"What's the Catch - Do I Not Get Bacon?" - 11/27 - TR started!

[silverhaze269]

I let my wife know about your camera bag recommendations this morning, and what did she come home with today? A lowprow bag I really like it, it's even got a spot for a small hydration pack! I give it two

Omg that strudel! I had one last trip, and wow. The sauce was phenomenal! I got to try more than I thought I would given that F&W was more of an aside for our trip than anything. We've got to go back during F&W some day

Day 1 looks awesome (I call the first day "travel day", much like many others)

 

[MEK]

Another great camera update. You explain things very well. I knew most of that but its still good to hear that I understand things correctly. I did NOT know what the portrait mode did, so that was helpful.

Oscar pictures are wonderful.

Can you talk about light balance? Is it best to use the auto feature. When is it NOT best to use the auto feature?

 

[natebenma]

Great update with your plans. Sounds like an awesome first full day of Disney fun! Nothing like pairing the star attractions at EP with some food and wine, then moseying on over to MK for some classic rides.



Thanks so much for the Oscar pictures! Can't wait to show Ben in the morning.

Love, love, love your camera lessons. I took my big-girl camera out to play today. Pictures of Bob the snake in my yard and bees in flowers. Haven't looked at the photos yet, though.

 

[teekathepony]

I promise to be back soon for replies, it's been a crazy weekend/start. Johnny's father took a small stroke and landed in the hospital Friday (he's ok but they're running tests, he might get out today) my cousin had some pain and they found spots that look like cancer on his liver. In with the bad, we had a wonderful family BBQ Saturday. It was a big weekend.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[SAT887]

Definitely sounds like a rough time. I hope everything works out for the best!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Sorry to hear about your rough start to the week. Hope everyone comes out for the better.

 

[teekathepony]

Got a slow minute at work while the boss is on his lunch. Just a further update on my FIL - he has been released from the stroke wing at the hospital, but has been admitted to physical therapy of some type. His stroke left him with very minor issues on his left side that should be no problem to rehab. So that's good news. My cousin may not hear about his tests until tomorrow so until then, I'm praying for good news for him!

Replies!

first off, i love the name of your PTR! i've been reading your past TRs and this PTR, and love the camera hints. we don't have a fancy camera and i can't even tell you what type of camera we do have (its a Nikon point and shoot something or other--it does have options to change to night, portrait, etc), but what i mostly use is my iphone. i saw something on pinterest about an app to make your camera work better, but do you have any quick tips for getting better pics with your phone? i love the pics that are focused on the subject and the background is blurry and the soft water pics you showed. i may have to make some notes and practice with our actual camera before our next trip!

Thanks!
So many people use their iPhone as the main picture taker. So convenient! New iPhones have better cameras in them than some cameras! I don't know much about controlling the different functions on the iPhone, but just googled THIS website and it seems to have some apps that allow you to change your shutter speed (slow water pics) and blur the background (but that's done post-processing, but should still give you the effect you want.)
Let me know if you try any of those apps!

Yummy! Huge buffets of delicious breakfast items are a perfect way to start any day!
I completely agree!

I can't wait to ride the new Test Track myself. I've been ready for an update.
I can't say I've ever gone to TT and said "Man this needs an update!" but I imagine I'll see it in retrospect.

I told my Mom that I wanted them to wait to see New Fantasyland until I got there in July. They're going to be there a few days early, but I don't think they're going to be able to resist either.
It's a tough job! I wouldn't blame a person for cracking...

Oscar is so cute. A good photography subject.
He was born to be the kitty of a photographer, that's for sure! He got the moves like Jagger .

Love your day 2 plans, especially the MK part! PotC and HM are my two favorite attractions to ride at night. I've never gone on Jungle Cruise at night but imagine that it must be pretty cool.

I don't think I've ever done Jungle Cruise at night either! HM at night is my favourite

Ok I got completely distracted by the bacon.....Mmmmmm bacon..........
No worries, it happens.


Ok back to the rest of your TR! Looks great I felt the same way in December about FLE.... Made it all the way to the hub and ended up there.... Hehe so good luck!! However, great idea to ride everything through parades and fireworks! I enjoyed the pictures of your kitty I love the green in the 1st photo, so vivid!

I'm hoping that all the rides will keep me distracted enough to not think about it. hahaha we shall see.
Thanks, Oscar is a pretty great little subject!

I love your first day plans, nothing like Epcot and MK in the same day!
I'm excited about the prospect already!

