Photo Taking on Rides

I like to take photos of every ride I see, and naturlally take my camera on after the first few goes. I was wondering if this is actually ok to do, as when I was in Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - they were vigorously enforcing a no camera rule, even near the rides. I was told by multiple members of staff to put my camera away and I wasnt even in line for the rides! So, Which rides can you take cameras on, and which can you not?

Safety is no accident. Stop accidents before they stop you.

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Jeff
Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com

To take pictures on the rides is illigal for one. For two, why would you risk losing your camera for a couple lousy pics?


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http://www.islandguide.8m.com
all about PKI
the Beasts` Den

I would NEVER pull out a camera while on a ride. Too many things can go wrong. But I don't see why they would tell you to put your camera away if you were just standing there taking a picture, and not even in line. Personally I think that's taking it a bit far.

ive taken a camera on many rides so far. if you want to make sure you ahve a strap and rap it around your wrist a couple times so you dont lose it. and take it out on the lift hill and watch out for security cameras on lifts and mid course brakes and put the camera away before you go back into station. when i went to PKI i got about 12 pics on Beast. its risky but ive been safe so far and no lost camera or broken parts. except maybe my elbow because when i hold the camera up my elbow hits the sides of the car. a big ouch.

As a ride op, If anyone has any sort of bag they could fit on the ride that could take a picture, I tell them to leave it in one of the boxes in the station. It is too risky. I walked under one of the rides one morning, and I must have found at least 5 cameras! some ride ops will let cameras on rides, but policy is usually to not allow them.

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Mindbender...Can you hear the Riddler chuckling?

I have many pics taken on the Beast, Vortex, King Cobra, the Racer, Steel Phantom, Colossus, B:TR, Iron Wolf, the Legend, Screechin' Eagle, and more. I know it's illegal, BUT I also know that rule is for inexperienced coaster riders.

This may be a bad attitude to have, but I KNOW I'm not going to drop my camera. I always use a disposable camera with a strap or that is very small and easy to hold. Even if I'm not taking pics on the ride, I hold my camera in my upraised hand as I ride, because it hurts to have it in my pocket. I've never dropped one and I never will. Nor have I ever been chastised for having a camera or taking pics, even when coming into a station with my camera in hand, or even when the on-ride photo shows me taking a picture.

Of course, if a ride-op asked me to put the camera away, I would without arguing. *** This post was edited by Den on 6/19/2001. ***

There is definitely a very mixed attitude towards this. Some people are dead against this, and in a way I am, if the person does not know how to react to the ride. Personally, I can hold onto an object on a B&M, although if I had only ridden it once, I would definitely have dropped it.
One place I know this isnt enforced is Islands of Adventure. I saw loads of people taking cameras on (mainly dueling dragons) and they sell the disposable cameras close to the ride! The Hulk has a large net under the zero-G roll which fills up with coins and cameras throughout the day.
So all those against taking on-ride photos! Is that an insult to me, or are you insulting the guys at CoasterGallery, Joyrides and the other photo galleries who take many, many photos on the rides. Do they know you said their pictures were lousy
Please Decide! Photo Taking on Rides - Good or Bad??

There are two issues here, one of shooting photos, and one of carrying cameras.

On the one hand, if I'm going to shoot pictures (usually video in my case) on a coaster, I'll clear it first...either by means of local custom or by asking a platform op. Never had any trouble shooting photos or video in that way, although it does limit the number of coasters I can get video on. Likewise, if permission is denied, I will not shoot on board. A good thing about this is that the chances of smashing the camera are minimized by eliminating the moments of subterfuge.

On the other hand, if I have my camera with me, it's going on the ride. Period. I do have the bag safetied with both a waist belt and a shoulder strap (there was this one incident on the Jack Rabbit where the waist belt failed mid-ride) and if I don't feel I can safely carry it aboard, I'll not take that ride. But last season I owed more for my camera than most ride attendants make in an entire season, so unless the park is willing to take full responsibility for my gear, I'll keep it with me. That way, if something happens to it, it's my problem. So long as the park disclaims liability if I leave it behind (as they all do), I don't leave it behind. Just too many things that can go wrong.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

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Iron Wolf said:
"Is that an insult to me, or are you insulting the guys at CoasterGallery, Joyrides and the other photo galleries who take many, many photos on the rides. Do they know you said their pictures were lousy
Please Decide! Photo Taking on Rides - Good or Bad??"

