Almost time for Groucho's traditional live trip report...

[Groucho]

Let me just say.... it is SO COOL of you guys to all offer to show up and push Groucho's stroller and carry his gear!!!

The folks here are the best, eh?

 

[mom2rtk]

The folks here are the best, eh?

Be sure to get that picture for us too!


Have a magical day!

 

[WillowBelle]

Gorgeous marble floor shot at the GF. Sure was nice of everyone to stand out of the way while you got the entire floor in the picture!

 

[mom2rtk]

Gorgeous marble floor shot at the GF. Sure was nice of everyone to stand out of the way while you got the entire floor in the picture!

Well, with that fancy fisheye lens, I just figured he was like 3 inches away!

Seriously, I loved that shot too!

 

[ukcatfan]

Good stuff so far- hope you guys are having a great time. I may be around some this weekend also- Code sent me a PM over on another board.

Hahaha - join the party. If Kevin makes it, that'd make 5 Disboarder photo regulars... quite the summit!

If I am there, it will be on Sunday until about 5PM. I would actually get there Saturday evening, but will not be making it to the parks. It does not matter what park to us, but we will be starting the day over at EPCOT to drop the dog off at the kennel.

 

[WVDisGeek]

As amateur photographers, we have completely overlooked one of the critical components that separates us from the professionals - a lightsaber!

Somebody help! I can't find a lightsaber in a Pentax mount anywhere!!!!

 

[ukcatfan]

Somebody help! I can't find a lightsaber in a Pentax mount anywhere!!!!

You need the M42 version of the lightsaber and use the adapter. It only comes in a Dark Side mount though!

 

[Gdad]

This is too funny- Per the EXIF

Yours: Date Time Original = 2010-01-24 13:02:01
Mine: Date Time Original = 2010-01-24 13:07:57

I just checked though- the clock on my camera was exactly an hour fast (fixed now) so we were actually there about noon on Sunday getting some Pixie Dust for the girls.

 

[DznyFan]

Somebody help! I can't find a lightsaber in a Pentax mount anywhere!!!!

Aww, man! Too bad!

Groucho - AWESOME TR and shots!

 

[Groucho]

Jeez, Jeff, you must spend more time at WDW than your own home! I'd do the same if I lived so close.

More shots soon... and thanks for the other comments, will reply more in a few... right now I need a nighttime snack and have to decide - Beaches & Cream or Boardwalk Bakery? Decisions decisions!

 

[Daisy14]

This is awesome! Love the pic at the Mono station!

 

[Groucho]

Thanks everyone!

Be sure to get that picture for us too!

(Regarding the others showing up to help carry my gear.) You know, the stroller is easier to push when I'm not hanging my camera bag off it... Today it seemed especially heavy though I'm not sure why. I have been taking different groups of lenses every day. Tomorrow is AK so I'll be bringing the big heavy 300mm again...

Gorgeous marble floor shot at the GF. Sure was nice of everyone to stand out of the way while you got the entire floor in the picture!

Well, with that fancy fisheye lens, I just figured he was like 3 inches away!

Seriously, I loved that shot too!

Thanks! The new floors there are really nice. That is quite the nice place... now they need to add on a DVC section. You do definitely see different people walking around there, the "upper crust" ones... you know, the guys with $500 tied up just in their tripod ball head.

If I am there, it will be on Sunday until about 5PM. I would actually get there Saturday evening, but will not be making it to the parks. It does not matter what park to us, but we will be starting the day over at EPCOT to drop the dog off at the kennel.

OK, let me know. We will probably be at MK on Sunday but will be fairly flexible. Monday is mostly like AK, for those who won't be arriving until then... but that's not definitely either; depends on where we go the next few days. Not being on the dining plan for the first time since it began certainly makes it easier to be a little more "loose" with our scheduling.

Today was a good day; the kids mostly behaved and we were able to get in our rides at the Petty Driving Experience. We had a nice spot to watch Illuminations and when I went out for my late-night snack to Beaches & Cream and bought some ice cream and a cookie, the cast member gave me a couple extra cookies since then were about to close and he'd just be throwing them out. Nice! The bad news is that we realized as he was going to bed tonight that my son's stuffed Mickey has apparently disappeared. It's easy enough to replace it but he's had that since his first trip four years ago and it's certainly his favorite stuffed toy. My wife and I are both pretty sad about it. I can't imagine what happened to it; best guess is that he took it with him one day and it got dropped or whatnot. I may call Lost & Found but I bet there's a ton of those lost! His name might be on it, though.