Remember though if you FP the new Test Track you won't get the full design experience. I had no desire to do a design so I went through the single rider line when I was there in March. They have the design kiosks in the single rider and FP lines but you just choose the feature you want the most in a car and then you are given about 10 cars to pick from. Someday I would like to try the full design feature just to say I did it but only if there is a short line. It was never less than an 80 minute wait the week I was there.
Oooh I did forget that. Soarin' FP and TT standby it is! I'd like to do the full design feature at least once, then after that if I ride again I'll do FPs or single rider.

I'm excited to try some of the F & W food in October. I'm picky too so I am struggling to find a lot I will eat. But at least they are small portions so if I don't like something, I won't feel as guilty about not eating the whole thing.
The small portions thing is a big plus for me. Johnny is also a picky eater... it would be easier if one of us wasn't, then I could feed him whatever I don't like!

I think I've come to the conclusion that a fancy camera is not for me. I just prefer my little camera. I currently have a Canon Power Shot SD1300IS that's about 3 years old. I love that little camera but the zoom is starting to stick a little (very frustrating on the safari this past March) so it's time to replace. I would like to get a higher end point and shoot this time that takes good night time pictures. Is there such a thing and if so, which one do you recommend?
It's definitely not for everyone. A LOT of people get overwhelmed by SLRs and just want something that takes nice pictures! Canon's high end p&s cams are really nice, like the powershot SX50 is a fantastic camera! Fuji has some nice ones too, the Canons are maybe a little better though. The one major fallback to any point and shoot is night pictures, but in my experience Canon does it better than anyone else! The other thing you could look at would be the "mirrorless" cameras like the Sony Nex 5, Canon EOS M, or Fuji x100. They have larger sensors and would do much better in low light!

 

[teekathepony]

I let my wife know about your camera bag recommendations this morning, and what did she come home with today? A lowprow bag I really like it, it's even got a spot for a small hydration pack! I give it two
Excellent choice! Hahaha Lowepro are kind of the monster of camera bag companies. They make a great quality product.

Omg that strudel! I had one last trip, and wow. The sauce was phenomenal! I got to try more than I thought I would given that F&W was more of an aside for our trip than anything. We've got to go back during F&W some day
I think my problem is I need to pre-plan a little bit, do my research and find out what everything actually is! I might like more than I think I will.

Day 1 looks awesome (I call the first day "travel day", much like many others)

Yes you're right, this really is my day 1.

Another great camera update. You explain things very well. I knew most of that but its still good to hear that I understand things correctly. I did NOT know what the portrait mode did, so that was helpful.
Thanks Mary Ellen, I'm glad you're enjoying them!

Oscar pictures are wonderful.
Aww thanks! He's such a good kitty for pictures.

Can you talk about light balance? Is it best to use the auto feature. When is it NOT best to use the auto feature?

White balance do you mean? I certainly can, I'll mark it down for my next lesson!

Great update with your plans. Sounds like an awesome first full day of Disney fun! Nothing like pairing the star attractions at EP with some food and wine, then moseying on over to MK for some classic rides.
I'm not really sure we can beat the plans for this one! Almost all the best things in one day!



Thanks so much for the Oscar pictures! Can't wait to show Ben in the morning.
He was outside playing in all the high grass and I thought of you and ran for my camera.

Love, love, love your camera lessons. I took my big-girl camera out to play today. Pictures of Bob the snake in my yard and bees in flowers. Haven't looked at the photos yet, though.
Good for you! That's the best way to learn, just playing around. I would love to see them (especially Bob the snake!)

Definitely sounds like a rough time. I hope everything works out for the best!

Thank you!

Sorry to hear about your rough start to the week. Hope everyone comes out for the better.

Thanks, so far things are looking up.

 

[emmysmommy]

Wendy, I hope all is well with Johnny's dad. I'm sorry to hear the news. Hang in there.

As for your latest PTR update.. can you believe that I will be at AKL for 3 nights with no Boma breakfast? I think I will regret that but we are staying CL so how do I justify eating 2 breakfasts every day!! Ha! I suppose I don't have to focus on the food.

So for Mission Space - do you do Orange or Green experience?

My favorite rides/attractions at MK are the "old" ones, HM, PotC, and of course the People Mover.

I'm going to copy over all your photo hints because they are so good that I need them all in one place. Thank you again for sharing this information. This was what I was waiting for and I think I'm ready to try getting my camera off of the auto settings.

