What is your Disney Shooting Style?

[MarkBarbieri]

I see a lot of threads on here where people ask questions like "should I bring more than one lens?", "should I bring a tripod?", or "should I bring my DSLR?" The first thing I wonder when I see these questions is "how important is photography to you for this trip?"

If you've followed this forum for a while, you'll notice that posters range from those that go to Disney primarily to take pictures to those that plan to take a couple of dozen shots during the week to fill in gaps from the Photopass Photogs. If you are there primarily for a photography expedition, leaving items like tripods and extra lenses at home is crazy. If you are going there as the only adult watching your five young kids, it might be better to travel a bit lighter on the camera gear side.

So how do your trips go? Is photography a high priority? Do you spend a lot of dedicated photography time at the parks? Do you try to blend photography time with family time? Or do you try to shoot without disrupting the flow at all? I'm curious to see how others here mix it up.

I'm a "don't slow everyone down" kind of shooter. I hate asking everyone to pose or adjust what they are doing so that I can take pictures. I find that I can do a lot of photography while we are all stopped (shows, parades, even on rides). While moving between attractions, I do a lot of shooting on the run. I have a strong preference for candid shots, so I rarely ask everyone to stop and pose.

Someday, all too soon, my kids will be grown and going to WDW with me will probably be way down on their priority list. I can definitely see going back with my wife, who has steadily grown more interested in photography, and making a trip where photography is our priority. When that happens, my gear selection will be quite different.

 

[HPS3]

I feel the same as you Mark. I have a 2 DD's one 5 and the other 1. To me my WDW trips are definitely about family. I shoot on the run and between rides, shows, and parades. Halle(5) has been to WDW 4 times and this past May Carly(1) had her first WDW experience. It is hard for me to really make a photography trip out of it because spending time with my girls comes first. My last trip I had a T2i with a 18-135 and nifty fifty. Because of the boards, on my next trip I will have to bring my D5100, 18-55, 35f1.8, fisheye, 70-200f2.8, and tripod. For me carrying gear isn't that bad b/c we bring a stroller.

 

[krb2g]

Photography is getting more important for me, but the main goal of our trips is to spend time together as a family (which is increasingly precious as we're all in college or grad school now). I have a Nikon D40 and I carry spare lenses (18-55mm kit, 35mm f/1.8, 55-200mm, and an SB-700 flash) in the parks, and I'll take the tripod to Florida, but only bring it out at night (we ALWAYS stop at the hotel in the evening before night touring).

I like getting funny shots of the family (I've never seen a hat that my dad won't try on, we like posing with trolls or dinosaurs wherever and whenever possible), but I try to leave most of the posed shots to the photopass photographers (easier to convince everyone to pose when I remind them I've prepaid $100 for these shots and I get to be in them too!)--with the exception of a few shots we get every year (the bench in the breezeway to the lobby of the BWI, for example). I take a lot of pictures, but I don't spend a lot of time setting things up (much more likely to shoot something on the fly) and I try not to hold up our touring. I'm more likely to shoot in the afternoons once we've hit (or got fastpasses for) the headliners we want to see. For our upcoming trip, I have the sneaking suspicion that not everyone will want to see all the hotels decorated for Christmas that I want to see, so I'm planning on early morning expeditions to some of the hotels....

Edited to add: As far as kids being grown goes, we went as a family when we were all little fairly regularly and then had about a six year break when we didn't go at all. Then all our college spring breaks lined up (practically unheard of for us!) and a buy four nights, get three code came out, so we all went again last March. I think my brother was not convinced that this was a good idea, but we all had an excellent time--so much so that we're headed back again this December (a much quicker interval than when we all were little)--so your kids may surprise you!

 

[photo_chick]

I have my camera at Disney with me primarily to get shots of my kids and husband. While I like getting other shots, I feel bad if I'm always making them stop so I can get a shot. I'm also all about the candid shots. I get maybe one or two shots in a trip where they're actually posed in front of something. And really, with one kid having ADHD and Aspergers, it's hard to get him to stand still anyway.

Someday I'd love to do a photo trip to WDW. But that's probably not going to happen until the kids are older and can go party on their own.

 

[mom2rtk]

I sort of have a hierarchy of priorities:

1) family shots
2) character shots
3) shows/parades (just cuz I like them)
4) fireworks (just cuz I like them)
5) everything else.

That everything else is where I'm hoping to grow. It's hard when you have family along and don't want to have them waiting around constantly. So I mostly shoot on the fly, except for the shows, parades and fireworks. I really look forward to one day spending more time shooting the scenery, landscapes and such, but I figure that will always be there. The kids grow too fast, so those shots are the most important to me right now. Maybe the week my youngest starts college I'll take a photo trip to Disney to drown my sorrows in gigabytes of shots........

 

[mom2rtk]

I have my camera at Disney with me primarily to get shots of my kids and husband. While I like getting other shots, I feel bad if I'm always making them stop so I can get a shot. I'm also all about the candid shots. I get maybe one or two shots in a trip where they're actually posed in front of something. And really, with one kid having ADHD and Aspergers, it's hard to get him to stand still anyway.

