What do you want...

[MarkBarbieri]

What shots do you want to get on your next trip to a Disney Park? Trying to capture something similar to a picture you've seen here? Got some creative new ideas you want to experiment with? Trying to improve on a particular type of shot?

I'm betting that most regular readers here now have something they want to accomplish photographically next time they go to a Disney theme park. So what are you after?

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I guess I should go first since it was my question.

I've got a few ideas I'd like to play with. First, I'm thinking about doing an entire series of shots in a theme of "through the eyes of a child." I'll pick an approximate height (probably around 30") and take a lot of shots from that height looking upwards. I'll try to take the shots around the same focal length (about 30mm to 40mm using full frame equiv) so that the series of shots has consistent feel to it. I'll also try to through in a few foreground cues that this is a child looking (part of a stroller, part of a parent's arm or leg, etc). I'll really be on the hunt for things that look different from their perspective. For example, shots of characters will be looking up from very close so that the characters appear to tower over the viewer.

Another theme I'm considering is taking long exposure daylight shots. I'll use a very dark ND filter and a tripod. I've got this mental image of the walkways of the park being like arteries and veins and the people in the park being like blood cells flowing through them. The long exposure shots should show static views of the buildings but a very blurred movement of people. By taking the long exposure shots in the day instead of at night, it'll be a much different perspective than is normally seen. The downside is dragging a tripod around everywhere and spending some time setting up the shots.

I'm also hoping to have a camera with better high ISO ability. I want to get a decent shot of the tumbling monkeys in FotLK while they are actually tumbling. That something I've never captured to my satisfaction.

 

[tripodjw]

On my last trip to DL California i started a project taking snaps of all the Disney bins. Nothing too fancy in composition but a photo record of them.

I'm off to DL Paris in a few weeks so my project will continue, it also gives me a superb reason to go back to WDW soon and to head off to Japan/Hong Kong. Gotta have the whole set.

I also want my next trip to DL California to be during Fall to try and take some shots inside Haunted Mansion Holiday.

I also have an ambition to finally take a perfect shot of the maleficent stained glass window in the Sleeping Beauty walkthru in DL Paris. Every visit i take a shot and the light is never conducive to getting a good one. Maybe in a couple of weeks.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

For me it would be parade & firework shots. Last time we were there I didn't know my camera well enough to take a decent Spectro shot, and I video taped the fireworks (which we don't even watch) so my goal this time would be some nice firework shots to display & scrapbook.

Christine

 

[DVC Jen]

More photos of my family members. I usually get so caught up in taking pretty disney photos that I don't photography my family just having fun and enjoying it.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

All I'd like to get is some decent shots. I don't have anything in particular I want to shoot. Night scenes are my favorites.

 

[WVDisGeek]

DW and I have been to Disney many times since our Honeymoon in 1997. However, our upcoming December trip will cover many firsts. We are staying at the WL for the first time and most importantly, it will be our first trip with a DSLR! We want to get some shots of the Lodge, (I have a list going in my notebook in the camera bag!) especially at night and of the Christmas decorations. We want to get some nice shots of the Fireworks and Spectro (low light ability was one of the main reasons for upgrading to a DSLR). My main goal is if I can get 15-20 shots that make us say "Wow!", then the $$ for the DSLR and for the time to learn how to use it, will all be worth it.

 

[J3nn78]

Im trying to figure out the best way to capture those cool "jumping water" fountains around the Imagination pavilion in Epcot. I remember those from my first trip to disney when I was 8 (1987) as being so incredible. My goal is to make a photograph of those fountains that FEELS like the way I remember.

Second goal is an awesome action shot of my wife catching air on the small rented water-mouse boats.

 

[Villainess]

Mark your idea of the child's perspective is very interesting.

I would like to continue my learning from this past trip and get some night shots at Epcot and DHS (don't have many) in addition to seeking out interesting angles of commonly photographed Disney things and increase my details photos. I would love for my photos to have a photojournalistic feel, esp. the ones of my children.

 

[ChrisinNJ]

More photos of my family members. I usually get so caught up in taking pretty disney photos that I don't photography my family just having fun and enjoying it.

I did just the opposite on our last trip (which was also our first trip). I don't have more than a dozen shots that don't have some member of my family. I would like to get some pretty disney photos this time.

Christine

 

[InsertWittyNameHere]

During my recent trip I took a really cool photo (in my opinion at least...lol) of the Disney train leaving the Toon Town station using a slow shutter speed, maybe 1/15th. That got me thinking about doing a Disney in motion theme. Hopefully during my next trip, whenever that is, I can play around with that.

