Photopass observations

[jennifur25]

We just got back from a Disneyland trip, Feb 28-March 4th and I noticed there were a LOT more photopass people out this trip than when we went last October. I was pleasantly surprised because I was very disappointed with the lack of them in October.

Something else I noticed them doing alot this week, though, was capturing candid pictures of people and then taking them a photopass card. Like when my boys were trying to get the sword out of the stone and I was taking a picture, the photopass photographer came over and handed me a card and said "here, I snapped some pictures too." I also saw a photographer hanging out on the bridge where you exit Autopia, waiting to give someone a card and also in Goofy's play area.

The photopass photographer by Walt's statue, though. I think his name was Dave. Wow, he's a bit over zealous. We've seen him there before. He always tries to get my boys to pose and they are not cooperative posers for pictures LOL But this time he was especially over zealous. My boys went along with it somewhat and he kept gushing about how he was sure these pictures were going to be in the small world display later that night. What really upset me, though, was when we asked him to take a picture with my camera (a DSLR) he came over and was all you need to have it set like this and this and this and CHANGED all my camera settings! I was pretty ticked off and I STILL don't know what all he changed on it. Then he was trying to be a hot shot flipping back and forth between his camera and mine and nearly dropped mine!

I was glad to see more photographers out and to see them doing candid shots, but he was way overboard!

 

[Sherry E]

Wow! That's great info, jennifur25!!

First of all, I would bet that our resident DIS'er Dizneydaz - who I think uses PhotoPass more than anyone else on the planet! - probably knows the overzealous photographer you spoke of. I think she knows all of them!

I've had a couple of...let's call them...really enthusiastic PhotoPass people who were very into their job, and very interested in making sure everyone was posing just the right way, smiling just the right way, making sure that the color of our shirts was not going to interfere with whatever "magic shot" we were getting, etc. In a way, it was kind of funny and a bit annoying...but in the end, I appreciated that they were taking their job seriously and really trying to give me the bext product for my money, rather than just doing a half-hearted job. There have also been times where the photos didn't come out that great and the photographer didn't pose us properly to get a good shot, or Tinkerbell got lost against the color of someone's shirt, and I wished that the photographer had taken more care and time to get better shots. Sometimes they just rush through the whole thing.

So I can understand the guy trying to get your kids to pose...and I can even understand him wanting to give you the best possible photo by changing your settings (since I guess he knew which settings to change on your camera). BUT, somehow it seems like the guy could have handled your situation a different way. He should have first asked you, "Do you mind if I adjust the settings on your camera so I can take the best photo?" And then if you agreed and he went ahead and did it, he should have reverted the settings back to what they were to begin with after snapping the photo.

Anyway, that situation aside, thank you so much for telling us about the presence of more photographers!!! I'm happy to hear that. When I was there in December, I didn't notice any extra ones in new locations, and, in fact, some of the usual locations had no PP people.

From your description, I love that they seem to be positioned in more places around DL - some of which are places that are begging for photographers. I also think it's very sneaky - and kind of brilliant - that they take candid shots and then hand you the card!! That's a great way to rope people into getting interested in PhotoPass - don't wait for them to come to you and ask for photos. Just take the photos and hand them the card!! Again, sneaky...but clever!

I had a feeling they would start putting more PP people out and about as the changed in DCA start taking place, but I just assumed they would stick more people in DCA when the work was done. It's good to know that they are putting a lot of them in DL now.

Of course, why do I have a feeling that more photographers & more photo locations are going to soon equal more money for the Disneyland CD?

 

[paape04]

I am glad to read this! We leave in a few weeks and being a scrapbooker, I want to make sure I get as many great pictures as I can! Utilizing the photopass photographers to the max is one of my plans!!

 

[Daisybelle]

Thanks for the info! I'm really wanting to try the photopass for our upcoming trip this summer. With it being just my daughter and I, we had almost no pictures of the two of us together from our last trip. I was worried about the availability of photogs though, so hopefully they'll be easy to find this summer.

Thanks again!

 

[Raindown]

he came over and was all you need to have it set like this and this and this and CHANGED all my camera settings! I was pretty ticked off and I STILL don't know what all he changed on it.

I think I know who you talking about. Changing the settings on a persons camera is a no no.

 

[ArchOwl]

I noticed more PhotoPass people as well when I was there in late February. Unfortunately, we didn't have one photographer ask to take our picture anytime during our whole trip. I know I should be proactive and ask, but it was kinda weird. I think the reason we don't get asked is because it is just my husband and I, no kids. Their reasoning might be that we don't want pictures like people with kids do.

I did notice more candid shots as well, there was a PhotoPass person at King Arthur's Carousel snapping shots of a little girl dressed as Jasmine. I thought that was a neat idea.

