To many people live behind the lens today

[Haley]

This is just an example of the "good ol days" way of thinking - nothing wrong with it but it's not always true.

My dad carried one of those big heavy VHS cameras that came in a suitcase around the Magic Kingdom 25-30 years ago and watched Disney behind a lens. It's just more accessible now and easier to carry so of course more people will capture those moments. It's not the degradation of society - people have always photographed things, it's just easier now.

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

I am a professional videographer by trade...I take a Disney vacation each year. A couple times, I brought my small HD camera to take video here and there to make a fun montage of our vacation. Took a break for a few years...now my daughter, who will be almost 3 when we take her in a few months, is most definitely going to be subjected to some video footage I do not take a ton of photos or do scrapbooking, but my family's way of preserving memories is to make personal videos of our trips.

That being said, I find it easy to strike a balance between getting the photo/footage you need, and enjoying and BEING in the moment. Having footage of her face on a new ride is priceless to me, but I shoot maybe 5-10 seconds, and find plenty of time to enjoy the ride after. I never really personally saw the point of watching Fantasmic behind a small screen for 20 minutes, but if that is what someone else wants to do, go for it. Do what makes you happy, as long as it is respectful of those around you

I find it much less "sad" that people are trying to take pictures of fun stuff while at Disney and find myself more annoyed when I see people on their phones in the car, or out to dinner as a family with every single member on their phone and not talking to one another.

 

[fitzperry]

Obviously, you're missing the point, because they only thing thing I have been pushing is that the OP has a point, a perspective, an opinion. It's not a fact, no one here has said it's a fact, and no one has said its the blanket, 100% always recurring truth. It's a suggestion. Maybe you agree, maybe you don't. I can see where he's coming from, but at the same time, my wife is a photographer, so I see that side too. However, I don't think he's referring to a photographer, and I don't think any reasonable person would think he is. 'Painting with too broad of a brush' is exactly what is being done by those speaking against the OP right now. I'm not on a side.

You can backpedal and say you're "not on a side" now if you like, but earlier you accused those who disagreed with the op's "point" of "trying to troll or be difficult."

Pointing out the faulty assumption on which the op's "point" or "opinion" or "suggestion" is based is neither trolling, nor trying to be difficult. Both you and the op expressed an opinion on a message board and you called those who were debating the point trolls. You shouldn't be surprised when not everyone responds with applause.

 

[Granny square]

Here is my example, I am 4 11. Yes tiny, I was at a show and this person beside me decided to take pictures. Ok fine by me. Till his elbow and the side of my face met. And he did say sorry followed by I wasn't paying attention. No how could you have been. You closed off your perferaill vision by keeping a camera to your face for almost 20 min. A picture hear and there fine. But remember there are other people trying to have a "once in a lifetime experience" too.

You must have been right in tight to have been hit. Pretty much the same thing could have happened if he was dealing with a child, a bag, a backpack etc.

 

[mamabear0222]

I'm not a huge fan of living behind the lens but I do want some family photos. My Mom is older (70s) and my twins will turn 5 at Disney and I can't think of better photos to capture.

Sent from my Samsung S3 using DISBoards

 

[andyman8]

I'm in the "if it makes them happy, who cares?" pool. I think people, seems particularly on the DIS, get way too worried about what others are doing and how it's "wrong" and "ruining my vacation". If you don't want it to bother you, don't give it much thought. I can't imagine people being on their phones is extremely detrimental to your Celebrate the Magic showing.

At the end of the day, it's society; you can complain and let it bother you or just go on with your vacation!

 

[MattRyan]

It's just annoying when there's 100+ people filming wishes, illuminations, fantasmic, etc. with their phones, cameras, ipads, etc. and all you see are hands in the air with bright LCD screens. I was trying to watch the castle show once and I couldn't see because a guy had his hands up right in front of me filming it.

Honestly, none of the videos they are taking will probably be ever watched, and not to mention there are going to be better videos of it already on YT.

