Visiting marching bad photo location advice

[trstno1]

Our high school band will be marching prior to the afternoon Festival of Fantasy parade this March. I'm asking advice for good locations to shoot from. I've thought of two options so far:

1. The area between the two Tomorrowland bridges on the outside part of the hub. I think I should be able to get nice wide shots and zooms with the castle in the background as the band comes around the hub.

2. The town square hub facing up mainstream towards the castle. This would provide head-on shots of the band with the castle in the distant background. I can then move over to the barbershop to get photos with the train station in the background.

Any other thoughts or advice? Thanks!

 

[goopysolelady]

Two thoughts...the crowd could hamper your ability to get from the front of the Train Station to the Barber Shop area and (with the construction fence) you may have a problem in The Hub area. I've not watched a parade on Main Street since the construction began and not sure how crowded it is. Have you considered a spot in Frontierland (the very beginning of the parade) or Liberty Square? The area around Liberty Tree Tavern might work giving you a view coming from Frontierland. It's been YEARS since I've "been in your shoes" but the memories are as fresh as if it were yesterday. What a special treat, not only for the band students but the PARENTS! Good luck! We'd LOVE to see you post some of your photos here when you return!

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[trstno1]

Two thoughts...the crowd could hamper your ability to get from the front of the Train Station to the Barber Shop area and (with the construction fence) you may have a problem in The Hub area. I've not watched a parade on Main Street since the construction began and not sure how crowded it is. Have you considered a spot in Frontierland (the very beginning of the parade) or Liberty Square? The area around Liberty Tree Tavern might work giving you a view coming from Frontierland. It's been YEARS since I've "been in your shoes" but the memories are as fresh as if it were yesterday. What a special treat, not only for the band students but the PARENTS! Good luck! We'd LOVE to see you post some of your photos here when you return!

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Thanks for that advice about the construction. I'm hoping things will be OK. I think the last photo in this slideshow (http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions...3jan2015-walls-around-center-of-hub/23032.htm) is from the Tomorrowland bridge closest to the castle, and is facing the partners statue. I think I could stand there, turn a little to the right, and aim above the construction walls. I'll probably need to crouch down.

That's what I'm hoping anyway. I'll only share photos if I get some good ones.

**Edit- after looking at the fourth photo in that slideshow, I think I don't even need to crouch down. I think I've found my spot.**

 

[ThurlFan]

Went several years ago with our band and here's what we did: Put one person at the upper level of the train station to get video the band coming into the property, around the entrance hub, and up main street. I was stationed at the castle hub for still pictures, and took pics of each row of band members as they went by with the castle in the background. THEN once the band passed the castle, I hustled through Adventureland and cut through the bathrooms into Frontierland by the shootin arcade. This way I was able to get more pics of the kids marching - this time with the Haunted Mansion in the background.

Don't know if this second part would be possible for you since you are leading off a 3:00 parade. In our case, it was a morning parade composed of three HS bands, and so the route was not lined with massive numbers of spectators.

At the castle hub, I took a knee and pointed the camera up in order to get the top of the castle in along with the full bodies of the band members in front of it.

Rereading your post, it sounds like your group will be going in the opposite direction as ours did. We started at the Fire Station on Main Street and exited at Splash Mountain...

Other thoughts - head on shots of the band are nice, but also consider side shots, as you can capture many more faces as you look down the row or marchers. The hub at the castle may be the only place you can do this with the castle in the background. if you try this, I'd suggest trying to be between the 1:00 and 2:00 positions (think of the hub as a clock with the castle at 12:00). Or try the 5:00 position on the outside of the hub (not sure what's possible due to construction).

Good luck, and have fun!

 

[trstno1]

I'm reporting back because I said I would, and because everyones advice was quite helpful. I also want to share my experience inn case anyone comes searching these boards for advice in the future. The photos turned out pretty good from the hub, and my favorites were taken from the ground, pointing up at the castle. As there band passed, I decided to get a shot of the band from behind as they marched up Main Street, towards the park entrance. In a poor, hasty decision, I decided to open my aperture for a little blur in the distance, and I forgot to decrease my ISO. Those photos, which would have turned out very cool, are all incredibly over-exposed. I should not have tried to change my settings in a hurry like that.

Here's a link to my shots on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/130062105@N03/sets/72157651099500228/