Disney Photography Tips

[tjl1388]

Figured I would add my opinion/experience to the fireworks portion of this discussion.
Sorry point and shoot folk alot of this will not work for you. I haven't had a P&S for years and I avoid my wife's like the plague. sorry...

Location, Stability, Patience

Location: You will have to sacrifice some of your time to get the best spots and you will have to be "un-Disneylike" sometime to keep them, some people aren't "normal" like us photographers. I try to get in place and protect the legs of my tripod the best I can. Your location depends on your opinion of the best shots. Right side, left side, or center..it is purely opinion based.

Stability is a big concern. The simple pressing of the shutter release , even on a tripod, will cause blur. I use a tripod AND a shutter release button therefore never touching the camera except to change a setting (thats in the next segment). The less you come in contact with your camera the better.

Patience: One of the toughest traits us humans have had to master. This trait must be exhibited in every aspect of shooting fireworks. You will not get every single shot that you want and the only way you will come close is to try and time your shots. If you have the luxury of seeing the particular show before then it is A LOT easier when you know what effect is coming up next. You can't be hurried with your setting when you need to change them on the fly. You have to be calculated and change them gradually as the show goes on. You have to be patient with the people around you and in front of you..more than once have I had a father throw their kid up on his shoulders 6ft in front of me.. . You have to be patient with your shots. In my opinion the art of photography is to get better and better and the shots that you do take are the evidence in a mystery on how to get better.

Most importantly try and enjoy the show and have a good time.

 

[bamata2]

I have learned more about photography in the 30 minutes I spent reading this thread than I have ever learned prior. Thanks for all of the great advice.

 

[Flanigan]

Great tips! I'll be making notes for my upcoming Disney trip in a couple of weeks.
Thanks everyone!

 

[sherry7]

Awesome post!

I just ordered my first DSLR earlier today (Sony A300), and I'm sure the great info in this post will help me to become a better photographer.

 

[DisneydaveCT]

Take a Few Extras

Nothing annoys me more than spending 5 minutes getting a shot set up and then finding out when I get home that someone blinked during the picture. Aargh! Have you ever tried painting open eyes on a blinker in Photoshop? Not fun.

Remind yourself - it's digital, no one is charging me for shots I don't keep. When you spend time and trouble setting up a shot, take several. Whenever I pose people, I always fire off a quick burst of 3 or more shots.

Throwing mistakes away is much easier than trying to fix shots with flaws. Just make sure that you throw away the extras. No one really wants to look through three shots in a row of the same exact scene.

Mark.

First let me say, I think this is a great thread. I am just now beginning to read all of the suggestions. Some of them I use regularly, some I had forgotten about over time. But as a follow-up to your suggestion about taking multiple shots. Bring plenty of memory. The cost of digital memory has dropped dramatically over the past few years. As a result, I typically bring enough memory to take 150-200 shots a day during my WDW trips. And then I delete those that just don't turn out well, or are duplicates of a better shot.

I also review my memory card each night to begin deleting shots that didn't come out well, thereby clearing up some memory for the balance of the trip.

 

[DisneydaveCT]

Start a Collection

Disney fans seem to be big collectors. They collect pins. They collect autographs. How about themed photo collection? Pick a subject that you like and build a collection of photos of that subject. You could try to collect photos of as many different characters as possible. You could collect photos of the entrance signs of all the rides you go on. Oblio seems to be collecting photos of Photo Spot signs.

Shoot the Your Trip

Everyone gets the standard shots of the Castle, the Tree, etc. Those are good to have, but it's just as important to shoot the things that mean something special to you. Take time to shoot the little things that make your trip special.

I always like to take a shot of the pastries that we buy in France. Those are a highlight of our day at Epcot. Is it a great picture? Not really. That doesn't matter. It means something to me and that's what is important.

Besides Disney, one of my other passions is collecting pictures and other artwork where a lighthouse is the subject.

In my living room, I have three 5 x 7 photos in one frame. It is a collection of photos of the three (3) lighthouses at WDW (CBR, YBC, and OKW). It hangs on the wall with some of my other WDW photos.

 

[WDWFigment]

Great tips! Sometimes it's easy to forget the basics when you're on vacation, but I think there are many important lessons here.

 

[minidreamin]

I've just read this thread and learned some good tips. But I need at least one more tip. I'm going back to WDW in December and I want to take better photos of the castle at night than I did last year. Here's a sample from last year.

More can be seen on my Flickr page. Link.

What settings should I try to get a better picture this time?

