3000 miles, 3 kids, and too many photos to count! FINAL UPDATE 7/11

[mom2rtk]

We just got back yesterday from our annual summer vacation. We loaded the kids up in the mini-van and headed west for the 4th time since 2005. The past 2 summers we drove to Sanibel Island, FL, so I was ready to see some red rocks again! Fortunately, whether we head east or west, a brief stop at Disney is usually waiting at the end of the road for me.

This year I was especially excited about heading west. Yes, I've photographed most of it before. But I've been hanging out here on the photography board the last year or so, and really wanted to try out some of what I've learned.

Here's my crew EARLY on June 3rd, just before hitting the road. We're not a morning group, so I was lucky to get this quick shot before leaving:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vanpose.jpg

My daughter Katie is 9, son Timmy is 15, son Robbie is 17 and my husband Drew.

We drove from Kansas City, MO that first day to Golden, Colorado. Anyone who has made that journey across western Kansas knows it's a tough first day. But with enough video games and dvd's, anyone can do it. We ended our first day with this shot of the mountains from just off of I-70 at the Buffalo Overlook. I wish I could have done more to capture the beauty of the scene. With the clouds and the snow capped peaks, it was an awesome sight. Maybe there's something I can do in post processing to give it more oomph????? That's a whole other nut to crack though. I feel like I've stepped up my game this year with the camera, but have much to do with PP yet.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/mountainsdenver.jpg

[disneyboy2003]

Sounds like you had quite an eventful and fun family trip! Can't wait to see your photos! :)

That's a really beautiful picture of the mountains. I tried my hand at Photoshop for your picture, and this is what I came up with...

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/901233576_eS6xJ-O.jpg

Here's what I did:

brightened the lower half of the photo
darkened the upper half of the photo (the skies) to bring out the clouds and rays of sunshine
increased the saturation of the photo to bring out the greens
removed the distracting red "WRONG WAY" signs
increased the contrast of the snow-capped mountains


I'm sure there's probably more that can be done to the photo, but at least here's a start. I could have used Lightroom, but I decided to use Photoshop instead.

[mom2rtk]

Sounds like you had quite an eventful and fun family trip! Can't wait to see your photos! :)

That's a really beautiful picture of the mountains. I tried my hand at Photoshop for your picture, and this is what I came up with...

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/901233576_eS6xJ-O.jpg

Here's what I did:

brightened the lower half of the photo
darkened the upper half of the photo (the skies) to bring out the clouds and rays of sunshine
increased the saturation of the photo to bring out the greens
removed the distracting red "WRONG WAY" signs
increased the contrast of the snow-capped mountains


I'm sure there's probably more that can be done to the photo, but at least here's a start. I could have used Lightroom, but I decided to use Photoshop instead.

Thanks Disneyboy! That really punched it up! And I appreciate the play by play on what you did. I'm hoping I can share photos on this thread, but I also want to learn as I go.

I've decided to jump in and get a new photo editing program very soon then learn as I go by trial and error. I hear lots of great things about Lightroom, and see I can get a good deal on the new version with the student discount. I've been using an older Photoshop elements program though. Would it be more intuitive for me to stick with a PSE program?

[Steve's Girl]

Welcome back! Great first day photo! Now get going with that 2nd day. This is a photo board and we want to see lots!

[mom2rtk]

Welcome back! Great first day photo! Now get going with that 2nd day. This is a photo board and we want to see lots!


Thanks Steve's Girl! Thanks for joining in! I was just sitting down to add some more.

The next morning we left Golden heading west again. I windexed the windshield to have the best view possible of the scenery that day. It was exciting to think that from there on, the drive would be vastly more interesting than the day before. I grabbed one more distant shot on of the Rockies as we headed toward them.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/mountains2.jpg

Along the way, I took my traditional shot of the spaceship house on the hill. This is the first time I've gotten a sharp picture without blur.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/spaceshiphouse.jpg

Don't ask me why, but I love going through the Eisenhower Tunnel. I think it's just so cool to go THROUGH the mountains. I love watching the shows on the Travel channel about the vast accomplishment this was. So of course, I had to take my obligatory shot.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/eisenhowertunnel.jpg

At this point, I was still fumbling a lot with my lenses, filters and such. I hadn't had time to really work with my camera in quite a while. It's a massive undertaking to finish up the school year, close out all the work I have to do, pack and get on the road. So it was awesome to just get in the car and GO. When I wasn't driving, I was reading the photography books I brought along and playing with the camera.

We had been this way 3 times before, but it had been 3 years since our last trip, so I really enjoyed soaking in the scenery. Let's face it.... Missouri is pretty boring when it comes to the landscape.....

[nat1234]

I love your photos of the mountains. They're breathtaking.:)

[mom2rtk]

I love your photos of the mountains. They're breathtaking.:)

Thanks! Honestly though, they are just breathtaking all on their own. No real photography skill involved.

I keep saying that I want to take the scenic drive up into the mountains I keep hearing about, but we're always on our way somewhere else and don't have time.

For someone from the midwest, there's nothing like pulling into Denver and catching the first glimpse of the mountains. Makes me want to break out singing "The Sound of Music". Unfortunately my teenage boys wouldn't have appreciated it.....

[nat1234]

No I'm pretty sure that your teenagers wouldn't appreciate your singing ability. I know mine don't. Although there are times that I do feel it is my motherly duty to drive them as crazy as do me.:rotfl:

[mom2rtk]

On our first trip to Arches National Park, we inadvertently took the back way into the park. It is marked on the map as a scenic route, and we didn't really understand just HOW scenic that would be..... but it turned out to be an amazing drive, well worth all the extra time it added to the journey. With that in mind, we set out on purpose to take that same trip again.

Our first hint that we were getting close was a view of the La Sal Mountains on the horizon. Thankfully this year there was no road construction along the way. In 2005, we got oh so close..... only to be stopped on approach for 45 minutes while they worked on the narrow 2 lane road. I guess with the economy in the gutter this time, there was no money for road repairs and on we went!

That entire scenic route is one jaw dropping view after another. The road is narrow and winding at times, but if you just go slowly and stop often (for photos!) it's not too overwhelming. It follows the Colorado river.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesdrivecar.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesdriveroad.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archedrivesyellowflower.jpg

With all the rocks near the road, it's a wonder more cars don't get nailed from time to time! The boys were dying to get out of the car and move around after a day and a half cooped up inside......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesdriverockpiles.jpg

We did let them climb around a bit, but had to drag them back into the car so we could be on our way.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesdrivertclimb.jpg

[mom2rtk]

No I'm pretty sure that your teenagers wouldn't appreciate your singing ability. I know mine don't. Although there are times that I do feel it is my motherly duty to drive them as crazy as do me.:rotfl:

My favorite thing to do is to drive through the national parks listening to the songs from "Pocahontas" like "Colors in the Wind". The boys have had about all of it that they can stand over the years though. So I was kind and didn't indulge this time....... I have a 5 CD set of Disney tunes, so I've got all the bases covered. It gets me through driving early on Sunday mornings, or any time we're out of range to listen to the radio (which is often down in that part of the world!)

[disneyboy2003]

I've decided to jump in and get a new photo editing program very soon then learn as I go by trial and error. I hear lots of great things about Lightroom, and see I can get a good deal on the new version with the student discount. I've been using an older Photoshop elements program though. Would it be more intuitive for me to stick with a PSE program?

Why not do both? Since you've already got Photoshop Elements (I forget which version you've got, but the current version is 8.0), why not get the brand new Lightroom with the student discount?

Lightroom can also help you organize your many many many photos. You can also do a lot of post-processing using Lightroom. Much of my post-processing (about 90-95%) is done in Lightroom. It is only about 5% or so that requires further work in Photoshop.

Everything I did in your photo above could have also been done using Lightroom, except maybe cloning out the red signs.

I've got the new Lightroom 3, and I must say, I'm VERY AMAZED at the new noise reduction feature. I used to be scared to push my camera above ISO 800, and now I'm actually very impressed with photos using ISO 2000-3200, partly thanks to Lightroom 3!!!

In your case, Lightroom should work well (ie. hand-in-hand) with your Photoshop Elements. You have the ability to export any photos from Lightroom into Photoshop Elements for further post-processing.

btw, those red rocks are beautiful. I'm sure you're glad you took the scenic route again.

[mom2rtk]

Why not do both? Since you've already got Photoshop Elements (I forget which version you've got, but the current version is 8.0), why not get the brand new Lightroom with the student discount?

Lightroom can also help you organize your many many many photos. You can also do a lot of post-processing using Lightroom. Much of my post-processing (about 90-95%) is done in Lightroom. It is only about 5% or so that requires further work in Photoshop.

Everything I did in your photo above could have also been done using Lightroom, except maybe cloning out the red signs.

I've got the new Lightroom 3, and I must say, I'm VERY AMAZED at the new noise reduction feature. I used to be scared to push my camera above ISO 800, and now I'm actually very impressed with photos using ISO 2000-3200, partly thanks to Lightroom 3!!!

In your case, Lightroom should work well (ie. hand-in-hand) with your Photoshop Elements. You have the ability to export any photos from Lightroom into Photoshop Elements for further post-processing.

btw, those red rocks are beautiful. I'm sure you're glad you took the scenic route again.

Thanks Disneyboy!

Yes, we are glad we took the scenic route again. It's an amazing piece of real estate and well worth the time investment. We even took the same route on our way back East a week later.

I'm embarrassed to admit my PSE is version 2.0, so woefully out of date. It came with my first Rebel in 2004. All I know how to do is crop, lighten and adjust contrast a bit. I can do a little clone stamping too, but that's it. So maybe LR3 would be a good starting point, with the plan to update PSE later too.

[disneyboy2003]

I'm embarrassed to admit my PSE is version 2.0, so woefully out of date. It came with my first Rebel in 2004. All I know how to do is crop, lighten and adjust contrast a bit. I can do a little clone stamping too, but that's it. So maybe LR3 would be a good starting point, with the plan to update PSE later too.

Version 2 from 2004?!?!?!? :scared1:

I'm not sure what your budget is, but buying both Lightroom and Photoshop Elements shouldn't be too expensive. The academic pricing for Lightroom 3 is $89.95 (compared to $299.95 full price), and Photoshop Elements 8 is $69.99.

When I used Lightroom and Photoshop for the first time, I also bought a few books, too. So you may want to factor in the extra costs of Lightroom / Photoshop books, too.

If you had to choose one, though, I think Lightroom 3 would be a great starting point. And then watch your photos "POP!" :)

[Pea-n-Me]

Enjoying your photos, mom2. :goodvibes I've never seen this area of the country. It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing your trip with us. (Are you a teacher?)

[mom2rtk]

Version 2 from 2004?!?!?!? :scared1:

I'm not sure what your budget is, but buying both Lightroom and Photoshop Elements shouldn't be too expensive. The academic pricing for Lightroom 3 is $89.95 (compared to $299.95 full price), and Photoshop Elements 8 is $69.99.

When I used Lightroom and Photoshop for the first time, I also bought a few books, too. So you may want to factor in the extra costs of Lightroom / Photoshop books, too.

If you had to choose one, though, I think Lightroom 3 would be a great starting point. And then watch your photos "POP!" :)

It's the story of my life......... woefully out of date and behind the times..... :goodvibes

I've actually considered upgrading on many occasions, but mostly I haven't because I just didn't have time for the learning curve that comes with something new. That's probably still the case, but now that I have such a friendly forum here to ask all my questions, I think I'll give it a go.

And yes, I already planned to buy a book or 2 as well. Any suggestions? I do like the idea of getting LR3 and PS8. I wonder how long it will take to find books on the new LR3...... or is it similar enough to the previous editions of the program to use something already out there?

Enjoying your photos, mom2. :goodvibes I've never seen this area of the country. It's beautiful. Thank you for sharing your trip with us. (Are you a teacher?)

Thanks Pea-n-me. It's an area of the country that is absolutely other-worldly. I can't believe you can just get in the car and drive into this amazing and unbelievable area. It's hard to really understand how BIG everything is until you get there. I love the pictures I bring home, but they really don't even begin to do it justice.

And no, I'm not a teacher. I actually work from home sewing custom made costumes and dresses.

[mom2rtk]

We finally made it Moab. But the temperature was over 100, so we weren't in a hurry to get into the park. Besides, we planned to stay until sunset, so didn't need to start too early. So we checked into the hotel and found a go-cart track conveniently located right across the street. The boys really loved it, but poor Katie got left behind quite a bit. The story of her life sometimes.........

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gocarts.jpg


After a bite to eat, we headed for Arches. It's a pretty cool drive up into the park, through a series of switchbacks. The park is a favorite of physically active young people who enjoy hiking. This is so NOT me. Not young.... and not physically active..... Regardless, it's an amazing drive even if you just get out at the various stops and see the sights easily accessible along the road.

Here is the first stop in the park, referred to as Park Avenue. It is actually fairly difficult to photograph. Go early in the morning and the left wall is beautifully lit by the sun, leaving the right wall in dark shadows. Go late in the day and you have the opposite problem. An overcast day gives better lighting, but you lose the pretty sky. Most of my shots were bad, but I think I caught the sun behind the clouds for this one and it was a little better than the rest:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesparkplace.jpg

There are many many formations along the drive through Arches. Lots of them have names, but for the life of me I can't remember this one. I really enjoyed having the brilliant blue sky as a backdrop for this shot:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesformation.jpg

The next stop, Balanced Rock, is a big favorite for our family. The formations are a great size for climbing, which of course the kids jumped in right away to do.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/archesbalancedrock.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/balancedrockcu.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/balancedrockclimb.jpg

The state symbol of Utah, and the image used on their license plate is that of Delicate Arch. On our first trip in 05, I had really looked forward to getting some nice shots of that arch. I hadn't done my homework though and was disappointed to find out it required a 3 mile round trip hike for the good view. We considered it, but my daughter was only 4 at the time, and our sneakers were buried in luggage in the back of the van. So I settled for a telephoto shot of Delicate Arch that year from the viewing spot near just off the road.

This time, I was determined to photograph Delicate Arch around sunset. We were prepared with sneakers, water and sheer determination. I wanted a nice shot of that dang arch at sunset!

[mom2rtk]

Please feel free to comment on how I can improve my shots. It's really hard to offend me. I really want to learn. It's why I started this here on the photography board.

For example, I can see now that the wide angle lens distorted that one formation shot with the brilliant blue sky. Maybe I can learn to do something with this in post?

And the sky is really washed out in the last couple of shots of balanced rock. Is there anything I should have done differently? If I had backed off on the exposure in the shot with the kids on the rock, their faces would have been too dark. Is this something that could only have been improved in post? Or should I have shot it differently???? :confused3

[aggielawyer]

Thanks for sharing your vacation--I'm really enjoying reading it. After seeing Ken Burns' series on the National Parks I've been wanting to go visit them, so I'm really enjoying reading about your trip.

[mom2rtk]

Thanks for sharing your vacation--I'm really enjoying reading it. After seeing Ken Burns' series on the National Parks I've been wanting to go visit them, so I'm really enjoying reading about your trip.

Thanks for reading along! I haven't seen the Ken Burns series yet, but will probably make a point of doing so this summer.

The one thing I have noticed about the shows I watched is this: No matter how grand and other-worldly it all seems, it is SO much more so in person. Everybody should travel through this area at least once in their life.

[mom2rtk]

So how hard could a 3 mile round trip hike be.... you know.... for someone who's not physically fit????? Apparently harder than I expected, but I'm a pretty determined individual and survived the experience. The boys ran off ahead of us, which made me nervous. I had no idea what the trail ahead was like, how severe the drop-offs were. My husband, daughter and I brought up the rear. I kept asking people coming back down the trail if it was much farther, and of course it was. At least the scenery along the trail is pretty incredible in its own right, so there was much to distract me from how tired my legs were getting:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchscenery.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchscenery2.jpg

You can't see Delicate Arch from the trail at all. And near the end, the trail narrows and does have a decent drop-off until you round the corner and......... voila! Delicate Arch!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchrt.jpg

And the boys???? See the tiny people in navy blue and medium blue shirts toward the bottom of the photo? Yep. And since I had no idea what the terrain was like beyond the arch, I was a nervous wreck the entire time.

I had wanted to stay through sunset but hadn't thought about what the hike back DOWN the trail would be like in the dark, so we settled for early sunset and an early exit.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchkatie.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchhoriz.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/delicatearchwalk.jpg

It WAS a long walk back down, especially since it's not ALL downhill. But we were all happy we had finally done it. No need for regrets this time. And not a bad workout to get my legs ready for a couple of days at Disneyland!

[mom2rtk]

The next morning we headed back into Arches to see a few more things we missed the night before. It was nice driving through early in the day so the rock formations on the other side of the road that were backlit would now be frontlit and better subjects to photograph.

This formation is called "The 3 Gossips":

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches23patriarchs.jpg

This one is "Sheep Rock":

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2sheep.jpg

This is a wide view of the scene, with "The Organ" on the right, "The 3 Gosspis" on the left and "Sheep Rock" just past it.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2street.jpg

This formation is in "The Windows" area, where there are several impressive arches. Unfortunately the best one was shaded this time of day and didn't yield any of the memorable photos I had hoped.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2window.jpg

I had the same problem with backlighting in the "Fiery Furnace" area, although Katie posed for one shot off to the side with better lighting:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2katie.jpg

Along the way, I did manage to snap a self-portrait.....

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2mirrorme.jpg

And just as we were heading out, with a less stellar view in front of us, I caught a glimpse of this behind us..... Slightly more interesting that my typical view of suburbia running to and from school after kids....

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2mirror.jpg

With that, we sadly exited the park, although with the temperatures soaring, I wasn't as sad as I might have been. We headed for the highway toward that night's destination of Las Vegas.

[DisneyDorkORama]

looks like you had fun! I want to see more pictures!! :thumbsup2

[mom2rtk]

looks like you had fun! I want to see more pictures!! :thumbsup2

We did have a great time. Of course it drove me nuts every time we drove past something really cool and I had to tell the kids to turn off the video games....... So I wonder if appreciation for scenery just comes when you're older??? :confused3

There's lots more pictures to go. I'll try and get some posted soon! Thanks for reading along.

Someone tell Gdad that if he wants to break out of his slump he should visit the southwest. It's full of so much great inspiration. My shots aren't very remarkable, but the scenery is. I've seen some shots on Flickr of this area that are amazing!

[Marlton Mom]

I am just loving your photographs, especially when accompanied by your narration. It really isn't easy trying to get the photos that you have in mind when you're on the fly during a family vacation!

I'm sure Ansel Adams had all the time in the world and no family or trip agenda to take care of when he was making his magic with the camera. The weather is such a factor as well since it affects the light to such a great degree.

It's hard to have an idea in your mind about how you want to capture something and then not all of the factors are available to you and it doesn't come together quite the way you had intended.

Don't let all the distractions convince you that you aren't doing a GREAT Job! All those really great pictures you've taken have their own merit. We are our own worst critics, but time softens our expectations and leaves us with our accomplishments.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your stories. It's sort of like you are taking us on vacation with you! :car: :thumbsup2

:hug:

Marlton Mom

[mom2rtk]

I am just loving your photographs, especially when accompanied by your narration. It really isn't easy trying to get the photos that you have in mind when you're on the fly during a family vacation!

I'm sure Ansel Adams had all the time in the world and no family or trip agenda to take care of when he was making his magic with the camera. The weather is such a factor as well since it affects the light to such a great degree.

It's hard to have an idea in your mind about how you want to capture something and then not all of the factors are available to you and it doesn't come together quite the way you had intended.

Don't let all the distractions convince you that you aren't doing a GREAT Job! All those really great pictures you've taken have their own merit. We are our own worst critics, but time softens our expectations and leaves us with our accomplishments.