 

[pjacobi]

I've got a few ideas I'd like to play with. First, I'm thinking about doing an entire series of shots in a theme of "through the eyes of a child." I'll pick an approximate height (probably around 30") and take a lot of shots from that height looking upwards. I'll try to take the shots around the same focal length (about 30mm to 40mm using full frame equiv) so that the series of shots has consistent feel to it. I'll also try to through in a few foreground cues that this is a child looking (part of a stroller, part of a parent's arm or leg, etc). I'll really be on the hunt for things that look different from their perspective. For example, shots of characters will be looking up from very close so that the characters appear to tower over the viewer.

The Canon EFS 10-22 is perfect for doing these types of artful distortion shots.

 

[zackiedawg]

Another theme I'm considering is taking long exposure daylight shots. I'll use a very dark ND filter and a tripod. I've got this mental image of the walkways of the park being like arteries and veins and the people in the park being like blood cells flowing through them. The long exposure shots should show static views of the buildings but a very blurred movement of people. By taking the long exposure shots in the day instead of at night, it'll be a much different perspective than is normally seen. The downside is dragging a tripod around everywhere and spending some time setting up the shots.

These types of shots are quite fun indeed, Mark! I started taking such pics last year at Disney, using a Hoya ND400 filter, and look to continue to take more each trip (though more during my winter month trips since it's too darn hot in the summer to be hauling around a full bag and tripod setting up shots).

I love the streaking crowd effect the daytime slow shutter gives, as well as the enhanced saturation and odd appearance of clouds, flags, and other things in motion. Besides crowd shots, I've also done some slow shutter spinning rides, monorails, waterfalls, etc during the day at Disney.

For my wish of what types of photos I'd like to get, certainly more of this theme is on my list in December and January, and maybe a few this weekend while I'm up there if it isn't too hot & humid.

I'd also like to try shooting some odd detail series of shots - such as 'Disney rest room doors', or 'Disney phones', or lampposts...something along those lines, as a side project to build a collection up over my many trips up there.

 

[jann1033]

personally i would just like to go, period end of story if we go anywhere this yr it probably will be mts. which i like but in the disney mood. maybe next yr we can go and take the grandchild
i do find the blood vessels interesting if a little strange but interesting

 

[zackiedawg]

It's actually a neat effect...not unlike what you get in night shots when there's alot of movement (ie: people, cars, etc): buildings are clear and sharp, movement becomes blurred and streaky. An example:

And it's lots of fun with moving rides too...at night you get streaky lights, but in the daytime, any sunlit surface will blur when moving, and it almost looks like molten plastic:

I'll probably get a few more starting this weekend, as I'll be up there for the next 5 days...but the heat and humidity usually kills my mood to lug around the tripod all day - I'll probably rattle off a few in the earlier afternoon, then head back to my room to unload and head back into the parks in the evening with a lighter load.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

On our last trip, I took one particular picture of Cinderella Castle where everything must have been just right (lighting perfect, sun in just the right spot, circular polarizer rotated just right, just the right aperture) because I got the sharpest picture of the castle with the greatest contrast and color saturation of any picture I've ever taken with my DSLR thus far. So - my goal when we're back this November is to try and get more photos like that where I do everything just right and the colors just pop. I'd also like to try and get some nice night time shots at all the parks, but not sure I want to drag along a tripod.

 

[Alztybrn]

I want this photo again...I just hope they have put money into the light bulb replacement program...

 

[boBQuincy]

I want to work with more HDR images. This is similar to what Ansel Adams did so well, making a large dynamic range fit in the range of the display medium. In Adams case it was tailoring the response of the film and paper to get the dynamic range of a scene to fit on a print (which sometimes involved expanding the range). In our case it usually means reducing the dynamic range of the scene to fit the 8 bit monitor space.

In the case of a print we can borrow from some of Adams experience and use the techniques in "The Print" to get our inkjet prints to display their full range.

Walt Disney World is such a good subject for this, most of us already have many good single frame images with which to compare our HDR versions.

 

[Gdad]

I always want to get more pictures of the kids enjoying the park- I like the idea of seeing them enjoying the same rides or near the same landmarks a year older.

I also have a growing interest in photographing artists at Disney- visual artists, musicians, dancers, whatever. I want to capture them practicing their craft. I think it is great Disney give so many a way to make a living in doing so.

I would also like to do a lot more experimenting with some HDR shots- both during the day and after dark. I go to the parks freequently but rarely when I have the luxury of lugging much gear and taking any time to do such things.

And there are a few dark rides and shows I still want to improve on- the Tumblemonkeys as Mark mentioned are frustrating- the Yeti keeps frustrating me- and of course the Haunted Mansion Caretaker who I can never ever seem to get. Maybe someday my Doombuggy will stop right in front of him.

 

[AndrewWG]

I want Animal Kingdom extra magic hours. I want to photograph that park after dark. This is inspired by the many great pics you have all shared of your EMH times there.