Thanks!

 

[rkbrannin]

Thank you for this post!! I really enjoyed looking through these tips and look forward to seeing more. I have a Nikon D70s and have wore it out on my 2 trips to WDW and am looking to do so again in 40 more days!! One thing I would love to do is get closer pics of the animals at AK. I have tried a telephoto lens that came with my camera package and am unhappy with the results. I was wondering if anyone had any luck getting great close ups of the animals at AK with a telephoto lens and if so, what did you use?

 

[matthew_hull]

rkbrannin: My advice is to take photos at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have a safari of the lodge savannahs which will get you close to the animals, and is educational and fun as well.

In the AK park, there are numerous animals on Discovery Island which don't really require a long lens. On the walking trails, a long lens is a big help but also not strictly necessary. Depends upon your tastes. As for the Safari ride, my advice is to put the camera away and enjoy the ride. It is too rough to get any truly good shots unless you are very lucky to grab a moment when the truck briefly stops.

You should also be familiar with a photo editor, in order to crop your photos to good effect.

 

[therealgoofy]

This thread is full of win.

 

[lovesdumbo]

rkbrannin: My advice is to take photos at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. They have a safari of the lodge savannahs which will get you close to the animals, and is educational and fun as well.

You have to be a club level guest at AKL to take that safari.

 

[matthew_hull]

According to AllEars, the Wanyama Safari to which I refer is offered to all AKL guests. I'll bet though that they'll sign up anyone if availabilty exists on the day before. Concierge-level guests pay $50 less (for being so special).

 

[lovesdumbo]

According to AllEars, the Wanyama Safari to which I refer is offered to all AKL guests. I'll bet though that they'll sign up anyone if availabilty exists on the day before. Concierge-level guests pay $50 less (for being so special).

Sorry....it is the sunrise safari at AK that is only open to concierge guests. But they would have to be an AKL guest.

 

[barrie]

As for the Safari ride, my advice is to put the camera away and enjoy the ride. It is too rough to get any truly good shots unless you are very lucky to grab a moment when the truck briefly stops.

Sorry Matthew, gotta disagree. It is an awfully rough ride but I have gotten some pretty decent shots on the safari with a fast shutter speed and a high ISO. Of course, I've gotten banged in the head with my camera more than once!



This shot came from the back seat of the vehicle. It was nice to get some unobstructed views by being able to turn around in the back seat but it was WAY too bumpy back there to get very many good shots. The front seat is much less bumpy.

Also, ask to be the first seated in the row. I find that the left side of the vehicle is better for catching more animals. A couple of weeks ago I rode 3 times in a row with no wait. Twice when I asked to be the first one in the row, they gave me the entire seat to myself. That was great! I got photos from both sides of the vehicle.

 

[Dcanoli]

Sorry Matthew, gotta disagree. It is an awfully rough ride but I have gotten some pretty decent shots on the safari with a fast shutter speed and a high ISO. Of course, I've gotten banged in the head with my camera more than once!



This shot came from the back seat of the vehicle. It was nice to get some unobstructed views by being able to turn around in the back seat but it was WAY to bumpy back there to get very many good shots. The front seat is much less bumpy.

Also, ask to be the first seated in the row. I find that the left side of the vehicle is better for catching more animals. A couple of weeks ago I rode 3 times in a row with no wait. Twice when I asked to be the first one in the row, they gave me the entire seat to myself. That was great! I got photos from both sides of the vehicle.

Well, look who showed up on the disboards! Barrie, I don't think I've run across you on the boards before.

Great to see you on the photography boards!

Debbie

 

[Michele]

You can take photos of the animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodge with taking the safari. Walk right out the back of the lodge and around the pool, some of the animals get pretty close.

 

[barrie]

Well, look who showed up on the disboards! Barrie, I don't think I've run across you on the boards before.

Great to see you on the photography boards!

Debbie

Hi Debbie! I'm here pretty much everyday, I just don't talk much. I find I have more to learn than to share on this board.

 

[Dcanoli]

Hi Debbie! I'm here pretty much everyday, I just don't talk much. I find I have more to learn than to share on this board.

Hey there! Me too...but I do like to post pictures here and there...

Just pop in and out all day in between working and doing household jobs! See you around the boards girl!

 

[JoeyD]

This is just the help I need so thanks Mark. One tip I like is to use a tripod whenever possible. They are a pain to haul around, but really help.

POP Century at night

Does anyone know Disney has a no Tripod policy? How about mono pods?