Thanks for sharing your pictures and your stories. It's sort of like you are taking us on vacation with you! :car: :thumbsup2

:hug:

Marlton Mom

Thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're along for the ride. :goodvibes LOVE the little car guy! :rotfl: Gonna have to use that myself...... :car: Anyone know how mock up one of these little car emoticons with a couple of kids tied to the bumper????? We had our moments you know....... :littleangel:

I appreciate your encouragement. It really is hard to navigate all the family stuff and still have a few brain cells left over to think about the photography. I'm still at the stage where none of it comes naturally. The little squirrels up in my brain still have to work really hard turning the wheels up there for me......

Still, the trip was like photography bootcamp for me and I did enjoy that. (You know... when I wasn't reveling in all that family togetherness.......) :rotfl2:

[mom2rtk]

We had done the drive from Moab to Vegas before. But it never ceases to amaze me. The area known as the San Rafael Swell is absolutely stunning! It's just up my alley too.... no long hikes, just lots of scenic pull-outs with one great view after another.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/arches2sanrafael.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/sanrafaelblackcanyon.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/sanrafael1.jpg

Nearly everyone in the car was asleep by now. I just kept pulling over to check out these amazing views all by myself. It was nice though with no one fussing about me wanting to change camera lenses yet again, or dig to see just which lens I had left that dang circular polarizer on!

We're not a very exciting group. Vegas was really just a stop along the way for us, not much of a destination. Through the years, our Vegas stops have never been very fruitful. Last time, traffic had stopped about 30 minutes outside the city for 2 1/2 hours while we watched the temperature climb to 126. I made sure we had a full tank of gas and plenty of water on hand as we headed that direction this time, so of course no problem. Once again, I wouldn't be surprised if the bad economy minimized the number of road projects we encountered.

If you've never see the show "Pawn Stars" on the History Channel, you can skip this part. Don't ask me why, but we find the show fairly interesting. Remember, we're not an exciting group....... Anyway, we thought it would be fun to stop into Rick's Pawn Shop. We had meant to dredge up something to try and sell, but hadn't gotten around to it. I'm pretty sure the family would have pawned the camera if they could have gotten their hands on it.... so I held it tight and in we went. It was Saturday evening by then, so none of the show's stars were there. We at LEAST had expected a glimpse of Chumley...... but my husband got a t-shirt, I got a couple pictures and on we went.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegaspawnsigntv.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegaspawnsigngroup.jpg

I had 2 goals that night.... to visit the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, and to take a long exposure on the Las Vegas strip. One for two isn't bad, is it???

We found Mandalay Bay first, had a bite to eat, then visited the Shark Reef. I had really been looking forward to it. We love that kind of stuff, and I wanted to try some low light photography. Well, we made it there, and just as we neared the entrance, my 15 year old told me his stomach hurt. He said it REALLY hurt. He didn't think he could walk through. We hadn't checked into the hotel yet, and the exhibit was mere yards in front of us. After some thinking, he assured us he could sit outside on a bench while we quickly walked though. So there we were... rushing though yet something else. And I was worried about him the whole time, so I didn't enjoy it much.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegassharkreef.jpg

I'm thinking there's more I can do with this photo in PP to lighten it up a bit, but the truth is the entire exhibit was really dark:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegasshark.jpg

It would have been nice to have the stingrays swimming toward me, but I couldn't get them to cooperate any more than I can with the kids:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegasstinrays.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegasstingray.jpg

I was absolutely mesmerized with the jellyfish. I had never seen any this color before. This was really hard to get shots of because the lamps around the room reflected off the glass. I took a bunch of shots, and was happy with this one:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegasjellyfish.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/vegasstatue.jpg

Fortunately Timmy didn't vomit in the lobby, and we made a really quick exit. We drove down the strip in the dark, and while I snapped a few frames from the passenger seat, none of them were keepers, and we scurried off to find our hotel and make him comfortable.

Unfortunately "comfortable" is not the word I would use to describe our hotel. We were a couple blocks off the strip in a chain hotel, and quickly found out how some of those hotels are coping with the bad economy..... they don't air condition the rooms during the day. It had been well over 100 that day, and the building felt even warmer. I swear it must have been 120 in there. We turned the air on the minute we got in but it was several hours before it finally got comfortable.

I felt so bad for Timmy suffering with a sick stomach in the heat like that! He's a trooper though and never did complain. I would have fussed and whined my way to sleep.... oh wait, I think I did anyway... He was fine the next day. I think he had been dehydrated from all the running around in Arches the 2 days before. It's really hard to make him understand how important it is to take extra fluids when running in a desert climate!

[Donold_Fan]

I am loving the pictures!!!! I'm from Omaha, driving through western Nebraska is pretty much the same as Western Kansas. Congratulations on surviving the first day! :)

We've been talking about driving out to Disneyland for our next Disney fix and your pictures are REALLY making that seem like a good idea. I can't wait to show my wife your pictures.

Looking forward to seeing more!

[mom2rtk]

I am loving the pictures!!!! I'm from Omaha, driving through western Nebraska is pretty much the same as Western Kansas. Congratulations on surviving the first day! :)

We've been talking about driving out to Disneyland for our next Disney fix and your pictures are REALLY making that seem like a good idea. I can't wait to show my wife your pictures.

Looking forward to seeing more!

Thanks for reading along! Isn't it kind of depressing being SO far from BOTH Disney resorts???? But then again, you could look at it as having both parks .... shall we say.... equally accessible........ :rotfl2:

I would highly encourage you to give it a go. The drive is part of the attraction. The fact that Disney is at the end is just a great bonus! Last year we drove to Florida, mostly for the beach, but also for one night at the Magic Kingdom. I have to tell you.... after driving through the Southwest......... that drive to Florida was sorely lacking.....

There is SO much to see that it's impossible to see it all in one trip. We caught all of this on our way out.... and there were even more impressive sights on our way back.

I'll try to add another installment tonight. Of course all of this great scenery will soon be interrupted with our stay at Disneyland!!! I hope no one minds......... :car: Thanks Marlton Mom..... I'm loving this little guy.........

[mom2rtk]

I really like the jellyfish and shark photos above, but they do seem to be kind of "noisy". I have never used a de-noise program. Does anyone have one they would recommend?

As discussed earlier in the thread, I'm considering upgrading to LR3 and perhaps PS8. Is there a function in one of those, or is it something I have to add on?

[mom2rtk]

Somewhere in the night our room finally cooled down adequately. When I woke up the next morning, I was actually a bit chilly.... and it felt great! Timmy felt just fine when he got up, so I really do blame dehydration for his stomach issues the night before.

I decided to make a run to the car with a few things while everyone else got up and .....wow.... it was nasty hot already. We had planned to drive over the Hoover Dam and give my wide angle lens a workout, but that was losing appeal to me in the heat. We have that dang dam on our itinerary every time we go west, and it always gets the boot. Mostly I was concerned about our timeline. Our last chance to see "Aladdin" during our stay was that afternoon at 4:15 (It wasn't showing Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday). I wanted to get checked into the hotel and head toward the park by 3. I love the Disney stage musicals and didn't want to miss it. We saw it once in 06, but I really wanted to see it once more before it closed for good later this year. So it wasn't much of a challenge to talk me into passing on the Hoover Dam. I don't think it's going anywhere any time soon......... We'll catch it next time, right????

Drew didn't want to leave Las Vegas without at least throwing a few dollars in a slot machine, so we stopped at a no name casino not far from the hotel where we spent $8 and promptly quit when we were up by 50 cents....... told you...... we're the exciting type...... :rotfl2: The kids teased us something fierce the rest of the day about our gambling addiction.... :rotfl:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1terribles.jpg

We did arrive in Anaheim early, and it felt awesome to drive down Harbour Blvd. and see the Matterhorn over the fence! A few minutes later, we pulled into the drive of the Grand Californian. Our room wasn't ready, so we checked our bags and headed for Downtown Disney for a bite to eat. We had stayed at the Disneyland Hotel before, but this was our first stay at the Grand Californian. The convenience of being SO close to the parks cannot be overstated. I loved it, and am probably ruined now for staying farther away on future trips. It's hard to go back once you've lived the good life! Around 3, the room was ready. Katie and I dropped our things and headed for Aladdin at DCA. Having an entrance into the park from the hotel was like nirvana for me. It just doesn't get any better.....

I had photographed the show when we were there in 06. But I figured I knew a little more now and could do better. A while back I figured out that I needed to change my metering to spot metering for a show like this (thanks to everyone here! :cheer2:). And now with some low light lenses, I thought I could do better than my old "all-in-one" lens. I was pretty happy overall with the results, but I did still miss some shots. Some were still blurry. I'm still trying to understand the limits of how slow I can go with the shutter speed on my handheld shots.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinsign.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinmouth.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdingenie.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1stairs.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinjasmine.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinhands.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinkneel.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinstage.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1aladdinstagecu.jpg


I did figure out that if you want to use a wide angle lens, you should have a seat in the middle. I did like the wide angle though for a few shots to put the show in context. It's a gorgeous theater, and I can't even fathom them making it over for a Toy Story Musical! :scared1: They just better not mess with our "Beauty & the Beast" show at DHS!!

As much as I hated to leave the park so quickly, we had 6:30 reservations at Goofy's Kitchen, so we hustled back to head out with the rest of the family. It's tradition for us to visit Goofy's Kitchen on our first night at DL, and I was really looking forward to it!

[disneyboy2003]

I really like the jellyfish and shark photos above, but they do seem to be kind of "noisy". I have never used a de-noise program. Does anyone have one they would recommend?

As discussed earlier in the thread, I'm considering upgrading to LR3 and perhaps PS8. Is there a function in one of those, or is it something I have to add on?

Yes, Lightroom has always included Noise Reduction as part of its program. In previous versions of Lightroom, noise reduction has been so-so. But now in Lightroom 3, noise reduction is arguably as good as stand-alone noise reduction programs!

Photoshop Elements 8 automatically includes Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). ACR uses the *same* RAW processing engine as Lightroom, so the same features of noise reduction are also available in PSE 8. (although ACR is usually used to process RAW images, I believe there's a way to open JPEG images using ACR so that you can take advantage of ACR's noise reduction features for your JPEGs, too)

Other really good noise reduction programs include Noise Ninja, Neat Image, and others.

btw, I've really been enjoying your trip report and your photos! Great job on the Aladdin show, too. I didn't see your previous show photos from 2006, but sounds like you've really improved a lot. :)

[lov2b@disney]

I am enjoying your photo story of your journey! :thumbsup2 Cant wait to see more!

[mom2rtk]

Yes, Lightroom has always included Noise Reduction as part of its program. In previous versions of Lightroom, noise reduction has been so-so. But now in Lightroom 3, noise reduction is arguably as good as stand-alone noise reduction programs!

Photoshop Elements 8 automatically includes Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). ACR uses the *same* RAW processing engine as Lightroom, so the same features of noise reduction are also available in PSE 8. (although ACR is usually used to process RAW images, I believe there's a way to open JPEG images using ACR so that you can take advantage of ACR's noise reduction features for your JPEGs, too)

Other really good noise reduction programs include Noise Ninja, Neat Image, and others.

btw, I've really been enjoying your trip report and your photos! Great job on the Aladdin show, too. I didn't see your previous show photos from 2006, but sounds like you've really improved a lot. :)

Thanks for the info Disneyboy. My plan right now is to add both programs. I downloaded the trial version of LR3, but need to add a service pack to my Windows XP to have it fully supported. So I need to have my son help me with that and I'll be able to try it out. My apologies in advance for all the countless questions I am sure to have......

Is there a tutorial somewhere anyone can recommend?

I am enjoying your photo story of your journey! :thumbsup2 Cant wait to see more!

Thank you so much! I'm glad you're along for the ride....... :car: Told you I love this little guy..... After 3000+ miles in the car, it just seems so fitting.....

[mom2rtk]

I have always enjoyed Goofy's kitchen. I love starting the trip with a little dose of characters without even using our park tickets. At DW we usually have enough days on our tickets that we could just head into the parks. This trip Katie and I did the 5 for 3 tickets in advance so we could use our Give A Day vouchers for the fastpass option. Drew and Timmy used their GAD vouchers and upgraded to 2 day passes. Robbie just used his voucher for one day. So popping into the park that night would have cost a bundle.

I loved the walk through Downtown Disney toward the Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. It's such a festive atmosphere, even though several of the shops we recall from previous trips were now gone. I just love the way the parks, hotels and DD are integrated so closely at DL. Most trips to WDW, we never even make it to DD. It takes too long and I'd always rather be in the parks.

This is my wide angle shot up into the Sorcerer's Hat by the DL hotel. I like that you can see the name on the side of the hotel through it:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1hat.jpg

When we got to the restaurant, there wasn't even a wait to get it. The boys were with us, but you won't see much of them in the photos. Every time a character appeared, they suddenly needed to make a trip to the buffet.

I mentioned previously that I sew custom costumes and dresses. So whenever we go to Disney, I love coming up with new things for Katie to wear. She still loves wearing special things and the extra fun that goes along with it. We especially enjoy the reaction from the characters and other cast members. They see the same thing day after day. It really livens up their day to see something different.

Pluto was our personal greeter that night:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1pluto.jpg

Once seated, it didn't take long for Goofy to come find us!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1goofy.jpg

Our server referred to Katie as Goofy's "sous-chef" and Katie loved every moment of it. Minnie was also quite taken with the outfit and came over for a group shot:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1goofyminnie.jpg

Dale came by to see the boys, but this is all he found.......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1chip.jpg

Funny thing, they showed back up again as soon as Dale was gone.... Go figure......

After dinner, we made our way back through Downtown Disney and headed for the room to organize and decide our plan of attack for the parks.

[mom2rtk]

I continue to struggle with the best settings for taking character pictures in these dark-ish restaurants. I know I need to use my flash, but unless I up the ISO, the people in the foreground are well lit, but the restaurant background is always too black. So I crank up the ISO, which gives me an overall acceptable look, but is pretty noisy.

Anyone have thoughts on what settings would be best?

I had a lot of problems with my pictures this night. The first one with Pluto turned out way too dark. I did realize later that the spot metering that had been my friend during Aladdin had been my downfall here. I forgot to change it back. That happened quite a bit with various settings.

Do I just need more time to make checking the settings second nature? Or do you seasoned pros still do that?

I'm thinking that every time I leave a photo-taking spot, maybe I should turn it back to the program mode as a backup in case I forget to choose new settings again.........

[disneyboy2003]

I continue to struggle with the best settings for taking character pictures in these dark-ish restaurants. I know I need to use my flash, but unless I up the ISO, the people in the foreground are well lit, but the restaurant background is always too black. So I crank up the ISO, which gives me an overall acceptable look, but is pretty noisy.

Anyone have thoughts on what settings would be best?

I had a lot of problems with my pictures this night. The first one with Pluto turned out way too dark. I did realize later that the spot metering that had been my friend during Aladdin had been my downfall here. I forgot to change it back. That happened quite a bit with various settings.

Do I just need more time to make checking the settings second nature? Or do you seasoned pros still do that?

I'm thinking that every time I leave a photo-taking spot, maybe I should turn it back to the program mode as a backup in case I forget to choose new settings again.........

Taking indoor flash pictures is kinda tough, and I think you did a pretty good job with the ones above.

Here are a few tips that I've learned over the past couple years through a lot of trial-and-error (mostly "error"). You actually may already know these tips, so please bear with me.

When you're taking a flash picture, you've actually got TWO different exposures going on at the same time: the foreground exposure and the background exposure. The flash helps to with the foreground exposure. Your camera settings determine the background exposure. That's the key to flash photography!

I typically set the flash to TTL ("through the lens"), which is the flash's "auto" mode. In general, TTL does a pretty good job on its own, so I just set it and forget it. You might need to add or subtract a little Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) depending on whether you've got a lot of white or a lot of black in your photo, respectively. In simple terms, FEC adds / subtracts a little bit of power from the flash.

For indoor flash photography, I typically set my camera to Manual. Again, the camera settings (ie. shutter speed, aperture, ISO) control the background exposure. That's why when you increased your ISO, you saw that the background got brighter.

I typically start by taking a test shot without flash, just to get the correct camera settings to expose the background. Actually, it's okay if I slightly underexpose the background, too. That way, my foreground subject (lit by flash) can stand out from the slightly darker background.

Through lots of trial-and-error, I finally found the ballpark camera settings that work for me...at least as initial settings:

shutter speed - since my subject is posing, I really don't need a super-fast shutter speed. I just need a shutter speed that's fast enough to stop any camera shake. So I'll start with 1/100 sec. I might go as slow as 1/60 sec, which is the typical point-and-shoot shutter speed, or if I'm holding the camera really really steady, I may go slightly slower.
aperture - I usually start with f/5.6 to get a little bit of depth of field for my subject. If my wife is posing with Donald Duck, I'd like to see both of them in-focus as much as possible, so that's why I start with f/5.6. (although, I should probably try plugging in some numbers in a depth-of-field calculator (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html), just to see if I can go with larger apertures)
ISO - I typically start with ISO 400, if I can. But now with better camera sensors and improved Lightroom 3 noise reduction, I'm gonna start venturing out to ISO 800, if needed.


So these are the settings I use for *indoor* flash photography. For *outdoor* flash photography, I'll set my camera to Aperture priority mode, and let the camera figure out the background exposure. The flash is still in TTL.

There are a couple other things you can do to brighten up your background in flash photography. First, instead of pointing the flash directly at your subject, see if you can point the flash at the ceiling (if the ceiling is not too high and if the ceiling is not some strange color). This will turn the ceiling into a HUGE light source, which will lighten up much of the background AND will soften the shadows.

The downside to this, though, is that the light is now coming from above your subjects, so you might get unflattering shadows under your subjects' eyes and nose, like racoons' eyes. I think there are a few flash accessories that help to address this by throwing a little bit of "fill flash" forward to your subject. They range from do-it-yourself flash accessories to overpriced stuff.

The other thing you can do is brighten the background in post-processing. Did you shoot in RAW? (it's okay if you didn't, but I think this works best with your RAW photo) You can use your newly-purchased Lightroom to increase the Fill Light in the photo. The Fill Light slider brightens some of the shadows in the photo, so in your case, it should brighten the darker background. If you use too much Fill Light, you'll start to see a lot of noise in those areas.

Anyway, these are some of the things I've learned about flash photography over the past couple years...and I'm still learning. Hope that helps. Sorry for the long post.

[Steve's Girl]

Great job mom! Loving all the photos. We leave for a 2 week western vaca this Saturday (not quite as far west as you were, but never the less pretty west for us).

[mom2rtk]

Taking indoor flash pictures is kinda tough, and I think you did a pretty good job with the ones above.

Here are a few tips that I've learned over the past couple years through a lot of trial-and-error (mostly "error"). You actually may already know these tips, so please bear with me.

When you're taking a flash picture, you've actually got TWO different exposures going on at the same time: the foreground exposure and the background exposure. The flash helps to with the foreground exposure. Your camera settings determine the background exposure. That's the key to flash photography!

I typically set the flash to TTL ("through the lens"), which is the flash's "auto" mode. In general, TTL does a pretty good job on its own, so I just set it and forget it. You might need to add or subtract a little Flash Exposure Compensation (FEC) depending on whether you've got a lot of white or a lot of black in your photo, respectively. In simple terms, FEC adds / subtracts a little bit of power from the flash.

For indoor flash photography, I typically set my camera to Manual. Again, the camera settings (ie. shutter speed, aperture, ISO) control the background exposure. That's why when you increased your ISO, you saw that the background got brighter.

I typically start by taking a test shot without flash, just to get the correct camera settings to expose the background. Actually, it's okay if I slightly underexpose the background, too. That way, my foreground subject (lit by flash) can stand out from the slightly darker background.