Oh, one other good thing - I think I made peace with the Lensbaby again. I certainly figured out the ideal way to use it - on a tripod, using zoomed-in liveview to get the focusing just right.

Some more photos...

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Can I get your premission Groucho to print off your picture with the bright green leaves? thats the EXACT color I want to paint my dresser.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Wonderful pictures Groucho! Is it ok if I am most amazed at your shot of the BCV balcony. WOW!!!! It looks like it would double your living space!

Seriously though - Is the last shot of the giraffe with the lens baby? The focal length in the Exif seems wrong for that but I don't know if it is able to record properly. I think I'm going to guess not but I really like that shot.

I too am hoping you all have a healthy trip this year.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Nice photos Groucho!

Seriously though - Is the last shot of the giraffe with the lens baby? The focal length in the Exif seems wrong for that but I don't know if it is able to record properly. I think I'm going to guess not but I really like that shot.

Kat, I bet the cinnamon roll photo was taken with the lens baby. I think it registers at 50mm, and there is no Aperture setting in the EXIF. Am I mistaken Groucho?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Nice photos Groucho!



Kat, I bet the cinnamon roll photo was taken with the lens baby. I think it registers at 50mm, and there is no Aperture setting in the EXIF. Am I mistaken Groucho?

Yep - I bet you're right! The rolls and the tree mister.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This is precious. A little girl and her daddy.

 

[Todd_H]

Really good stuff so far! I'm loving the lensbaby shots.

Getting a good Hitchhiking Ghost shot is tough enough when you're flying solo, but to do it with a baby in your lap... well that's taking it to another level ! Nice work.

 

[Groucho]

Can I get your premission Groucho to print off your picture with the bright green leaves? thats the EXACT color I want to paint my dresser.

Of course! Do whatever you like with it.

Wonderful pictures Groucho! Is it ok if I am most amazed at your shot of the BCV balcony. WOW!!!! It looks like it would double your living space!

Seriously though - Is the last shot of the giraffe with the lens baby? The focal length in the Exif seems wrong for that but I don't know if it is able to record properly. I think I'm going to guess not but I really like that shot.

I too am hoping you all have a healthy trip this year.

Thanks! So far so good. The kids are not sneezing as much and are as "snotty" so that's good... and Mommy and I are feeling fine, apart from the usual tired-from-lots-of-walking. (Especially after yesterday, when we crisscrossed Epcot all day plus did the Petty thing.)

Kat, I bet the cinnamon roll photo was taken with the lens baby. I think it registers at 50mm, and there is no Aperture setting in the EXIF. Am I mistaken Groucho?

That is absolutely correct. The giraffe shot was with the Pentax 31mm F1.8 aka "the princess" it was just that I was pretty close to it and was using F2.0 that got all the creamy bokeh. The cinnamon roll and the Tomorrowland tree shot were both Lensbaby shots. The focal length is recorded because when you use a lens that doesn't relay focal length to the camera, it asks for the it in order to use the correct amount of image stabilization.

Really good stuff so far! I'm loving the lensbaby shots.

Getting a good Hitchhiking Ghost shot is tough enough when you're flying solo, but to do it with a baby in your lap... well that's taking it to another level ! Nice work.

Wait until you see yesterday's Lensbaby shots. Well, at least I'm happier with them, though I do like the two I posted before (otherwise I wouldn't have posted them!) As for the ghost picture... note that it was also manually-focused and is F1.2! That's always a challenge; I think I got a little lucky. I still need to borrow the K-x and put on the F1.2 and see how the better high-ISO capabilities of it play with an ultrafast lens.

Here's a few from yesterday...

It's impossible not to look pretty dorky when all suited up for a Petty ride...

This was originally just a throwaway shot but I kind of like the framing.

I have a few more ready but I'll wait until tonight to post 'em. Hope you enjoy!

 

[annnewjerz]

Very nice shots so far, I'm especially loving the ones from the Lensbaby. I took so many with that darn thing in December and didn't want to post too many for fear of feeling like I overdid it...but I can't help it, I love that little thing!

So how was the Richard Petty driving experience? My DH isn't into Nascar but I was trying to think of some new things for him to try while in Disney and that was one of them. Not sure it's worth it to do while we're there since we can do the same thing at the Pocano Mt. race track up here, but who knows.