Disney At Night
The Epcot resort area is one of my favorites places to stay on property. The Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts have a charming New England style, while across Crescent Lake, the Boardwalk Inn takes you back to turn-of-the-century Atlantic City. For me, I love these resorts because of their walking proximity to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios, but also because the Boardwalk is an attraction all to itself.
The iconic lighthouse is located directly in front of the Yacht Club on Crescent Lake in the Epcot Resort area at Walt Disney World. Across the lake, you can see the Boardwalk Inn. To get this perspective, I set my mini tripod on one of the "poles" just to the right of the lighthouse walkway.
To get this shot, I wanted to get that starburst effect, so a small aperture is the key. The light in the lighthouse rotates, so I was unsure if I could even get the main light to have a starburst. To get the maximum burst, I set my aperture to f/29, my shutter speed to 30 seconds, at ISO100, with a focal length of 46mm (1.5x crop). Given such a long exposure, I had to use my mini-tripod.
Interestingly, in the 30 seconds it took me to get the shot, one of the boats that sail around the lake crossed the scene, but you don't see it in the image.
This is one of my favorite pictures of the Epcot Resort area because of the lighthouse, and the view of the Boardwalk in the background with the colored lights reflecting off Crescent lake.
Have fun capturing the magic of Disney!