Through lots of trial-and-error, I finally found the ballpark camera settings that work for me...at least as initial settings:

shutter speed - since my subject is posing, I really don't need a super-fast shutter speed. I just need a shutter speed that's fast enough to stop any camera shake. So I'll start with 1/100 sec. I might go as slow as 1/60 sec, which is the typical point-and-shoot shutter speed, or if I'm holding the camera really really steady, I may go slightly slower.
aperture - I usually start with f/5.6 to get a little bit of depth of field for my subject. If my wife is posing with Donald Duck, I'd like to see both of them in-focus as much as possible, so that's why I start with f/5.6. (although, I should probably try plugging in some numbers in a depth-of-field calculator (http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html), just to see if I can go with larger apertures)
ISO - I typically start with ISO 400, if I can. But now with better camera sensors and improved Lightroom 3 noise reduction, I'm gonna start venturing out to ISO 800, if needed.


So these are the settings I use for *indoor* flash photography. For *outdoor* flash photography, I'll set my camera to Aperture priority mode, and let the camera figure out the background exposure. The flash is still in TTL.

There are a couple other things you can do to brighten up your background in flash photography. First, instead of pointing the flash directly at your subject, see if you can point the flash at the ceiling (if the ceiling is not too high and if the ceiling is not some strange color). This will turn the ceiling into a HUGE light source, which will lighten up much of the background AND will soften the shadows.

The downside to this, though, is that the light is now coming from above your subjects, so you might get unflattering shadows under your subjects' eyes and nose, like racoons' eyes. I think there are a few flash accessories that help to address this by throwing a little bit of "fill flash" forward to your subject. They range from do-it-yourself flash accessories to overpriced stuff.

The other thing you can do is brighten the background in post-processing. Did you shoot in RAW? (it's okay if you didn't, but I think this works best with your RAW photo) You can use your newly-purchased Lightroom to increase the Fill Light in the photo. The Fill Light slider brightens some of the shadows in the photo, so in your case, it should brighten the darker background. If you use too much Fill Light, you'll start to see a lot of noise in those areas.

Anyway, these are some of the things I've learned about flash photography over the past couple years...and I'm still learning. Hope that helps. Sorry for the long post.

Thank you for taking the time for such a thorough tutorial Disneyboy! That all makes a lot of sense. I'll start metering the room without flash to get an idea of where I'll want to be for the background before adding the flash. I have only used it on TTL, so I'll stick with that.

I think I had 2 problems that night. First, I mentioned having left the camera on spot metering. Second, my daughter's jacket was white. My biggest complaint was how dark her face turned out in some of the shots (oddly enough not all though). If I have this right, I should have added some flash compensation because the camera thought the scene was brighter than it was (especially with spot metering. Yikes!). Sort of like taking pictures in the snow????? I always have the same problem when I take pictures of her with Mary Poppins. All that white you know..... It seems to be making sense. Is that right?

I'm still not taking in ALL of my camera settings when I glance at the screen. I seem to always be missing something! But I still feel like I'm "getting" more all the time. :idea:

Great job mom! Loving all the photos. We leave for a 2 week western vaca this Saturday (not quite as far west as you were, but never the less pretty west for us).


So where are you headed? And where are you leaving from? I hope it's something photogenic so you can share when you get back!

[disneygolfgirl]

Really enjoyed your trip report and all the beautiful photos!

Jo

[Steve's Girl]

So where are you headed? And where are you leaving from? I hope it's something photogenic so you can share when you get back!

Leaving from Michigan - headed to Yellowstone. Plenty of opportunities for photos! Two weeks traveling in the car with three kids.....hmmmmm. That could be another story. Are we there yet?

[mom2rtk]

Really enjoyed your trip report and all the beautiful photos!

Jo

Thanks Jo! It's nice to see you here. I can't wait to scrapbook some of the photos!

Leaving from Michigan - headed to Yellowstone. Plenty of opportunities for photos! Two weeks traveling in the car with three kids.....hmmmmm. That could be another story. Are we there yet?


Well, I guarantee Yellowstone will be just as other-worldly. We went in 06 following our first trip to red rock country in 05 and I was worried I'd be disappointed. FAR from it! I was blown away! I can't wait to see what you come back with. The variety of types of scenery there is mind-boggling.

And 3 kids in the car for 2 weeks? Courage. :lmao: Nah... just kidding. Like I said, for us the hard part was when the car STOPPED, not when it was going. It's too easy to entertain them IN the car any more..... well that and the fact that with the boys at 15 and 17, it's the same car, but we have to fit in a lot more LEG!

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. :goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

Ok, on to Disneyland! It was amazing to step out of the Grand Californian and be so close to the front gates. The summer discounts on room rates were just too good this year to pass up the chance to stay so close to the center of action.

I normally have a detailed plan of action for any Disney trip, but our plans changed so often it made my head spin! The boys are not huge Disney fans, so I didn't know who was coming to the park with us on which day. Finally we talked Robbie (17) into coming for most of the first day, and Timmy (15) would come the first day, and part of the second. It makes it hard to plan attractions when you don't know who will be along.

We got to the gates fairly early that morning. The park was scheduled to open at 8, and we got the ticket window around 7:30. We had to redeem the Give a Day vouchers for the boys, and Katie's voucher for fastpasses. The attendant at the window gave us the cards to use to get fastpasses, but didn't seem to know much about them. I had a fairly good idea that there was a list of "Donald" attractions and "Daisy" attractions, but couldn't remember what was on each list. She didn't know either. We went on our way and figured we'd ask an attendant at one of the machines later in the day.

Around 7:45 they opened the turnstyles and let everyone filter up Main Street almost to the Partners statue. It was not a very pretty morning. It was overcast. On the up side, it was fairly cool (try finding THAT in Orlando in the summer!) but on the down side, pictures don't look very pretty on an overcast day. And while we were there early, there was still a good number of people ahead of us to block most of my shots. The boys headed for the Matterhorn while Katie and I got in line for Peter Pan, along with a couple hundred of our closest friends.........

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11peterpan2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11peterpan.jpg

Now, I have gotten much better at dark ride photography, but Peter Pan remains the hardest of the dark rides. I don't beat myself up too much. I doubt I'll get ANYTHING inside this ride with my current camera body which only goes up to 1600 ISO. I have better low light lenses now, but I doubt even that will conquer this ride. I started with the wide angle and do like the couple of shots I took before we got into the dark. As soon as we got inside I switched to the Sigma 30mm f1.4, the fastest lens I have. I didn't even get close to a decent shot!

From there we hurried on to Katie's and my favorite Disneyland ride.... Alice. We're both huge fans of the ride and the movie and I was anxious to try some more dark ride photos. I thought I did better but did come away with one sharp shot:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11alicequeen.jpg

The photo is noisy as all getout..... but it's fairly sharp, so it represents a step up with me. When I finally get going with Lightroom, I hope to improve this shot enough to be a keeper. Anyone care to tell me what step they would follow in LR3 with a photo like this?

Next up was the Storybook Canal. We really wanted to be sure we didn't miss the rides that they don't have at Disney World. I think the Canal ride is quaint and charming. It's easy to imagine it there in the early days right after the park opened. But man that line moves slow!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11canalkatie.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11canalstoad.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11canaltremaines.jpg

Katie and I did a quick spin on Dumbo, where I tried to get a good shot of Fantasyland. It was still overcast, so the result was less than stellar.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fantasyland.jpg

After that brief taste of Fantasyland, the boys showed back up and it was time to head for Tomorrowland. Since Robbie would only be with us that first day, we decided to focus on the things he would like the rest of the day.

I had hoped to get some interesting shots on Autopia with my wide angle lens, but actually go my own legs in most of them! I tried to get a shot in that colorful tunnel on Space Mountain, but failed miserably. I do know I need an even longer exposure than I thought for that one. The boys decided spur of the moment that we should see Captain EO. The boys are mildly amused by Michael Jackson. We also did Star Tours. My boys grew up as huge Star Wars fans, but they were less than impressed by the ride now at 15 and 17.

Then we headed for Buzz Lightyear, another place I thought I could get some interesting shots. I loved the wide angle shot from that ride that Tom posted, and wanted to see what I could accomplish. I ended up with a few that might work, but like my other dark ride shots, they need more work in Lightroom. First rule of dark ride photography..... when the ride vehicle has a control stick, don't ride with a 9 year old! Every time I was about to take a picture, the ride would spin around again! One might even think she was doing it on purpose!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11buzzkatie.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11buzztimmy.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11buzztimmy2.jpg

With the help of our Give a Day fastpasses, we had done Tomorrowland in pretty short order, so we decided to hoof it on over to Adventureland!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11adventureland.jpg

You will notice there is finally a little bit of blue in the sky! The haze had burned off, but it was also warming up quite a bit. But no one cared.... we were on a mission headed for Indiana Jones! We had actually rescheduled the trip when we found it it would be closed for refurbishment the week before, so it ranks pretty high at our house. It was awesome to use the Give a Day fastpasses and just walk up and get immediate fp's for our entire group!

[mom2rtk]

I did keep my camera out on Indy, but quickly gave up. The ride is very similar to Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, and it's just to hard to hold the camera still enough. Anyone out there have any shots from Indy?

The ride did not disappoint and we loved riding it for the first time since 2007. Katie was a real trooper. She had never ridden before, and wasn't the least bit bothered by the snakes. She took a huge step up in the ride department this trip. She also did Space Mountain for the first time. She had never been a coaster fan. She had said she would try Space, but then started to chicken out in line. After YEARS of doing kid swaps, I was dying for the entire family to just get on and do the ride together. So yes.... I resorted to bribery. She had been eyeing a new warm-up suit for her Build-a-Bear dog...... and we knew just the moment to cave. She did the ride, loved it and rode several more times before the trip was over. We had a coaster junkie on our hands! YEAH!!! FINALLY!!!!

Now back to Adventureland. We found one more thing the family loves: Bengel Barbeque. It's rare to find something we all like, and this definitely did the trick. Man I wish I was there now......... Drooling over.... time to move on.....

The line at Jungle Cruise was pretty long, so we passed and headed on to Frontierland. We did the canoes for the first time in 07 and really enjoyed it. So we hopped on for a nice ride around the Rivers of America. I have to fess up, I didn't pull my weight..... I was having too much fun with the camera. I did enjoy getting this shot of the Mark Twain:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11marktwain.jpg

Next it was time for Splash and BTMRR to use some more instant fastpasses. I had been asking all the fastpass attendants what attractions were in what group, but they just looked at me like I was from another planet. They didn't have a clue what they were! So we just kept using them, figuring the machine would let us know when we were done.

I had brought a ziploc bag for my camera to use on Splash Mountain. I wanted to try for a shot going down the big drop. OK, so MAYBE that was ill-conceived when I somehow ended up in the very front....... Luckily I had a bag from one of the gift shops with me too. I got pretty wet early in the ride, and decided to keep that backup bag handy. I did get a couple shots off on the ride down, but they were overexposed and out of focus. Guess I need more practice........ I got MASSIVELY drenched, but fortunately the camera stayed dry, aside from a few strap drips. I probably wouldn't have done this if the camera wasn't covered for accidental damage......... Oh well.... I tried.

Thunder Mountain is obviously much easier to photograph. But I really did enjoy the wide angle and burst shooting here. This is actually one of my favorite photos from the trip. I love the way the train circles into the frame:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11btmrr.jpg

As we left Frontierland, I did request one family photo in front of the castle. I knew Robbie wouldn't be back the next day, and the sky was now blue, so it was now or never. I was surprised that no one really complained very loudly. Gosh, it was almost like they expected it or something.... So we had the photopass photographer take our shot, and back we went to Adventureland. (I thought about taking a few moments to take some castle only pictures, but decided not to push my luck. Now I wish I had since I never DID get good castle pictures with a pretty blue sky.)

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11familycastle.jpg

We then made a quick return trip to Tomorrowland to repeat Buzz and Space. That's the REAL benefit of the Give a Day fastpasses: You can also collect regular fastpasses at the same time, allowing you to double up on the headliners.

By now it was dawning on everyone that we hadn't ordered enough lunch. So since our family motto is that if you love something, you should do it to death....... we went back and spent more of the family fortunes at the Bengal Barbeque!

By now it was really toasty out and the sun had been beating down on us for a while. When we left that morning, it was cool and cloudy, so I hadn't put sunscreen on any of us. Three of us are painfully pale, and very susceptible to burns, so I was getting nervous. I knew we needed to do one or two more things then high tail it back to the room to escape the rest of the days strongest sun.

For some reason, there was almost no line for the Jungle Cruise this time, so we hopped on. Fortunately one of my kids likes to pose for me every now and then:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11jcminnie.jpg

I really like the way the wide angle lens lets you capture the feeling of sitting on the ride again.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11jc.jpg

I wonder if this duck had any fear of that deadly Jungle Cruise tiger and crocodile lurking in the background.......... I really have enjoyed playing with the DOF on these 2.8 lenses. This is another of my favorites from the trip:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11jcduck.jpg

There were still a couple things we wanted to do at DCA, so we fought the throngs gathered for the parade and made our way to the front of the park. Soarin and Grizzly River Run are right near the entrance to the hotel, so the plan was to do those and head back for a bit.

Our first snag with the GAD fastpasses happened at the Soarin FP Kiosk. Come to find out, we had used our 3 attractions already from that group. No biggie, but it would have been nice if someone along the way could have answered that question for us. It's not like we didn't ask.

So off to Grizzly River Run we went. I didn't think Katie would go, and once I got drenched on Splash, I was pretty sure I would pass. Besides, I wanted to photograph everyone ELSE getting drenched! Just before the ride, we practically stumbled across aviator Minnie posing by her plane. I didn't even know Minnie appeared this way. Perfect.... Katie and I would stop for photos while they got in line for GRR. I'm glad we didn't come back for her. We got in line, got our photos, and less than 5 minutes later she was gone!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11aviatorminnie.jpg

There was still plenty of time for some action shots of my crew getting drenched:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11grr.jpg

Come to find out, they had gotten their instant fastpasses for Grizzly River Run just in time too. There were cast members at the FP kiosks messing around, so I asked what they were doing. They were switching them over to give out World of Color FP's for the Cast Member preview that night.

We ducked back into the hotel to get off our feet and let the wet ones dry off. The boys all considered themselves done for the day at that point. I had planned for some time to see if all my time here on this forum could help improve my fireworks photography. It had been crazy busy in the parks that day, and I wanted to sit right up by the castle for the fireworks, so that meant I needed to be there early.

[mom2rtk]

Katie and I enjoyed walking back into Disneyland by ourselves to stake out a spot for the fireworks. We have seen fireworks at DL only once before, and that was from the back of a throng of people half way down Main Street. I dragged my tripod around all day in 07, but there was no show, probably because of the wind. So when we talked about going to DL this year, one of the things I looked forward to was fireworks pictures over Sleeping Beauty Castle.

I know the castle at DL is much shorter, so I figured it was more important than ever to be right up close. So we entered the park around 6:30, grabbed a sandwich, and headed for the hub. I really was surprised to find very little curb space left right up front. But we squeezed in, and settled in for the long wait.

A gentleman beside us had the same camera I have, and we chatted back and forth quite a bit. He showed me how to use the live view function, which worked out wonderfully for shooting fireworks. I've had this camera for over a year and never used that function before!

It might not have as commanding a presence as Cindy's digs in Orlando, but I love how pretty Aurora's home is at night:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11castle.jpg

I went full manual for this: Aperture at 8, ISO 100, bulb mode for exposure. I tended to use between 4 and 5 seconds. Not being really experienced at this, I didn't want to take a chance on blowing anything out.

I took some fairly decent fireworks pictures at DW a few years back. I used Program mode with ISO of 1600 I think. I got some nice bursts, but I wanted to do better and include some longer exposures. So I read up ahead of time and went manual last fall. And the pictures stunk. I shot Hallowishes and came away with almost nothing I was really happy with. I was determined to do better. I really thought about last fall and think I just didn't keep the shutter open long enough. Too many short trails, not enough bursts. This time I got more bursts. And while I hope to do better still, I really was happy with a number of the shots:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11castle1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw3.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw4.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw6.jpg

And my 2 favorites:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw5.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11castlered.jpg

I'm sure there's more I can do in PP to make the photos better, maybe make the sky darker, but at least I've made progress.

We dragged ourselves back to the hotel knowing we were planning to be there for early opening at 7 AM the next day. I would have LOVED to wander around the park for more night photography, but Katie was tired, and my feet just couldn't take any more.

[disneygolfgirl]

J-
Loving your trip report and also your amazing fireworks shots. I'm such a novice and would be thrilled to have one half as good!

Jo

[mom2rtk]

J-
Loving your trip report and also your amazing fireworks shots. I'm such a novice and would be thrilled to have one half as good!

Jo

Thanks Jo! Most cameras can actually take fairly decent fireworks photos. The single greatest thing you can do is use a tripod! I'm looking forward to practicing some more on the 4th here at home. I'm hoping to do even better on our trip to the World in December.

[mom2rtk]

One more shot from the end of day 1, right before leaving for the night. We actually waited quite a while up by the rope in front of the castle. The park was open until midnight, and they needed to give clearance to Fantasyland following the fireworks before letting down the rope. All I wanted was a Photopass picture in front of the castle. I finally gave up after about 15-20 minutes. Then I looked down at my camera and tripod and said... duh.... let's just do this ourselves! We moved back by the Partners statue and did our own. I really don't like the light towers where they are. They really clutter up the shot!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2statue.jpg

[mom2rtk]

My internal time clock stays set to central time, regardless of what time zone I'm in. So I woke up every morning way ahead of everyone else. So Tuesday when I woke up, I decided to make the most of it. I grabbed the camera and tripod and headed for the California sign in the Plaza between the 2 parks. I thought I could get some cool shots with no one in them. Well, I did have the area to myself, (except for the sweeper machine), but I didn't really care for the results. It was too light to get night shots, but not light enough for day shots. And let's face it.... I was just guessing at my settings.

I went with the aperture completely stopped down. I wanted a longer exposure to see if that would intensify the colors. The results didn't grab me. If I was doing it again, I'd just go with a mid range f-stop, maybe f-8 or f-10. Anyone have thoughts on what I might have done here? I increased the saturation of the colors a bit, but it still seems to need something. Maybe it just needed a different time of day??? Of course, it didn't help that the day started overcast again.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2dcasign.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2dcasign2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2dcasign3.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2dcasign4.jpg

Regardless, it was awesome to be out there as the day was dawning, just me, my camera and my tripod.

[mom2rtk]

On the way back, I took advantage of the early hour to get some shots of the hotel lobby:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2gclobby4.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2gclobby1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2gclobby.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2gclobby2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2gclobby3.jpg

[mom2rtk]

Today we were starting the day in Fantasyland. The boys were sleeping in. Robbie was spending the day in the room, and we were meeting Timmy in the afternoon and planned to use our second Give A Day voucher for fastpasses.

Once again, we made it there for rope drop. This day was tougher since it was Magic Morning and it started at 7. Our first destination was the Nemo Subs. We had purposely scheduled to just miss the grand opening in 07, so it was high time to give it a try. I wasn't that excited about it really, since we've done the Nemo ride at Epcot several times. But I actually found this to be a lot better, and am glad we didn't miss it.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2nemodiver.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2nemosubs.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2nemowindow.jpg

I had a love/hate relationship with the weather at Disneyland. Every morning we were there was overcast. I loved wearing a jacket at Disney in June, but would have loved a blue sky over those Nemo subs!

