Photo Trip report: Day's 1-7 Completed! (finally) 1/10 [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

handicap18

12-04-2007, 08:10 PM

Ok, I've finally started converting JPEGs and downloading to photobucket. I have a bunch that need some white balance changes and I just starting trying out Nikon Capture NX and haven't quite figured out all the the bells and whistles yet.

Day 1 was the most tragic day, though I didn't know it till Day 5. Like I had mentioned in previous post, my camera fell about 2 feet or so right on the edge of the lens. Initial inspection showed damage to the lens hood (which was on backwards, if it had been on as it was intended, it probably would have been smashed, but would have saved the lens, oh well, live and learn). Camera turned on, lens came off and went back on, took a test shot and it seemed fine. Only other stressful part of the day was the drive into Boston. It was rainy and just after the start of rush hour. Going into Boston from the North really s-u-c-k-s!!!!!! Luckily there were no accidents, but it was moving real slow, slower than normal. Though once we hit the HOV lane it was smooth sailing and that made me feel better.

After checking in at the hotel we wandered around the grounds a bit. We let the kids play in the playground, checked out the gift shop. Went back to the room and gave DS a little present he's wanted for a long time. A BLUE lightsaber! Talk about being excited. We had dinner reservations at Boatwrights at 6:30. I thought that would be an easy one. No sence in going out to a park with the kids after a long day. The food was very good. DW, Dfil, and I each had prime rib, Dbil had jumbalia (sp?) and Dsis had some sort of vegi thingy. Kids has pizza and were happy.

Got the kids to bed. DW and her dad were tired so they stayed behind with the kids while I headed to MK with Dsis and Dbil. That was a great night. Also one of the few nights I brought a tripod with me. We rode PotC, HM, SM, BtMR and Buzz (twice, once with Andy).

I've read it here a few times. You can see pictures of the castle lit up and it looks awesome. However, when you see it in person. WOW! Pictures certainly do not do it justice. It is certainly a sight to see. I'm glad I was able to see it a number of different times.

Here are some pictures from the days events:

DD enjoying her flight:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Misc/DSC_9274.jpg

Meetinp with Dsis (her and Dbil came in from Jersey)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Misc/DSC_9275.jpg

POR lobby tree:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSC_9291.jpg

I love these little plastic type looking statues of the characters they have all over the world: These are in the POR gift shop:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSC_9295.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSC_9296.jpg

handicap18

12-04-2007, 08:20 PM

Here are a few more from Day 1. Didn't want to overload 1 post with a ton of pics:

DS with his new light saber:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSC_9311.jpg

DD absolutly LOVED walking back with Uncle and Papa. She kept grabbing their hands and asking for more and laughing hysterically:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSC_9330.jpg

My first view of the trip of Main St and the Castle:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9331.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9333.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9338.jpg

This was with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 on the Buzz ride:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9349.jpg

Also with the Sigma 30. Space Mountains gift shop ceiling.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9363.jpg

More Sigma 30 shots:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9384.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9386.jpg

Haunted Mansion:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9391.jpg

They do shut down the lights for the Good Night Kiss (I believe that is what it is called, I saw this a few times)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9396.jpg

That'll do for tonight. Time for bed. Tomorrow I'll process Day 2 and hopefully day 3 pics.

dburg30

12-04-2007, 08:49 PM

Hmmmm.. liking that 30....

campinggal

12-04-2007, 09:16 PM

Hmmmm.. liking that 30....

Yeah...what he/she said!!! Of course I'm sure it is your photography skills that are making it look so good! :thumbsup2

Looking forward to more!

boBQuincy

12-04-2007, 09:38 PM

Wow, some great photos! Post more.

What it looks like I *really* missed was running into all the Disboard people that were there. We looked for anyone who was obviously carrying way too much camera gear (besides ourselves) but never saw anyone who looked like they just belonged in this group. ;)

Maybe next year...

DVC Jen

12-05-2007, 07:56 AM

Great shots and report - looking forward to more.

jann1033

12-05-2007, 08:08 AM

really like the one of your daughter and the men, talk about pure joy on her face! nice job :thumbsup2

Suburbanmom

12-05-2007, 08:21 AM

Great pictures! The ice castle is so beautiful, I can't imagine it being even more breathtaking in person. Keep the photos coming!

allie5

12-05-2007, 08:47 AM

Wonderful photos! Thanks for sharing!

sk8belle

12-05-2007, 09:10 AM

The Buzz Lightyear and Haunted Mansion shots were awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of your photos.

donaldduck1967

12-05-2007, 11:47 AM

Very nice shots.

