Castmember tips for the novice family Photographer

[PinkSugar]

Hi, I don’t post on here much and I know most of you on this forum know a lot about cameras and photography, and you have a great tips section, but I thought I would write this bit of advice for the armature family photographer getting ready for their holiday trip to a Disney park or anywhere really. If I put it in the wrong section please feel free to move it.

I have been a Disney Cast member on and off since 1997 and I have taken more photos for guests then I could possible count, and one of the best advice I could give you on your vacation pics is the following.

1. Everyone wants their pic with the whole castle in the background and of course get a few shots of those, but the one you’re going to take home and frame on your mantle are the close ups .

I recommend standing a few feet away from your subject and zooming in on their faces or upper body and angling it so the castle or object your are taking a pic in front of is in the background but the center of the pic is your subject not the background.

Here is an example of what I mean (not the best pics ever but they illustrate the point, Please note I borrowed the standard castle pic from another site so I blocked out the face.)

Subjects are up closer and the center of the image

Standard picture - subject is far away and hard to see.

2. If you have a digital camera get some extra memory sticks before your trip, you don’t want to run out of room half way through your vacation.

3. Its digital so don’t just take one pic. every time you stop to take a pic snap a few. There is nothing worse than having the perfect pic and your subject ends up having their eyes closed. Just remember if you take 5 pics of the same thing you can always go through them and keep the best one and delete the bad.

4. Be sure to check your camera setting before you start you don’t have to use the higest quality image setting but I recommend it, if you want to print out the pictures later or enlarge one you will get a much better image. Sure you can take 1000 pics on the medium setting but I would rather have 500 great pic then a ton of so- so ones. That’s what extra memory cards are for right.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask cast member or someone else to take a picture of you with your family often. You don’t want to get home and find that you’re not in any of the family pictures. The Paid Disney photographers at the photo locations will take pictured of you that you have to pay for, but they will also be happy to take pics with your camera so go ahead and ask them to snap a few for you. All of the expert pics with none of the price.

6. Don’t be afraid to take lots of candid pictures, some of the best family memories will be just while your family is enjoying themselves in the park.

7. Try to mind the shadows you don’t want your subjects looking right in to the sun and squinting but you also don’t want to end up with a shadow on half of some ones face, like in the example above. Sometimes getting a much better picture just evolves the angel you take the picture at or simply turning your subjects a bit so they shadow is moved or they are not looking right in to the sun.

8. Finally , Remember to have Fun !!!

If you follow these simple rules you should come home with some awesome vacation pictures.

Feel free to add your tips and tricks to the list.

 

[PinkSugar]

ohh I finnaly found where the tips section is
could a mod please move this for me Thanks sorry for posting in the wrong place.

 

[tyedye]

Thanks, some good tips. I like the first pic posted of the close up of the peope with the castle in the background better too.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing.

It must be interesting to see the parks from the perspective of a CM.

 

[MICKEY88]

great tips...

one addition to tip number 1, shoot in vertical mode and get the whole castle..

 

[PinkSugar]

Good tip mickey.

Thanks Mark, after finding all your tips that means alot.
yes its a very diffrent experiance from the other side. But I pretty much grew up there so Disney in my vains. I cant help but offer to take a pic for people when I see a family member isnt in it, and I cant ever point at something with just one finger.

but I see so many of the same poor planning issues on a regular basis that I wanted to point some out beacause trust me you dont want to get stuck paying disney prices for a battries or a memory card lol even water for that matter (bring some with you!) and I just see people take that standard boring castle shot a million times a day, when taking such a better one even with a point and click camera is so easy.