Magnum Photo Spot

Does anyone know where the on-ride photo location is on Magnum?

It's right before the last tunnel.

Thanks. I'm going in 2 weeks and I want to pose the right way for the camera. :)

You can't miss it. That, and if you don't get the pose right the first time, you can always jump in line again and go for another ride, since the line is usually pretty short.

-Josh

Yeah, on the way back just look for this tower next to the ride to your left. If you sit in the back, you can see it flash with the folks in front of you giving you enough time to post. It is on the down slope of the hill too so try to follow it.

Sit in the train second, it's the closer side to the camera.

Here is some advice and observations to make your Magnum On-Ride Photo better:

First - The exposure system is screwed, so you have to plan for your picture. If you wear bright colored clothing, such as white or yellow, or pastels, your picture will be mostly blown out, except for a few select times of the day. Very late afternoon, when the sun drops close to and behind the trees to the west of Magnum is a good time. It is getting dusky enough to require a flash for exposure, and the picture won't be overblown by the sun coming in from the east, or overhead, like earlier in the day. If you are wearing very dark clothing, such as blues or reds, you’ll get better results during the brighter parts of the day. It provides some measure of contrast for whatever metering system, if any, they are using. In any event, a low sun angle is best for Magnum pictures.

Second - The flash is firing late for the front row of the front car, only. Period. The rest of the train is synched, or maybe not, because the exposure is so bad. If you have your picture taken in dark clothing at a dark time of the day, in the front seat of the front car, your picture will be horribly underexposed. However, because the flash is firing late, if you’re wearing light clothing, the exposure will be much better during the day, and almost perfect for very late pictures. Pictures taken in the very late evening on the rest of the train have been suffering from exposure problems, because the metering system is opening the aperture wide, or performing the electronic equivalent, which blows out light colored clothing again. Except in the front seat of the first car.

Third - Sit in the front seat row of whatever car you occupy, and put the smaller person in the left hand seat. That way of you will be seen quite well in the picture. If you are in the right hand seat, and your arms are up, turn your body slightly to the left, as the camera is on your left just before you enter the last tunnel. Make sure your right arm is forward of your left arm. This way your face won't be blocked, either. When riding in left seat, lean back slightly, and turn very slightly to the left, and make sure your right arm is back a bit. This will expose your face, and not block the person in the right hand seat. Get yourself ready for all of this in the dip just before the last bunny hill, as the camera is just over the crest of the hill.

Last - I would study the pictures before you ride, so you can decide the best course of action. Also, the pictures on the monitors are actually a little worse than the prints, but, the images on the screen behind the counter are much better than the prints, so don’t expect miracles. Also, the images on the sales counter are full-frame, but the final print is cropped severely. Take it from me. I have invested a lot of dollars in Magnum Photos over the 2 seasons! Enjoy, and good luck!

Truth be told, this will be my first ride on Magnum... ever. My family hates thrill irdes, so we never go to Cedar Point. (not that anyone cares)... :( :( :( :( :( Anyways, thanks for the tips everyone!

Enjoy your trip! And I'd bet your family will, too! Cedar Point is so much more than thrill rides...but...those are fun, too! ;)

MrScott

I keep annoying my parents to go to Cedar Point (I always have to go with a friend, and this trip is no different...). Anyways, thanks MrScott, and, yes, I keep telling them there's 51 other rides they'd enjoy (and the smaller coasters), but they refuse... Oh well.

P.S. Tank, thanks for making a novel of how to get a good picture on Magnum...

Even though I've rode TTD, MF, and WT many, many times! I still think Magnum is the best ride there. As they said, when you ride Magnum, you should sit towards the the back, that way, you'll see the flashes from the camera before you reach it.

Nothin' beats the picture in my info though =)

...Except of course, Dan's "On Ride" photo.

did they take out that last tunnle.

Yes, they decided that 3 was too many, so they are moving that one over to WWL to replace the one they removed from there. Look for it beginning on bonus weekends along with construction on the new Huss Giant Frisbee-golf course.

1. Learn to spell.

2. The tunnel's not there. *** Edited 8/20/2004 4:16:52 PM UTC by Cedar Dan***

The tunnel is too still there.
lol. And I would have to agree Magnum is still the best. Not to mention the funnest to take pictures on.

I'd probably drop the camera the first time...

Am I the only one that thinks Tank knows waaayyy too much about the photos taken on Magnum?

Am I the only one that thinks Tank knows waaayyy too much about the photos taken on Magnum?

Well, it's my favorite coaster, and I have a lot of money invested in pictures of me and friends and family on the ride. Since I wouldn't or couldn't ride coasters for so many years, now that I can, I want lots of pictures with friends & family who ride with me. It's one of my few remaining vices. :)

Plus, I have a very strong background in imaging, dating back to my very first 35mm camera, a Ricoh 500G, in 1975, and, of course, 110 & 126 cameras before that. I used to run a color darkroom out of my house in Sandusky, and had big fun doing open-tray color prints (usually, a closed drum is used) up to 16x20". I also make my living these days in the publishing field, doing scanning and other digital imaging chores. So, it's kind of a natural that I would be paying attention to the camera as I fly by, sometimes, anyway.

My uncle was a photographer for a long time. Went to college for it, and worked for a newspaper for awhile. I remember when I was little going to his house and he also had one of those dark rooms set up. I remember being too scared to go in and see how the photos were put in that water chemical stuff and made. Not that any of you would care, but I figured I'd share a memory or two.

-Eagle-