Pea-n-Me

12-05-2007, 02:56 PM

Wow! Incredible Buzz shot! Glad your lens remained usable.

handicap18

12-05-2007, 02:59 PM

Ok, now on to Day 2. The Magic Kingdom. This day was more so for the kids. Just after we walked into the park oldest DS made his first visit to a character, willingly! In the past he only liked the character meals and avoided ANY character in the parks at all costs. When we got it I saw Pinocchio. Since I hadn't gotten a pic with him yet I stood in the short line. Everyone else made their way up to the Buzz ride. A few minutes later just as I'm about to go have my picture taken, my Dsis comes running up with DS and his autograph book. AH HA! The magic touch. Get book to have character sign and child will approach a character. That worked out nice, except after Pinocchio signed it, DS took off. Didn't want to take a pic. Oh well. After that I found a few other characters then we made our way to Buzz. I took a pics along the way up Main St. After Buzz we headed to Indy Car Speedway then to ToonTown with the kids. My Sis, her hubby and my FIL took the train back to Main St. The kids had a blast in Toontown. Especially over at Donalds boat with the water squirting up. We also toured Mickey & Minnie's Houses. They had some holiday decor on the outside. After wards we were able to catch the Mickey Show on the Castle stage, but then it rained a bit. Apparently it was drizzling JUST hard enough to cut the show short. Afterwards we wandered around Adventureland for a bit, then headed over to the Contemporary for dinner reservations at Chef Mickey's. The kids had a blast. DD could not get enough of the characters and kept asking them to come over. Youngest DS picked up on the festivities and by the end of the night was walking around waving his napkin around with the characters. Not to much after this. We walked back to MK to get the bus home to POR. No other parks that night. Got the kids back somewhat early for bed (maybe 930ish???!?)

OK Photobucket is being a pain and so is my computer (I so can not wait to get new one in a few months!, but thats another story):

Here is what I have so far for Day 2. I'll add more as I get them:

Main St (actually, just off Main St)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9427.jpg

Didn't have great lighting, but its still pretty nice:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9431.jpg

Some Magic Kingdom Holiday Decor:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9440.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9442.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9443.jpg

Oldest DS with Push The Talking Trash Can:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9460.jpg

Youngest DS thinking that his new Buzz Lightyear blaster is a camera. He kept putting it up to his face and saying "CHEEEEESEE":
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9464.jpg

DisneyFreak06

12-05-2007, 03:18 PM

Great shots! I can't wait to see/read more. Your kids are adorable too. ;)

Amy

12-05-2007, 03:58 PM

handicap18

12-05-2007, 04:14 PM

Thanks for the compliments.

Here are a few more Day 2 photos. I'll have more as photobucket gets faster...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9486.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9489.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9484.jpg

Holiday Wreath in the Toontown area:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9503.jpg

MicMin

12-05-2007, 04:30 PM

Wonderful pictures!

willis37862

12-05-2007, 05:49 PM

Your photo of the bride in the Haunted Mansion is AMAZING :thumbsup2 How did you get that shot? Please share your tips for getting such a sharp shot inside the mansion.

donaldduck1967

12-06-2007, 05:53 AM

Once again great shots. I really like the from the Speedway with the #'s.

AndrewWG

12-06-2007, 06:01 AM

Nice photos, Kyle! I got the same shot of the "Mickey" greenery on the light post and the bears under the MK tree. Your Buzz pic is great! I would have done better trying to take pix on that ride instead of trying to shoot.:mad: I got one with a bad gun, only scored 14,000 points and that's only from the 100 points you get just from holding down the button all the time. Oh well; MIB at "the other park" is still my favorite of all time.

That's funny. I took a photo of the "Mickey greenery" too! Those must be very photographed wreaths! I didn't think of getting the castle in the background though. I took a different one. Oh well. That's why I'm still developing my photographers "eye".

Nice shots Kyle. I look forward to seeing the next group!

dburg30

12-06-2007, 11:51 AM

I didnt feel like clicking the details on everyone, were most of the night / low light shots done with the 30mm?

handicap18

12-06-2007, 02:10 PM

Your photo of the bride in the Haunted Mansion is AMAZING :thumbsup2 How did you get that shot? Please share your tips for getting such a sharp shot inside the mansion.

Thank you. For that shot I used the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. ISO 1600, f/1.4 at 1/25th. I got real lucky with that one. I think the car I was riding in stopped at just the right time for just a brief second so I could click the shutter. On the LCD screen on my camera I couldn't really tell how well it came out. I didn't know how good it really was till we got home and I saw it on the computer.

I didnt feel like clicking the details on everyone, were most of the night / low light shots done with the 30mm?

For the pic's posted thus far, 2 of the night shots are with the 30mm. The 2 in Liberty Square along with the HM ghost bride and the one of the Space Mountain gift shop ceiling. The other night shots were with the "broken" 18-135mm lens on a tripod. For 90% of my upcoming night shots I used the 30mm. I was able to bring a tripod to AK during evening EMH and got some real nice shots of the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest with the "broken" 18-135 lens.

Thanks to everyone else for the nice comments. I think I should be able to get a few more day 2 pics uploaded to photobucket and then I'll start doing day 3. The 2 younger kids will be napping shortly so I should have a few hours.

thptrek

12-06-2007, 02:27 PM

Great shots. That 30mm is really sweet. I have been using Capture NX for a bit now and I like the program. The RAW adjustments are really powerful and I like using the Control Points.

willis37862

12-06-2007, 02:41 PM

Thank you. For that shot I used the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 lens. ISO 1600, f/1.4 at 1/25th. I got real lucky with that one. I think the car I was riding in stopped at just the right time for just a brief second so I could click the shutter. On the LCD screen on my camera I couldn't really tell how well it came out. I didn't know how good it really was till we got home and I saw it on the computer.

