Best place to shoot Wishes

[BigTuna07]

Hello All!!

We are going to WDW the 1st week of March. I was wondering in your opinions where is the best place to shoot Wishes? I just got a Canon 7D! I am trying to figure it all out, but would also appreciate any suggestions for the shoot as well. We also have a new T2i. My DW will probably use that one. Until holding both I couldn't believe how much heavier the 7D is!

Thanks in advance for all suggestions!

Brian

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

It really depends on what "look" you're going for. If you want shots that look like they are right over the castle, then in the middle of Main Street looking directly at the castle. Normally for this shot you may have some people in the foreground. Another spot I have used is the area in front of the Crystal Palace. You will have to get there early to set up for this shot. It usually is very crowded and there are trees that can obstruct your view which limits the shooting areas. I have also shot from Tomorrowland. This is not as popular a spot and I really wouldn't recommend it. There are no icons in the shots to give some perspective. Maybe someone else can chime in also.

 

[Experiment_626]

It really depends on what "look" you're going for. If you want shots that look like they are right over the castle, then in the middle of Main Street looking directly at the castle. Normally for this shot you may have some people in the foreground.

In my Disney photography I usually go to great lengths to get shots with no other guests visible (which usually means some post-production trickery or very late nights -- sometimes both). However, the classic shot of Wishes is an exception. It just wouldn't look right without a crowd watching it, at least if you're on Main Street shooting toward the castle.

Near the end of Main Street proper, there's a spot where a lane is taped off on the ground to allow guests to cross from one side of the street to the other before the show starts. Cast members won't allow anyone to stand in that area and linger. I like to get up right to edge of that area with my tripod on the train station side of the tape. There are still guests in the shot, of course, but you won't have anyone getting right in front of you. That's my favorite place. Second favorite would be across the Seven Seas Lagoon at the TTC, just to the right of the boarding area for the ferry. You can see straight across to the Magic Kingdom and the castle, and you'll get a very different view that emphasizes how enormous and high the fireworks bursts actually are.

Just don't try to get too close to the castle -- it will block your view of some bursts.

SSB

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

I set up near the Walt statue in front of a bench, that way I dont block anyone view with my tripod and I got a comfy place to sit while I camp out!

 

[HPS3]

I have been thinking about spots myself. I like the position of Tom's shot. Does anyone know where Tom's standing here. I can't tell how far back he is because he shooting at 11mm and I know the distance is exaggerated.

This photo is Tom Brickers!

Walt Disney World Fireworks (9 Stop Neutral Density Filter) by Tom Bricker (WDWFigment), on Flickr

 

[mom2rtk]

IMG_4698-1 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

Tom and many others recommend staying back about as far as Casey's. My shot above was taken from the sidewalk right across Main Street from Casey's. I like being right on the curb so I gain about 6" more height above all those heads that squeeze in at the last minute.

 

[boBQuincy]

Of course there is always California Grill... or the outside stairs at Contemporary.

 

[BigTuna07]

Wow! Those are some awesome shots!!!! Now I have to ask. What should I have my camera settings on to get even something close to that? I am getting pretty good at shooting stuff during the day, but I have had next to no luck with fireworks! I am trying to read as much as I can, but I don't understand some of the language. For instance, if they say it is a 6 sec exposure. What does that mean?

 

[HPS3]

Thanks Mom2rtk, i think I'm going to try that spot around Casey's. By the way, nice shot!

 

[mom2rtk]

Wow! Those are some awesome shots!!!! Now I have to ask. What should I have my camera settings on to get even something close to that? I am getting pretty good at shooting stuff during the day, but I have had next to no luck with fireworks! I am trying to read as much as I can, but I don't understand some of the language. For instance, if they say it is a 6 sec exposure. What does that mean?

1) low ISO, probably 100.
2) focus to infinity
3) smallish aperture, f/11 or so should work
4) set to bulb mode so you can manually choose your shutter speed based on when the bursts open
5) you have to use a tripod or have your camera steady on something.
6) you need a remote shutter release cable so the action of pushing the button doesn't make your camera move slightly

A 6 second exposure is just as it sounds. The shutter is open for 6 seconds before closing. That's actually not a bad shutter speed for fireworks.

