Exploring Chessington World of Adventures in Infrared

Shot with the Fujifilm X-T1 + Fuji XF 10–24mm F4 OIS + Hoya R72 IR filter

For years I’ve loved photographing theme parks with pinhole cameras — there’s something magical about how they capture motion, space, and atmosphere. But lately, time hasn’t been on my side for film. So for this trip to Chessington World of Adventures, I decided to switch things up and pack my Fujifilm X-T1, pairing it with the Fuji XF 10–24mm F4 OIS and a Hoya R72 infrared filter.

The day started bright and sunny — perfect IR weather. While my wife and kids joined the queue for Mandrill Mayhem in the World of Jumanji, I began exploring the area with my camera. The architecture, textures, and landscaping around the ride offered endless possibilities for infrared photography.

To keep things handheld and capture a bit of motion blur from the rides and guests, I pushed the ISO up to 3200, getting exposures between 1/10 and 1/4 of a second. The results were surprisingly dreamy — streaks of motion against glowing foliage and dark, dramatic skies.

The entrance to The World of Jumanji! with Mandrill Mayhem sweeping over the top.

The 55ft tall Jaguar Shrine which Mandrill Mayhem goes around and the sun just hidden behind the track.

Mandrill Mayhem blasting off along the track.

The track sweeping over head

Another image of the entrance later in the day when some clouds appeared. 

A short walk away was Dragon’s Fury, twisting and turning through the park — perfect for capturing the dynamic movement and energy of the ride. 

On the way down, this was captured later in the day, a slight glow of the low sun

On your way back up.

Back on with the IR filter just to capture the blu of the cart on motion coming back down the track.

Something nice about the curves of the track sweeping through a bit of nature.

Then you get the rumble of the cart and screams of excitement or terror. 

Finally, I ended the session at Croc Drop, a striking structure that stands out beautifully under infrared light. The contrast between the bright foliage and dark skies made for some of my favorite shots of the day.

Croc drop dropping

Making the most of the IR effect on green foliage.

Overall, it was refreshing to revisit the thrill of a theme park through a different lens — quite literally. Shooting infrared at Chessington brought a new perspective to familiar scenes, turning everyday attractions into surreal dreamscapes. It reminded me that even when time is short for film, creativity doesn’t have to slow down — just adapt.