Thanks for the info. I would love to get a shot half as good as yours next time on the Haunted Mansion ride. I will bump the film speed up and hope for the best. :)

handicap18

12-06-2007, 03:08 PM

Great shots. That 30mm is really sweet. I have been using Capture NX for a bit now and I like the program. The RAW adjustments are really powerful and I like using the Control Points.

So far I like the conversion that NX gives. I'm still working on the white balance and exposure compensation and stuff. There is definately a lot to the program. I think I may make the purchase when the trial ends.

Thanks for the info. I would love to get a shot half as good as yours next time on the Haunted Mansion ride. I will bump the film speed up and hope for the best. :)

If your using film, then a 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens will give you just about the same field of view as the 30mm does with digital. There are other spots on HM to get good pics with these lenses, however the ride has to stop. I tried a few other shots, but got nothing but motion blurr. The scene with the dining room table would be nice if the ride stopped there. Someone else got a pic of themselves with the ghost that appears in the mirrors, but again, the ride had stopped. Everything else is just to dark. Maybe if someone tried out the new Nikon D3 with ISO 6400, that might work, but even that is pushing it on that ride.

handicap18

12-06-2007, 03:14 PM

Ok, I've gotten more Day photos uploaded to photobucket. I didn't realize how much time we actually spent in Toontown, but the kids did have a blast. Not a lot of "photography" pics, but I did get some great candids and a few "portraits" around the Donld Boat, the playground and Mickey & Minnie's house:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9521.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9530.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9534.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9538.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9546.jpg

Minnie's House all decked out:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9555.jpg

Mickey's fireplace:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9563.jpg

Our brief view of the show on the Castle Stage:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9635.jpg

Just missed the other side of the fireworks going off:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSC_9638.jpg

Groucho

12-06-2007, 10:20 PM

handicap18

12-07-2007, 02:36 PM

And here I thought I was the only one who took pictures of the ceiling of the Space Mt gift shop! :teeth:

It's interesting seeing the different prospective you got with the 30mm vs the same shots with a 50mm. Not bad, not bad at all. Good job on the HM shot, having it stop for a moment really is an unfair advantage though! :lmao:

To quote your own tag..... "you need every advantage you can get" :thumbsup2 The Space Mtn gift shop I though was pretty cool. Loved the lights and thought it would make a great picture. GMTA

handicap18

12-07-2007, 03:40 PM

Day 3: Animal Kingdom
Overall I wasn't as happy with AK as I had been in the past. I just basically hit a lot of things wrong. My timing was terrible. Though in the end I still took a TON of pictures. For the safari we had the LAST row on the jeep! YUK! I was on the right side of the vehicle and it seemed as though all the animals were on the left side. The driver was bland in his commentary and it seemed as though he was in a rush, we were always just about right behind the jeep in front of us. I don't remember doing that in the past. I got a few decent shots and thankfully I had the VR on the 70-300 otherwise I might not have gotten anything. Afterwards we did the Pangini Forest trail and again bad timing. Just about all the gorilla's were sleeping and my of them were behind the glass so it made for bad pictures. 2 of the big male gorilla's sat themselves way in the back behind lots of greenery. I was able to get some nice waterfall shots with the VR lens at the 70mm end. We also did the jungle trek in Asia. Again, bad timing. I could only find 1 tiger and that one was sleeping with his/her back to us. I got some nice shots of the monkey's outside the Kahli River Rapids ride, but the sun was in a bad spot and made for difficult lighting.

Over all we did have fun. We rode EE twice (then I rode 2 more times during evening EMH). We ate lunch at The Flame Tree. The ribs seemed a bit overdone but were still yummy and I was also able to find that great spot with the great view of EE. We picked up a a few new characters to add to the kids autograph book and my photo book (I love hunting down characters). Missed FotLK again and also didn't see the Nemo show. The kids played in the boneyard playground for a while. Each taking turns dumping sand in each others hair.

After AK we had dinner at Boma at The Animal Kingdom Lodge. That is Dsis & Dbil's farvorite place to eat. Food was pretty good, but the lobby with the giant Christmas Tree was awesome.

After dinner I went back to AK with DD, Dsis & Dbil. DW went back to the hotel with the 2 boys and her dad. AK at night is awesome. The photos I got at night certainly made up for the animal pictures I missed during the day.

Here are some highlight photos:

decoration on the tree at the enterance:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9787.jpg

looking up at the Tree of Life:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9821.jpg

A few safari pics that I got:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9867.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9873.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9882.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9902.jpg

Only good gorilla shot:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9979.jpg

water fall on the Pangani Trail:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSC_9983.jpg

Lizziejane

12-07-2007, 05:13 PM

Lovin' your pictures Kyle - makes me wish I had a trip planned, which I don't, boo hoo....

handicap18

12-07-2007, 06:04 PM

A few more:
Pluto taking video's of us!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0013.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0019.jpg

A shot on EE:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0043.jpg

Monkey:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0093.jpg

A few night shots to finish up Day 3. This was the last night I used the tripod:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0276.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0279.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Animal%20Kingdom/DSD_0289.jpg