I hadn't done the Matterhorn the day before and didn't want to miss it, so we headed that way next. I like the ride, but I really wanted a shot at that dang snowmonster. Someone on the Disneyland board had gotten a great shot, and I was crazy enough to think I might too.... Hah! I went fairly wide at 17mm since I wanted a lot of frame available to catch him. I went wide open at f2.8. In retrospect, my Sigma 30mm f1.4 might have been better, but that might have been a little tight for composing on a jerky coaster. I didn't do great, but I did catch him in the corner of one of my shots. This has been cropped. Of course, I'll try not to be too hard on myself on this one. It would be a lot easier if I were a Disneyland regular and could ride the ride a few times and could anticipate him.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2matterhorn.jpg

I wanted to be sure not to miss Small World, so we headed over there next. I know many diehards are not fond of the addition of the Disney characters into the ride, but I found it charming and really enjoyed the updated version. I also just enjoyed the chance to do the ride with more lens options than on our last trip.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2smallworldalice.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2smallworldariel.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2smallworld.jpg

We finished our morning stop in Fantasyland with a ride on Casey's Circus Train. All I remember from riding it years ago was having to squeeze into a cage. Thankfully no squeezing required this time! What I had forgotten was what a lovely complement it was to the Storybook Canal. It was nice to ride around and see the miniature buildings again.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agrabah.jpg

One of the things I really wanted to do that day was to find Princess Tiana, so we headed across the park to New Orleans Square to scope things out. Her small song and dance show was supposed to be at 10:30.

[mom2rtk]

We still had time to do a couple of rides before Tiana came out. So we did Haunted Mansion and POTC. I'm doing better still on these dark rides, and came away with a couple more sharp shots. I really found it helpful to shoot in continuous mode. It really increased my odds of getting a sharp shot. They still need some work with PP, which I hope to work on when I get my computer issues ironed out.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2hmexterior.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2hmcarriage.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2hmbride.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2hmbdaytable.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2hmheads.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2leota.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2potcdonkey.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2potcgirl.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2potcgoldroom.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2potcjack.jpg

Any tips on what I want to do in post with these would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to get LR3 loaded onto my computer, but hit some snags and hope to have it worked out soon.

[Gianna'sPapa]

I love the fact that you were able to get some lowlight ride images. I have yet to be real successful with that. Nice job! What lens and settings did you use?

[mom2rtk]

I love the fact that you were able to get some lowlight ride images. I have yet to be real successful with that. Nice job! What lens and settings did you use?

Thank you! I've been enjoying your character and show photos over on your thread! I felt for you lugging around equipment in the heat. Your nice show close-ups are tempting me to still bring my long lens into the MK on our next trip. At least since it's going to be December, I won't have the heat issue to work with....

I bought my Sigma 30mm f1.4 before our trip last fall, but didn't feel the least bit successful with it on that trip. I think I went aperture priority of 1.4 on that trip. But this time I went shutter priority of 1/30 which I thought would the lower limit of what I could hand hold. It also helped a lot to use the continuous exposure mode so I had a lot to work with , and I didn't have to constantly refocus.

Thanks for reading along! Can't wait to see more from your trip!

[mom2rtk]

I had seen a banner up the day before where they do Tiana's little show, but it wasn't out yet this day. So we headed back into New Orleans Square and asked around. We found the staircase I've seen in so many photos, and confirmed from a couple of people that's where she woud come down. Katie changed into the Tiana gown and we hung out right there. I took some photos of her on the steps then we had a snack.

I'm glad I reviewed my photos while we were waiting. I had forgotten to change my camera settings after POTC! I had it set on shutter priority of 1/30 but had added the flash. Oops.......... I took some more. Still not great, but much better. I think the lighting in that area was just really tricky. It's a small two story area open to the sky at the top, so most of the daylight comes from straight above. Any thoughts on the best way to tackle a situation like this? Maybe I should have used a bit of extra flash exposure compensation? Her face just seems a little too dark.

These are the photos I seem to have lost the RAW files on, so I won't have as much flexibility to work with.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianagownkatie.jpg

The dancers showed up first and were really tickled to see Katie's costume. It's the reaction from CM's like this that brings us the greatest enjoyment on our trip. They were absolutely as sweet as can be!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianagroup.jpg

Tiana came down the staircase and they headed out for their show:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianashowpurple.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianashowgreen.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianadance.jpg

Tiana wasn't scheduled to do a meet & greet after the show, so I asked her handler right before the show if there was any way to get a quick photo after. She caught me near the end of the show and told me to follow them. They stopped near the staircase and let me get my shots.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tiana.jpg

[mom2rtk]

Once the show was over, Drew headed back to the hotel. He was going to have lunch with the boys while Katie and I headed to DCA for an additional dose of princess fun at Ariel's Grotto. I had made a green Ariel gown for our December trip, but made sure to bring it along since I knew Ariel would be greeting us in her green at her restaurant. Ariel's reaction was priceless, but I missed that shot because we were walking down the staircase. She doesn't see many little girls in her gown.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agarielfl.jpg

We were seated at a table inside but next to the open doors to the patio area. There was a cool breeze coming in and I loved the chance for some extra lighting. Soon we were visiting with old friends. :goodvibes

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agaurorahalf.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agcindyfl.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agswfl.jpg

And one of my favorite shots....... Katie's face is slightly out of focus, but I love it nonetheless........

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agbellecu.jpg

It was then time to head back to the hotel. I was exhausted and we were taking a short break before heading back with everyone but Robbie. Time for some thrill rides again!

[Gianna'sPapa]

Thank you! I've been enjoying your character and show photos over on your thread! I felt for you lugging around equipment in the heat. Your nice show close-ups are tempting me to still bring my long lens into the MK on our next trip. At least since it's going to be December, I won't have the heat issue to work with....

I bought my Sigma 30mm f1.4 before our trip last fall, but didn't feel the least bit successful with it on that trip. I think I went aperture priority of 1.4 on that trip. But this time I went shutter priority of 1/30 which I thought would the lower limit of what I could hand hold. I big improvement also came with using the continuous exposure mode so I had a lot to work with , and I didn't have to constantly refocus.

Thanks for reading along! Can't wait to see more from your trip!

That is the lens I wanted to get before we left but the budget wouldn't allow for it. I love the matching costumes, great job. Your photos make me want to go back to DL. I used to live 10 minutes away and go all the time, but that was 40 years ago! I first visited there as a kid in 1958.

[mom2rtk]

That is the lens I wanted to get before we left but the budget wouldn't allow for it. I love the matching costumes, great job. Your photos make me want to go back to DL. I used to live 10 minutes away and go all the time, but that was 40 years ago! I first visited there as a kid in 1958.

Thank you! My daughter still enjoys all the costume fun, mostly because she's used to getting to "play" a little extra with the cast members because of it. I know that will end soon enough, but I'm taking my cues from her. I do think that once she's done with it, we'll probably just start going during Halloween when we can both dress up.

And living so close to DL would be a dream come true for me! I can't even imagine how cool that would be!

It was somewhat different going this time than on our past trips though. The crowds were huge. I knew ahead of time to choose days that were blocked to AP's, but after rescheduling around WOC crowds, and the Indy closure, we just picked what worked best and made the most of it. Without our GAD fastpasses, it would have really been bad.

You should go back soon though (you know.... on a blocked AP day!). It still has so much that WDW does not. And once Fantasyland in the MK changes, DL will seem even more nostalgic. I can't wait for the new FL in the MK, it should be awesome. But I'll miss the old one too!

As for the lens, I really do like mine. I did try a couple of dark rides with one of the 2.8 lenses I already had on my camera, but it just didn't do the trick. But keep in mind my ISO only goes to 1600. The Sigma is really a great lens. I like the focal length too. I also have the canon 50mm f1.8, but just don't find myself using it much. 50mm just always seems too long or too short, hardly ever just right for me.

[Gianna'sPapa]

We did the Halloween Party in 05 with everyone dressed in the Disney deluxe costumes. My DGD (the Gianna in Gianna'sPapa) picked out all the costumes. we had a great fun. My oldest daughter (Gianna's Mom) was dressed as Cinderella and was told by security not to sign any autographs and to advise anyone who asked that she wasn't the real Cinderella.:)

I'm in the same boat with the ISO. We have two K10D's with a max of 1600.

[mom2rtk]

We did the Halloween Party in 05 with everyone dressed in the Disney deluxe costumes. My DGD (the Gianna in Gianna'sPapa) picked out all the costumes. we had a great fun. My oldest daughter (Gianna's Mom) was dressed as Cinderella and was told by security not to sign any autographs and to advise anyone who asked that she wasn't the real Cinderella.:)

I'm in the same boat with the ISO. We have two K10D's with a max of 1600.

Now that I'm in good shape with lenses, a body with higher ISO is the last piece of what I really want. That's not happening any time soon though, so I just need to make friends with my 1600 ISO! Maybe I can just learn more about PP and give up on Peter Pan!

We did the Halloween party at WDW last year. We dressed up, but they set records for heat the week we were there. The costumes didn't last long. They even set heat records on Halloween night last year, so you can never do Orlando for Halloween and know it will be manageable.

I'm leaning toward DL for Halloween sometime. They are moving their party to DL this year, which is a big help. DCA for Halloween just did nothing for me.

I'd love to see photos of your group from Halloween that year! I'm a costume junkie......

[Gianna'sPapa]

Now that I'm in good shape with lenses, a body with higher ISO is the last piece of what I really want. That's not happening any time soon though, so I just need to make friends with my 1600 ISO! Maybe I can just learn more about PP and give up on Peter Pan!

We did the Halloween party at WDW last year. We dressed up, but they set records for heat the week we were there. The costumes didn't last long. They even set heat records on Halloween night last year, so you can never do Orlando for Halloween and know it will be manageable.

I'm leaning toward DL for Halloween sometime. They are moving their party to DL this year, which is a big help. DCA for Halloween just did nothing for me.

I'd love to see photos of your group from Halloween that year! I'm a costume junkie......

These are from 05 and are pre-DSLR. The two Cruella's are the actual character and the DW (right). The character saw the DW standing in line for a photo, left her handler and walked into the crowd. There, she coached the DW and they put on a show surrounded by the crowd. It was great!

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1090/4724533101_8e9794a239_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1018/4724532341_da291f2eab_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1413/4724532005_fe6918dde4_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1153/4724531379_0f3454b38f_b.jpg

[mom2rtk]

These are from 05 and are pre-DSLR. The two Cruella's are the actual character and the DW (right). The character saw the DW standing in line for a photo, left her handler and walked into the crowd. There, she coached the DW and they put on a show surrounded by the crowd. It was great!


You guys are adorable! And you did a great job with the costumes! Isn't it amazing how much fun it can add to the experience? Thanks so much for sharing! I'm thinking that Prince Charming shot should be your new Avatar.....

[mom2rtk]

After resting back at the room for a bit, the 4 of us headed back for the parks around 3:00. We couldn't redeem that second GAD voucher until Timmy was with us since they require all members of the group to be present. We got our 4 special cards and headed for DCA. I still hadn't done a single ride in DCA and our second and last full park day was getting away from us.

I headed for the Soarin FP machines. They were closed already with all the fp's already distributed. Hmmm.... My understanding was that they kept one machine open for the special fp's, even when the others closed. I asked the attendant, who knew nothing about it. So I went to the information booth at the front of the park. They knew nothing. I went to the gift shop that was supposed to have a spot to deal with GAD vouchers and they knew nothing. They said when they were gone, they were gone. Huh??? That wasn't my understanding of it. They suggested Guest Relations in DL. OK.....

Time was slipping by but we had to give it a go. FINALLY, we got the right person. We had been using them the wrong way all along. If you go to guest relations, they actually print up the fastpasses right there. No need to even visit the kiosks. If only the people who take the vouchers at the ticket booths knew that..... Of course, by the time we got it straightened out, the parade was just finishing, and we had to fight a sea of people to get to Adventureland. So much for doing DCA then ending the night at DL. We obviously needed a new plan......

First stop... the Tiki Room. OK, so maybe this wasn't the way to get Timmy excited about DL. But we were right there.... and it's SO much better at DL than at WDW....... And who can resist that tune??? Well, turns out Timmy can......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tikibirds.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tikitotem.jpg

I used the Sigma 30mm f1.4 and was pretty successful at getting some sharp shots. A zoom would have been nice since I ended up with about 50 shots of birds all looking about the same. A little variety would have been nice. Katie and I like the attraction, but I'm afraid we were alone in that....

We had no intention of leaving without doing Indy again, so that was our next destination. I never give up, so I left the camera out again. This time I got what I think is a fairly sharp shot of Indy, but it needs to be lightened still in post.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2indybuddah.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2indy.jpg

We were getting a little hungry... and Bengel Barbeque WAS right there..... so remember.... if it's worth doing once, it's worth doing to death..... so yes....one last stop for kebabs.......... Timmy was even kind enough to let me take his picture......... Actually...... Timmy has been honing is photographic evasive techniques for many years.........

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2bbq.jpg

We passed on doing Splash again. One drenching was enough for me on this trip. But BTMRR was calling our names. It's fun to have a few rides that all of us love to bits. This is certainly one of them. I was in the back seat, so it was fun to turn around for a new perspective on the ride:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2btmrr.jpg

The kid has an awesome smile, don't you think??? :goodvibes

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2btmrr2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2btmrr3.jpg

Timmy didn't really care to stay all night. He likes Disney, but he and Robbie like to hang out in the hotel with us gone too..... I think he really only came along this second day to do Space Mountain. I take great pleasure in that since he's never been a thrill ride kid. We've always had to coerce and cajole him into doing the big rides. Now he was begging to go again. I loved it. We also gave Buzz Lightyear one more go while we were in Tomorrowland. It really is a much better ride in DL since you can hold up the lazer guns. It drives me nuts now to do the one in WDW where the guns are mounted on the ride vehicles.

It was then time for a quick exit over to DCA since it closed at 8 and it was almost 6:30 already. That of course, meant it was time for the parade again. It seemed like every time we tried to get somewhere in that park, there was a parade holding us up! They wouldn't let us cross down by Main Street since it was almost ready to start. I thought we'd be there a while, but MAN that parade is short.......... I hadn't planned on photographing a parade, but there it was...and there was my camera.... I had my wide angle lens on and probably wouldn't have chosen it, but really did like it. I'll probably try it on another parade again one day!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2parade.jpg

We exited DL and made a run for DCA and Soarin AGAIN. After 2 tries at using our GAD fp's there, and 2 failures, I was growing weary of waiting for it. This time it was finally a go. They did say no photography, but no one complained that I had my camera around my neck.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2soarin2.jpg

Katie had enjoyed all the coasters so much that she agreed to try California Screamin. She even agreed AFTER we told her about the inversion! Timmy was done riding and headed back to the room. I loved the view from the top and wish I could have had my camera out for just one shot up there.. Instead I had to settle for one of Katie from behind contemplating her first inversion coaster....

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2calscr.jpg

Katie LOVED the ride, as did I and we couldn't wait to circle back in to the line for a second quick ride.

We had been back and forth the entire time about Toy Story Midway Mania. Katie and I have been on fastpasses at DHS, but Drew had never done it. So we ducked into line a few minutes before park closing. The line was still over an hour long, but it was our last chance to do it. On the up side, I had never seen the Mr. Potatohead I had heard so much about.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tsm3.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tsm2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tsm.jpg

We could have gone back into Disneyland at that point since it was open until midnight. We even had a couple of fastpasses left. But to be honest, my feet couldn't take any more. I barely could muster the energy to hobble back toward the hotel. On our way out of Paradise Pier, we literally stumbled across some famous vacationers......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2mickeyminnie.jpg


It's a really bad picture. I know that. But it was just so cool to be dragging ourselves out of the park and just run across them walking hand in hand with no big mob, no one standing in line.........

We did finally figure out that there was a private party at DCA that night, so I'm sure that's where they were headed. As we left Paradise Pier, party goers were lining up to see a special sneak peek of World of Color. We probably could have blended in with the crowd and seen it ourselves, but my feet said otherwise. I was more thankful than ever that our hotel was so close.

[DisneyDorkORama]

once again...love the pictures!!

and I also love the show Pawn Stars! :goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

once again...love the pictures!!

and I also love the show Pawn Stars! :goodvibes

Thanks! And I'm not sure what it is about the show, but we all like it here. I think there are just so few things that everyone at our house will watch. And it was fun to walk into the shop and see some of the items they purchased in previous shows.

[disneygolfgirl]

Thanks Jo! Most cameras can actually take fairly decent fireworks photos. The single greatest thing you can do is use a tripod! I'm looking forward to practicing some more on the 4th here at home. I'm hoping to do even better on our trip to the World in December.

I practice with a tripod at our hometown fireworks, too. Actually got some decent ones last year, but haven't gotten Disney ones yet with a tripod. Maybe next time!

Really enjoying your trip reports and Katie's beautiful costumes!
Jo F

[mom2rtk]

I practice with a tripod at our hometown fireworks, too. Actually got some decent ones last year, but haven't gotten Disney ones yet with a tripod. Maybe next time!

Really enjoying your trip reports and Katie's beautiful costumes!
Jo F

Thanks Jo! I actually think it's easier at Disney because there's a castle to focus on! You just have to figure out if it's worth it to you to cart the tripod around. Or you can put it in a locker and get it out late in the day.

There's a whole thread on this topic if you're interested:


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1474329

I hope to update soon. I got playing with Lightroom 3 and suddenly I don't want to post any more until I get the hang of it and can use that! I have another half Disney day left (girls only while the boys sleep in!) plus a night on the rim of the Grand Canyon and a couple more amazing sights along the way.

[vamassey1]

Janet your pictures are breath taking! I can't wait to see the pages you make with them!

[KCmike]

Just found your trip report my fellow KC native!!! My wife has always wanted to drive west. Someday....

Your report is wonderful and I think your shots are great. I love the arches shot. Perfect light. I personally like pictures that aren't touched up in photoshop and all the other software out there. Personally I think lighting is the most important thing to understand when taking the shot. The few hours of sunrise and sunset are the MAGIC HOURS! Who knows though as I am just a novice.

We haven't been back to WDW in four years now. The whole family loves California way too much. We have done San Francisco, Monterey, Yosemite National Park (Must see, put it on your bucket list) and San Diego. We have been to WDW several times but our favorite vacation remains the time we went to San Diego (Hotel Del Coronado on the Pacific Ocean)and DL together. They still talk about it each year.

We are staying at the Grand Californian this year too!!! The 5 for 3 deal was just too good to pass up. Would love to hear more about your time there! We love the intimacy of DL. Downtown Disney, DCA, and DL so close together is just right. I dread the day I have to ride a bus again between parks. I also don't miss the humidity of FL. I will want to return to WDW someday (probably at Christmas time some year) but I don't feel good about the expansion at the magic kingdom. Looks like to many meet and greets. I hope I'm wrong. I do love EPCOT! It's my favorit.e second park behind DL magic kingdom. Have to agree about Aladdin. Awesome show.

Alright enough ramblin. Keep that report coming.

[lumpy08]

Your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing. If you are looking for a photo editing program and are used to PSE - I would stick with it. Do you happen to have a costco in your area. They have coupons for PSE a few times during the year. Also, the outfits you made for you made for you dd are just beautiful... Love the ariel one.

[mom2rtk]

Janet your pictures are breath taking! I can't wait to see the pages you make with them!

Hey Vanessa! Nice to see you over here! I've been following your report and feel like I have 2 vacations going at once!

Just found your trip report my fellow KC native!!! My wife has always wanted to drive west. Someday....

Your report is wonderful and I think your shots are great. I love the arches shot. Perfect light. I personally like pictures that aren't touched up in photoshop and all the other software out there. Personally I think lighting is the most important thing to understand when taking the shot. The few hours of sunrise and sunset are the MAGIC HOURS! Who knows though as I am just a novice.

