM on a fairly warm night in early February.Lighting
I needed the ambient light to be on the darker side so that the lights in the wheel would provide sufficient but not overwhelming contrast, so I waited and finally started shooting just after sunset, around 7:20 PM. Even with 100 ISO and the lens stopped down all the way, ambient lighting was still too bright for the 25 sec exposures, so I added a polarizing filter to darken the scene. Again, the colors in the wheel and fountain were constantly changing, so each of the exposures was different.Equipment
I shot this with a Canon 5D Mark 2, with the EF 24mm-105mm L kit lens on an Induro tripod.Inspiration
I had seen several very interesting pictures similar to this of Ferris wheels and absolutely loved the results. When I visited the new Island development in Pigeon Forge, TN, I noticed that beside a Ferris wheel, there was a fountain with several shops in the background that added to the allure. So I made a special trip one late afternoon to set up and give it a try.Editing
I picked 7 exposures, then combined them all in the HDR filter in LR6. By leaving out even one exposure in the HDR process, the final look would be totally different. I was hoping that there would be more of a sense of motion, but even though the water jets were pulsing up and down and the wheel moving, the sense is more of a still shot.In my camera bag
As I get older and equipment therefore becomes more bulky and heavier, there is no normal anymore. The basics include a Canon 5d II, the EF 24mm-105mm L kit lens, a Canon EF 100mm-400mm L telephoto and a 100mm macro lens.Feedback
Because you will be taking multiple shots and combining them in post production, this is a project that you need to allow extra time for getting quality, diverse shots. Also, it requires a solid tripod in order to combine the pictures in post. Just remember to experiment with as many variables as you can to make your own unique creation.
