Tips for taking pics at Disney?

[disneydreamerinny]

I am a complete novice to say the least. Sometimes my pics are ok, and others not so much. I would love to see Disney the way some people do with their pictures, but I just never think of taking a shot that way.
Do any of you have any tips or tricks in how to get some good pics instead of the standard straight on shots? I did read somewhere to include something close to you like a tree branch or flower to include in the photo of the thing you are taking a picture of. And I read in a trip report that said to look up and take pics of things around Disney that way. Any more suggestions?
I just bought a Canon S100 point and shoot, and would love to get some good pics on it.

 

[Cafeen]

My first thought is to look into some books or tutorials on composition. These will help train you to frame the photos in more interesting ways, as well as train yourself to see things slightly different.

Next, I would say to look into the pictures that you think aren't so good. Find out why, and see if there are ways to correct that. Is it a technical thing (exposure, blurriness, etc?) or a more subjective thing (the aforementioned composition, posed shots, etc)? For the technical side of it, do some research on how to properly expose an image and what goes into said exposure (the book Understanding Exposure is great at this, but it's geared more toward dSLR users and you may not be able to take advantage of many of the things in it, it's still a great resource to learn about the ins and outs of making exposures though). For the creative/subjective side, it's all about training yourself to look at things differently.

Since we're in the digital age now, don't be afraid to try new things. Take pictures of things and in a way that you normally would not. If it doesn't work, no harm done and the image goes into the void, but if it does work, you may have something that you're a bit happier with.

 

[photo_chick]

To me the single biggest thing you can do to improve the photographs you end up with is to learn the basics of how an image is made. Because the best composition in the world won't matter if the exposure is wrong or you have motion blur or something like that. Learn about shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Read up on how they affect your image and how they make the exposure. This knowledge can be applied to any camera and is useful if you want to shoot in a manual mode or if you just need to determine the best auto mode for a situation. Also learn how your auto focus system works. Once you have this part down your images will be better than the a lot of what's out there. Because the average casual photographer just never really bothers to learn.

Composition is really subjective. Start with emulating images you like then go from there. That's how most of us figure out our style.

 

[SrisonS]

I'll second the bit of advice about emulating other people's shots. It's a great way to help break your usual way of shooting. You might even find yourself in weird positions.... but it's all for the shot!!!!

But luckily with Disney, the subjects stay basically the same. So look at tons of pics (Flickr is a good place to start), and maybe even ask the person on their approach. Most of the time it's obvious. But other times, there may be a trick or 2.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Here's an oldie but a goodie thread.....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1144547

 

[havoc315]

As said by others, there are definite things to learn about photography. Text book composure and exposure. And this will greatly enchance your photos.

But I'm also going to give you a simpler piece of advice. Don't just take the pics of, "kids, go stand in front of that and smile." Don't just take pics of the big iconic buildings like the castle and characters.

Instead, keep your camera by your side, and use it to tell a story. Take candids. Tell the story of your meals. Take pictures of things that were meaningful to you. Tell the story of your vacation. If the pictures have personal meaning to you, then they will be superior pictures. And really, the best pictures do tell a story.

 

[disneydreamerinny]

As said by others, there are definite things to learn about photography. Text book composure and exposure. And this will greatly enchance your photos.

But I'm also going to give you a simpler piece of advice. Don't just take the pics of, "kids, go stand in front of that and smile." Don't just take pics of the big iconic buildings like the castle and characters.

Instead, keep your camera by your side, and use it to tell a story. Take candids. Tell the story of your meals. Take pictures of things that were meaningful to you. Tell the story of your vacation. If the pictures have personal meaning to you, then they will be superior pictures. And really, the best pictures do tell a story.

Thankyou! This is what I was looking for. This is great advice!

 

[disneydreamerinny]

Here's an oldie but a goodie thread.....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1144547

This is awesome! I love it thankyou!

 

[NateNLogansDad]

This is awesome! I love it thankyou!

My pleasure

 

[NLD]

Shoot things from different angles. Take that straight-on iconic shot, but then walk around what you're shooting, and shoot it from the right, left, straight-on, back. Get low to the ground and shoot up at it. Find different perspectives.

If you have kids along, this is always easier said than done. Mine pretty much won't wait for any photo set-up. But the more you can do it, the more interesting shots you'll get.

You can get completely different pictures from one subject just by moving around. Example:

Classic shot of the sorcerer's hat:


Splendor by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

Same night, just moved back to frame it with the trees:


Another Perspective on the Sorcerer's Hat by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr

And this one's obviously during the day, but also with a whole different angle / perspective on the hat:


Magic Hat_- by nicole_lynn_, on Flickr


Same subject... three different ways of looking (shooting) at it.