 

[StuckInKS]

Having fun and simply enjoying your surroundings is an even better tool. People rarely reminisce about the the time they stopped and took dozens of pictures.

I did not take many photos or videos on our previous trips and really regret it now. We were so "in the moment" that I simply did not think about it, but now I wish I had more to look back on. I plan on taking more next trip.

 

[surferdave]

I find it much less "sad" that people are trying to take pictures of fun stuff while at Disney and find myself more annoyed when I see people on their phones in the car, or out to dinner as a family with every single member on their phone and not talking to one another.

No need to fear, we have threads to complain about those things too.

 

[iheartbuffy]

For me, my mother died when I was 15. She hated having her picture taken. I have one good picture of me and my mother from when I was about 5. Now when we are out doing things, I make sure I get pictures, for me, for my son. I don't want him to one day be wishing he had pictures of us together.

As for filming shows etc. I did it with the castle show this past July. I held my phone up but didn't watch through it. Now I have an okay video that isn't even on the castle at times but in that video I can hear the response of my family and I can watch it and be in that moment again. I don't care how crappy it is, it is special to me. Taking a lot of pictures or videos doesn't mean someone isn't 'living in the moment'.

 

[Magpie]

No one has said anything like that on this thread. We've all just made observations about what other people should or should not do, just like you did.

This is exactly the problem for me. It's people telling other people what they should or shouldn't be doing. And then saying that what they're doing makes them "sad" or it's "depressing" and telling those folks that they "aren't living life".

The best part is when someone then denies trying to tell anyone else what to do, claiming it's "just how I feel".

In essence, they're saying, "Don't let me stop you from doing your thing; I'll sit over here feeling sad and depressed." Or alternately, "I'll just sit over here TRULY enjoying life in a way you'll never understand until you do what I tell you to do. Not that I'm judging you!"

For me, my mother died when I was 15. She hated having her picture taken. I have one good picture of me and my mother from when I was about 5. Now when we are out doing things, I make sure I get pictures, for me, for my son. I don't want him to one day be wishing he had pictures of us together.

As for filming shows etc. I did it with the castle show this past July. I held my phone up but didn't watch through it. Now I have an okay video that isn't even on the castle at times but in that video I can hear the response of my family and I can watch it and be in that moment again. I don't care how crappy it is, it is special to me. Taking a lot of pictures or videos doesn't mean someone isn't 'living in the moment'.

That's beautiful!

 

[Disnerdette]

I love taking photos while at the parks because I love photography and I don't get to go often, but I've never recorded any of the shows as I don't think they necessarily transfer the same feeling.

That being said, I've tried to be much more aware about enjoying my surroundings rather than taking a hundred pictures. In my last DLR trip, I took a photo of the Court of Angels, as it was the first time I had seen it empty. And now wouldn't you know, its closing for good in a few months, and I won't make it back there again. As sad as I am about losing such a special place, I'm glad I have a photo of it to remind me of that day.

On a semi-related note, we were watching the Billy Hill show at DLR in the front row when they encouraged kids to get up and dance with Woody and Jesse. A woman sitting alone next to us tapped my boyfriend on the shoulder, handed him her iPad, and then got up to dance, turning to make sure my boyfriend was recording it. We were so shocked and surprised that we were distracted by what she was doing and laughing the whole time, and now we have a funny memory of recording someone else's memory.

 

[mom2_3girls]

I am a picture and video person! I will say we videotape Wishes and the Castle Show each time we are there....I videotape/take pics of the kids before the show and right after. I have a daughter that has a serious medical condition and I want the memories...one of my favorite videos is listening to her talk about how neat that firework was is and the reaction when she saw herself on the castle show during her wish trip.

I personally don't really care about what other people do. Heck, I hardly pay attention to other people when I'm out. I'm about my family and spending time and making memories with them.

 

[cfw213]

Personally, part of the fun of vacation to me is taking lots of photos. I don't record parades, fireworks, whatever, but I will take a few photos of them. I take lots of shots of random things because they help tell the story of the vacation more than just a photo of us with Mickey or in front of the castle. I scrapbook too, which could be part of that storytelling element. I make sure we have excited pictures when we are in the airport the first morning, photos of us having fun, our surroundings, and capture how sad we are when the trip is over.

