Up Close with Them Fo’c’s’le Swabs

Once in a while, I'll bring my camera on board Pirates of the Caribbean and actually succeed in getting some focused shots within that dim difficult-to-photograph space.  In this series, I brought my 70-200mm f/2.8, which let me get closer and hone in on subjects more intimately.  And even though f/2.8 is a relatively open aperture, even this was challenging to get proper exposure.  Fortunately, part of the beauty of a dark ride is the play between light and shadow, so I took advantage of the ambiance to shape the mood of each shot.

After plunging down a waterfall into a dark cavern, guests float by the witness of past duels.

Clearly, it did not end well for this pirate.

A crab scuttles about, ignorant of the buccaneer battles before it.

This rager certainly looked to die for.

A pirate inspecting his treasure.

Popular urban legend holds that the skull mounted above the pirate is of the real human variety, but this could be more fiction than fact.

Treasure. All the treasure.

Out in the battle scene, Captain Barbossa shouts out orders.

Meanwhile, in Isla Tesoro, Carlos tries not to be cheeken.

Anybody wants the redhead?

A pirate and his cats.

They don't seem super pleased.

Yo ho! Yo ho!

The big gunfight at the end of the ride is a drunken affair.

Ah well.  Hopefully, they don't blow anything up.