Photopass gripe

[seashoreCM]

Even though you use flash, background lighting can contribute to the overall picture. It is not unusual for the subject illuminated by the 1/1000'th or so second flash, to be nice and sharp while objects in the background, notably lights or daylit windows, could be blurred due to camera movement.

 

[fairestoneofall]

I really wish they'd send Photopass photographers to a few basic photography courses. If they'd learn to properly shoot in Manual, then they'd yield much better results. If they are using external flashes (and NOT on-camera flashes), then they should be able to shoot fast enough to "freeze" the motion (even at slower speeds). It looks to me like it wasn't an external flash, but rather the on-camera flash. With that much motion blur, the shutter speed was way too slow (especially when using flash).

I vote that the flash fired in the Goofy picture because the human subject has the tell-tale "pin-dots" in her eyes, that come from direct, frontal flash.

When DH and I went on our anniversary trip, I wanted a night-time picture in front of the castle. We found a Photopass photographer with his tripod set up and ready to go. Because he had us stand on a sticker, so that everyone was in the same spot, I assumed he had his camera set up right. Um. No. NOTHING was in focus in the picture (not us, not the castle). I was so disappointed.

 

[disneyin2008]

I would never complain that they took too many pics. The more shots taken the more chances of a good one. And, there is always the delete button. I love it when they take more than 1 or 2, especially with little kids.

If you let them know that you are getting the CD, they'll take a lot of pictures....at least they did for us. I always handed over my card and said "We're going to get the CD, so please take lots of pictures".....typically they took no less than a half dozen and in several angles/poses. There are several places where we got a dozen or more out of a photographer. Now, my girls are real hams and will pose at the drop of a hat, so I'm sure that helps when they have willing subjects!

We went to a Pirates and Princess party and it was after midnight when we were wandering towards the exit and there were still Photographers out, so at the hub we stopped and asked to have their photo taken with the changing colors of castle....I just looked at my CD and they took 31 photos!! We got every single color of the castle multiple times. Of course there weren't any other people waiting for pictures and the girls were still so hyper and excited that they were bubbling over, but I swear that lady would have kept snapping until morning if I hadn't said it was time to go, lol.

I always recommend that people stop at every Photographer they see and have their photos taken. Even if you've already had your photo taken in that spot before.......not only does it give you a different photographer, but different time of the day for lighting, and sometimes you may have a nice clear photo but someone in the background is undesireable.....and sometimes there will be something in the background that is great (we got one at the Epcot ball that has the Monorail to the side as well). The Photographers vary with experience....some you can definitely watch and tell they are "in training" or maybe just need training, lol.....and some you can see know what they're doing in both the ease that they handle the camera but also in how they interact with the subjects. Any photos that don't turn out will hopefully not matter because you'll have another set or two in the same place that are great. Doesn't work as well with the characters of course, but we always stopped even if we already had a characters autograph from earlier....just to get some pics and hugs.

 

[bradk]

I think the reason your shadow is to the right is because you took the photo in portrait mode (camera tilted to the left 90 degrees). Doing this will place your flash to the left of center of your lens and cast a shadow to the right due to the light projecting from the left.

yes, that is my point. a PP used the large shadows in the picture to suggest it was an external flash being fired, but the shadows are in the opposite direction of what they would be. unless the photog is left handed and somehow oriented the camera in the opposite direction.

If they are using external flashes (and NOT on-camera flashes), then they should be able to shoot fast enough to "freeze" the motion (even at slower speeds). It looks to me like it wasn't an external flash, but rather the on-camera flash.

they use external flashes. it's standard equipment. they use them even outside in daylight as fill flashes.

I vote that the flash fired in the Goofy picture because the human subject has the tell-tale "pin-dots" in her eyes, that come from direct, frontal flash.

you're seeing reflection of light in the eyeglasses which actually could be originating from anywhere. I can't be 100% but I'm pretty sure direct flash into eyeglasses produces a much larger glare. i'm sure I might have an example somewhere in my pile.

 

[bradk]

as i'm looking for an example, here's a prime example of what i'm talking about. this was in the animation building, photos taken moments apart.

in this one, the flash fired as normal. shutter speed 1/60, note there is only a tiny bit of blur as stitch is being tossed into the air, which arguably is a pretty fast motion

in this one, the flash misfired very sadly. shutter speed was 1/6

as to why there's more blur in mine than in OP's, I'm sure my shutter was held open longer. i'm fairly confident that the character spot is better lit than the animation building

 

[pxlbarrel]

you're seeing reflection of light in the eyeglasses which actually could be originating from anywhere. I can't be 100% but I'm pretty sure direct flash into eyeglasses produces a much larger glare. i'm sure I might have an example somewhere in my pile.

Ok...guys...I was there. That's me in the photo. The flash fired and it was an external flash (even the outdoor daytime photographers have external flashes, btw). It fired. I know it fired. Don't debate whether or not it fired.... it fired.

Why is it so hard to believe that she moved? Have you watched these guys take photographs? Some of them never stop moving.