We haven't been back to WDW in four years now. The whole family loves California way too much. We have done San Francisco, Monterey, Yosemite National Park (Must see, put it on your bucket list) and San Diego. We have been to WDW several times but our favorite vacation remains the time we went to San Diego (Hotel Del Coronado on the Pacific Ocean)and DL together. They still talk about it each year.

We are staying at the Grand Californian this year too!!! The 5 for 3 deal was just too good to pass up. Would love to hear more about your time there! We love the intimacy of DL. Downtown Disney, DCA, and DL so close together is just right. I dread the day I have to ride a bus again between parks. I also don't miss the humidity of FL. I will want to return to WDW someday (probably at Christmas time some year) but I don't feel good about the expansion at the magic kingdom. Looks like to many meet and greets. I hope I'm wrong. I do love EPCOT! It's my favorit.e second park behind DL magic kingdom. Have to agree about Aladdin. Awesome show.

Alright enough ramblin. Keep that report coming.

Howdy neighbor! I noticed you on the DL boards back when I first stopped in early this year when planning this trip. I appreciate the kind comments! From what I've seen, you've photographed every detail in DL!

If you haven't made the drive yet, you really should try sometime. Although it does require more time than some can invest in one vacation. But that entire area is amazing. We actually had considered the northern California trek this year (including San Francisco and Yosemite) but couldn't get enough time carved out to do it right. Oddly enough, I AM a little concerned that I might be disappointed going that direction after developing such a fascination with all those rock formations in the southwest. But then I mistakenly thought that before we did Yellowstone. Boy, was I wrong!

We tend to do more WDW than DL, but I do see why you prefer DL. It has much going for it. When we go to WDW, we typically stay at the POP, so it is a long bus ride to the park every day. But we do love the variety of character meals, and the other parks we can get down there. My daughter and I are headed back down in December. I try hard to avoid Orlando in the heat. So that leaves, what.... December and January???

We're not looking forward to seeing Fantasyland torn up, but do look forward to the additional meet & greets. My daughter and I are big character hunters.

If you've never stayed at the GC, you are in for a treat. I wasn't in the hotel much, but after taking buses from park to park at WDW, the location alone sold me!

I can't wait to hear all about your trip when you get back. I also look forward to seeing a new round of photos from you!

Your photos are wonderful. Thanks for sharing. If you are looking for a photo editing program and are used to PSE - I would stick with it. Do you happen to have a costco in your area. They have coupons for PSE a few times during the year. Also, the outfits you made for you made for you dd are just beautiful... Love the ariel one.

Many thanks for the kind comments!

I'm not very advanced with ANY photo editing program yet. I have an old PSE that came with my first DSLR, back when they included those...... but never felt very proficient with it. But then I never invested much time with it either.

I added the trial version of Lightroom 3 this week and have been playing with it and doing some tutorials. I'm amazed at what it can do, even on just a very basic level. If I never used anything but the exposure slider and the noise reduction sliders, it would be well worth its price.

My goal is to add both LR# and the newer PSE8 very soon. Some kid folks here on this forum pointed me toward a site where I could get them for my student children at a great price.

Thanks for reading along everyone. I hope to do an update tomorrow!

[mom2rtk]

Sorry for the delay posting again! I stopped briefly to load and try out Lightroom 3. I'm really liking it, but moving very slowly at learning a new process.

Wednesday June 9th was the day we were leaving Disney. Sad but true. It was a brief visit, meant only to give us a mid-summer Disney fix. The boys were all sleeping and Katie and I were going in for a little more princess fun.

Things seemed to be running a bit behind at the entrances that morning. We lined up shortly after 7 at the security checkpoint and waited... and waited.... and waited. They didn't start checking bags until almost 7:40. Katie was really hungry and had been asking for something to eat from the time we got up. I told her to hang on and we'd get something once we got inside. I really wish they'd have one cart open before park hours for the people waiting in line. Once we were through security, I got a glimpse of what I think held them up. Overnight, the California letters had been switched to a rainbow of colors, and World of Color banners had been hung in the plaza area. It was really pretty, and made me think I had taken my California sign pictures one day too early. But if I'm right and the delay was with finishing up the changes, I probably wouldn't have been able to take them anyway. We were near the front of the line, but there were still too many people in the way for nice pictures at this point.

At least with the long wait outside security, the line at the turnstiles was pretty short. They let us through before 8 and everyone filled Main Street. It was funny, but when they finally dropped the rope, everyone scurried off to their favorite ride, some toward Tomorrowland and Space Mountain, some toward the castle and Peter Pan. Our destination? The CHURRO cart!!! Yeah! We were the first ones in line for the churro cart! Katie was starving, so we took a moment for a snack before heading on our way. We weren't really there early that day to beat everyone to the rides. Since we only had until noon, we just wanted the earliest possible start to maximize our time.

Just like the preceding 2 mornings, the sky was overcast and it was slightly cool out. Of course, I LOVED the cool part, but a little blue in the sky would have been great too.... Still, I love Sleeping Beauty's castle, and I couldn't resist a few shots on our way in:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3castle.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3castlecu.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3castleback.jpg

I knew we needed to be in line at Princess Fantasy Faire by around 8:15 since it opened at 9. We got in line 30 minutes out on our last trip and waited over an hour. We headed back through the castle and figured we had time for one ride. In 3 visits to Disneyland, we had never done Mr. Toad's Wild Ride or Pinocchio's Daring Journey. So we hopped on Mr. Toad for a quick spin.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3toadcar.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3mrtoad.jpg

I tried to get some shots inside the ride, but I don't know if my mind just wasn't working clearly yet, or if that ride is a little darker than the others. But everything turned out a little blurry in there. Or maybe it's just that I knew nothing about the ride and had no idea what to anticipate.

Then it was on to the princesses. We were 3rd in line, so our wait would be thankfully short. The best part about that wait is that you're in line with other princess fans. Since Katie is pretty outgoing, she never has touble making friends in line. I chatted with another mom who's family had also been touring the southwest. They HAD made the trek out to Hoover Dam, and told me to be thankful we had ditched it. Turns out it was so hot their feet were sticking to the pavement. She said they had gotten out and walked around, but kept ducking into the restrooms to cool off. OK, ditching Hoover was a good call....

I really don't like the way they do princess meet & greets at Disneyland. I loved it when the princesses met guests out in the park with the castle in the background. Now they are hidden back in the Princess Fantasy Faire. The lines are long no matter when you go. But since our princess days are limited, I didn't want to miss the chance.

Katie had changed into her pink/blue Sleeping Beauty costume for our visit to Princess Fantasy Faire. I had made it for our trip to the World last fall, but it turned out to be too hot for a long sleeve costume. And since Disneyland is Aurora's park, we thought it was a great time to take it out for a spin. Several Cast Members walked up and just said "couldn't make up your mind today?" in reference to the pink/blue mix.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3pff.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3cindy_001.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3aurora.jpg

Snow White was the same one we met the previous day at Ariel's Grotto. It's always fun when they remember us from one day to the next.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3snowwhite.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3pffseat.jpg

We were done at PFF by around 9:15 and headed back around to the front of the castle for a few pictures.

On the way, Katie was feeling the Disney magic and couldn't resist a little twirl:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katiespin.jpg

This is my favorite photo spot in all of Disneyland. You can get photos in front of the castle with little or no background clutter. Here she is in this spot in 2006:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/katiecastle07resize.jpg

And here she is back in my favorite spot this year:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katiecastle.jpg

Of course, these days she's full of her own clever photo ideas. She thought Sleeping Beauty ought to pose sleeping:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katiecastlesleep.jpg

Next was Katie's choice of what to do. I knew she would choose the carousel, and she did. Of course, she still tries that sword in the stone every time she walks by. No luck....... But I did like the shot with my wide-angle lens.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3carouselswordinstone.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3carousel.jpg

It then occurred to me that someone had mentioned a special Sleeping Beauty exhibit somewhere in the castle, so we headed that way. I don't think you could even go into the castle last time we were there, so it was a pleasant surprise to find such a charming display.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3castledisplay2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3castledisplay.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3bookend.jpg

My brain started waking up about half way through the display, and I figured out what camera settings would be best. Somehow I had ended up with my camera in manual, and I'm not really ready for that. I'm doing ok with shutter or aperture priority, but need to leave the manual for just fireworks so far....... Finally, it kicked in that I should check....duh......remember it was still early....... ISO 1600, shutter priority of 1/30 since I thought I could possibly handhold that. I probably should have switched to the SIgma 30mm 1/4, but just went with the 2.8 on the camera.

I couldnt' resist a shot of the statue on the back of the castle on our way out:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3statue.jpg

Since we were close to Pinocchio, and that was the only ride in Fantasyland we had never done, we made that our next stop:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3pinocchio.jpg

Katie and I are big Alice fans, so we decided we couldn't leave without one more spin on the Teacups and the Alice ride. I really wish they would add the dark Alice ride at Disney World. It's one of our favorites.

I decided to play with the shutter speed a bit while waiting for our turn on the Teacups:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3teacups2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3teacups.jpg

I really would have liked a shot at this with a Neutral Density filter. But it did help that it was slightly overcast. It let me go a little longer on the shutter speed than I could have done if it was bright sunny.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katieteacupspin.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katieteacup.jpg

[mom2rtk]

Sadly, we were starting to run out of time. We only had until noon and were starting to feel like Cinderella at the ball. I know.... wrong castle, but you get the point. We stopped for a quick bite to eat then started to head out. Just then we spotted Alice and the Mad Hatter heading into Fantasyland. We hadn't seen many characters on this trip, so we caught up with them in time for one quick shot.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3alicemadhatter.jpg

What a nice surprise to practically stumble across some of our favorite characters without even looking. We headed through the castle and down Main Street. As we came upon Coke Corner, who should we find but two more of our favorite characters.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3mary.jpg

With that, we sadly left the park and headed toward Downtown Disney to meet the boys and leave town.

[clearskies]

Great report and pictures!

Our Family stayed in a cabin in the La Sal Mountains last summer for a week and had a great time. Your pics and report bring back some great memories. We spent a few days in Arches and Canyonlands and were astounded by the scenery. I enjoyed seeing Arches though your pics. We also endured that long trek to see Delicate Arch. We had my elderly parents with me on the hike and halfway up I was saying "boy what the heck was I thinking attempting this". I kept wondering when are we going to get there as we trudged on and on but we eventually made it. I must say you planned the hike better though by taking this on towards the end of the day. The lighting was much better in your pics of delicate arch than when we went at Mid day. I did get some fabulous early morning as well as late day pictures of other areas of the park though.

I enjoyed your Disneyland pics as well. It is great to see attractions such as Alice, the Nemo Subs, Pinocchio, etc that you don't see in WDW. I am especially glad to see that of my childhood favorites from WDW still resides in DL. Good to see that you got to visit Mr Toad.

BTW I think your pics of the California sign came out very nice. I especially like the last one. I also would like to say that your costumes for your daughter are amazing! Outstanding job!

Thank you again for sharing your trip. I am sorry to see it coming to an end.

[Gianna'sPapa]

Great report, I hate to see it come to an end. You've inspired me to plan a trip back to Disneyland. The costumes are great. I can't imagine the time it took to make them. Congratulations on a great trip!

[mom2rtk]

Great report and pictures!

Our Family stayed in a cabin in the La Sal Mountains last summer for a week and had a great time. Your pics and report bring back some great memories. We spent a few days in Arches and Canyonlands and were astounded by the scenery. I enjoyed seeing Arches though your pics. We also endured that long trek to see Delicate Arch. We had my elderly parents with me on the hike and halfway up I was saying "boy what the heck was I thinking attempting this". I kept wondering when are we going to get there as we trudged on and on but we eventually made it. I must say you planned the hike better though by taking this on towards the end of the day. The lighting was much better in your pics of delicate arch than when we went at Mid day. I did get some fabulous early morning as well as late day pictures of other areas of the park though.

I enjoyed your Disneyland pics as well. It is great to see attractions such as Alice, the Nemo Subs, Pinocchio, etc that you don't see in WDW. I am especially glad to see that of my childhood favorites from WDW still resides in DL. Good to see that you got to visit Mr Toad.

BTW I think your pics of the California sign came out very nice. I especially like the last one. I also would like to say that your costumes for your daughter are amazing! Outstanding job!

Thank you again for sharing your trip. I am sorry to see it coming to an end.


Thanks for reading along! Your cabin in the LaSal Mountains sounds wonderful! We saw a lot of those mountains, but never really got close. And yes, I can feel your pain taking your parents on the hike up to Delicate Arch. I always regretted not taking that hike in 05, but now that I've done it, I'm glad we didn't. My daughter was only 4 at the time, and I'm pretty sure neither of us wanted to carry someone up there!

And I'm glad you enjoyed the DL photos. I do love Fantasyland there!

Thank you so much for the encouragement. I still have a lot of progress to make, but am happy to feel that I moved the ball forward a bit on this trip.

Great report, I hate to see it come to an end. You've inspired me to plan a trip back to Disneyland. The costumes are great. I can't imagine the time it took to make them. Congratulations on a great trip!

Well, the trip's not over yet, but sadly the Disney portion is. Remember, we were still 1500 miles from home with a lot of beautiful ground to cover. :car: That's one of the best parts of the great trip west. Even when Disney's done, there's more interesting stuff to see (and photograph!)

And thanks for the kind comments on the costumes. I've been at it a long time, so it's not as hard as it looks.

[mom2rtk]

It was mid-afternoon as we left Anaheim, so the traffic wasn't too bad. Our target for that night was Hurricane, Utah. We were going THROUGH Las Vegas, but had no plans to stop. As we got closer, Robbie wanted to know if we were going back to the Pawn Shop there. (Once again, if you don't watch the show on the History Channel...... we weren't trying to pawn the kids..... we're just fans of the show here....) It seems he was regretting not buying his own Chumlee bobblehead and t-shirt. So we hopped off the interstate.

It was late afternoon on a Wednesday, and the parking lot looked busier than when we had been there on the previous Saturday. There was a fancy car parked out front, a corvette I think....with a number of people gathered around. We didn't see any film crews or anything, but definitely got the feeling maybe they had been filming there earlier. I ran inside with Robbie and the rest of the crew stayed in the car.

Of course, when we got back to the car, Drew asked if we had seen anyone inside. I said no, Rick and the boys probably draw too much of a crowd, and probably don't come out much. Then he pointed to the back of the parking lot. Rick was on his way out. Figures, my one chance to see a celebrity, and we just miss him! :rotfl2: I went all paparazzi and grabbed some photos. I really needed a longer lens, but didn't have time for the switch:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3rick.jpg

Still it was an amusing moment.

One of the best parts about a road trip are the interesting things you just stumble across. On the way back to the interstate, we did get a little turned around. On our "impromptu" tour of Las Vegas, we found this interesting sight:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3clevelandclinic.jpg

I was driving but snapped this at the red light. I was dying to know what it was. On the way back by, I finally saw the sign. It's part of the Cleveland Clinic for Brain Injuries. It's interesting, but I'm not sure what I'd think of going there as a patient. I kind of think it would tell me their prices were too high..........

The rest of that day's drive was uneventful and we made it to Hurricane for the night. Tomorrow's goal: Zion National Park. We have been twice before. The last time had been in 07. Unfortunately, my DLSR died on our last day at Disneyland on that trip. So when we got to Zion, I only had my tiny point & shoot. Zion is really known for its grand scale, so it seemed so WRONG to shoot it with such a tiny camera! I really looked forward to seeing it again with a real camera!

[mom2rtk]

In the morning, I looked out the hotel window and found this view:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionhotelwindow.jpg

Look closely at the bottom of the frame. That's a miniature golf course! I wish we had time to play, but we were off to Zion and were checking into the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim later in the day.

The approach toward Zion got increasingly beautiful as we went along.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionapproach.jpg

We came in through the town of Springdale. I recognized those peaks immediately!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zion1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zioncar.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zioncu.jpg

I couldn't WAIT to get into the park and get some shots with my wide angle lens! First though, we stopped at one of the rock shops right outside the gates of Zion. Drew has started a rock garden in the back yard and wanted to add a couple new ones from this trip.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionrocksigncu.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionrockscar.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionbluerockprice.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionbluerocks.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionrocks.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionkatierocks.jpg

With all our rock shopping done, we headed for the gates to the park. Here's where it went bad. There I sat, DLSR in hand, ready to get my great shots of the absolutely majestic park. Then the ranger at the gate told us they were doing construction on the main road into the park. It would be closed from 9 to 4 that day. We could drive through.... just not until 4 PM. It was 10:45. Oh.... and we were due at the Grand Canyon to see the sunset that night. FOILED AGAIN! We could have parked the car and taken the bus tour of the park, but then we were fully committed to their timetable, which once again could have put us into the Grand Canyon too late for the sunset I was counting on seeing.

Sooooooo.......... we turned around the car. I stopped for a few more shots from the outside of the park and headed off for an earlier than planned arrival at the Grand Canyon.

One last shot...... I crawled over into a ditch to get this shot with the wheat-like plants in the foreground. I have no idea what sort of plant it was, but I ended up plucking little stickers out of my shoes and socks for the rest of the day.....

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/zionwheat.jpg

[mom2rtk]

In 2005, we took the Grand Canyon Railway to the park. Not knowing much at that point about the geography of the area, I mistakenly thought there would be spectacular scenery to see along the way. Turns out ...... not so much. Lots of pine trees and small rocks. Not much else. In my mind, that's part of what makes it so spectacular. Nothing.....nothing.... nothing... SPECTACULAR hole in the ground!

So I didn't expect much for the drive to the rim, and I was pretty much right. This time we were going to the north rim, and it is a little different from the south rim, but not a lot.

We got checked in and checked out our cabin. It was mere yards from the rim, which I thought was really cool. But being the paranoid sort that I am, I did feel the need to have a chat with Katie about not leaving the room without one of us.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gclodgeentrance.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gccabin.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gccabinbr1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gccabinkidroom.jpg

Once we got settled, we took the hike near the lodge to Bright Angel Point. It was a great hike, not too short, not too long. It was a little hilly, but not bad. What was interesting was that the scenery on one side of the trail was completely different than the other.

On the left, the rock was covered in more vegetation:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gctrees.jpg


On the right, the view was more classic Grand Canyon:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gcsillhouette.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc1.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gcrobbie.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2.jpg

One of the real attractions of the lodge to me was the porch area. There were 2 patios with chairs where you could just sit and look straight over at the scenery. The lodge is actually built into the side of the canyon. I wanted us to get to the porch early and stake out some seats since I didn't know how busy it would be at sunset. Turns out I didn't have to worry at all. At that elevation, it was really windy and chilly outside. My family came out for a bit, then went inside to watch through the windows. I braved it on the porch with my camera and tripod. the veiw was nice, but not spectacular. It just slowly got dark. I'm guessing that if you stayed for a week, maybe there would be a better chance of having at least one spectacular sunset. Regardless, I enjoyed playing with the camera and taking longer exposures the darker it got.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gclodgechairs.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gcsunset.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gcblue.jpg

I also planned on seeing the sunrise in the morning, so I decided to make an early night of it. No one else planned to see the sunrise, so we bought a pizza in the deli and they hung out in the other room while I tried to go to sleep.

I was just dozing off when I heard the shrieks from the other room..........

[Gianna'sPapa]

I love that last one of the canyon with the blues, greens and reds!! That is gorgeous.

[mom2rtk]

I love that last one of the canyon with the blues, greens and reds!! That is gorgeous.

Thank you!

That one came as a surprise to me. I had expected the shots around sunset to be the prettiest. Once it went down, I kept shooting with the tripod to see what I could get with along exposure. That was my last shot of the night.

