Here are some tips for photographing the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There are three major scenes of the production: Golden Idol, Cairo Fight and Exploding Plane which were all taken from the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The Golden Idol scene is the darkest scene with spot lighting on the Indiana Jones stunt double as he replaces the Idol with a bag of dirt. To get proper exposure, switch to Spot Metering and meter off Jones’ skin. The Idol will have some highlights but that is how it is seen so that is okay.

Golden Idol scene of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 2800, EV 0, 300mm focal length.

The Cairo Fight scene is full of color and motion. There are two ways to approach photographing the fighting and tumbling. First, you can use a fast shutter to freeze the action. This will give you fun photos to study all the expressions of the stunt men and woman and the extras. You should switch to Matrix (Nikon) or Evaluative (Canon) Metering for this scene.

Cairo Fight scene of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (fast shutter).
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 5000, EV +0.3, 135mm focal length.

To capture some of the excitement of the stunts, slow down your shutter speed and allow for the motion of the stunt people to blur.

Cairo Fight scene of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (show shutter).
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/125s, f/5.6, ISO 450, EV -0.3, 135mm focal length.

The last scene ends with large explosions as Indy and Marion run from the plane. Many Disney fan photographers consider this the money shot of the show. The trick here is to again use a fast shutter speed and burst mode to take a series of photos to catch the explosion as it expands behind the stunt actors.

Explosive finale of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular.
Nikon D700/28-300VR, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 400, EV 0, 82mm focal length.

It helps to know the show which I have attended numerous times over the years. If you have not seen the show or do not remember it, search youTube for videos to study.