Groucho

12-07-2007, 06:43 PM

To quote your own tag..... "you need every advantage you can get" :thumbsup2 The Space Mtn gift shop I though was pretty cool. Loved the lights and thought it would make a great picture. GMTA
We also took almost exactly the same shot of the lion head on the AK Christmas tree. :lmao:

As for Space Mountain, you got a much wider shot, as I was using my 50mm: (this one'll look better when I fix the reds in Lightroom!)
http://www.totalsham.com/pics/gallery/7140-4/2007WDWb-309.jpg

http://www.totalsham.com/pics/gallery/7136-4/2007WDWb-308.jpg

Good work so far. Sorry to hear that AK was a little disappointing this time. It's interesting how Everest photographs strangely at night... I had the same results when I was there after dark, and I fiddled with the colors a bit and eventually got the mountain looking a little more to my liking but ended up with a green sky! It'll probably take tweaking the individual colors in LR to get something close to what the eye sees.

AndrewWG

12-07-2007, 06:56 PM

Kyle, I took one of those shots too. Nice shots!

Here's mine:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w148/AndyG1970/IMG_0473-1.jpg

Amy

12-07-2007, 07:03 PM

Kyle, those shots of Everest at night are AWESOME!! Great work!:thumbsup2

Avivasmom

12-07-2007, 09:19 PM

Those are some awesome shots...I got very lucky on the safari ride with the lions as well as with the gorillas on the walking trail.

And your children are just beautiful.

handicap18

12-08-2007, 09:10 PM

Andy, I think thats a pretty standard shot in AK. I took one last year too. I haven't compared them, but those boats are way to colorful not to photograph them every time.

Groucho, I think when you finally do get that 31mm Pentax lens you've mentioned that your really going to like it. The only issues so far I have with my 30mm is that I get a lot more noise wide open on night shots. But overall I really like the focal length. It certainly is harder to focus and I do have a lot of missed focus shots, but for not using a tripod or a lens/body with VR or IS it performed very well.

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments.

AndrewWG

12-08-2007, 09:15 PM

Andy, I think thats a pretty standard shot in AK. I took one last year too. I haven't compared them, but those boats are way to colorful not to photograph them every time.

I never noticed them on my past trips, but they were all pre-photography insanity. Now I look at things differently.

I love the shots of AK at night. I didn't get tht opportunity to be there after dark. That is a goal on my next trip. Of course, I have about $5 saved up for that trip, so it will be awhile...

handicap18

12-08-2007, 10:07 PM

Day 4: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Since we didn't have to be at MK till 4:15 for our ADR at Crystal Palace, we took it easy during the day. DW headed out early though for some EMH time alone. It was either MK or EPCOT that she went to. I let the kids sleep in a bit, though with 3 of them sleeping in the same room that was tough. After breakfast we took a stroll around the hotel. I took some morning shots which turned out nice, then let the kids play in the playground for a while. That was tough as DD (age 3) and youngest DS (15 months) each decided to go in different directions away from the playground. DOH! I was able to round them up with no major issues and then got them back to the hotel room for a 2 hour nap which they needed. Luckily we had connecting rooms with my Sis, Bil and Fil. They were off at another park so I used their room for a bit.

Dinner at CP was great. DW loves eating there and the Pooh gang are her favorite characters. The kids really liked having the characters come to the table as well. After dinner we went hunting down MVMCP wrist bands and eventually got stuck in the hub so we hung out for a bit to watch WISHES. I took some handheld shots that came out pretty good. After that it was Tomorrowland (Buzz again) then Toontown for a bit, then we staked out spot in Frontierland for the early Parade. We got a great spot right in front of the Diamond Horseshoe. The kids were right on the street in front and I found a spot up high in front of some small tree's. I had a great view except for a few people heads. I managed to use both the 30mm f/1.4 and the 50mm f/1.8. This area was great because we had some extra light coming from the front of the Diamond Horseshoe. This is also where I'm missing about 60 pictures that I belive to be still on the card, but it maybe corrupt. I put that in another post though.

After the parade we split up. I wanted to get some Holiday Wishes shots, but since we saw the regular Wishes earlier no one else was interested. So I went back to my old reliable spot. The trashcan between Casey's and the Info board on the left side as you head towards the castle. I thought I was going to have some problems because about 10 minutes after I got my spot a family got their spot about 8 feet in front of me and the ALL had on these huge Santa hats. GRRRRR. Things worked out though. I lied in a previous post. I did use a tripod for these, but this was really the last time I used a tripod during the trip. All the Holiday Wishes shots were taken with the "broken" lens. Around this time I had already noticed that the front of the lens didn't look quite right, but it was still working so I didn't think much of it.

After Wishes, I meet up with the group in Fantasyland, then we split up again. I stayed with the kids and waited for DW. Then we headed to Adventureland thinking that the 2nd parade was just about to end, but I had the wrong time. So we watched the parade again. Not as good of a spot this time. I was across from the bell in Liberty Square looking towards Frontierland. The view was great, but lighting wasn't. I used the 30 1.4, 50 1.8 and also tried out the 90mm f/2.8. That had good length, but not quite was enough at f/2.8. Once that parade was over, DW and I some pin shopping in Frontierland. 2 the young kids passout cold and were out for the rest of the night. A short jaunt though Adventureland let DW and her dad ride PotC while I found some character photo ops. Genie and Abu were hysterical, especially Abu. He was harassing a few 12 year olds in front of us. Very funny to watch. I think he stole their cell phones 2 or 3 times each.