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I wasnt saying that the pics were bad, but 9 times out of 10 they turn out blurry. They post the 10th ones
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http://www.islandguide.8m.com
all about PKI
the Beasts` Den

Oh, I need to explain the Busch Gardens Situation more. I was stadning by the fence by Kumba trying to take a picture, when a staff member came over to me and said that I'd have to put it away. He stood by me until I placed it in my bagage. Secondly, I went to ride Kumba and a female staff meber made me store my camera before riding, which I was holding and NOT inteding to take on the ride (I wanted to take pics of the ride from the queue line, and then put my camera in my waist-pack). Then, by Montu, I was again taking pictures of the ride from outside the queue line, by the immelman loop, and a member of staff asked me to put my camera away. It made me think that they didnt want people to take pictures of their rides!! Anyway, of course I put my camera away after each incident, even though it is very, very small for a camera (about 3" x 2").

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Den said:
"I have many pics taken on the Beast, Vortex, King Cobra, the Racer, Steel Phantom,i]

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How did you take a picture on the Steel Phantom? That would thorw your camera out of your hands! And anyways you had a harness on SP, so you couldn't of taken pictures on the lift. How did you do that Den?


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"Welcome back Raptor riders. How was your flight?"

to Iron Wolf:
Were you standing on a path or in an "unauthorized / off limits" area? Got a few good shots of Montu and Kumba close up (though not from the queue line) and one very good one of Python just as the train was making its final drop before the corkscrew.

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."

raptorfan00: I did indeed take pics on Steel Phantom, on the lift, going down the second drop and throughout the looping section. Just the fact that I can manage to ride that ride while taking photos and winding a camera with both hands proves that I'm never going to drop my camera. ;)

No, I was just standing by a fence near the ride in a public area, there were a few other poeple near the fence as well.

I don't get what the big deal is about it. I've taken on-ride pics on a lot of rides. Even on my homepark's Giant Drop. Yes, even after saying that they will kick you out of the park, fine you, and possibly arrest you, I still managed to get some pics while up 200 feet or so, ;). I have on-ride pics of almost every ride at SFGAm.

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Don't fight it, Ride it, Raging Bull!
Webmaster:SFGAm 2001
http://www.angelfire.com/extreme/Coasterz

I've taken a few, and can say it's not something I do often, but if I want a lifthill first drop photo, I'm going to think it out, and do it. Get a small camera, put it in your pocket, and my rule goesn like this: if I'm moving as in the ride has made it's drop, I'm putting the camera away because I don't know when I could drop it, that just keeps it safe. As the train crests or something, in I reach and snap. The edges of the trains can cause great bodily harm without you realizing it, the Georgia Cyclone bloodied up my arm, and that was going up the lift, and the only thing I got back when I processed my film was a picture of the guy in front of me smoking a joint. I'm new to "coaster photography" and sometimes there are places with you on the ride that you could get a good picture of, just not during "the ride", you know? On-ride snapping away isn't very smart. I like to take pictures of the rides I ride, and would like to keep it that way, if too many people try things and make it to where I can't have a picture unless I buy it from the park, that won't be cool. Drink responsibly:).

If you are worried about losing the camera just take one of those disposable ones on. How do people get videos of what it is like on a rollercoaster though? Is it someone holding it or do they just strap it onto the ride?

I take on-ride videos...I have a TINY digital camcorder, which is as small as a regular disposable camera, so it's quite easy. Plus it has two straps, one around my neck, and one on my hand.

-Raven_Rider

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"Hold on tight, with all your might, and enjoy your flight on the Raven!"

Hey, I have a Canon EOS Rebel 2000 w/ Tamron 28-200mm lens. That is about a 600 dollar camera. Do you think im going to take that on a ride? No, that is why I bought a smaller camera, Canon Elph LT260. I took pictures on Dueling Dragons lift hills, both of them. I did that with Top Gun at PGA and Medusa at SFMW.

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