 

[jennifur25]

I think I know who you talking about. Changing the settings on a persons camera is a no no.

Yeah, I just asked my husband and his name was definitely Dave. And like Sherry said, if he had asked or returned it to my settings afterwards, it would have been different!

And I do appreciate that he was trying hard to get a good shot, I do. But you also have to know when to back off a bit because that pushiness turns my kids off and they could very well rebel having their picture taken at all If they are standing there nicely and smiling snap the picture for crying out loud- I don't care if their hands are on their hips LOL

I'm also glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the lack of photopass photographers in the fall.

 

[Sherry E]

Yeah, I just asked my husband and his name was definitely Dave. And like Sherry said, if he had asked or returned it to my settings afterwards, it would have been different!

And I do appreciate that he was trying hard to get a good shot, I do. But you also have to know when to back off a bit because that pushiness turns my kids off and they could very well rebel having their picture taken at all If they are standing there nicely and smiling snap the picture for crying out loud- I don't care if their hands are on their hips LOL

I'm also glad I wasn't the only one who noticed the lack of photopass photographers in the fall.

I was actually surprised at the lack of photographers when I went in December. I thought, of all times, the holiday season should bring more of them out. I had read reports on here from people who said the photographers were becoming few and far between, but I really noticed it on my trip. In fact, there wasn't even a PP person at the Partners statue when I was there! I couldn't believe it - that's one of the main places for the PP people!

And yet, we wandered over into DCA and found a few PP people with no one to take photos of at all. They were just standing there, looking lonely. But no one at Partners!

Yes, your overzealous guy definitely could have handled your whole situation better. Once he saw the kids were not doing what he wanted, he should have just let it go and moved on. And he absolutely should have asked you if you minded him changing the settings on the camera, and then changed them back to how you had them.

I wonder if he might be the same PP guy who I've encountered here and there around DLR who seems to be very 'into his job.' I can think of one guy who is overzealousand I've seen him a lot, but then there is another, separate PP person I encountered (at Goofy's Kitchen) who changed the settings on my camera (and it's not a DSLR, just a P&S!!). And the shot he got after changing the settings (without telling me he changed them) was rather distant. Not even a good, close shot! And I had to figure out how to get my camera back to where I had it. If his photo had been great after altering my settings, I wouldn't have minded, but it was poorly composed!!

 

[Sherry E]

I noticed more PhotoPass people as well when I was there in late February. Unfortunately, we didn't have one photographer ask to take our picture anytime during our whole trip. I know I should be proactive and ask, but it was kinda weird. I think the reason we don't get asked is because it is just my husband and I, no kids. Their reasoning might be that we don't want pictures like people with kids do.

I did notice more candid shots as well, there was a PhotoPass person at King Arthur's Carousel snapping shots of a little girl dressed as Jasmine. I thought that was a neat idea.

You're right - you should be proactive! The PhotoPass photographers have never come up to us. (This candid shot thing is new - they have not always done that.) We always go up to them and they are happy to do it.

 

[lucky1]

I wonder if part of it has to do with the magical moments they are showing on "It's a small world". I notice more Photopass photographers around snapping pictures as people were walking down mainstreet not even aware that someone was taking pictures.

When we were picking up our Free visa photo, I overheard a CM tell a person that if they are thinking about purchasing the CD, they should tell the Photographer and they will snap more pictures in one setting.

 

[ArchOwl]

You're right - you should be proactive! The PhotoPass photographers have never come up to us. (This candid shot thing is new - they have not always done that.) We always go up to them and they are happy to do it.

LOL, next time!

 

[Lorinda]

So how does photo pass work? I am going with 14 people and we will be all over the place probably in small groups...

 

[robertdavisjr]

OK so working with big groups. In the past we have had up to 18 people in our group and we aren't together all the time. What you do is create one Photo Pass account and then you can combine them all together. So my all of my brothers and sisters individual families had a different pass. The thing is the 30 days online starts when you load it in so if some are coming early and some are late remember that the 30 days online is for each time you load. I think when we loaded last time we had 10 or so different cards because we got special ones for the Trick or Treat party. We paid for an extension because we were going back for Thanksgiving and were able to get both trips on one. Always nice. The other thing that was different from when we had done it a few years ago the default picture cropping is 4x6 but you can specify. Especially important when you are adding the custom frames or they don't print out nice.