It seems like a lot, but it's not really that hard once you get organized and get the camera set up.

Thanks Mom2rtk, i think I'm going to try that spot around Casey's. By the way, nice shot!

Thanks!

 

[BigTuna07]

1) low ISO, probably 100.
2) focus to infinity
3) smallish aperture, f/11 or so should work
4) set to bulb mode so you can manually choose your shutter speed based on when the bursts open
5) you have to use a tripod or have your camera steady on something.
6) you need a remote shutter release cable so the action of pushing the button doesn't make your camera move slightly

A 6 second exposure is just as it sounds. The shutter is open for 6 seconds before closing. That's actually not a bad shutter speed for fireworks.

It seems like a lot, but it's not really that hard once you get organized and get the camera set up.



Thanks!

Thanks!!!! I have never used the bulb mode before (actually this is the 1st camera that I have owned that has it) so I should hold the shoot button down for 6 sec if I am understanding that correctly? By the way I just ordered the Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3!

 

[BigTuna07]

Sorry I almost forgot. What do you mean by focus to infinity?

 

[BigTuna07]

[/IMG]

Shot on the curb that the Electrical Parade goes by in front of the castle.

 

[mom2rtk]

Sorry I almost forgot. What do you mean by focus to infinity?

Switch to manual focus. Then move the focus ring down to the figure that looks like an 8 laying on its side. Some adjust back a hare from this spot. Then leave it on manual focus so the camera doesn't hunt for a focus spot with each shot.

Thanks!!!! I have never used the bulb mode before (actually this is the 1st camera that I have owned that has it) so I should hold the shoot button down for 6 sec if I am understanding that correctly? By the way I just ordered the Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3!

Yes, you will push down the button on the remote until you count to 6, or however long you want it open, then you release it. The brighter the bursts, the less time I leave it open.

[/IMG]

Shot on the curb that the Electrical Parade goes by in front of the castle.

Good shot! I shot from there one year too. You can get some great shots of the castle with fireworks in the background. but if you want MORE fireworks shots, perhaps including some of the periphery shots, you really have to move back more.

 

[Experiment_626]

Tom and many others recommend staying back about as far as Casey's.

The taped-off lane I mentioned earlier is where the sidewalk on the castle side of Casey's Corner and the Plaza Restaurant/Ice Cream Parlor would be if it extended across Main Street. That's probably approximately where Tom's photo was taken and where I made this one:


Wishes April 2 2011 Flickr by Scott S. Baxter, on Flickr

It should be noted that a photo such as Tom's or mine also requires a neutral-density filter, in addition to the other equipment named earlier in the thread. Without such a filter, an exposure long enough to get so many bursts will be a blown-out mess.

SSB

 

[irky416]

The taped-off lane I mentioned earlier is where the sidewalk on the castle side of Casey's Corner and the Plaza Restaurant/Ice Cream Parlor would be if it extended across Main Street. That's probably approximately where Tom's photo was taken and where I made this one:


Wishes April 2 2011 Flickr by Scott S. Baxter, on Flickr

It should be noted that a photo such as Tom's or mine also requires a neutral-density filter, in addition to the other equipment named earlier in the thread. Without such a filter, an exposure long enough to get so many bursts will be a blown-out mess.

SSB

I'm going to hijack....

Would you mind explaining when you would use the ND filter? I'm just learning and trying to understand. How long of an exposure and would you only use it for night shots?

Great picture, by the way!!!

 

[Experiment_626]

I'm going to hijack....

Would you mind explaining when you would use the ND filter? I'm just learning and trying to understand. How long of an exposure and would you only use it for night shots?

Great picture, by the way!!!

Thanks!

You'd use a neutral density filter any time you want a longer exposure than you can get without one. Essentially, it is just a dark filter that reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor. Sunglasses for your camera, if you will. The one I use is a variable one — you turn it to make it lighter or darker. There are also simpler ones that offer a set amount of darkening.

I'd have to look at the EXIF data for the photo to see just how long the exposure was. In this particular case, that is less important. I use a cable release and hold the shutter open for a large group of bursts. It helps to have seen Wishes many times and have a feel for when the big groups of bursts are coming and when they end. I would imagine that exposure was probably anywhere from 45 seconds to a a minute and a half. The time itself is less important in this case because you're exposing for the fireworks, and each burst doesn't last that long.

Prior to determining that an ND filter was the answer for a photo such as this, I had tried reducing my ISO to even lower than its rated minimum (which was ISO 200 in my case) and using the smallest aperture I could set (f/22 or even smaller) with a relatively short exposure of around 20 seconds, to no avail. The result still looked like a flash-bomb going off over the castle — a brilliant white blast of light that was way too bright. The ND filter makes all the difference.

In the daytime you can use such a filter to give you a long exposure that will make running water have that silky look you've probably seen in photos. You can also use it in the right situations to make people moving through the frame effectively invisible. If you're exposing for the overall scene (as opposed to for things such as fireworks), day or night, it is best to calculate how much time you need to add to the exposure.

SSB

 

[irky416]

Thanks!

You'd use a neutral density filter any time you want a longer exposure than you can get without one. Essentially, it is just a dark filter that reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor. Sunglasses for your camera, if you will. The one I use is a variable one — you turn it to make it lighter or darker. There are also simpler ones that offer a set amount of darkening.

I'd have to look at the EXIF data for the photo to see just how long the exposure was. In this particular case, that is less important. I use a cable release and hold the shutter open for a large group of bursts. It helps to have seen Wishes many times and have a feel for when the big groups of bursts are coming and when they end. I would imagine that exposure was probably anywhere from 45 seconds to a a minute and a half. The time itself is less important in this case because you're exposing for the fireworks, and each burst doesn't last that long.

Prior to determining that an ND filter was the answer for a photo such as this, I had tried reducing my ISO to even lower than its rated minimum (which was ISO 200 in my case) and using the smallest aperture I could set (f/22 or even smaller) with a relatively short exposure of around 20 seconds, to no avail. The result still looked like a flash-bomb going off over the castle — a brilliant white blast of light that was way too bright. The ND filter makes all the difference.

In the daytime you can use such a filter to give you a long exposure that will make running water have that silky look you've probably seen in photos. You can also use it in the right situations to make people moving through the frame effectively invisible. If you're exposing for the overall scene (as opposed to for things such as fireworks), day or night, it is best to calculate how much time you need to add to the exposure.

SSB

Thanks for the explanation! I will definitely have to play around with it, but your explanation helped.

 

[lucifie]

Is it possible to get shots even half as good as those with a P&S? I currently have a Canon Powershot SX120. It has more manual options than a lot of P&S cameras, but it's nowhere near the level of a DSLR. I'm in the market for a new camera before our WDW trip in January, but I don't want to spend the money on an SLR when 1. I don't have the skills and don't feel like I would have time to really learn to use one well and 2. I don't feel like I can justify the cost when we're about to spend a fortune on the WDW trip itself.

 

[Pixel Dust]

Is it possible to get shots even half as good as those with a P&S? I currently have a Canon Powershot SX120. It has more manual options than a lot of P&S cameras, but it's nowhere near the level of a DSLR. I'm in the market for a new camera before our WDW trip in January, but I don't want to spend the money on an SLR when 1. I don't have the skills and don't feel like I would have time to really learn to use one well and 2. I don't feel like I can justify the cost when we're about to spend a fortune on the WDW trip itself.

It is possible to use a P&S for fireworks but it's a bit more difficult than a DSLR (go figure, P&S are supposed to be easier, right?) Just like a DSLR you will have to set the ISO low, like 100 or 200. Some of them would even let you control the shutter speed but that option may be buried in the menu system and how to get to it is dependent on the individual camera. Some newer P&S even have a fireworks scene mode.

For any camera to achieve any of the photos posted already, you will NEED a tripod. Any exposure over 1 second is impossible to hand hold. A remote would be a nice addition too.

As for location:
This photo was taken with a Nikon D7000 and a 16-85mm lens at 16mm. This was taken on main street at the first lamp post as you walk away from the hub. If you are using a kit lens (18mm-[whatever mm]) you will need to be at least by Casey's.

Brian,
I will also be at WDW in March from the 6th to 10th and will probably be in my spot so don't take it! Kidding! If you are still around stop by. I'm still experimenting myself. I've maxed out my settings and trying to use a ND filter this time around.

Here's photos from our last trip report
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2823214&page=5

Franklin