After that we made our way out. We were out of the park a little after midnight. Though we did intend to see Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas show, we never made it. But overall we had a great time and really enjoyed ourselves.

Here are some highlight photos:
Tried something different here. From the CP area:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0357.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0394.jpg

Handheld Wishes shots:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0413.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0440.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0445.jpg

Minnie's house at night:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0482.jpg

The 3 man band that roams Frontierland: (both with the 30mm f/1.4)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0490.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0496.jpg

handicap18

12-08-2007, 10:14 PM

Here are some from the Christmas Parade. I still need to upload more to photobucket and also try to recover some from the SD card. These were taken with either the 30mm f/1.4 or the 50mm f/1.8. Check the exif for the focal length. Sometimes I did adjust the aperture if lighting was good.

Looking down Frontierland:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0505.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0514.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0518.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0525.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0526.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0541.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0547.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0552.jpg

Groucho

12-09-2007, 09:32 PM

Groucho, I think when you finally do get that 31mm Pentax lens you've mentioned that your really going to like it. The only issues so far I have with my 30mm is that I get a lot more noise wide open on night shots. But overall I really like the focal length. It certainly is harder to focus and I do have a lot of missed focus shots, but for not using a tripod or a lens/body with VR or IS it performed very well.
Interesting. I'm glad to hear that you're liking your Sigma; even if I go for another lens, it's nice to know that it exists. As soon as Beach gets the 31mm back in stock, I'll probably be placing my order... though a few days ago, a couple old new-to-me lenses arrived in the mail (Pentax 135mm F3.5 screw-mount, Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm F2.8-4.0) - but you can never have too many lenses. :teeth:

BTW, I think that you just had the first shot I've yet seen of Toontown at night! Neat.

scottny

12-10-2007, 12:21 AM

the pictures are really great. loved the night time AK ones.

handicap18

12-10-2007, 10:13 AM

Got my missing photos recovered from the SD card. Here are a few more from MVMCP including some fireworks shots:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0595.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD__0634.jpg

Mrs Claus blowing kisses to youngest DS who was blowing kisses back to her:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD__0661.jpg

Holiday Wishes, got my now "regular" spot on Main St. Same spot I got last summer for Wishes. I used bulb mode and tried to time things. Nothing spectacular, but good results overall. I do have 2 images that I want to combine. I just need to play around with PSE to figure out how to merge to seperate files.
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0348.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0358.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0361.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0375.jpg

Fantasyland with its Holiday lights:
taken with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0416.jpg

The kids had a long night:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0509.jpg

A shot of the castle taken with the 30mm f/1.4:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0549.jpg

Looking down Main St on our way out, again with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DSD_0554.jpg

scottny

12-10-2007, 10:15 AM

WOW

those r really nice.

alan

12-10-2007, 10:52 AM

I can see why you wanted to recover these - well done!

regards,
/alan

Gdad

12-10-2007, 11:02 AM

Very creative- nicely done Kyle. :thumbsup2

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Mickeys%20Very%20Merry%20Christmas%20Party/DRD_0394.jpg

jann1033

12-10-2007, 08:38 PM

i like the balloon one as well, nice unique shot...and the kids look so cute in the stroller!

handicap18

12-11-2007, 02:08 PM

Thanks for the kind words. I like that balloon shot too. It was just one of those things that presented itself. I never would have looked for something like that. I just happened to be in the right spot and thought it looked cool.

Ok, now onto Day 5: EPCOT

Yep the day the lens fell appart. I used the 18-135 as we entered the park. Took about a dozen or so shots with it before changing to the 30. Actually I used it, then changed to the 30, then changed back for a bit, then when we hit Living Sea's I switched back to the 30. Oh well. We'll see what Nikon says when they get it.

For the first time we went into Innoventions. I believe we went into the West side. The kids liked playing in there. Lots for them to touch and expirment with. DD got to sit and color for a while. After Innoventions we went to the Living Sea's. Again another place the kids really like. We did the Nemo ride. That was cute. We were also able to do Turtle Talk with Crush for the first time. That was a lot of fun dude! Oldest DS was very excited afterwards because he got to talk to Crush. He didn't actually ask him a question. He just told him that he was 5. Crush did a big flip and "DUDE!! You've just been hatched Dude!!!" We got to the park on the late side. We ate lunch before Innoventions, then after Living Sea's we started to make our way around the World Showcase starting in Canada. We had 4:30 ADR at the Princess Storybook Dinner in Norway so we had some time to do a bit of exploring. We got lucky because just after we got to the Canada area the 2 young ones fell asleep. That made for an easier walk.

Nothing really out of the ordinary on this day. DD did love all the attention she got from the Princesses at Dinner. Most of us had the Grilled Venison and it was very good. Oldest DS loved the pizza. One of the few things besides french fries that he ate all week. We had a great waiter and the chef that came out for DW (she has a glute/wheat alergy) was awesome and very thorough.

