Portrait Session?

[boltfan]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I'm wondering if anyone has done one of the Photo Session's recently? We did the Photopass session back in 2010 at the GF, and used some of them for my son's Senior pictures. Now it's my daughter's turn and we're considering scheduling for our November trip. I'm just wondering if it's very different from when it was Photopass, and if what the quality of the photos are like? We loved the ones in 2010, and our photographer was wonderful, so we're hoping this experience will be just as good. Most likely we'll schedule the hour session as EPCOT. Any input would be appreciated!

 

[horse11]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this, but I'm wondering if anyone has done one of the Photo Session's recently? We did the Photopass session back in 2010 at the GF, and used some of them for my son's Senior pictures. Now it's my daughter's turn and we're considering scheduling for our November trip. I'm just wondering if it's very different from when it was Photopass, and if what the quality of the photos are like? We loved the ones in 2010, and our photographer was wonderful, so we're hoping this experience will be just as good. Most likely we'll schedule the hour session as EPCOT. Any input would be appreciated!

We did the quick 20 minute session at the Poly this past May and really enjoyed it! It was $150 and we go around 70 pictures in different areas ao the Poly. The hour session runs around $350. I am not sure how much better that package is but we were very pleased with our mini session. The mini session can only be done at a few of the resorts were the hour session can be be done at any of the parks or resorts. GF is one the resorts that you can dso the mini session and it would take less time out of your day and save you some cash but if you want them at Epcot your only choice would be to go with the hour session. They scedule your session before the World part at Epcot opens so there will be no one else there when you take the pictures which would be very nice. Hopefully some one whom has done the hour session can give you some more info.

 

[ds99]

Hi! We did the mini session in May also. Our session was at the Art of Animation resort. We wanted more of a "fun" than "formal" photo session , so this resort was great! Our photographer was excellent, very professional! We received a USB drive with about 70 images on it after the session. We were very pleased, planning on another session for the fall! Only one thing to take into consideration, if you plan on doing a mini session and have a specific resort you want, be sure to plan ahead because there are only certain days of the week that they do mini sessions at certain resorts. If you are planning on the full session, you can basically choose your date and time.

 

[Turtle31]

Hi,
I have done a lot of research for this for our upcoming trip from this thread. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2695075
I ended up trying to get Vicki and David Arndt who were voted as one of the top Disney Dream Wedding photographers. I contacted Vicki and unfortunately she wasn't available in June to do our family photos. She recommended Regina Hyman, and said she had worked with her at Disney and they both had similar styles. They both have left Disney to branch out on their own. Both have facebook pages where you can check out there photo sessions, as well as websites. In the end I went with Regina, and I couldn't be more excited. I do have to tell you that the pricing may be way more than Disney but I was willing to pay that to make sure they were perfect. Regina is charging $500 for 1 1/2 hours time, plus we can have up to 2 outfit changes, we will receive a 14 page custom designed 10X10 album with 25 images, all images will be edited and enhanced, we will also receive all final images on a CD with a release to print the images, plus a website link to view all our photos for family and friends.
Our photo session is at Beach Club on June 18th. I will be posting photos once we receive them back !

 

[DianeV]

If you want inside a park it has to be through Disney

Both of my daughters had their senior pics done, the most recent was done in March at EPCOT. We requested the same guy who did my older daughter's friend and my older daughter and we still really liked him. His name is Ty. Also they are starting to use some props for senior pics. He said they have doubled in the amount of senior pics they do now. He also for all three went over the allowed time and we never felt rushed

 

[Turtle31]

Here are just a few of my favorites from our June Photo Shoot with Regina Hyman.

























There are many many more but it took me forever just to upload these to photobucket.

 

[Turtle31]

Here is also a link to a slide show created by Regina Hyman of some of the photos...... Enjoy !!

http://video214.com/play/vKJj5Wl0qD4yL19uT0Egww/s/dark

 

[Angel Ariel]

For an hour long shoot, I would highly recommend Randy Chapman. He's a well known photographer on the Disney Weddings board here, and he is doing non-wedding shoots as well. We have had 2 family sessions with him - 1 at the Poly/GF and another at the Boardwalk. The session includes 1 hr of time, plus 1 DVD of color shots, 1 DVD of black & white shots, plus a copyright release for you as well. Our DD (who was 8 months and 15 months at the time) isn't exactly the most cooperative photo subject, and he was great with her! He has tons of photos on his website and his FB page (Chapman Photography). His price is also better than Disney's 1 hr session price (or at least was in October 2013...I assume it hasn't changed much).

 

[Dan Murphy]

They look great, Donna, thanks for sharing. Really nice!!!

 

[Turtle31]

They look great, Donna, thanks for sharing. Really nice!!!

Thanks !! We were so happy with them. I've lost 70 pounds in the last year so these photos are a huge reward to me !

 

[glvsav37]

Just posted this in another thread:

We just came back from a special trip when my wife celebrated a milestone birthday (4-oh no!!) In part of her birthday presents was a family portrait session.

I was going to use the Disney photo studio, but hear some of the stories and decided not to use them. So after a very long search for the right photographer, I was delighted to hire Kimberly from Portrayable Photography

From our first conversation, she was excited and open to discussing all the details of our family and shoot. Her fee was on the higher level of the group of photographers I was considering, but I loved her work and personality.