[Docarino]

I don't know how I've missed this thread until now- nice pictures! I love your thunder mountain picture and I really like the one on Jungle Cruise with the duck in focus and the tiger and crocodile bokeh!

[Gianna'sPapa]

Thank you!

That one came as a surprise to me. I had expected the shots around sunset to be the prettiest. Once it went down, I kept shooting with the tripod to see what I could get with along exposure. That was my last shot of the night.

The old axiom, "Sometimes its better to be lucky than good!"

[mom2rtk]

I don't know how I've missed this thread until now- nice pictures! I love your thunder mountain picture and I really like the one on Jungle Cruise with the duck in focus and the tiger and crocodile bokeh!

Thank you! Those were probably my 2 favorites from the Disney part of the trip too!

The old axiom, "Sometimes its better to be lucky than good!"

Hey, I'll take it any way I can get it! :goodvibes

[NLD]

That nighttime/blue shot of the Grand Canyon is stunning. Fabulous job. Take some credit... you knew enough to keep shooting even after the sun set. :goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

That nighttime/blue shot of the Grand Canyon is stunning. Fabulous job. Take some credit... you knew enough to keep shooting even after the sun set. :goodvibes

Thanks!

I have to say that before hanging out here soaking up everyone's photographic skills...... I would have put everything up as soon as the sun set figuring it was too dark. It would not have occurred to me to try a long exposure on a tripod. :goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

Now back to the story.......

I was ALMOST asleep in one room. Everyone else was in the other room with their nice pizza, planning a late night of just hanging out. (They couldn't believe we were staying somewhere without TV's. Thank HEAVEN for handheld game systems I guess.......) Just as everyone got settled, I heard a shriek. It seems Mickey Mouse had enjoyed having us at HIS home so much that he decided to come visit US!!! He had popped up out of a fairly large hole in the corner of the room and run back down again. Drew called mousekeeping....... oops....... wrong resort........ He called the front desk. They offered to have maintenance come set a trap, but we didn't really want to hear the trap snap in the middle of the night, so they opted instead to just stuff a towel down the hole and hope for the best. The worst part is that we made them get rid of the pizza and any open food!

Thankfully, I was able to get back to sleep fairly quickly..... after all I DID have my alarm set for 4:30! Arizona does not participate in daylight savings time, so it was going to be quite early. It's so easy to get mixed up on time down in the 4 corners area. Between the time zone changes and the in and out of Arizona with no DST, it's easy to lose track. Thankfully the cell phones now update automatically!

I dragged myself out of the room, and headed for the Lodge lobby. I wanted a few shots with no people in them.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2lodgelobby.jpg

And here is the viewing room full of comfy sofas with a view of the canyon. The 2 porch areas are off to either side of this area.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2lodgewindows.jpg

I hadn't been sure if anyone else would be up, but the building seemed completely empty. It was cool because they have old fashioned radios in a few spots around the lobby. We had seen them the day before but didn't take much notice. What got my attention that morning was that they seem to be motion activated. As I walked past them, I would hear old time radio shows quietly start playing. Very cool.......

I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to take my sunrise photos. I had a general idea of where to expect it to peek up, based on where it set the night before. But I still wasn't sure where the best shot would be. I tried setting up on the porch and taking a few shots, but they didn't grab me at all. So I packed it all up and headed for Bright Angel Point again. It had a viewing spot that jutted out into the canyon quite a ways, so maybe that would be better.

Still, would the best shots be just before sunrise, during sunrise, right after sunrise? I hadn't a clue. There was one person out there already who seemed to know what he was doing, so I picked his brain a bit while we waited. He seemed to know what he was doing with his camera, but didn't seem to know where the best shots would be either.

As it turns out, my favorite sunset shots were right after the sun went down. For sunrise, the time right before sunrise and during the sunrise didn't do a thing for me. Too light to be a dark shot, not light enough to be a light shot. Just kind of shadowed looking. But once the sun started HITTING the peaks, the place came alive. I loved it. I took a bunch of shots at Bright Angel Point then stopped at countless spots as I went back down the trail. It was vastly better than the day before, when we were viewing the canyon in mid-afternoon haze. It was really COLD and windy out there, but thankfully I had a jacket and was so wrapped up in the scenery I didn't care.

I'll start with my favorite. I'd still like to do a little more with the sky in Lightroom, but need to figure out how to edit just portions of the photo. I know I saw that somewhere in the tutorial.......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2canyonview2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2view2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2canyon.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2canyonflowers.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2canyonrocks.jpg


On the way back, I got this shot of the lodge in the distance:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2lodgecliff.jpg


I loved that I could take my time, stop wherever I wanted, and no one was pushing me to hurry along........ but eventually even I hit Grand Canyon overload. After a while, it DID all start to look alike. I headed back to the room, ready for us to check out and be on our way.

It was VASTLY better to have stayed there at the Lodge than to view the canyon the way we had in 05. Since we were limited by the railway's timetable, we only got to see it in the afternoon haze of summer. No sunrise, no sunset. I'm glad we gave it a second try.

The rest of the troops were not as excited about it as I was. Turns out they weren't really happy about spending the night with Mickey. They also weren't real happy about having to ditch the food so early in the evening!

I did ask for one family photo on the porch overlooking the canyon before heading out:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2family.jpg

On the way out of the park, I stopped for a shot of the countless trees charred from forest fire:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2burnedtrees.jpg

With all that we had seen, can you believe my favorite scenery of the entire trip was still ahead of us?

[mom2rtk]

One of the things I like best about our trips through the southwest has been the little surprises along the way. We go in with a list of major sights we want to see, but continue to be amazed at all the "little" things we find along the way.

I remember on our trip in 07 driving through an area that really grabbed my attention. It wasn't marked as an amazing sight. It wasn't a national park. It wasn't even a state park. I commented to Drew that if we had it back in Missouri, it would most certainly be a big state or national park. Then we stopped at our hotel and picked up one of those little travel brochures in the area. It started out by saying "In any other state, this area would be a state park." It really sums up for me the multitude of amazing sights in the area.

As we drove in that direction, we came up to what I now know is the Vermillion Cliffs. More red rocks.......... then we drove across an incredible little bridge. We looked down and there was the Colorado River below us, gorgeous in its brilliant turquoise color. It is one of only 7 land crossings over the Colorado for 750 miles. We had just crossed the historic Navajo Bridge at Lee's Ferry.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2wnavajobridge.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2navajobridgeriver.jpg

We were heading back toward Moab. Before the trip, I had been looking at all the remarkable photos on Flickr from this area. I stumbled across a picture of Horseshoe Bend and immediately asked Drew if we were going to be near Page, AZ. When he said we were, I immediately added this sight to the itinerary. The little detail I had missed though was that it required a 1 3/4 mile round trip hike to see it. I SWEAR that photo on Flickr said it was "right" off the highway........ my feet were still screaming at me from our Disney days, but I hadn't come all that way to get THAT close and not see it. No one in the car wanted to go. In fact, everyone was hoping for a bathroom break long about then....... Robbie, Katie, Drew and I ended up going.

The hike started at the bottom of a short hill. No way to tell how taxing it looked. So I went up to take a peek. YIKES! I could see people all along the path, getting smaller and smaller..... Oh.... and the hike was mostly through loose red sand. We talked it over and decided to give it a go. I"m SO glad we did. And I've never been so happy to have a wide angle lens!

My vote for the best sight of the entire trip:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2horshshoe.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2horshshoeoverlook.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2horsheshoerobbitsit.jpg

Here's a look at the terrain:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2horseshoeterrain.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2horseshoebush.jpg

Wow. Absolutely an amazing sight. Pictures can't even do it justice. I had to drag my self away. Of course the fact that we all had to use the bathroom, and that we still had to hike back through all that sand kind of got me moving.........

As we headed back out to the highway, I was hoping we'd find something close. Waiting to turn onto the highway, a huge Jack-In-the-Box semi whizzed by in front of us. HUH???? Was it some sort of cruel mirage????? We were in the middle of nowhere. (OK, so Drew probably knew Page, AZ was right up the way. But I didn't have a clue how close we were and how big the town was.) But those giant smoothies on the side of the truck were calling my name.... Did I mention Jack-in-the-Box is our family's favorite fast food place? Did I mention that we perhaps plan some of our stops to be in towns that have a jack-in-the-Box???? We don't have them in KC, and we all love their tacos. So I did what any self-respecting parent of a hungry family in need of a bathroom would do..... I FOLLOWED THAT TRUCK! :car: We didn't have to go far. It was right up the road. YEAH! (OK... I probably should have taken a picture of the truck to insert here, but you get the idea.....)

Page, AZ is home to Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell recreation area. Did someone say Dam????? After missing Hoover Dam on every single trip west so far, I wasn't about to miss this one! Of course, no one else wanted to go, so it's not like we took a tour or anything. Still, it was an amazing sight. I walked out across the bridge for a photo. At first I thought the chain link fence might do me in, but found that there were a handful of holes built into the fence at camera height, I imagine just for me. :goodvibes

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2glencanyondam.jpg

So on we went. We were going to be near Monument Valley, location of many John Wayne movies. We didn't have time for the tour I am longing to take, but we did stop by the visitor center overlook for a view of the famous "Mittens":

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2monumentvalley.jpg

If you look closely, you can see one vehicle along that road. It gives you an idea of the sheer size of those formations.

Next we passed through a small town called Mexican Hat, UT. You had to know there was a reason for the town name, right???? Here it is:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2mexicanhat.jpg

We also noticed that Goosenecks State Park was not far off our path. Amazingly enough, this view was RIGHT off the road. Just park, step out and voila:

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/gc2gooseneck.jpg

It's a more involved river path than Horseshoe Bend, but this one is in the San Juan River, which lacks the brilliant turquoise water and deeper red rocks. It was also hard to photograph, even with a wide angle.

We had called early in the day for a reservation in Moab that night, but they were booked solid. So we ended the day in Blanding, UT, about an hour out of town.

[YodasMom]

Really enjoying our trip report, Janet!!

You like to travel like I do. A lot of times people I'm with just have no idea what treasures are further along a path with just a short 1 to 2 mile walk, compared to what can be seen along the road!

I'm especially enjoying your photos of the national parks and scenery to and from your DLR journey. I'm missing my annual National Parks trips that have more recently been replaced with 3 WDW trips each year!!

[KCmike]

Gorgeous scenery and great picture taking. I'm right on the road with you with this report.

[mom2rtk]

Really enjoying our trip report, Janet!!

You like to travel like I do. A lot of times people I'm with just have no idea what treasures are further along a path with just a short 1 to 2 mile walk, compared to what can be seen along the road!

I'm especially enjoying your photos of the national parks and scenery to and from your DLR journey. I'm missing my annual National Parks trips that have more recently been replaced with 3 WDW trips each year!!

Thanks for following along Karen! It's nice to see you over here. And I think I'd take that deal.... 3 Disney trips a year would probably be just enough for me! :goodvibes It still frustrates me every time I get home and think of everything I missed! Thankfully Katie and I are headed for the World in December!

Gorgeous scenery and great picture taking. I'm right on the road with you with this report.

Thanks neighbor! I bet you're getting excited about your upcoming trip. Glad I could show what you've been flying over. I hope you get a chance to see it yourself one day. I'm not sure how old your kids are, but after doing it 4 times now, I highly recommend sooner rather than later... you know.... when the kids legs are all longer! It's been the same mini-van each time... and it seems to shrink with each trip! :laughing:

[terminator2]

You have 3 very cute kids.

[mom2rtk]

You have 3 very cute kids.

Gosh, I didn't even know my kids were registered users on the DIS!!! :rotfl2: Which one of you is this???

Just kidding. Thank you! :goodvibes

[kaoden39]

I just sat and read your entire trip report. I have really enjoyed your trip report. I don't know how I missed your trip report before now except I was busy planning our trip. My DH is not a real Disney fan like I am but I think if I scheduled a vacation like you did where we could do both vacations he might like it better. I love your pictures and I really get a kick out of how you dress your daughter. Thank you for sharing.

[mom2rtk]

I just sat and read your entire trip report. I have really enjoyed your trip report. I don't know how I missed your trip report before now except I was busy planning our trip. My DH is not a real Disney fan like I am but I think if I scheduled a vacation like you did where we could do both vacations he might like it better. I love your pictures and I really get a kick out of how you dress your daughter. Thank you for sharing.

Hi! I'm glad you're along! Our trips west have been my favorite simply because they combine so many interesting discoveries along the way, and then Disney is waiting for us at the other end. It just seems to be the best of both worlds. We have also taken road trips to Florida since the kids will tell you their favorite vacation spot is Sanibel Island, FL. Honestly though, the drive from KCMO to Florida is AWFUL. Next to nothing interesting to look at and break up the journey. Just not the same!

I hope you have a great trip too! And thanks for the kind comment on my daughter. We have had tons of fun with the costumes through the years.

[kaoden39]

Thanks we have been and are back. I think maybe you started writing this to begin with while I was gone. We went from 6/13-6/19. We are looking at camping next year for a family trip with a trip for me with my bff to Disneyland. It will be odd for sure.

[mom2rtk]

Thanks we have been and are back. I think maybe you started writing this to begin with while I was gone. We went from 6/13-6/19. We are looking at camping next year for a family trip with a trip for me with my bff to Disneyland. It will be odd for sure.

Yep. We got back home on the 13th, and I've been working on the TR since then.

Actually your plans for next year sound great! Nothing like a lot of variety to keep things fun. I hope you had a great trip this year!

We especially love Disneyland in the summer. I don't tolerate the heat well, so WDW isn't a great option for us then. The weather in California does get hot, but the mornings and evenings are cooler and they don't get the humidity like Orlando.

[kaoden39]

Yep. We got back home on the 13th, and I've been working on the TR since then.

Actually your plans for next year sound great! Nothing like a lot of variety to keep things fun. I hope you had a great trip this year!

We especially love Disneyland in the summer. I don't tolerate the heat well, so WDW isn't a great option for us then. The weather in California does get hot, but the mornings and evenings are cooler and they don't get the humidity like Orlando.

I am from the San Francisco bay area so I am pretty familiar with the weather. I hear about the weather in Orlando and I am glad that I live here. We had a great trip, it was a little on the busy with the grand opening of WoC just having started. Honestly had I known about WoC I would never had planned it for that time period. From reading about your experience with the GAD fast passes I am glad I didn't go for them. The kids didn't want to stick around long enough to get them so I got the pins. Which for an annual passholder is really nice. I think we will camp up in Burney Falls near Mt Shasta CA next summer.

[mom2rtk]

I am from the San Francisco bay area so I am pretty familiar with the weather. I hear about the weather in Orlando and I am glad that I live here. We had a great trip, it was a little on the busy with the grand opening of WoC just having started. Honestly had I known about WoC I would never had planned it for that time period. From reading about your experience with the GAD fast passes I am glad I didn't go for them. The kids didn't want to stick around long enough to get them so I got the pins. Which for an annual passholder is really nice. I think we will camp up in Burney Falls near Mt Shasta CA next summer.

I really wish we could have seen WOC, but I just don't like huge crowds...... my family is amused that I like Disney in light of that fact...... Our days did end up being really busy because they were days not blocked to AP's. I just couldn't decide if it was better to be there on a blocked AP day, or on the opening of WOC that was blocked.

In the end, the GAD FP's are what really saved us. It took a bit to get it all straightened out, but I'm still glad we used that option. I lost track of how many times we got to do Space Mountain, and we were able to do a ton of headliners in record time. So I still recommend it, in spite of the runaround....

Did you end up seeing WOC?

[MissJanice]

I just got my first dSLR (yesterday!) :woohoo: and I have been lurking the photography board and read your trip report. I love your pics, and trust me, you are so much more advanced than I am! AND as a mom of a two year old little girl, I am in awe of your outfits for Katie! :worship:

[kaoden39]

I really wish we could have seen WOC, but I just don't like huge crowds...... my family is amused that I like Disney in light of that fact...... Our days did end up being really busy because they were days not blocked to AP's. I just couldn't decide if it was better to be there on a blocked AP day, or on the opening of WOC that was blocked.

In the end, the GAD FP's are what really saved us. It took a bit to get it all straightened out, but I'm still glad we used that option. I lost track of how many times we got to do Space Mountain, and we were able to do a ton of headliners in record time. So I still recommend it, in spite of the runaround....

Did you end up seeing WOC?

No, we did not see World of Chaos. People were lining up at 5 am to get wrist bands to get their fps. I just wasn't feeling it. It's a great excuse to go back after it slows down. I dubbed this the no stress trip and that is exactly what we did. No stress at all.

[mom2rtk]

I just got my first dSLR (yesterday!) :woohoo: and I have been lurking the photography board and read your trip report. I love your pics, and trust me, you are so much more advanced than I am! AND as a mom of a two year old little girl, I am in awe of your outfits for Katie! :worship:

Many thanks! I'm glad you're reading along. :goodvibes And enjoy that little girl. I made Katie her first princess costume at age 3. I'm afraid we're on borrowed time now with all that!

No, we did not see World of Chaos. People were lining up at 5 am to get wrist bands to get their fps. I just wasn't feeling it. It's a great excuse to go back after it slows down. I dubbed this the no stress trip and that is exactly what we did. No stress at all.

World of CHAOS! :rotfl2: That's perfect! I was afraid of that, which is why I rescheduled. I still wish we could have seen it, but I doubt it's going anywhere any time soon. We did the same thing with the Nemo subs in 07...... purposely missed the opening trying to avoid the huge crowds. And we finally did them this year..... only 3 years later! :rotfl2:

I'm glad you got to have the "no stress" trip you wanted!

[kaoden39]

I did indeed. I took a few looks at different hotels and places in Grand Canyon for next years vacation so who knows maybe we will go someplace totally knew? I have to admit it is your pictures that did it, so that thank you.

[mom2rtk]

I did indeed. I took a few looks at different hotels and places in Grand Canyon for next years vacation so who knows maybe we will go someplace totally knew? I have to admit it is your pictures that did it, so that thank you.

No problem. I'm glad you were reading along.

I have seen those shows on the travel channel on the Colorado River and all the parks in that area. But until you see it, you just can't believe it.

If you go down that way, there are TONS of other things to see too. Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands. It's almost impossible to do it all, but pick at least a few!

And the lodges in the parks are great. They let you enjoy both sunrise and sunset with the least effort. If you can commit to dates early, it's all the better. Some of those locations book up quickly, although less so recently because of the bad economy.

[Mirb1214]

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11fw5.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl11castlered.jpg



Hey Janet! I've always been in AWE of you over in the Disboutiquer world but. . .WOW, your photography is outstanding! It makes me want to start hanging out over here and learn more about my Nikon D70. The only thing I know to do is adjust my ISO. I have no clue when it comes to shutter and f stops. However, I did carry my tripod of Hallowishes last year and shot in manual . . .but I still have a LONG way to go.

I've always told my husband that I would LOVE to drive out west one year for our vacation and you have me SOLD now on the idea after seeing your pictures! And DH might just go for the idea if he thought he could see the guys off Pawn Stars!

I loved your trip report and Great Job again on the photography!!

[tricia]

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl3katieteacupspin.jpg



I love this. One of my favourite photos is of my son and my brother on a teacup ride (not at Disney :-( ) With their arms in the air and big smiles and everything behind them blurred like this shot.

[mom2rtk]

Hey Janet! I've always been in AWE of you over in the Disboutiquer world but. . .WOW, your photography is outstanding! It makes me want to start hanging out over here and learn more about my Nikon D70. The only thing I know to do is adjust my ISO. I have no clue when it comes to shutter and f stops. However, I did carry my tripod of Hallowishes last year and shot in manual . . .but I still have a LONG way to go.

I've always told my husband that I would LOVE to drive out west one year for our vacation and you have me SOLD now on the idea after seeing your pictures! And DH might just go for the idea if he thought he could see the guys off Pawn Stars!

