Fountain of Nations

I went to Epcot last night and shot this angle on the Fountain of Nations. There’s a very classic way to shoot the Fountain of Nations with Spaceship Earth behind it.  This ain’t it, though. It’s easy to find the spot. As you’re leaving the park, you’ll see a couple of Disney staff photographers there with tripods shooting countless hordes of tourists posing with the Fountain of Nations and Spaceship Earth right behind them.  Somewhere between the photographers and the fountain, there are other tourists in the shot getting their own snapshots. You can shoot the fountain just above their heads, or you can patiently wait for them to move and hope another horde of tourists doesn’t get in your shot with their own silly poses.  People like to pretend they’re holding up Spaceship Earth in their hands.

With a little imagination, you can get a different angle on an over-shot subject. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with getting your own version of a classic scene. I do it all the time. It’s just that sometimes I want to see what else is out there. It may not work out, but it’s a good exercise to try. It could be something simple, like giving your camera a little tilt. It could be walking to the other side of the standard shot. Who says you have to get Spaceship Earth in the shot?

Unfortunately, the sunset really sucked last night. That surprised me. We had a really nice day here with plenty of clouds. Then they all disappeared as soon as I picked up my camera. Barely a cloud in the sky during sunset, this makes for a boring background. Still, it was a nice evening to be out. The weather cooled off in Orlando yesterday. It seemed like a good night to go scout Epcot for the Photo Walk that’s coming up this weekend. If the folks who pick the winning photo like lots of tourists in the scene, then I’ve got a pretty good chance.