We booked and she met us at the Boardwalk resort. We were a little late from dinner (not much, 10-15 mins), but I kept in touch with her via text and she was flexible in our meeting time. From the beginning she attached herself to our kids and they loved 'performing' for her.

That said, my 4 year old was in a particular level of beast-mode that night (it was the end of our trip, he did not nap and he likes to 'show-off'). We could have gotten a lot more photos if he was being cooperative, but Kimberly did the absolute best of what she could with him. We had to miss a few shots I really wanted, but that was 100% on our side, not her's by any measure.

We received our gallery today and I am soooo happy with what she captured. We will have plenty of shots to decorate our walls from this shoot. I highly recommend her to anyone and was well worth the cost. Her package includes a DVD or thumb drive with every photo, edited/color corrected photos, and with full release.

We even made her blog and some of our favorite shots IMO didn't make it on there. We have so much to choose from: Boardwalk Birthday

 

[Frozen Man]

Just posted this in another thread:

I was going to use the Disney photo studio, but hear some of the stories and decided not to use them.

I was curious. What stories have you heard about the Disney Photo Studio? We are considering using them and would appreciate any information. Thanks!

 

[glvsav37]

I was curious. What stories have you heard about the Disney Photo Studio? We are considering using them and would appreciate any information. Thanks!

this is a pretty big thread on portrait sessions and there were a few stories in there about the photogs being unresponsive to guests, crummy photos and what not. Although some claim otherwise, it seems they use the photpass photogs and we know how they sometimes come out.

But the one that really killed it was from a very popular poster who had them shoot her some of her wedding photos. I DM'ed her directly b/c she has a lot of private event experience at WDW and she reccomended I look elsewhere.

I dont want to throw them under the bus b/c I have no first hand experience with them, but IMO it was just too big of an occasion to risk.

 

[nerderella]

Thanks for asking this! We were also hoping to do a Disney photo session since we noticed the discount with our DVC membership, but I've also been skeptical. Quite honestly, I don't want to pay $300 for the chance to have crappy photos in the park when MM+ would suffice.

 

[Frozen Man]

this is a pretty big thread on portrait sessions and there were a few stories in there about the photogs being unresponsive to guests, crummy photos and what not. Although some claim otherwise, it seems they use the photpass photogs and we know how they sometimes come out.

But the one that really killed it was from a very popular poster who had them shoot her some of her wedding photos. I DM'ed her directly b/c she has a lot of private event experience at WDW and she reccomended I look elsewhere.

I dont want to throw them under the bus b/c I have no first hand experience with them, but IMO it was just too big of an occasion to risk.

Thank you, I apprecaite the information and the link to the other thread. I plan on reading though it. I would like to get family photos for my DW for Christmas but want to make sure that they are worth it.

 

[glvsav37]

Thanks for asking this! We were also hoping to do a Disney photo session since we noticed the discount with our DVC membership, but I've also been skeptical. Quite honestly, I don't want to pay $300 for the chance to have crappy photos in the park when MM+ would suffice.

Yes, as DVC members too, the official WDW sessions was attractive b/c of the discount and they are the only ones that are allowed to take photos inside the park. But from what I read its hit or miss on quality.

But also don't mistake MM as anything more then a quick point and shoot photo. (wasn't sure how to read your post, but as a DVC member you prob already knew that)

Real photography sessions are a whole other game (wether with WDW photogs or an outside one). The resort backdrops can be just as exciting and beautiful as some park ones. Granted you won't get Cindy's castle behind you, but you prob wouldn't get a great shot of it w/ the official team, mid day either.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Yes, as DVC members too, the official WDW sessions was attractive b/c of the discount and they are the only ones that are allowed to take photos inside the park. But from what I read its hit or miss on quality.

But also don't mistake MM as anything more then a quick point and shoot photo. (wasn't sure how to read your post, but as a DVC member you prob already knew that)

Real photography sessions are a whole other game (wether with WDW photogs or an outside one). The resort backdrops can be just as exciting and beautiful as some park ones. Granted you won't get Cindy's castle behind you, but you prob wouldn't get a great shot of it w/ the official team, mid day either.

You can actually get some nice shots with the castle in thr background with a session at Poly or GF

 

[nerderella]

Yes, as DVC members too, the official WDW sessions was attractive b/c of the discount and they are the only ones that are allowed to take photos inside the park. But from what I read its hit or miss on quality.

But also don't mistake MM as anything more then a quick point and shoot photo. (wasn't sure how to read your post, but as a DVC member you prob already knew that)

Real photography sessions are a whole other game (wether with WDW photogs or an outside one). The resort backdrops can be just as exciting and beautiful as some park ones. Granted you won't get Cindy's castle behind you, but you prob wouldn't get a great shot of it w/ the official team, mid day either.

Usually each trip we get take advantage of PP in the parks and many of those come out well, but it's not like we're paying extra for the ones that don't so it's no big deal. As we're trying to have kids, we've also been thinking of creative ways to announce it when it happens. Doing a photo shoot in the park seemed like an awesome way to do it. I've heard such mixed reviews that we've considered just throwing a few of our ideas into our MM shots instead of booking the more expensive in-park shoot.

Knowing how I am, we'd probably just book it anyhow and hope for the best. But I'd like to see what the "bad" photos look like and if they're something I can work with or edit myself once we get the release.

 

[VFG]

I just wanted to chime in that I used Disney photography for our wedding and the pictures were great! I didn't request anyone specifically but they were very professional and captured the lighting and us perfectly. I plan to do a family photo in the future.