I loved your trip report and Great Job again on the photography!!

Ah, thank you! It's really nice to see you over here! And thank you for the kind comments.

If you have the slightest inclination to step out of the automatic or program mode on your camera, I highly encourage you to start hanging out over here. There are some really knowledgeable and helpful people here willing to answer any and all questions. A year ago I was about where you are. I had a vague idea about f stops and shutter speed, but not enough to set them myself. I only changed the ISO and added fill flash occasionally. I'm far from were many others here are, but I've come a long way since then.

And I hope you do get to take a trip west. I'd go back again in a heartbeat. There is still SO much we haven't seen. And tell you husband Rick, Chumlee, Coree and the Old Man asked where you guys were. They're waiting to see you! He too could own his very own Chumlee bobblehead! :rotfl2:

Actually, if you want to sell him on the trip, just go to Flickr and look for pictures from Utah and Arizona National parks. That's what got us to stop at Horseshoe Bend.

Thanks for reading along!

I love this. One of my favourite photos is of my son and my brother on a teacup ride (not at Disney :-( ) With their arms in the air and big smiles and everything behind them blurred like this shot.

Thanks! I kept experimenting with shutter speed on this ride, which is hard to do while spinning at top speed! I'm glad my daughter and I don't get dizzy. We love the Teacups!!!

[twob4him]

:cloud9::cloud9:Janet...I absolutely soaked up every picture on your report!! I loved them all! What a great trip!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!:goodvibes:goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

:cloud9::cloud9:Janet...I absolutely soaked up every picture on your report!! I loved them all! What a great trip!!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!:goodvibes:goodvibes

Thanks Cathy! I'm glad came along for the ride! :goodvibes :car:

[WDWFigment]

I have to say, you REALLY have stepped up your game significantly in the past year. There are some seriously great shots in here (I stopped on page 4 due to time and because we are taking our first DLR trip in Aug and I started to see pictures of things I didn't want to see until I experience them firsthand); great work and great accompanying commentary. Some excellent UWA stuff!

[mom2rtk]

I have to say, you REALLY have stepped up your game significantly in the past year. There are some seriously great shots in here (I stopped on page 4 due to time and because we are taking our first DLR trip in Aug and I started to see pictures of things I didn't want to see until I experience them firsthand); great work and great accompanying commentary. Some excellent UWA stuff!

Many thanks Tom! That means a lot coming from such a UWA legend here! Thanks for continuing to inspire me on a daily basis. It felt great to get out and test some of what I've been soaking up here for the past year. I have a ways to go, but I did feel happy with the progress I've made.

I can't wait to see what you do with Disneyland. And just to hear what you guys think of it compared to WDW. DL has so much more than the MK, especially in Fantasyland. And being such big Fantasyland fans here, that makes it a slam dunk for us.

Bring me back a kabob from the Bengal BBQ, ok????

And find sometime in your life that you can visit the southwest with your camera. :goodvibes

[mom2rtk]

The following morning we headed out of Blanding back toward Moab once again. :car: By now everyone was getting a little tired of all the scenery :scared1: except me of course... They were ready to just get home. Moab was just a town we were passing though this time, not a destination. :sad2: That's not to say there wasn't much to be seen from the driver's seat though.

As we got closer to Moab, I saw signs for lots they were selling in a development called Wilson Arch. I thought that was strange out in the middle of nowhere. Then I figured, hey... if they named the development after it, then there must be a cool arch around here somewhere. Sure enough, just up the road......

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/home4.jpg

Not a bad find just along the highway. We also got one last view of the La Sal Mountains.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/home3.jpg

As we drove through Moab, it dawned on my just how different the weather was there on this trip through. On the way in, the temperature broke the century mark. Granted, this time it was mid-morning, but at 63 degrees, I was glad we had passed on the Colorado float trip we had considered. It was very cloudy and starting to sprinkle.

I was driving, so I chose the scenic route back out of Moab this time too. I knew it would be a long time before we get back again, and I really wanted to soak in as much of the scenery as I could.

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/home2.jpg

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/home1.jpg

The rest of the trip was rather a blur.... literally. It rained across Colorado. It rained across the Rockies. It rained across Kansas. It was a long couple of days driving, but so worth it.

I don't know what it is about those red rocks. I just love the area, and would go back again in a heartbeat. That will be a while though. I've already been outvoted for next year's summer vacation. They love Sanibel Island as much as I love those red rocks. Better brush up on beach photography......

Thanks for coming along for the ride everyone! :car:

[kaoden39]

Oooh beach photography.....I look forward to seeing it!! Thank you for sharing all this. You certainly saw some beautiful countryside.

[Snappy in OK]

Great job!! You have some amazing pictures! I have wanted to drive west to explore & enjoy the scenery, and your pictures & report have me wanting to go sooner than later. I do want to wait until our kiddos are a bit older and can enjoy it more, so I will wait a bit longer.

Of course, I will enjoy seeing the beach pictures as well!

[mom2rtk]

Oooh beach photography.....I look forward to seeing it!! Thank you for sharing all this. You certainly saw some beautiful countryside.

Great job!! You have some amazing pictures! I have wanted to drive west to explore & enjoy the scenery, and your pictures & report have me wanting to go sooner than later. I do want to wait until our kiddos are a bit older and can enjoy it more, so I will wait a bit longer.

Of course, I will enjoy seeing the beach pictures as well!

Thank you both!

We've done the beach, and I enjoy it, but honestly, not in the heat of summer. I know... I know.... that's where people GO in the heat. But the FL beach in summer is brutal. Now that the kids are older, it works better. The boys can go out whenever they want. I get up for sunrise, then hibernate in the afternoon, and come back out in the evening up through sunset.

I have shot the beach before on many occasions, and seen all sorts of different styles of sunrise and sunset. I DO look forward to trying my hand at it again with what I've learned since we went last summer.

[fireplug]

Wonderful beautiful pics. Looks like it was a memorable vacation!

Squid

[disneyboy2003]

Wow! Beautiful pictures of places I can one day hope to visit! I had a lot of fun following your trip report.

One thing I didn't get a chance to suggest to you *before* your trip, but did you bring a GPS receiver to automatically create a GPS track log of your entire trip? If you did, then you can geotag *all* your photos (ie. add GPS coordinates to each and every photo)!

There are dozens of programs that match the time stamp on each photo to the time stamp in the GPS track log and automatically add the GPS coordinates into your photo.

Then later on, say months or years down the line, if you go back to your photo and ever wonder, "Where did I take this photo?", you can click the GPS coordinates, and the exact location of your photo will pop up on Google Maps.

If you didn't bring a GPS receiver, you can still geotag your photos, but you'd have to do it manually. Again, there are several programs that can help you with this, too.

Just one more photography-related thing to learn, if you're interested. It's nerdy fun! :)

[CaptainsLady]

Thanks for coming along for the ride everyone! :car:

Thanks for taking the time to share such a great trip report. Your pictures are amazing and you've really done a terrific job bringing back memories of my family's trips through the same country you covered. I can't believe it but I do miss the red rocks!

[mom2rtk]

Wonderful beautiful pics. Looks like it was a memorable vacation!

Squid

It was. Many thanks! :goodvibes

Wow! Beautiful pictures of places I can one day hope to visit! I had a lot of fun following your trip report.

One thing I didn't get a chance to suggest to you *before* your trip, but did you bring a GPS receiver to automatically create a GPS track log of your entire trip? If you did, then you can geotag *all* your photos (ie. add GPS coordinates to each and every photo)!

There are dozens of programs that match the time stamp on each photo to the time stamp in the GPS track log and automatically add the GPS coordinates into your photo.

Then later on, say months or years down the line, if you go back to your photo and ever wonder, "Where did I take this photo?", you can click the GPS coordinates, and the exact location of your photo will pop up on Google Maps.

If you didn't bring a GPS receiver, you can still geotag your photos, but you'd have to do it manually. Again, there are several programs that can help you with this, too.

Just one more photography-related thing to learn, if you're interested. It's nerdy fun! :)

Thanks so much for your ongoing help and patience with my endless questions!

I actually read about this several years ago and thought it sounded pretty amazing. Then at some point on this trip (you know, out in the middle of nowhere...) I recalled it again and wished I had pursued it. Do you geotag your photos? Any idea what those little gizmos cost now?

Unfortunately I don't foresee needing one for quite a while now. When we go to the beach, we pretty much stay in the same place the whole time. :sad1: We have done fishing trips, and might add a dolphin watching trip next time, but still no need to geotag. And definitely not much of note between here and there either. This definitely would have been the trip for it though!

Thanks for taking the time to share such a great trip report. Your pictures are amazing and you've really done a terrific job bringing back memories of my family's trips through the same country you covered. I can't believe it but I do miss the red rocks!


Ahh... another red rock lover! I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. Thanks so much for reading along!

[ReAnSt]

Can you post a list of places you went to and saw on your road trip? I live on the east coast and would love to do a coast to coast road trip, but know I do not have the time to do that. But I have been thinking about flying somewhere in the midwest and doing Utah, AZ, Colorado, Nevada or some other combination of places.

I loved your pictures they are great.

[mom2rtk]

Can you post a list of places you went to and saw on your road trip? I live on the east coast and would love to do a coast to coast road trip, but know I do not have the time to do that. But I have been thinking about flying somewhere in the midwest and doing Utah, AZ, Colorado, Nevada or some other combination of places.

I loved your pictures they are great.

Well, we've been through the area 4 times. Here are some of our favorite spots.

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon
Zion National Park
Canyonlands
Goblin Valley State Park
Grand Canyon (we've done both North and South rims now)
Horseshoe Bend
Goosenecks
Navajo Bridge (at Lee's Ferry)
Monument Valley
Petrified Forest
Painted Desert

Some of these are destinations, some are interesting stops on the way to other destinations. It can be as much fun researching a trip in this area as it is to actually take it. There is much gorgeous photography to find online, as well as suggested road trip itineraries. Here's an example:

http://www.takemytrip.com/07zion/07_06a.htm

We didn't use this site, but I found it when we got home.

It's also really helpful to go to Flickr and check out the Utah and Arizona National Parks photos.

I honestly cannot imagine anyone living their entire life without seeing the treasures in this area. It is truly some of the most amazing scenery on Earth, and you can just get in your car and drive there........ :car: Told you I loved this little guy.......

[ReAnSt]

Well, we've been through the area 4 times. Here are some of our favorite spots.

Arches National Park
Bryce Canyon
Zion National Park
Canyonlands
Goblin Valley State Park
Grand Canyon (we've done both North and South rims now)
Horseshoe Bend
Goosenecks
Navajo Bridge (at Lee's Ferry)
Monument Valley
Petrified Forest
Painted Desert

Some of these are destinations, some are interesting stops on the way to other destinations. It can be as much fun researching a trip in this area as it is to actually take it. There is much gorgeous photography to find online, as well as suggested road trip itineraries. Here's an example:

http://www.takemytrip.com/07zion/07_06a.htm

We didn't use this site, but I found it when we got home.

It's also really helpful to go to Flickr and check out the Utah and Arizona National Parks photos.

I honestly cannot imagine anyone living their entire life without seeing the treasures in this area. It is truly some of the most amazing scenery on Earth, and you can just get in your car and drive there........ :car: Told you I loved this little guy.......

Thanks, I definitely need to explore more areas of this country. I guess I can just hop in my car and drive there. I won't arrive for almost a day and a quarter if I drive straight there.;)

[twob4him]

I'm like you...I love the mountains and red rock....but I am stuck at the beach :sad2::sad2: Seems I'll never see the scenes you drove through....which is why I loved your pics all the more! Great trip!!! :woohoo:

[mom2rtk]

Thanks, I definitely need to explore more areas of this country. I guess I can just hop in my car and drive there. I won't arrive for almost a day and a quarter if I drive straight there.;)

Or.... you could fly into Las Vegas and road trip it from there. No drive across Kansas needed.... or Missouri.... or any other state without red rocks! :lmao:

I'm like you...I love the mountains and red rock....but I am stuck at the beach :sad2::sad2: Seems I'll never see the scenes you drove through....which is why I loved your pics all the more! Great trip!!! :woohoo:

Thanks Cathy! Maybe just once you can pry everyone away from the beach..... It took me 2 summers at the beach before I got back, but it was worth it. And remember.... Disneyland isn't THAT from all that scenery! Does it get any better?

[babynala]

Once seated, it didn't take long for Goofy to come find us!

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl1goofy.jpg


Just made it over from the disboutique. I'm not sure how I missed the link in your signature. Great trip report. You are doing a great job with your photography, thanks for sharing which lenses, etc you are using. I love Katie's outfit for Goofy's kitchen. Love how those teenage boys find something else to do when the characters arrive.
Just finished reading the entire report. Your pictures of the fireworks came out great. Love the pics of Katie and the princesses, especially in the Tiana gown and the ones by the castle. I guess I love all of them.
The Grand Canyon pictures came out great too.
What a great trip. It makes me really want to go to DL & the Grand Canyon. I think I might have to wait to take the kids on a big road trip but I'm sure they would be up for DL.

Thanks for sharin. Love to see all those costumes in action!

[mom2rtk]

Just made it over from the disboutique. I'm not sure how I missed the link in your signature. Great trip report. You are doing a great job with your photography, thanks for sharing which lenses, etc you are using. I love Katie's outfit for Goofy's kitchen. Love how those teenage boys find something else to do when the characters arrive. Can't wait to read more.

Hi! It's nice to see you over here! And thanks for the kind words!

I had been planning that Goofy outfit for some time, but just couldn't get to it. I started around mid-day the day before leaving. I've never sewn so fast in my life! But she had a ball with it, and I was glad I could get it done.

As for the boys.... I think they considered bailing on the dinner (because of the characters) but the lure of an all you can eat buffet, after so many days on the road..... just won out in the end. And if I took their pictures with the characters, they probably would have pawned the camera on our way back through Vegas! :goodvibes

[disneyboy2003]

Thanks so much for your ongoing help and patience with my endless questions!

I actually read about this several years ago and thought it sounded pretty amazing. Then at some point on this trip (you know, out in the middle of nowhere...) I recalled it again and wished I had pursued it. Do you geotag your photos? Any idea what those little gizmos cost now?

Unfortunately I don't foresee needing one for quite a while now. When we go to the beach, we pretty much stay in the same place the whole time. :sad1: We have done fishing trips, and might add a dolphin watching trip next time, but still no need to geotag. And definitely not much of note between here and there either. This definitely would have been the trip for it though!

Thanks. It actually wasn't too long ago when I pretty much had the exact same questions you've been posting. It usually took me *weeks* to find the answer or to gain enough experience to understand how to do stuff (especially topics like Photoshop or flash photography). So if I can save a fellow Disboard photographer some time and simplify an answer, I'm always happy to help. :)

I actually like to geotag pretty much ALL my photos. I think the only photos I don't geotag are the ones I take at home...just in case some psycho sees my photo and finds the GPS coordinates of my home. :scared:

Otherwise, I like geotagging photos from everywhere else. If I walked around a local park to take photos, I'll geotag those photos. Or, it's neat geotagging all my photos at Walt Disney World. If I'm on the monorail and I take a picture, I can see the GPS coordinates of the monorail track where the photo was taken. Or, in Animal Kingdom on Kilimanjaro Safaris, my directions are always disoriented while I'm on the ride. However, by geotagging those photos, I can see the exact spots on the safari where my photos were taken.

So you really don't have to limit your geotagging to cross-country photo trips. :love:

With GPS receivers, you can go anywhere from cheap to super expensive. I think the cheapest I've seen is about $60 for a no-frills GPS data logger. For these types of devices, there's usually no screen, you can't see the actual GPS coordinates on the device, and the entire device is made up of like 1 button and 3 lights. However, it records your GPS location throughout the day, and all you do is download the data (GPS tracklog) onto your computer. Even though it's a no-frills GPS device, it seems to get pretty good reviews (link (http://www.amazon.com/AGL3080-Logger-Windows-Software-included/dp/B000WO6HJW)).

I ended up buying a Garmin Colorado 400t (link (http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Colorado-Handheld-Topographic-Preloaded/dp/B00128HHZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1279085688&sr=1-1)), which I see has now dropped a whole bunch in price! :sad2: I like having a screen that shows my current GPS coordinates. I like seeing my current location on an electronic map. I like seeing details of how accurate my GPS lock currently is. I like seeing the number of satellites my GPS receiver is locked onto, and where those satellites are in the sky. I can also use my GPS receiver to mark my parking spot at the Ticketing & Transportation Center, so I can find my way back to the car at the end of the day.

My GPS receiver also shows my current date and time. This is SUPER important because GPS satellites orbiting above us have highly accurate atomic clocks. Once my receiver is locked onto several GPS satellites, then the clock in my GPS receiver is just as accurate as those atomic clocks! (isn't that amazing how technology works?) That's why I *always* sync my cameras' clocks to my GPS receiver's clock.

Actually, if you have an iPhone or BlackBerry, you may already have a GPS receiving inside your phone! All you have to do is find an app that records your GPS tracklog. On my BlackBerry, the downside is that using GPS seems to drain the battery a lot faster.

No matter how much $$$ you decide to spend on a GPS receiver, ultimately the key functionality you'll need is something that records your GPS tracklog. Everything else is just bells & whistles.

Hope that helps! :)

[mom2rtk]

Thanks. It actually wasn't too long ago when I pretty much had the exact same questions you've been posting. It usually took me *weeks* to find the answer or to gain enough experience to understand how to do stuff (especially topics like Photoshop or flash photography). So if I can save a fellow Disboard photographer some time and simplify an answer, I'm always happy to help. :)

I actually like to geotag pretty much ALL my photos. I think the only photos I don't geotag are the ones I take at home...just in case some psycho sees my photo and finds the GPS coordinates of my home. :scared:

Otherwise, I like geotagging photos from everywhere else. If I walked around a local park to take photos, I'll geotag those photos. Or, it's neat geotagging all my photos at Walt Disney World. If I'm on the monorail and I take a picture, I can see the GPS coordinates of the monorail track where the photo was taken. Or, in Animal Kingdom on Kilimanjaro Safaris, my directions are always disoriented while I'm on the ride. However, by geotagging those photos, I can see the exact spots on the safari where my photos were taken.

So you really don't have to limit your geotagging to cross-country photo trips. :love:

With GPS receivers, you can go anywhere from cheap to super expensive. I think the cheapest I've seen is about $60 for a no-frills GPS data logger. For these types of devices, there's usually no screen, you can't see the actual GPS coordinates on the device, and the entire device is made up of like 1 button and 3 lights. However, it records your GPS location throughout the day, and all you do is download the data (GPS tracklog) onto your computer. Even though it's a no-frills GPS device, it seems to get pretty good reviews (link (http://www.amazon.com/AGL3080-Logger-Windows-Software-included/dp/B000WO6HJW)).

I ended up buying a Garmin Colorado 400t (link (http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Colorado-Handheld-Topographic-Preloaded/dp/B00128HHZA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1279085688&sr=1-1)), which I see has now dropped a whole bunch in price! :sad2: I like having a screen that shows my current GPS coordinates. I like seeing my current location on an electronic map. I like seeing details of how accurate my GPS lock currently is. I like seeing the number of satellites my GPS receiver is locked onto, and where those satellites are in the sky. I can also use my GPS receiver to mark my parking spot at the Ticketing & Transportation Center, so I can find my way back to the car at the end of the day.

My GPS receiver also shows my current date and time. This is SUPER important because GPS satellites orbiting above us have highly accurate atomic clocks. Once my receiver is locked onto several GPS satellites, then the clock in my GPS receiver is just as accurate as those atomic clocks! (isn't that amazing how technology works?) That's why I *always* sync my cameras' clocks to my GPS receiver's clock.