After dinner DW and her dad went to watch the Candlelight Processional. The rest of us went to get EMH wrist bands. After that DW went back to the hotel with her dad and the 2 boys. DD stayed with me along with my Dsis and Dbil. Sis and her hubby had FP for Soarin. After that we did Mission Space twice (well 2 of us at a time while 1 stayed with DD). Then we walked around WS starting in Mexico. Watched Illuminations, then were able to ride the Grand Fiesta in Mexico. We wanted to do the ride in Norway, but it was having mechanical issues. After that we took our time wandering around the rest of WS and ended up eating Fish & Chips in the UK (YUUUMMMMMYYY). For the EMH the park was not to crowded. DD ended up falling asleep before we got to the UK area. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 performed well. Again, the only issues is the extra noise at ISO1600 and f/1.4. But it was all I had and with that focal length it worked out well. I am very happy with it. I did have the tripod with my, but my Dsis was giving out these looks everytime we stopped to take pics (both me and Dbil). So I just kept on the move.

Here are some highlight shots:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0600.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0605.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0675.jpg

Waterfall in Canada:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0702.jpg

Father Christmas in the UK:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0718.jpg

Morocco lamps:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0723.jpg

The train set in Germany with holiday decorations:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0735.jpg

Lamp in Norway:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DSD_0750.jpg

handicap18

12-11-2007, 02:13 PM

A few more. Night shots with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4:

Germany:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0692.jpg

American Adventure:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0712.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0717.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0740.jpg

Orniment in Germany:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0856.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0889.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0924.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/EPCOT/DRD_0934.jpg

Amy

12-11-2007, 02:25 PM

Kyle, that night shot in Germany is PERFECT!:thumbsup2

Gdad

12-11-2007, 02:33 PM

Awesome two shots of your daughter- drawing and with the stingray- very nice. :thumbsup2

scottny

12-11-2007, 02:56 PM

great pics. the night shots r great. wish mine would come out so nice.

Groucho

12-15-2007, 01:17 PM

handicap18

12-15-2007, 09:31 PM

Man, it's great to see Spaceship Earth bare and beautiful again. :teeth: (Though I'm not happy about one of the new additions inside, but that's another topic...)

Nice dog backpark/harness, we had one on my son for a good bit of time last trip and they're just fantastic for places like WDW!

Nice work, now you just have to schedule your next trip. :thumbsup2

I didn't mind the wand and sign all that much. Though my first trip to WDW was in '01 so I never saw SSE without that stuff before this last trip.

That harness thingy is also a backpack (though small) and it makes it much easier to keep track of the kids rather than having them wander off. DD would VERY much just decide to all of a sudden wander off. She didn't mind the backpack though. Every now and then she would pull back on the leash and get mad, but it was definately worth having it.

If I seriously think about scheduling a next trip DW would not be to happy. I have to at least wait another few months. Though she loves going just as much as I do. Not sure yet when the next trip will be. I'm thinking no later than Sept/Oct '09, though DW very much likes going around this time of year.

I have to get going on getting day's 6 & 7. Its been a tough week with the weather, DW being sick and the kids being sick (including DD having been diagnosed today with pneumonia. She has to take some nasty smelling antibiotics, but she takes it with no fuss). I'll get to pics soon enough.

handicap18

01-10-2008, 04:14 PM

Ok, so I figure its time to get this report finished. Between getting the last 2 days of RAW files converted, having computer issues (less than 4 weeks now before I get a brand new computer!!!), everyone in the house being sick at one point or another over the last 4 weeks, the holidays, work, bla bla bla...

Here goes:

Day 6.
Downtown Disney, Some hotel visiting and Magic Kingdom at night.

We left day 6 open. It was a saturday and near the end of the trip so I figured it would be good to let the kids sleep in (not to mention letting us sleep in too). DW went to MGM for EMH and got ToT in 2 times as well as RnRC twice along with some shopping. After she got back the 2 little ones took a nap and oldest DS and I went to check out Port Orleans French Quarter then took the boat to Downtown Disney. We checked out World of Disney and the Lego Store. Also stopped in the Pin store, but nothing jumped out at me. DS got a cool lego truck which we put together on the plane ride home. The boat ride was very cool. We happened to get the same captain in both directions. Dan who happens to be from Martha's Vinyard. DS got himself a co-captains pin for holding onto one of the ropes (aka line as its called on a boat) while made the trip back to Riverside.

For dinner we had reservations at Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge. We were able to get there early and check out the hotel. WOW! AWESOME! I so want to stay there. Absolutly loved everything we encountered there. Our dinner at WCC was great. Most of us got the All You Can Eat Skillet!! YUUUMMMMYYYY!!! Ribs, and pulled pork and bbq chicken and potatoes and corn on the cob! I definately ate way to much, but it was soooooo good. Will definately eat there again. Oldest DS asked for ketchup and I think we ended up with 10 bottles!! I didn't get a chance to get a picture because not long after he got his bottles, someone else yelled for ketchup and he and my sis took most of the bottle to them. He thought that was fun.

