SeaWorld, Florida - Tips

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gray19lfc

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Going to Florida in 10 days and taking my D3100 with me. I'm a complete beginner and start a photography course at college when I return home but I'm after some tips that will help me get some good photos of the dolphins and whales at SeaWorld? I only have the 18-55mm VR lens that came with the camera but I'm guessing switching to aperture mode during the feeding times when the dolphins are up close and then switching to a fast shutter speed during the shows when the animals are darting around the water and jumping in the air will provide the best shots?
 
Don't sit in the first half dozen rows unless you want to get both you and your camera wet!
 
Half dozen rows? the lower half of the stadium is now the splash zone at the shamu show and its very cold salt water.

Apperture priority, manually select your focus point and track the subject if its moving so your ready when its time to press the button. Keep your shuter speeds up but they dont need to be that high the animals dont move that fast, it is very bright in florida and they are open air arenas so it shouldn't be an issue. The night shows again are great opertunities well lit but if you need to up your ISO.

General things the behind the scenes tour is pretty good, plan your day in there so that you don't miss any of the shows you want to see especially as you are going off season, it is worth checking things out in advanced as the parks dont always do their full list of shows every day during off season things like shamu rocks is usually only done saturday and sunday, the other parks may only do their fireworks at weekends also the parks also close early off season so try to get there early if you can to get a full day and your money's worth.
 
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I've just come back from Orlando a few weeks back and the summer season was drawing to a close and the parks have started to change their closing times. Seaworld was closing at 10pm when I was there. More likely to be 6pm now. The Shamu rocks show is great both during the day and evening for a whole different photography hit. Sit central, at least 10-15 rows back (to get these seats you'll need to be there an hour early) and you'll be in prime position for Shamu and the other whales jumping out onto the side. With a max zoom of 55mm (depending on crop factor x 1.5) you'll need to be reasonably close to get some decent shots and an aperture around 5.6 to throw all the dancers and show display out of focus and be ready for the jumps ahead of time.

Don't forget to enjoy the shows though ! :)
 
We went to Orlando in January and thought the Shamu show was boring, it used to be much better when the trainers could go in the water with the whales.

I found the sealions much more interesting and you can also get quite close to them and feed them, makes for some good pics.
 
quick tip that an old american boy told me at San Diego sea world a couple of years ago.....get a food bag (sandwich bag/freezer bag kinda thing), make a hole in the bottom big enough to fit the lens through - this stops it getting wet while the controls are all still accessible - you just have to give yourself enough opening at the top of the bag to get at the viewfinder. I've tried this a few times when out in showers and it does work a treat. However, I still wouldn't sit too close to the front - I doubt it will give much protection against the amount of water kicked up by dolphins and killer whales (and yes it is a deliberate attempt to soak anybody brave or daft enough to sit at the front). Enjoy your trip - if you've never been to sea world before, it's an amazing experience.
 
55mm isn't very long. I'm trying to remember (pics at home) but I think I shot with my 70-200 or 100-400.

After the trainer was killed, are they not allowed in the water now? I have some great shots of the whales jumping with the trainer standing on the nose of the whale
 
It's been turned into a circus act now with the trainers swinging about above the whales , the only time the trainers are in the water is when the whales are penned up

You regally need a much longer lens at 55mm the whales will be tiny
 
(1) buy a longer lens, 55mm is way to short unless you want to get very wet

(2) off topic, but they have some really weird fish in tanks ... buy a cheap rubber lens hood so you can squish your camera up against the tanks and get some great pics inside the tanks without getting reflections off the glass
 
Johnnybugs said:
(1) buy a longer lens, 55mm is way to short unless you want to get very wet

(2) off topic, but they have some really weird fish in tanks ... buy a cheap rubber lens hood so you can squish your camera up against the tanks and get some great pics inside the tanks without getting reflections off the glass
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip about a rubber lens hood. hope to be going to Florida next april so will give it a go.

and a nice mid range zoom would be a good buy to replace the 55mm much more useful.

all the best:)
 
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