All New Picture of the Day Thread - 01/25/2008

[quiltymom]

I just love the Tumble Monkeys!

 

[Groucho]

Groucho - I LOVE the way you got the Christmas Lights to shine in your pic. That's yet another thing to add to my 'things to learn about photography' list.

Thanks! I actually used a cross screen filter. I used it fairly rarely but it wasn't terribly expensive so I don't mind. Actually, if you look at some of the WDW pictorial souvenirs from the late '70s/early '80s (I've got a few from past trips), they have a ton of photos taken with a cross screen filter... guess it was "the thing" at the time.

Anybody know how to get great Spectro pictures? The lights are always swirled or blurred in mine.

Stop by the Photography board for more info, the topic is covered fairly regularly. To make a long story short though: to get good Spectro photos (ie, not blurred and without using a flash), you need a DSLR (for good low-light ability) and a "fast" lens (F1.8 or faster). Once in a while, someone gets a decent shot at F2.8 but that's relatively rare, and point-n-shoots are extremely difficult to get anything worthwhile from because of the small imaging sensor that's required by the tiny exterior dimensions of today's P-n-S digital cameras.

I'll toss up a Spectro photo for my POTD. This one was relatively bright - ISO 1600, F2.0, 1/90th second, and I used a +1.5 exposure compensation to bring out some detail in the float. Several of my others are more like F1.4 and 1/60th second. Using shutter priority is probably the way to go - I only took one shot at photographing it last trip and I was experimenting as I went, so I will hopefully have more keepers next trip!

 

[tx2tn]

POTD

 

[disneyfan61]

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

Anybody know how to get great Spectro pictures? The lights are always swirled or blurred in mine.

Stop by the Photography board for more info, the topic is covered fairly regularly. To make a long story short though: to get good Spectro photos (ie, not blurred and without using a flash), you need a DSLR (for good low-light ability) and a "fast" lens (F1.8 or faster). Once in a while, someone gets a decent shot at F2.8 but that's relatively rare, and point-n-shoots are extremely difficult to get anything worthwhile from because of the small imaging sensor that's required by the tiny exterior dimensions of today's P-n-S digital cameras.

You do get better photos with a DSLR but you also have to know how to use the manual features. I am going to post two pictures today and hope everyone is OK with it. This photo was taken in 2006 with a P&S.

It is OK but not very interesting, no colors on the lights because the flash washed them out.
This was taken in November with my DSLR.

Better colors on the float but a little blurry. I relied on the auto settings because I was afraid to try manual. It was luck that this came out. I took about 180 picture of the parade and about half came out ok. Maybe next time I go I will use manual settings and try for some better photos. Check out the castle with the lights in the background.

 

[MichelleVW]

My first attempt at a Ballon Pic.

 

[Code]

You do get better photos with a DSLR but you also have to know how to use the manual features.

This isn't really true, you just need a fast lens.. generally capable of an aperture larger (smaller #) than f/2.0 as Groucho said. If you mounted a fast lens on a DSLR in auto mode, it would open the aperture to get a handheld shutter speed. Your DSLR Spectro shot is f/5.0 at 40mm so I assume it was taken with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens? You simply can't freeze the motion of Spectro completely with that aperture.

 

[loribeth]

 

[One Year Pin]

Kinda gloomy looking, isn't it.

 

[klmall]

I'm posting a bit early for Monday since I don't know when I will get time to sit down.....How did I get everything done when I was working a full-time job?

 

[Code]

 

[STEAMBOAT209]

My POTD:

 

[senecabeach]

Morning....
Well... I found a free editing tool on photobucket and I've been playing with it...here we go..

 

[Groucho]

Here's today's shot... the crowds love Lightning McQueen! (Or "Kachow" as my son calls him!)

 

[Dcanoli]

Here's today's shot... the crowds love Lightning McQueen! (Or "Kachow" as my son calls him!)

Hi Groucho! Let me give a little "testimony" here...when we were there last September....(of course the crowds were lighter then but...)

They had us lined up BEHIND THE YELLOW LINES....and you could hear, all of a sudden, the roar of Lightning's engine coming down thru the Park towards us. With every few seconds ticking by, you could hear him inch a little bit closer...

..and when he rounded that corner, MY GOSH! It was like a CELEBRITY had come into view! The crowd (GROWN-UPS and kids alike) WENT BESERK! I turned to my husband and said, "Are you believing this? It's like the President just got here or something."

People went haywire! It was a lot of fun; however, they wouldn't let anyone near him. We had to go up family-by-family, and you couldn't touch him or Mater. It was all handled very professionally and nicely.

To see that crowd around "Kachow!" (as you put it) makes me nervous!

BUT, all that said--he really is a fun character to see at the Park! I loved the excitement that he put into the day. It was truly a great memory to make!

Thanks for sharing your picture!

 

[quiltymom]

Taking a ride across the World Showcase Lagoon...

 

[°O°Joe]

loribeth, great shot of Alice frolicking her way around her own little world

Code, I like this one of the Tree of Life with the buzzerd down at the watering hole...

MickeynMinnie, I understand why that's your favorite picture... it is a great one of the monorail indeed!

Groucho, great explanation and an even better picture of how to take SpectroMagic pictures! Excellent!

klmall, nice shot of the Castle from the TTA... I like how you framed this one...

senecabeach, that's pretty cool. And the frame looks real! ...and of course nice picture!

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°O°Joe - Excellent BTM @ Night pic!

Thanks Bill!

 

[°O°Joe]

The fireworks in this shot aren't at all impressive, but I like the picture because it offers a somewhat wide angle view of the vantage point from the Main Street Train Station.

 

[Anne's Family]

And all the ladies doth commence drooling...

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

This isn't really true, you just need a fast lens.. generally capable of an aperture larger (smaller #) than f/2.0 as Groucho said. If you mounted a fast lens on a DSLR in auto mode, it would open the aperture to get a handheld shutter speed. Your DSLR Spectro shot is f/5.0 at 40mm so I assume it was taken with the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens? You simply can't freeze the motion of Spectro completely with that aperture.

I quess I am showing my inexperience with SLR's. I did get some better photos like the one below. I noticed when the floats were farther away when I took the picture, they didn't seem to be blurry.