 

[dburg30]

If you have as many bad pics on there as it sounds, which to have THAT many bad ones is amazing, maybe the same photog was following you around. Email them with your concerns and see what they will do for you.

 

[fairestoneofall]

yes, that is my point. a PP used the large shadows in the picture to suggest it was an external flash being fired, but the shadows are in the opposite direction of what they would be. unless the photog is left handed and somehow oriented the camera in the opposite direction.

I'm actually not left-handed and I move my camera both directions when I'm taking portrait mode. I have no idea why. But I do both. It's actually more comfortable for me to move the camera clock-wise. But I do both.

PXL, I believe you that the flash fired. It looks to me like the flash fired.

I'm not a frontal-flash kind of girl though. I prefer to bounce the flash when I can (or not use flash at all).

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

My biggest gripe with the PhotoPass this time was that I didn't get some of my pictures. The ones of us in front of Spaceship Earth are just not there at all. Talk about disappointed! I wanted the photo of us in front of each of the icons for our scrapbook, but we don't have anything from Epcot.

Then the ones on Main Street (that I was really looking forward to having since we were in the park before opening and wouldn't have 8 million people in the background) are awful. You can just barely see the top of the castle between my and my husband's heads. We got one with the castle and Walt & Mickey and it's good, but I really miss not having that Main St castle shot. Oh well, lesson learned. Next time, I'm going to have every photographer on Main St take our photo!

 

[GrillMouster]

There is no doubt that the flash fired. The relative exposure of the subjects, the hot spots reflecting off of the subjects, the lack of and position of shadows on the subjects' bodies and faces, the position and hard edges of the subjects' shadows on the wall all indicate that the flash was fired. The photo was taken in the portrait, rather than landscape, orientation, with the flash on the right (not the normal way of rotating a camera, but, then again, not all photopass photographers are professionals).

What happened here is that flash was used in combination with a slow shutter speed. I use this technique intentionally all the time; it's called dragging the shutter. If you look at the picture, it's not totally blurry, yet it's not totally sharp, either. It's like a combination of a sharp image and a blurred image. That's because the flash froze the action (made the image sharp), but after the burst of light was gone, the shutter remained open for a split second longer. While the shutter remained open, any motion on the part of the photographer or the subjects was captured in the same image as blur. You may have all seen a photograph of a car in sharp focus with red streaks from taillights behind it. That's an example of dragging the shutter (with rear curtain). In your case, the PhotoPass photographer may have accidentally switched the mode or shutter speed. Many PhotoPass photographers only use the camera on automatic or whatever settings they were told to use...since they don't know anything about lighting, aperture, shutter speed, or ISO, they don't know how to fix the problem when they accidentally change a setting. Do you have an original image, not resized or altered, so we can see the EXIF data in the document properties? If so, it should reveal a slow shutter speed.

As for all the talk about what shutter speed are necessary to eliminate blur, there is no magic number. It depends on the speed of the subject, the direction the subject is moving in relation to the camera, the motion of the camera/photographer, and the focal length of the lens.

 

[disneyin2008]

My biggest gripe with the PhotoPass this time was that I didn't get some of my pictures. The ones of us in front of Spaceship Earth are just not there at all. Talk about disappointed! I wanted the photo of us in front of each of the icons for our scrapbook, but we don't have anything from Epcot.

Go to the website and use "Contact Us"....tell them the date, approximate time, location, who was in the photo and what you were wearing....or something to help them identify your photo.....and they'll attempt to find it for you. I did this and was able to get several that weren't in my account originally.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

There was a thread here not that long ago with similar gripes about PP. I know what you mean, OP. We had over 600 photos and at least half of them were absolute garbage. I wouldn't have such a problem with this if Disney didn't advertise these people as "professional" photographers. That's just deceptive. If you can't do basic things like centre a photograph, you are NOT a professional.

 

[Darcy03231]

I guess I got lucky. We just got back and all my pictures were great! There were a couple where my niece closed her eyes, but I can't fault the photographer for that. All of them are nice and clear, even the night ones.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Go to the website and use "Contact Us"....tell them the date, approximate time, location, who was in the photo and what you were wearing....or something to help them identify your photo.....and they'll attempt to find it for you. I did this and was able to get several that weren't in my account originally.

Thanks! I'll give it a try!!

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

I went to the Photopass site and they are only able to search for photos within the last 30 days. We were at Epcot 32 days ago. What a bummer! I wish I had said something here sooner!

Thanks for the hint though! I'll remember it for next time!

 

[Elise79]

I went to the Photopass site and they are only able to search for photos within the last 30 days. We were at Epcot 32 days ago. What a bummer! I wish I had said something here sooner!

Thanks for the hint though! I'll remember it for next time!

Might still be worth a try - you might get lucky! Worst they can say is no!

 

[Scraper]

Some of the Photo pass CM's are earning there ears. We make a point of taking alot of pictures with different photo pass CM's. We get some bad but plenty of good ones.

 

[pxlbarrel]

Do you have an original image, not resized or altered, so we can see the EXIF data in the document properties? If so, it should reveal a slow shutter speed.

Unfortunately, the original image or rather the image supplied on the CD has no EXIF data.

OH well.