I don't use an iPad for pictures and I would never bother others with my photography. I usually don't comment on these types of threads but this one just bothered me. I don't judge those who don't enjoy taking pictures so I don't think it's fair for those people to judge us who do love photography.

Well said, totally agree

 

[DeaverTex]

It really annoys me when people shove me out of the way to take pictures of something that hundreds or thousands of professionals have photographed, and done a much better job. I'm a little more understanding about getting pictures of family, even though I don't do it myself. And it burns my biscuits when a dark ride, or theater, or cave, is ruined by people who just can't bear not to light up the dark with their flashes and screens. Otherwise, I mostly just get a smile out of the folks who seem to think that it didn't happen unless they took a picture.

Honestly, I take pictures so seldom that I don't remember the last time I took one. Maybe it was about two years ago? I just figure that the pictures will get lost or ruined, or the digital media will fail (like it always does), and if I'm depending on those photographs because I was too busy taking them to pay attention to what was going on all around me, then I'm out of luck.

 

[webstah]

I don't think anyone is saying don't take pictures. I think the big thing to remember is that while pictures can help you remember, after couple of pictures of your kid on the carousel, ride it with him or her. Which do you think they'll remember most? You taking a picture of them or you riding with them and having fun and acting goofy?
I think that it is a matter of balance. If it is what you enjoy then go for it. I lost my brother when he was fairly young and don't have many pictures of him as an adult, but I have A LOT of memories of the things we did together having fun.

 

[spidet1964]

Though I have never taken pictures on dark rides or other restricted areas I am not taking many photos this trip. I took 750 last trip and except for Fantasyland don't really see the point. I have a photopass share and will take photos in BOG otherwise no pictures this time.You miss way too much snapping all the time.

 

[mefordis]

I am a professional videographer by trade...I take a Disney vacation each year. A couple times, I brought my small HD camera to take video here and there to make a fun montage of our vacation. Took a break for a few years...now my daughter, who will be almost 3 when we take her in a few months, is most definitely going to be subjected to some video footage I do not take a ton of photos or do scrapbooking, but my family's way of preserving memories is to make personal videos of our trips.

That being said, I find it easy to strike a balance between getting the photo/footage you need, and enjoying and BEING in the moment. Having footage of her face on a new ride is priceless to me, but I shoot maybe 5-10 seconds, and find plenty of time to enjoy the ride after. I never really personally saw the point of watching Fantasmic behind a small screen for 20 minutes, but if that is what someone else wants to do, go for it. Do what makes you happy, as long as it is respectful of those around you

I find it much less "sad" that people are trying to take pictures of fun stuff while at Disney and find myself more annoyed when I see people on their phones in the car, or out to dinner as a family with every single member on their phone and not talking to one another.

Is that because you care about them and want them to be a close knit family who converse with one another during mealtimes? Do you assume that there is not much communication in the family and want to ensure their family bond stays tight?

 

[NHTikiBeckie]

Is that because you care about them and want them to be a close knit family who converse with one another other during mealtimes? Do you assume that there is not much communication in the family and want to ensure their family bond stays tight?

I don't really want to get off topic here, but I do think mealtimes are a time to converse and chat...especially when we go out to dinner. Not that we have to be talking non-stop and can't check an email real quick or something, but when I see a family of 5 all with their heads down on their phones I do sort of wonder if they are close or disconnected with each other. I don't think we need t have our phones in our hands 24/7. Maybe it is because I rarely have opportunities to go out to dinner or even see my family and I would love that time to spend with them.

 

[Craigdarroch]

Apparently I was the only one taking pictures at the Kiss concert
In all fairness... I only took three photos and two of them were before the show even started (and I made a point of trying not to obstruct anyone's view). Honestly, I was surprised there were so few phones in the air after what I've witnessed at both WDW and DL during shows.