After dinner we took the kids back to the hotel. DW's dad was also tired so he stayed with them. They all fell asleep pretty quickly. DW and I took off to meet up with my sister and brother-in-law at MK. We got there right after Spectromagic started. I thought it started 15 minutes later. Oh well. I snapped a few quick pics, then after the last float went by I made a b-line through the emporium, came out behind Casey's, flew past Crystal Palace into Adventureland then snuck through to Frontierland. I got there about 4 floats in. So I didn't get them all, but did get most. The 30mm f/1.4 performed well. Only had 1 issue. Brer Bear came up for a closeup, but it was to dark to focus. Oh well. It was a nice thought. After that we did Philharmagic twice then were able to do Monsters Laugh Floor. That was pretty cool. For those who have done it. I was chosen as "That Guy"!

Over all it was a very nice day. Got some decent pics and made it into MK again. I wanted to get pics of Spectro and while I didn't get the whole parade I did get most of it.

Some from DTD:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Downtown%20Disney/DSD_1462.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Downtown%20Disney/DSD_1466.jpg

My favorite Star Wars ship!
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Downtown%20Disney/DSD_1496.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Downtown%20Disney/DSD_1507.jpg

I have to go in and photoshop that spot of his forehead. Don't know where that came from. might be a reflection off the lens from the sun. ??
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Downtown%20Disney/DSD_1535.jpg

A few from Whispering Canyon:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSD_1565.jpg

Didn't have a tripod, so I rested the camera best I could on a log. This is what I got:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSD_1577.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Hotels/DSD_1625.jpg

Magic Kingdom:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1638.jpg

the parade making its way down Main St towards the Castle:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1645.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1666.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1674.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1687.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1696.jpg

Snapped this one at the end of Philharmagic. Think it needs some post processing. I'll get to that eventually:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1709.jpg

Upclose of the Castle:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1790.jpg

Thought this was pretty cool and different. Castle stage from behind looking towards Tomorrowland:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1797.jpg

I was very happy with this Castle photo. Handheld with the 30mm f/1.4:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/Magic%20Kingdom/DSD_1834.jpg

handicap18

01-10-2008, 04:34 PM

Day 7:
our final day. We head to Disney MGM Studio's (I know the name has changed to Disney Hollywood Studio's, but when we were there it was still MGM Studio's).

Got there a little later than I would have liked, but we ended up staying all day long right though for the EMH. First thing we did was head over to Star Tours and checked out the Jedi Training Academy. DS was a little to shy to try and get up, but he LOVED it. He had his own lightsaber and was doing all the moves along with all the kids on stage. When Vader came out, he yelled along with everyone else. We also took him on the Star Tours ride and he enjoyed it, but would only do it once. We went next to the Streets of America to find the Power Rangers and see Lightning and Mater. Oldest DS wouldn't go up to the PR's but DD did. We also got a peak at Lightning and Mater then let the kids play in Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground. We did lunch at Pizza Planet then went to find a spot for the Holly Days Parade. Got a spot near the park enterance which was great for the kids, but terrible for me and taking pictures. Light was very harsh. I ended up using the flash a lot because of the severe backlighting from the sun. We split up after the parade and I roamed around with DD who had fallen asleep and took some pics before meeting up with everyone for dinner at Mama Melrose (which again was a great dinner). After dinner the Osborne Lights were on so we checked those out. This is when our fellow Dis'er Amy and her DH met up with us for a quick chat and hello. We then cought the late Fantasmic show and I got some very usable pics with my 70-300mm VR lens even at f/5.6. I would have preferred a faster aperture at that length, but you go with what you have.

For EMH we rode RnRC twice and also went on The Great Movie Ride. Then rode RnRC again before heading out. I was trying to snap night shots when I could with the 30mm f/1.4. Results were ok, but not as good as previous nights. Not really sure why. Focus didn't come out as sharp. Maybe I was just tired and not completely paying attention, but I certainly would have prefered to use a tripod for night shots of the Hat and ToT. Oh Well there's always next time. :teeth:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1944.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1949.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1886.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1919.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1922.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1929.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1976.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_1981.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2010.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2028.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2045.jpg

handicap18

01-10-2008, 04:42 PM

More from MGM:

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2050.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2061.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2088.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2095.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2147.jpg

Used the flash on low power to light up the "snow" flakes a little:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2154.jpg

Here's the group pic Amy took for us. Thank you AMY!!!!!! :)
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2178.jpg

Fantasmic Pics:
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2182.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2197.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2221.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2233.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2249.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2305.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c351/kgendron12/2007%20Trip%20Photos%20-%20Nov-Dec/MGM%20Studios/DSD_2358.jpg

AndrewWG

01-10-2008, 09:09 PM

Great job Kyle!

Where is the picture of Amy? You had her take a pic of you? Sheesh. I met you probably 37 years ago, I've never met Amy. just kidding of course.

Nice pics!

wingawh

01-10-2008, 09:56 PM

Amy

01-11-2008, 08:18 AM

Good shots Kyle! I can't believe the great ones you got at Fantasmic! And I'm glad the one I took of your family turned out nice - your camera scared me!:scared1: I haven't touched an SLR in years, well before the digital era.

Great job Kyle!

Where is the picture of Amy? You had her take a pic of you? Sheesh. I met you probably 37 years ago, I've never met Amy. just kidding of course.