Someday I'd love to do a photo trip to WDW. But that's probably not going to happen until the kids are older and can go party on their own.

Wanna come with me in.... let's see.......2019? Better go get my ticker.......

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

I try to record the trip for posterity from beginning to end. When I organize the images they are by day of the trip. I do reserve time for myself to go off and attempt some more artsy or night photogaphy. Its a little easier for me because I'm not restricted by kids. All mine are adults and only the one granddaughter. When you review our images it starts with the packing of our bags to our return home.

 

[zackiedawg]

This type of quandary is exactly why I have different types of Disney trips each year, so I can cover all bases.

Once a year, I have a fairly big family/friends gathering Disney trip, for which I take virtually no scenic photography at all - just family and friends and such, to send to them for the memories.

Two times a year, I travel with one or two family members or a friend, in which case photography can take a slightly higher order, but still not exclusive - I'll basically go where they want to go, at a pace slow enough that I can snag a photo or two along the way, or maybe skip a ride every once in a while so I can do a little shooting while they ride. But generally, I don't control the flow, and won't saddle myself down with tripods and lots of lenses - it'll be camera and one attached multipurpose lens, or possibly one additional lens.

Twice a year, I'll take a solo Disney trip - just me, just my schedule, noone to answer to, and dedicated almost exclusively to photography or relaxing, or both. I can bring whatever lenses I want, tripods, etc, take my time setting up shots, take multiple shots, chill out for 30 minutes waiting for good light...total freedom.

And generally, once a year I go up with fellow photographers for a photo gathering, where it's dedicated to photography but as a group, with shoots set up and scheduled, and teaching/helping/suggestions thrown around the group. I'm missing that trip this year unfortunately, but it tends to be a pretty regular annual gathering.

So by taking a few solo trips mixed in with the family/friends trips, I can get my photography time mixed in with complete autonomy, and still not take anything away from time with family and friends on those trips.

 

[Marty Joe]

I try to snap off a few shot while chasing after two 15 y.o. girls and a park commando DW. I do sneak off from time to time under the pretext of photography. I can't say that I'm great at it, but I'm giving it a shot... I find I'm at my best after a visit to the Rose and Crown pub!

 

[webshark3]

I rely on Disney Photopass for our family shots now. Otherwise, photos are my souvenir (and video). I shoot everything. You never know when something will disappear forever. A couple trips ago, I shot in 360degree circles around Fantasyland over and over again. I can stitch them into Panoramas to help "take me back there" years from now. Obviously scenes that will never be viewed again.

 

[WDWFigment]

I would describe my Disney shooting style as a mix between "awesometacularness" and "velociraptor."

 

[MissRoseRed]

I'm not sure my family and friends would even recognize me if I didn't have a camera in front of my face... At home, at Disney - anywhere.

I take thousands of pics at Disney. Are they all great? Heck no. But it's how I roll. I love being able to relive each trip through the pics I've taken. I'm horrible at written trip reports.

That said, I don't want to miss everything when it actually happens, so I mostly use my point and shoot or a small video camera. Then I plan a day or two (or afternoon) when I drag the gear out and that's serious photo time.

I don't usually travel with little ones, so I have a little more flexibility there...

 

[zetachi]

While this will not be my first trip its the first that I will have my DSLR.

While I have been to Disney several times, the last being a one day excursion to MK with the wife 7 months pregnant, and DS 4.

I'm mostly a candid shooter and really dislike making everyone pose (wife always tries to insist that I do it though)

I'm pretty much going to wing it. DD will be 6 and DS 10 so lots of trying to keep an eye on them while shooting as much of everything that I can.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

My style is to capture the memories. I recently started doing photobooks and I really enjoyed the process.

Someday I'll take a trip by myself to get the artsy shots but with DD4 in tow, it will be a bit before I do that.

 

[kenny]

With two young kids, my style is definitely "on the run". While my family is supportive if I wanted to go off on my own and just shoot, I don't like to take time away from them. I usually try to take one night that I stake out a spot for fireworks while DW and kids go on rides, but that is about it.

Like a pp said, I don't take a lot of time to set up my shots. More just running through the parks and say, hey that would be a cool shot and snap it quickly. This is definitely reflective in my shots though compared to some of the amazing shots I see on this board.

I try and do a mix between scenic and family shots to cover all bases. As a DVC owner, DW and I will be going to disney for many years and as the kids get older, I am sure my style will transition more to photography oriented.

 

[SC Mouse Fan]

Like many people have said, in the past I have taken shots when I can while following my family through the park from ride to ride. In October my husband and I will be going for the first time by ourselves. One of our children is graduated from college and in the working world and the youngest is in college. We have also taken other family members on our past trips. I am hoping to take some time to slow down and get some creative shots. We used to go during Thanksgiving week which is crowded but I am looking for lower crowds when we go this time. Hopefully this will allow for ride time and camera time.

I also think that with just two people instead of 10 it will be easier to navigate the parks and stop when we want to. I think I will carry my D90 about half of the time in the parks and my Canon S95 the other half. The D90 does get heavy and I need to practice with the S95 so I can use all the capabilities it has. We will see what I really wind up doing in about 6 weeks.