Actually, if you have an iPhone or BlackBerry, you may already have a GPS receiving inside your phone! All you have to do is find an app that records your GPS tracklog. On my BlackBerry, the downside is that using GPS seems to drain the battery a lot faster.

No matter how much $$$ you decide to spend on a GPS receiver, ultimately the key functionality you'll need is something that records your GPS tracklog. Everything else is just bells & whistles.

Hope that helps! :)

iphone????

blackberry????

What are these things you speak of?????

Remember, up to a few weeks ago, I was still using Photoshop Elements 2.0 ....... :rotfl: And we DID take that entire trip without a GPS in the car......... and if it weren't for that wrong turn in Vegas, I could claim complete success with just our Rand McNalley paper road atlas.......

Still, I am very intrigued by this. Many thanks for the rundown. I hadn't even considered how it might add a new dimension to what I photograph. Thanks for the info and the links!

[luvsmickeymouse]

What a great journey, I am glad I followed this thread.

[mom2rtk]

What a great journey, I am glad I followed this thread.

Many thanks! I'm glad you came along. :goodvibes

[tractortippin]

I saw your trip report link in one of your posts and couldnt resist the "too many photos to count" part!! Im a photographer and I swear I could look at pictures all day long. Still cant get enough! Your are fabulous, good job!

I actually have a question though....I had seen a few posts w/ your different costumes that you make and I'm SOOO impressed!!!!

I probably should NOT admit this but...I cant sew. I dont even sew a button back on if it falls off (sad I know). Still one of the things I think everytime I see these amazing costumes is where on earth do you get all these fabrics???? Again I dont sew so they could be at any old store and I just dont know it but man I think maybe you work w/ Disney costume dept. :wizard: Thats really amazing.
The Tiana dress blew me away! Another one I love is the Marry Poppins dress!
I hope your DD continues to dress up so we get to see your work! (although I could see by your "photo spot" near the castle she's not so little anymore!

Anyway, good job on the photos and the costumes! Great trip report!

[mom2rtk]

I saw your trip report link in one of your posts and couldnt resist the "too many photos to count" part!! Im a photographer and I swear I could look at pictures all day long. Still cant get enough! Your are fabulous, good job!

I actually have a question though....I had seen a few posts w/ your different costumes that you make and I'm SOOO impressed!!!!

I probably should NOT admit this but...I cant sew. I dont even sew a button back on if it falls off (sad I know). Still one of the things I think everytime I see these amazing costumes is where on earth do you get all these fabrics???? Again I dont sew so they could be at any old store and I just dont know it but man I think maybe you work w/ Disney costume dept. :wizard: Thats really amazing.
The Tiana dress blew me away! Another one I love is the Marry Poppins dress!
I hope your DD continues to dress up so we get to see your work! (although I could see by your "photo spot" near the castle she's not so little anymore!

Anyway, good job on the photos and the costumes! Great trip report!

Many thanks for the kind words! Finding the right fabrics is my biggest frustration when trying to make costumes. Fewer people sew, so the fabric stores just continue to shrink. I shop online too. I was really excited when I finally found the right combination of fabrics to do green Ariel. It's rather a sickness, I know.... but it's cheaper than a therapist! :rotfl2:

My daughter will turn 10 this fall, so will no longer be "street legal" for wearing costumes at Disney outside hard ticketed parties. I'm going to take my cues from her though. I think we'll be fine for a while, and I expect her to stop long before anyone at Disney says anything. I think as long as she looks like a child, and not an adult character, we'll be fine.

I'm already gearing up for our December trip to the World. It gets harder and harder to come up with new ideas, but we managed. ;)

[kdzbear]

I followed your link on Disbotiquers. I have made the drive you made. My husband and I lived in KC while he was in law school and one vacation we thought it would be fun to drive to Vegas and then on to LA. Only, we started at 9PM at night and did not stop until we got to Vegas. We took turns sleeping and driving. Then we also drove to Breckenridge two years ago with all of the kids and the scenery is amazing! I also took way too many photos!

I love the Goofy's Kitchen outfit. I love to eat there when we make it out to CA. I have read pages one and nine. Now I need to go back and read the middle, but I just wanted to leave a comment! :wizard:

[mom2rtk]

I followed your link on Disbotiquers. I have made the drive you made. My husband and I lived in KC while he was in law school and one vacation we thought it would be fun to drive to Vegas and then on to LA. Only, we started at 9PM at night and did not stop until we got to Vegas. We took turns sleeping and driving. Then we also drove to Breckenridge two years ago with all of the kids and the scenery is amazing! I also took way too many photos!

I love the Goofy's Kitchen outfit. I love to eat there when we make it out to CA. I have read pages one and nine. Now I need to go back and read the middle, but I just wanted to leave a comment! :wizard:

Thanks for reading along! Actually sleeping through western Kansas just sounds like a great plan, if you ask me! Of course, I'd definitely recommend waking up once you hit Denver!

Thanks for the kind words too. Katie loved the Goofy's Kitchen outfit so much she said she wants to be Chef Goofy for Halloween this year. I had to break it to her though that nobody would probably "get" who she was.... She's mulling it over..... :rotfl:

I'm glad you stopped in and said Hi! Happy sewing! :goodvibes

[DisneyMomma81]

I love your foto trip report! I :lovestruc that you enjoyed my beautiful state ~ this year we've visited Arches & Canyonlands *for the 2nd time* and Zion for the 1st time. My DS prefers visiting National Parks over Disney :scared1: ~ early next month I'm taking my boyfriend *from England* to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce ~ we'll probably base ourselves in Kanab UT. :cool1:

Your DLR pictures are lovely ~ I love your DD's blue & pink Aurora dress *I will always prefer Aurora in blue ;)

[mom2rtk]

I love your foto trip report! I :lovestruc that you enjoyed my beautiful state ~ this year we've visited Arches & Canyonlands *for the 2nd time* and Zion for the 1st time. My DS prefers visiting National Parks over Disney :scared1: ~ early next month I'm taking my boyfriend *from England* to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce ~ we'll probably base ourselves in Kanab UT. :cool1:

Your DLR pictures are lovely ~ I love your DD's blue & pink Aurora dress *I will always prefer Aurora in blue ;)

Hi! Many thanks for the kind comments. How lucky you are to live in such a gorgeous part of the world! I honestly think I could go over and over and never tire of it all.

Tell your son I like the parks too, but like them even more when I know Disney awaits me at the end of the journey! Of course, when you're driving from Missouri, it really doesn't seem all that far to just keep heading a "little" farther west to Anaheim.

And BTW.... I also prefer Aurora in her blue. Too bad they don't ever seem to have her out at the parks in blue any more!

Have a great trip to the North Rim! :goodvibes

[tolemommy]

Thanks Momtrk, I've loved following your thread. I am in awe of your road trip, photographs, and dear daughters dresses. I hope to take a similiar road trip in a few years but starting from the West Coast.

How long were you on the road?

Like your family, I am old school, no GPS, blackberry, iPhone, or ? My father taught me how to read a road map, and atlas when I was a little girl. We took turns assisting dear dad when we took cross country road trips. I continue to honor his memory by navigating the old school way. :cool2:

I must admit I am like you, I will pull the car over to get a good shot. ;)

[mom2rtk]

Thanks Momtrk, I've loved following your thread. I am in awe of your road trip, photographs, and dear daughters dresses. I hope to take a similiar road trip in a few years but starting from the West Coast.

How long were you on the road?

Like your family, I am old school, no GPS, blackberry, iPhone, or ? My father taught me how to read a road map, and atlas when I was a little girl. We took turns assisting dear dad when we took cross country road trips. I continue to honor his memory by navigating the old school way. :cool2:

I must admit I am like you, I will pull the car over to get a good shot. ;)

Many thanks for the kind words! It is an amazing trip that I can't recommend highly enough. If you can do it starting on the west coast and not have an entire day traveling (each way!) across western Kansas..... than lucky you!

This was an 11 day trip for us. On our previous trips, we've taken up to 15 days. There is SO much to see that you can easily fill whatever time you can give it.

I bet your dad will be there in spirit with you when you make your trip!

[jenseib]

I love your pcitures! I love all that scenery. I wish I could do that someday...but with my husband who can barely walk right now, I don't know if/when we could do it. Maybe when Claire is older.
I have to say, I saw that picture of Rick on the way back through Vegas, and was so excited! LOL! :worship: I would've been the paparozzi too!
I might have to start aksing you questions about phto taking too. I read so much, but evidently my brain can't hold it all in, and I forget what I have read when it's time to use it.
Which camer do you have. I'm assuming one of the Rebels? I had the rebel xti..and love it, but it broke after my last trip. (the pin in the card reader slot broke and it would cost $250 to get it fixed :scared1: ) I decided to upgrade and got the 50D. Which I like. But I liked that the rebel was more lightweight and a little easier to use. I still have it around, contemplating on whether or not to someday get it fixed. I need to win the lottery.
What is your wide angle lens. I have thought about getting one, but of course I don't want to spend the money. I have 5 lens, but I only use 2 regularly.


I have an external flash too, but I'm not too handy with it. Again, I forget how to use it half the time, when I go to use it. But if I practice with the book open next to me...the shots are wonderful. :rolleyes1

Thanks for sharing all that wonderful scenery with us.

[mom2rtk]

Hi Jen! Thanks for reading along on our journey. I do hope Skip finds an answer soon and he can start getting around better! I really do think that someone could even experience this area of the country with some limitations. There are SO many natural wonders there completely visible from your car or just a short walk to an overlook. I hope you get to see it with your 50D one day!

I have a Rebel Xsi. Not the latest or greatest, but it gets the job done. I did add a few new lenses over the past year. My wide angle is the Tokina 11-16 f2.8.

I highly recommend just hanging out here on the photography forum, maybe doing some of the monthly challenges you see posted, reading the questions from others, and asking any questions you have. There are many helpful and friendly experts here always willing to answer any question, no matter how basic or advanced. I also picked up the Canon Xsi for Dummies book and worked my way through it last spring. It's an easier read than the camera manual!

I also started studying the exif data on pictures I see posted here and on Flickr. It helps to see why they got the results they did.

I've seen many of your posts. I think you have a good eye and would enjoy hanging out here.

And yes, the Pawn Stars stuff was fun. Just the little kind of stuff you can do on a long road trip (right up there with hunting for the world's largest ball of twine!) I don't even know why we like the show, but it IS something the entire family can watch, and we all like to make fun of Rick's laugh!

[jenseib]

Do you shoot in RAW? I shoot jpeg. Mostly because I don't want to always have to process everything I shoot. And it takes up so much more on the card too.
I have a CS3 book, that I have started (about a year ago) and learned some more about processing, but I just don't have time to sit and try it all out...and then remember it. LOL! I have read some some books on photography and tooks a few basic classes (one was black and white flim and we learned to develope...really fun!). But it's been a few years, and I need to refresh myself again.
I shoot in manual, but pretty much take the lowest aperture, (wide open) and then adjust the shutter speed to that. I know that is NOT the best way to go about it for all pictures. I should pull out some of the books and go at it again.

Did you get lightroom? I had a friend give me a CD with photoshop and it had lightroom on it, but I unistalled it. I just didn't have a clue what it was. I wonder if I can find that CD and reinstall it again and learn about that too.

[mom2rtk]

Do you shoot in RAW? I shoot jpeg. Mostly because I don't want to always have to process everything I shoot. And it takes up so much more on the card too.
I have a CS3 book, that I have started (about a year ago) and learned some more about processing, but I just don't have time to sit and try it all out...and then remember it. LOL! I have read some some books on photography and tooks a few basic classes (one was black and white flim and we learned to develope...really fun!). But it's been a few years, and I need to refresh myself again.
I shoot in manual, but pretty much take the lowest aperture, (wide open) and then adjust the shutter speed to that. I know that is NOT the best way to go about it for all pictures. I should pull out some of the books and go at it again.

Did you get lightroom? I had a friend give me a CD with photoshop and it had lightroom on it, but I unistalled it. I just didn't have a clue what it was. I wonder if I can find that CD and reinstall it again and learn about that too.

I just started shooting in RAW earlier this year. I picked up LR3 with the student discount and really love the exposure adjustments you can make with it. I also love the noise reduction feature.

I used to think RAW was just for experienced photographers. Then someone pointed out that because you have so much more latitude to fix errors in the RAW format, it makes it the best option for those of us... shall we say.... less experienced! Then I saw an example of just what you can do with an underexposed RAW format photo and I was sold.

I compromised by shooting RAW + Jpeg, but that takes tons of memory space, so I've mostly dropped the Jpegs now. It's not hard to make a few edits to a shot then export it as a Jpeg.

I used to shoot in program mode most of the time, choosing my own ISO and when to use the flash. Now that I understand a little (emphasis on little! :lmao:) more about aperture and shutter speed, I choose based on situation. I use a high shutter speed to get a crisp "stop action" shot of my son when he's running track. I use a wide aperture when I want to take a portrait and blur the background. I use a smaller aperture (larger f stop) when I'm taking landscape photos and want as much as possible in sharp focus.

I also have learned here that while the widest aperture is good for some situations, most lenses have a "sweet spot" that is somewhere between wide open and completely stopped down to its smallest aperture. So I try now to stay shy of the large AND small end of the spectrum.

I would love to take a photography course, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. If time is an issue, I say pick up a book, start reading, and hang out here for a while!

[KCmike]

I wanted to go back and reread your trip report. We are thinking of driving across country one way or the other. I can't remember what kind of camera are you shooting with?

[mom2rtk]

I wanted to go back and reread your trip report. We are thinking of driving across country one way or the other. I can't remember what kind of camera are you shooting with?

Hi Mike!

I see you found the new trip report and just posted over there. I was using the Xsi for the summer road trip.

I hope you get to do this!

[fireplug]

Awesome pics, thanks for the hint and link!

Squid

[mom2rtk]

Awesome pics, thanks for the hint and link!

Squid


Thanks! And enjoy that new camera! :goodvibes

[Marlton Mom]

Even though it's been almost 3/4 of a year ago, your trip report IS STILL GOOD!!!! (that's what we say in my family when we are having left overs and no one is tired of them yet! :lmao:)

I love how your daughter wears the costumes that you've made and I can't help but think how the cast members must get a kick every time they see her playing along in character.

Your photography was excellent as well, even though the weather didn't always cooperate with your plans. Now we know why folks like Ansel Adams were wandering around out there for all those years just waiting for all the elements to come together to make their pictures completely perfect.

Thank you so very much for sharing your vacation, your family, your pictures and your thoughts. Your trip report was very inspiring and thought provoking to read.

:hug:

Joanie

[mom2rtk]

Even though it's been almost 3/4 of a year ago, your trip report IS STILL GOOD!!!! (that's what we say in my family when we are having left overs and no one is tired of them yet! :lmao:)

I love how your daughter wears the costumes that you've made and I can't help but think how the cast members must get a kick every time they see her playing along in character.

Your photography was excellent as well, even though the weather didn't always cooperate with your plans. Now we know why folks like Ansel Adams were wandering around out there for all those years just waiting for all the elements to come together to make their pictures completely perfect.

Thank you so very much for sharing your vacation, your family, your pictures and your thoughts. Your trip report was very inspiring and thought provoking to read.

:hug:

Joanie

Awwwww......... thanks Joanie! Lately I've been longing to just get back in the car and drive again! :car: But with our first high school graduation next month, we haven't made any plans yet for this summer. But with gas so cheap, maybe we'll have to come up with something! :lmao:

Janet

[jenseib]

Awwwww......... thanks Joanie! Lately I've been longing to just get back in the car and drive again! :car: But with our first high school graduation next month, we haven't made any plans yet for this summer. But with gas so cheap, maybe we'll have to come up with something! :lmao:

Janet

Where are you finding this cheap gas????? :rolleyes1

[Marlton Mom]

Where are you finding this cheap gas????? :rolleyes1

I think they eat a lot of Chili..... and I mean A LOT of Chili !!!!! :eek:

~MM

[mom2rtk]

Where are you finding this cheap gas????? :rolleyes1


LOL! :lmao:

When we drove to Florida the summer of 2008, we paid 3.79/gallon all the way across the country until we hit FL, then it hit 3.95. Gas here is 3.58 this morning. See? Cheap! :rotfl2: It's just a matter of perspective! :thumbsup2

I think they eat a lot of Chili..... and I mean A LOT of Chili !!!!! :eek:

~MM

Oh so true........ I think you can still get chili for a buck on the Wendy's value menu! :rotfl:

[jenseib]

I think they eat a lot of Chili..... and I mean A LOT of Chili !!!!! :eek:

~MM

I was going to say my Dh had a lot of free gas! :rotfl2:

[DISNEYaddict4evr]

So I just found your trip report, though I have to say I clinked on the link in your sig thinking it was a TR for the trip this year, not last :rotfl:. Anyways LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos makes me want to drive back there again. So speaking of TR since you are almost done with the "Princess" one you could do one on this last trip it will help keep me entertained until I can entertain you :thumbsup2

[mom2rtk]

So I just found your trip report, though I have to say I clinked on the link in your sig thinking it was a TR for the trip this year, not last :rotfl:. Anyways LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos makes me want to drive back there again. So speaking of TR since you are almost done with the "Princess" one you could do one on this last trip it will help keep me entertained until I can entertain you :thumbsup2

LOL! That's what's know as a "happy accident"! I'm jealous that you live a full day closer to all of this natural beauty. I'd go back in a heartbeat......... but no takers here in the near future.

I guess I never thought of doing an older trip report. If I get too weepy as the current one comes to a close :sad: I might have to consider that! princess:

[grumpy2]

Just discovered this thread and I have to say I really enjoyed looking at the great photo's. You have some really awesome shots. Makes me want to travel west, but we always end up at Disney World because we love it so much. Did you have a son
graduate recently? That was the photo that drew me in because I just had a son Graduate high school this past May. Any way keep up the great work.

[mom2rtk]

Just discovered this thread and I have to say I really enjoyed looking at the great photo's. You have some really awesome shots. Makes me want to travel west, but we always end up at Disney World because we love it so much. Did you have a son
graduate recently? That was the photo that drew me in because I just had a son Graduate high school this past May. Any way keep up the great work.

Thanks for the nice message! Yes, my oldest just graduated high school in May. This trip report was actually from our trip last summer though.

The drive west really is an amazing thing. If you can tear yourself away from WDW, it's worth doing at least once in life. And honestly, DL has a lot to offer too. And it's not THAT far from all the scenery..... :goodvibes

[hardingk]

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianagownkatie.jpg

[QUOTE=mom2rtk;37098560]
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2agarielfl.jpg


OMG! Those dresses are AMAZING!! Just started reading your TR today! Just wanted to say how beautiful the dresses are!

[mom2rtk]

[QUOTE=mom2rtk;37098457]
http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/mom2rtk/dl2tianagownkatie.jpg



OMG! Those dresses are AMAZING!! Just started reading your TR today! Just wanted to say how beautiful the dresses are!

Thank you so much! Be sure to follow the link in my signature to my December 2010 trip report. There's plenty more there!

[katt789]

Just read your trip report now! And have to say that I loved it, your pictures are incredible!! AND HOOOLY the dresses! I wish my mom would make some that good/cool for me (and I'm 22! :rotfl:) That's some serious talent! I'll definitely be continuing into your other TR now!

[mom2rtk]

Just read your trip report now! And have to say that I loved it, your pictures are incredible!! AND HOOOLY the dresses! I wish my mom would make some that good/cool for me (and I'm 22! :rotfl:) That's some serious talent! I'll definitely be continuing into your other TR now!

Many thanks for the kind words and for reading along! :goodvibes I'd love to see you on the other TR too. I should have a new one to do after December! :dance3: