Breaking All the Rules: Pirates, Pixie Dust, and Pictures... a January 2012 Report

[NLD]

Goodbyes and Hellos

We made our way to the boat dock.


20120203-DSC_1337 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

And settled onto the boat for the final voyage back to Wilderness Lodge.


20120203-DSC_1342 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1350 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1358 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Too soon, we were docking and wandering up the path to the courtyard...


20120203-DSC_1361 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1365 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

As we meandered through the grounds, we said goodbye. Goodbye, Wilderness Lodge. Goodbye, beach. Goodbye, pool. Goodbye, waterfall.


20120203-DSC_1368 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Then through the lobby...


20120203-DSC_1381 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

To the front of the Lodge, where we found Carole and Deb. It wasn't long before a Magical Express bus pulled up and we boarded.


20120203-DSC_1391 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

When we arrived at Orlando International, we said goodbye to our Magical Express bus... that last bit of Disney magic.


20120203-DSC_1404 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Working our way through the airport, we eventually found our departure gate...


20120203-DSC_1405 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

And settled in to wait as the evening light turned to dusk outside.


20120203-DSC_1410 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1409 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1417 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1433 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1426 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


20120203-DSC_1434 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Our trip had come to an end. Our flight home was uneventful. We arrived in Baltimore tired and subdued, and drove home in the cold dark night to Pennsylvania. Matt welcomed us with open arms, and as we dropped our luggage and gave hugs, a feeling of having entered another world enveloped us. We missed our land of sunshine and flowers, pineapple floats and pirate adventures. But we were home... and that was a good thing, too.

And some day, we'd go back.

 

[mom2rtk]

I enjoyed reading along. Thanks so much for sharing. Your Captain Jack story was the best, so it was only fitting that you ended on his ride.

 

[Chicago Mo]

Great report. So sad it's over...

will there be another trip soon?

 

[midwesternbelle]

LOVIN this TR! Glad y'all had such a great time!!!

 

[NLD]

I enjoyed reading along. Thanks so much for sharing. Your Captain Jack story was the best, so it was only fitting that you ended on his ride.

Indeed... there was really only one choice for a last ride, on this trip!

Great report. So sad it's over...

will there be another trip soon?

Chicago Mo.... nothing in the works. I'm sure we'll be back, but probably not for a while. We have a tentative trip to Yosemite in the works for June 2013. It's going to be costly, so there's no way WDW can happen the same year. That said... as I finished this TR today, the wheels started turning... DLR will be soooooo close (relatively speaking). Might try to convince dh to let me extend the Yosemite vacation and head to SoCal for a couple days at the end. Knowing him, he won't want to come, but maybe just me and Sunshine...

LOVIN this TR! Glad y'all had such a great time!!!

Thanks for reading, midwesternbelle! It was a great trip.

 

[LONES]

I've been patiently waiting for an update on your TR! It looks like you had a very fitting end to your trip! I loved reading along, and absolutely loved your pictures! My Dad is trying to get us to go back in January... but I think it's going to be a tough sell to DH!! Luckily... I have both girls in my corner! Who knows... maybe we'll see you there??? Doesn't Sunshine have a birthday next year, too?

 

[NLD]

I've been patiently waiting for an update on your TR! It looks like you had a very fitting end to your trip! I loved reading along, and absolutely loved your pictures! My Dad is trying to get us to go back in January... but I think it's going to be a tough sell to DH!! Luckily... I have both girls in my corner! Who knows... maybe we'll see you there??? Doesn't Sunshine have a birthday next year, too?

LONES... I like the way you think.

Indeed she does have a birthday in January again! Imagine! No way it's gonna happen this year, though. Looks like I'll be in California for a work conference on Sunshine's birthday. And nope... not close to Anaheim.... in Oakland.

Hope you get to go! Will you do a PRT or TR if you do?

 

[NLD]

Epilogue: Final Thoughts

It's been five months since our trip.

The come-down from this one was hard. Every once in a while, Sunshine still tears up at a Disney commercial. These days, though, the tears include a smile, as we remember all the fun.

We have deemed the One Republic song Good Life "our" song. We'll never hear it again without thinking of this trip.

Overall, we feel fortunate. It was the best trip imagineable. The cast members this trip made it so magical. Sometimes when we reminisce, we laugh and say no future trip will ever live up. How could it?

Birthday? Check. Eighty degrees and sunshine in January? Check. Dream resort? Check. Meeting a rare character, who just happens to be your heartthrob? Check.

Sunshine still harbors her love for Captain Jack. She eagerly anticipates a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie. She has declared when it comes out, we will see it in the theater on opening day.

Also, Sunshine is coming out of her shell, and she has discovered theater. The last day of school, she and her friends performed The Giving Tree, a play they adapted from Shel Silverstein's books by themselves. They had been practicing at recess, and asked the teacher if they could perform for the class.

In June she completed a week of introductory theater class. The kids wrote, designed and performed their own 15-minute skit, on stage. She positively glowed on the stage, and she stole the show. Their skit (about a hair salon) was hilarious. Much of the show was improv, and Sunshine stole the show. She had the audience (parents and other theater students) falling off their seats, laughing.

When I said to her, "Your first time on stage, in front of all those people, and you were GREAT!" ...she answered, "No Mommy, I was on stage at Disney, remember? At the Lion King." Such a small thing, but... introducing the Little Mermaid and Festival of the Lion King had an impact--those experiences gave her the confidence to perform--and well--in her theater production.

We may have a budding actress on our hands. Or screenwriter? Or... cast member?

Deb, Carole, Sunshine and I still talk about how much fun we had. We broke lots of rules... sleeping in, frittering away morning hours on Main Street and in Pirates' League, hitting up the first attractions we came to... and we still had a blast. Last month, during a family gathering, we joked about convincing the men to retire in Orlando and all moving there together. But it's just a dream.... although Deb says her husband (my father in law) always did say he wanted to retire in Florida...

As for a future trip: sadly, we have no plans. After several years without a family vacation (Matt, me, and Sunshine), I decided it was high time for one. So I held out to Matt a vacation possibility he could get interested in: a national park.

And so we have a tentative trip to Yosemite planned, for June 2013. The only reason it's tentative is: June 2013 is a long time away, and my job is less than secure. Still, our lodging is booked, and barring a job change... a year from now we'll be soaking in the natural beauty of the giant sequioas, El Capitan, and Glacier Point.

I'm excited. Yosemite is so beautiful it's a spiritual experience. Sunshine has never been further west than Michigan. Matt loved his one excursion southwest--to the Grand Canyon--years ago. In short--this should be a trip we all can love.

Of course, in the back of my mind, a thought stirs.... We'll be in California. Not too far from Disneyland.

Who knows? We might not even make it to California. But if we do... well, maybe. Maybe.

For now, until we have another Disney adventure to report, I'll leave you with this:


20120129-DSC_9118 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

So long from the Pirate Princesses.... thanks for reading along... and see ya real soon.

 

[mom2rtk]

You and that camera of yours will LOVE going to a national park. Yosemite is one that is on our "to do" list. We've done the southwest to bits though and just love exploring the natural beauty of our country.

My rule of thumb is this though....... the west is HUGE. If you're within a day's drive of Annaheim........ you're REQUIRED to go to DL. Just tell your husband it's "the rule".

There really is nothing better for someone who loves photography than a trip that includes some amazing natural scenery..... along with some amazing Disney scenery. It's why we have 120K on our minivan.

 

[NLD]

mom2rtk,

Oh believe me... we are awfully excited about Yosemite. It's not JUST about getting my dh on a vacation. That was my top pick for a next vacation, too. Disney is fantastic, but there's more to see in this country! Sunshine needs to experience some REAL mountains, not these little rolling hills in Pennsylvania.

I have been to Yosemite once (not counting as a baby), just for a day, and it was breathtaking. Truly awe inspiring. I'm not particularly well-traveled, so it might not be saying much, but... of the three most naturally beautiful places I've been (Maui, Grand Canyon, Yosemite).... Yosemite wins for the feeling of absolute delight over its sheer beauty, at EVERY turn. My jaw literally dropped driving in at our first glimpse of the Valley. And we spent sunset at Glacier Point, and it was a moment I will never forget. Ever. There is just nothing like the sun hitting those granite walls, the echo of the waterfalls thousands of feet below, and the clear mountain air.

Grand Canyon was of course beautiful too (and it's also on our family vacation bucket list), as was Maui (my favorite place on earth--just can't convince Matt to move there!), but... something about the variety at Yosemite was splendid. Soft little meadows with wildflowers, towering trees smelling of pine needles, soaring granite cliffs, wildlife, rushing white water... Ahhhhhhhhh.

Now to get a wide-angle zoom lens before the trip.

 

[mom2rtk]

It sounds amazing. And your love for the place is obvious in your post. I definitely want to get there one day. We've never been to Maui but have done the Grand Canyon. My favorite spots on earth are all in the Desert Southwest. But the Grand Canyon doesn't make the top 3, or maybe even 5. My favorite is probably the back way into Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands. I just have a thing for red rocks. SO otherworldly.

And yes....... you NEED a wide angle lens. I think your camera might go on strike if you try to enter Yosemite without one.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Well, I FINALLY got a few minutes to sit and finish your report and I can honestly say that I have that feeling you get when you get home from a week long trip Funny part is, Pirates of The Caribbean just happened to be on TV while I was reading Your photographs are amazing and your talent really shines through them There were plenty of shots where I was just like "WOW" Very very nice.

I know I said it before, but I really want to get a few hrs to start the report all over from the beginning again for some inspiration. Our next trip is coming up so fast and I have NOTHING planned. Life just keeps getting busier and busier lately

Hey, while I have your ear, would you mind sharing some focusing tips?

This is always a shot I try to nail, but it's too dark to focus on. I've tried to manual focus but just can't seem to get it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34900754@N08/6866452867


I'll leave ya with that. When I go back through from the beginning, I'm sure I'll ask about 100 more tips.