 

[Maddie2]

The photopass photographer by Walt's statue, though. I think his name was Dave. Wow, he's a bit over zealous. We've seen him there before. He always tries to get my boys to pose and they are not cooperative posers for pictures LOL But this time he was especially over zealous. My boys went along with it somewhat and he kept gushing about how he was sure these pictures were going to be in the small world display later that night. What really upset me, though, was when we asked him to take a picture with my camera (a DSLR) he came over and was all you need to have it set like this and this and this and CHANGED all my camera settings! I was pretty ticked off and I STILL don't know what all he changed on it. Then he was trying to be a hot shot flipping back and forth between his camera and mine and nearly dropped mine!

I was glad to see more photographers out and to see them doing candid shots, but he was way overboard!

Yes, his name is Dave and he messed with my camera when we were there in January too. He first took some photopass photos and put them on our card and then when I asked him to take a couple with my camera he started flipping dials. He sounded like he knew what he was doing, but in the end, I'm not so sure. He had us in a shadow of a tree for the most part, but then our faces in the sun - none of them turned out very well - not ours and not the photopass shots. My camera isn't overly fancy and it was easy enough to reset the dials, but I don't know what he was thinking - and I think the photos would have turned out better had he just left the camera set the way I had it.

I agree, he was way overboard - hmmm, maybe they are starting to pay photogs commission? If that's so, he is going about it all wrong!

There were a handful of candid photographers out when we were there. One on Main Street, one in New Orleans Square, one near the Sword in the Stone and one right next to Astro Orbiter. I had a conversation with "Star" in NOS and she said that they were just taking candids to use in the new upcoming nighttime show (to premiere after we left). She said she didn't usually take photos for people, but she did take one for our family. It was just next to a lamppost, but it ended up being the best family photo we had taken all week. I approached the guy near Astro Orbitor and he was happy to take a few photos of our kids on the ride. Very cool and better than I could get with my camera!

 

[mystic_path]

We just got back from a Disneyland trip, Feb 28-March 4th and I noticed there were a LOT more photopass people out this trip than when we went last October. I was pleasantly surprised because I was very disappointed with the lack of them in October.

Something else I noticed them doing alot this week, though, was capturing candid pictures of people and then taking them a photopass card. Like when my boys were trying to get the sword out of the stone and I was taking a picture, the photopass photographer came over and handed me a card and said "here, I snapped some pictures too." I also saw a photographer hanging out on the bridge where you exit Autopia, waiting to give someone a card and also in Goofy's play area.

I was glad to see more photographers out and to see them doing candid shots, but he was way overboard!

I noticed the same thing last year (Late May/Early June) in the sense that there were very few Photo Pass people around. The only ones we did really see were with main characters with line ups 30 minutes long. I was kinda disappointed. We were all looking forward to getting some Photopass pictures, but didnt even bother with it.

But now I do like the thought that they are getting candid photos as well, to give you some variety. I am sure if you asked them to take some normal posy ones they would be more then happy to as well. I really LOVE candid photos because that is where you are going to find the real emotion and see personality shine.

 

[SKWDW]

...The photopass photographer by Walt's statue, though. I think his name was Dave. Wow, he's a bit over zealous. We've seen him there before. He always tries to get my boys to pose and they are not cooperative posers for pictures LOL But this time he was especially over zealous. My boys went along with it somewhat and he kept gushing about how he was sure these pictures were going to be in the small world display later that night. What really upset me, though, was when we asked him to take a picture with my camera (a DSLR) he came over and was all you need to have it set like this and this and this and CHANGED all my camera settings! I was pretty ticked off and I STILL don't know what all he changed on it. Then he was trying to be a hot shot flipping back and forth between his camera and mine and nearly dropped mine!...

That guy's a freak! He was annoying people left and right last week. I just turn the other way when I see him now.

 

[Mickeybell]

Im glad to hear there are more photopass people around. I also noticed last December that there were hardly any anywhere. I was planning on getting the CD before our trip but afterward didnt because we only had a few photos taken by them. I actually was sent a survey from Disney (email) after coming home and I commented on the lack of Photopass photographers. There was not even one when we went into see Mickeymouse in his house at Toontown! That is a must have spot for a photo!

 

[starshine514]

Anybody got a picture of Dave? I need to know who to avoid.

 

[TheColtonsMom]

I'd like to see a pic of "dave" too...

When we went in December we saw exactly 2 PP photographers one at the Jedi Academy and one at the carousel in FL. We ended up not buying the CD as there were only 8 pics on it. They didn't have PP when we went in 2002 so this was our first experience and I was disappointed as we really tried to search them out where we had seen that others on the boards had had theirs taken too so we were actively searching for them and couldn't find them. I am sure that the increased number of Photographers has something to do with the TMTMAY show but hey if it gets all of us more and better pics then more power to them!

 

[jennifur25]

Ha! I actually found one on the web!

http://thedailydigi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/image25.png