Nice pics!

Hey Andy, give Kyle a break;) - I think Kyle and I spent a whopping 5 minutes together. DH and I caught the early Fantasmic and Kyle & family were going to the late Fantasmic and we met back at the Osborne Lights in between shows. I'm just glad we got to meet at all! :) (Besides, I'm one of those "Nervous Nellies" who doesn't like posting photos of their family members on public internet sites; you'll notice even when I post photos of my DS's, they'll be in their band uniforms and you can't really see their faces, usually just a mouth connected to a trumpet or sax.)

AndrewWG

01-11-2008, 11:40 AM

Hey Andy, give Kyle a break;) - I think Kyle and I spent a whopping 5 minutes together. DH and I caught the early Fantasmic and Kyle & family were going to the late Fantasmic and we met back at the Osborne Lights in between shows. I'm just glad we got to meet at all! :) (Besides, I'm one of those "Nervous Nellies" who doesn't like posting photos of their family members on public internet sites; you'll notice even when I post photos of my DS's, they'll be in their band uniforms and you can't really see their faces, usually just a mouth connected to a trumpet or sax.)

I am the same way. You don't see pictures of me or my family members on here. I made that decision a long time ago and even if I PM a pic to someone, I delete it within a day or two. Just the way I do things.

Sounds like you and Kyle met for about the same amount of time me and Steve's Girl met! Not much time when we are running around the parks, but it is fun to meet in person anyways. :)

handicap18

01-11-2008, 03:46 PM

The pictures are wonderful.

Would you mind sharing the EXIF info or shutter and aperature setting for some of the night time pics such as AK Tree of Life and MK parade pics?

We are headed back to WDW next week and would like to give them a try.

Thanks,

If you download any of the exif views like viewEXIF or Opanda then you'll be able to right click on any of my photos and see the EXIF info. The only thing that doesn't show up is ISO. Has something to do with the metadata from the Nikon D50 and most post processing software. The only software I've seen that keeps it is Lightroom. For all these pics I used Nikon CaptureNX.

For the AK night photos I used a tripod. ISO 200, f/11 and around 8 seconds or so IIRC. The MK parade pics, for both the MVMCP Parade and Spectro I used ISO 1600. For Spectro I only used the 30mm f/1.4 lens at f/1.4 and shutter speed was around 1/50th to 1/100th or so. For the MVMCP Parade I used both the 30mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8. Either would have been wide open and shutter speeds ranged from 1/50th to 1/100th or so, maybe faster. I had a real good spot with extra light from one of the buildings in Frontierland.

Sooze

01-13-2008, 07:48 PM

Just wanted to say "HI":wave2: Stumbled onto your report by checking out what was new on the Photography boards.

YOUR PICTURES ARE INCREDIBLE!!!!

Just thought I'd let you know...:rolleyes:

Thanks for sharing!

tinkgurl

01-14-2008, 01:59 PM

Just found this and I have to let you know that the pics are gorgeous! Thanks for sharing them with us!

Mickey Nut 50

01-14-2008, 07:48 PM

magnificent pictures! I have really enjoyed your reports and the wonderful pictures. Thank you:yay:

Disneynut322

01-20-2008, 07:48 PM

Kyle, beautiful pictures!! I really enjoyed looking at them! It looks like you had a fabulous time! :)

cdawngo

01-22-2008, 03:41 PM

Looks like you all had a great time on your trip. Good job on the trip report!!:cheer2:

Twinkler

07-07-2008, 04:04 PM

Great pictures. :) Thanks for sharing. :)

jns

07-07-2008, 06:21 PM

Haley Whippet

07-31-2008, 08:24 PM

Just found this thread, Your pictures are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deb

PixieDust32

12-05-2008, 04:20 PM

WOW! WOW! Your pics are amazing. Thanks for sharing.

budmonster

12-06-2008, 10:42 AM

WOW, these are amazing pictures, thank you for sharing them. The one of all three of you children in the stroller is my favorite, it's priceless.

DisneySuiteFreak

12-07-2008, 06:54 AM

If you download any of the exif views like viewEXIF or Opanda then you'll be able to right click on any of my photos and see the EXIF info. The only thing that doesn't show up is ISO. Has something to do with the metadata from the Nikon D50 and most post processing software. The only software I've seen that keeps it is Lightroom. For all these pics I used Nikon CaptureNX.

For the AK night photos I used a tripod. ISO 200, f/11 and around 8 seconds or so IIRC. The MK parade pics, for both the MVMCP Parade and Spectro I used ISO 1600. For Spectro I only used the 30mm f/1.4 lens at f/1.4 and shutter speed was around 1/50th to 1/100th or so. For the MVMCP Parade I used both the 30mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.8. Either would have been wide open and shutter speeds ranged from 1/50th to 1/100th or so, maybe faster. I had a real good spot with extra light from one of the buildings in Frontierland.

Hi Handicap18,
I have Opanda Exif reader and I can see your ISO used. I just saw this thread and wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed looking at your photos! I'm so excited because I just got the 30mm1.4 and I can't wait to give it a try!:cheer2: :dance3: Your photos are inspiring me!
DSF