Thank you so much for sharing your trip with all of us It's been so much fun and Sunshine is do darn cute. I really wish there was a few more days to read about If you ever do another TR, I hope you come back here and post about it, I promise I'll show up!

 

[NLD]

Hey Rob, just commented on your TR too! Can't wait to read your next one!

As for focusing... hmmmm. No deep dark secrets. I don't even try to manually focus, these are all letting the camera do the work. I do look for places with good contrast between light and dark for the camera to grab onto, that helps. Just put the chosen focus point over something contrasty.

 

[NLD]

mom2rtk....

Can you come over and tell my dh that the national parks REQUIRE an ultrawide? Tell him the camera will explode in my face if it doesn't have one on it.


Oh, as for Topaz.... I'll stick some examples of the magic of Topaz here.

Here's one posted earlier in this TR (rather traditional editing in Lightroom), compared with the same image with some Topaz editing applied. Should give you an idea of what can be done:



20120202-DSC_0985 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


Wilderness Glow- by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

 

[NLD]

Here's another comparison for you...


SelectedFlorida2010-557 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


Silent Spaceship Earth-2 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


...Basically the HDR look without having to take multiple exposures.

But there are a number of other things you can do with Topaz Adjust even if you don't want the HDR look. There are quite a number of useful presets for drawing out detail, changing the color tones....

 

[NLD]

Here's one less over the top... the main use here was with the detail, just to get the castle crystal clear. It was a little softer in the original image.


Last Look Down Main Street-3 by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


And here's one I threw a ton of stuff at... don't have a SOOC image or even a Lightroom-only image on flickr, but... it was a total THROW AWAY pre-Topaz. I had kept it since taking it, because I knew the idea was good and the composition was right, and figured the dynamic range could be accounted for in editing with the right tools. Sure enough...


Magic Hat_- by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


Okay anyway, hopefully that gives an idea! I'm headed out to swim with Sunshine! Have a lovely hot summer weekend!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Hey Rob, just commented on your TR too! Can't wait to read your next one!

As for focusing... hmmmm. No deep dark secrets. I don't even try to manually focus, these are all letting the camera do the work. I do look for places with good contrast between light and dark for the camera to grab onto, that helps. Just put the chosen focus point over something contrasty.

Thinking back, I may have had problems because of the lens I was trying to use since it's a standard slow 18-250 Sigma lens. I'm wondering if my new Nikon 30mm 1.8 might help if I open it up all the way. I've had the 50mm but really don't like it on some of the dark rides because it's just too tight. I saw you were using the 50mm which with the crop factor, might give me just about the same image through my viewfinder I don't know why, but out of all the scene's in POTC that's the one shot I REALLY want!

 

[NLD]

It might have been the lens...

I will say this. I've got an old 80-200 2.8. It's a lens that sometimes gets complaints from people about being slow to focus. On the D700, the focus is pretty fast. Enough for my purposes. But there was very noticeable difference when I put it on my dad's D90. It was measurably slow. Way too slow. I was shooting at a friend's wedding and swapping lenses back and forth between the two bodies, so same lighting conditions, and it actually surprised me how MUCH of a difference. Screwed me over on some shots coming down the aisle. Other lenses did fine on the D90. So some lenses are just slower to focus than others.

Also, yes, you really really do want something with a wide aperture. A nice 1.4 or 1.8 prime. Absolutely.

As for focal lengths:

50mm on the full frame is like 35mm on a crop. So for your purposes... your new 30mm should be good. Which one did you get? People on the disboards gush about the Sigma 30mm. I've never had it so can't comment from experience. I did have the Nikon 35 1.8 and loved it. Tack sharp, good contrast. And it's CHEAP. $200.

Here's a sample taken back in 2009.... This was inside CRT, window light, no flash... on a D60:


With Snow White by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I have the Nikon 30mm 1.8 (also have the 50mm ) and really love how sharp it is. The Sigma is nice (and it's a 1.4) but I just couldn't justify spending the extra $250 with the amt I actually use it. I wish I had it in October but I'm going to be using it a lot for this trip That Snow White picture really came out nice! I think it's time for me to start practicing!!! We have a Knobels trip coming up on Friday....I'm thinking it might be a good time to wipe the Nikon off!

B/T/W Sunshine is seriously too cute. Her pictures should be hand delivered to the Board Members at Disney for an exchange of Family Lifetime Passes. She could be the new face of DisneyParks on Youtube!

 

[NLD]

I have the Nikon 30mm 1.8 (also have the 50mm ) and really love how sharp it is. The Sigma is nice (and it's a 1.4) but I just couldn't justify spending the extra $250 with the amt I actually use it. I wish I had it in October but I'm going to be using it a lot for this trip That Snow White picture really came out nice! I think it's time for me to start practicing!!! We have a Knobels trip coming up on Friday....I'm thinking it might be a good time to wipe the Nikon off!

B/T/W Sunshine is seriously too cute. Her pictures should be hand delivered to the Board Members at Disney for an exchange of Family Lifetime Passes. She could be the new face of DisneyParks on Youtube!

Hey it's Tuesday.... did that new prime get any use at Knoebels?