iFairground - Experts > Photography

{Interview: Joe Schwartz, Joyrides}

Joe Schwartz setup Joyrides [http://www.joyrides.com], a photo gallery celebrating the joy and beauty of amusement park rides. We conducted the following interview with him in June 2000.

Q: What kind of film and what film speed did you use to get such great pictures?
A: I always use at least 400-speed film, usually Fuji Superia 400. If using a point & shoot camera with a long zoom lens (over 100mm), I recommend 800-speed film for action shots.

Q: You posted your pictures of roller coasters on the web. Did you have to get permission from the theme parks that the coasters came from in order to do this?
A: No, you can always use your own photographs for personal, non-commercial purposes.

Q: How did your coaster photo collection begin?
A: In 1994, I took an 8-week vacation and visited about 75 amusement parks in the US. During that trip, I tried using single-use cameras to take some coaster photos. The results were pretty good, so I decided to buy a point & shoot zoom camera.

Q: What motivated you to start a collection?
A: I'd seen lots of excellent coaster photos in ACE publications such as "Guide to Ride", and I thought it might be fun to try it myself. When I began my website in 1997, there were very few high-quality coaster photos available on the Web. Instead of creating an all-purpose coaster-related website, I decided to concentrate on photographs and excel in that area.

Q: How long has it taken you to get such an impressive collection
of photos?
A: About six years.

Q: What are some unique things that people ought to photograph?
A: People should photograph anything that looks interesting. I chose to photograph amusement park rides because I think they're beautiful, and because riders have such great facial expressions.

Q: Are there any tips you have for people as to how to take better pictures?
A: The most important tip is to understand how your camera works. You can take great photos with an inexpensive camera, but you have to use the shutter button properly. On most cameras, you press the shutter button halfway to focus, and then the rest of the way to take the picture. If you're trying to take an action photo (like a coaster train in motion), focus the shot in advance by holding the shutter button halfway down. Wait until the subject is in a good position, and then press the shutter button the rest of the way. Most of the time, I stand around waiting for the right photo -- waiting for the sun to come out, waiting for a coaster train to come (preferably with lots of riders), etc.