 

[Pluto0809]

Thanks so much for the camera advice. I'll have to check out some of those. I wish I had a camera store around me. I usually end up at Best Buy and the young kids they have working there are so clueless!

 

[MEK]

Yes - I meant "white" balance.

I want to know how to get more blue in my skies. Is there anything you can do when its overcast out to make the sky bluer? What is the best mode for over cast out?

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Loving the plans for Day 2 or Day 1 as I like to call it. Epcot and MK in the same day. Yup, I think so!!
Can't wait to see how you manage to stay away from NFL though.

Sorry to hear the news on your FIL, but very happy to hear things are going well. Know that your in all our thoughts. Wishing good thoughts for your cousin as well.

Thank you SO MUCH for the camera tutorial. I plan to compile them all so I can finally take some awesome trip photos, even on my cheap little P&S.

 

[eandesmom]

I am all caught up! Skipped the chatter

Loving your plans...double Boma, AKL and BOG....AND holiday decorations.. muy jealous!

I am loving the photography tips, I really need to learn how to use my camera, it's pretty pathetic. Manual mode scares me and I confess to never having attempted it...the idea of changing on the fly like that scares me a little bit, ok a lot and while I went to Hawaii will very good intentions of doing exactly that....of course I didn't. I also confess to a no, no, the auto scene modes. A couple of them occasionally give me good results (there is only 2 I use and not all that often) but I need to figure that out on my own.

You have a beautiful family and I am really glad Sheeka is ok.

 

[teekathepony]

Wendy, I hope all is well with Johnny's dad. I'm sorry to hear the news. Hang in there.
Thanks Brenda! Things are looking up, I'm glad to say. I'll update in a few!

As for your latest PTR update.. can you believe that I will be at AKL for 3 nights with no Boma breakfast? I think I will regret that but we are staying CL so how do I justify eating 2 breakfasts every day!! Ha! I suppose I don't have to focus on the food.
Ohh well that makes sense! I would probably do the same. Although I'd probably then have to do a Boma dinner!

So for Mission Space - do you do Orange or Green experience?
I am a wimp and a claustrophobe, so IF I do MS, I do green! (I also get a little motion sick on moving rides that don't go forward - i.e. motion simulators!) Johnny's the bada$$ who does orange team.

My favorite rides/attractions at MK are the "old" ones, HM, PotC, and of course the People Mover.
Oh yes, me too. I'm kind of ironically nostalgic (the irony comes from the fact that I don't love the old rides due to old memories, just the idea of them! )

I'm going to copy over all your photo hints because they are so good that I need them all in one place. Thank you again for sharing this information. This was what I was waiting for and I think I'm ready to try getting my camera off of the auto settings.
I'm so glad you're enjoying the photo tips! In fact I'm glad I went ahead with the idea, it seems to be going over well. I hope you have fun playing outside of Auto :thumbsup

Thanks so much for the camera advice. I'll have to check out some of those. I wish I had a camera store around me. I usually end up at Best Buy and the young kids they have working there are so clueless!

You are welcome! Yeah, unfortunately, that's usually the way it works. We get so many people coming into our shop with their cameras; "I bought this at Future Shop and I don't know how to use it, can you help me?" I love to give camera advice when people want it... and have a hard time not giving it when people don't!

Yes - I meant "white" balance.

I want to know how to get more blue in my skies. Is there anything you can do when its overcast out to make the sky bluer? What is the best mode for over cast out?

I figured.
Hmm, with an overcast sky it's not really an easy thing to make it blue, especially with white balance. Changing WB will change the tone of everything. Same with a filter. With a grey sky you're pretty much just going to have to live with that unless you photoshop it in (I've done that!) With an overcast sky there are some benefits -- you get less harsh shadows! Your lighting is a lot more even. I will still go over this more in the next post though, it's a great topic. Thanks!

Loving the plans for Day 2 or Day 1 as I like to call it. Epcot and MK in the same day. Yup, I think so!!
Can't wait to see how you manage to stay away from NFL though.
Day 1 is probably more accurate, sometimes if I arrive early in the day on travel day and get to go to a park, I call that day 1. Doesn't look good for this trip though!

Sorry to hear the news on your FIL, but very happy to hear things are going well. Know that your in all our thoughts. Wishing good thoughts for your cousin as well.
Thanks so much Rob, it means a lot!

Thank you SO MUCH for the camera tutorial. I plan to compile them all so I can finally take some awesome trip photos, even on my cheap little P&S.
Oh I'm so glad you liked it! If you know a thing or two, most cheap little P&S cams can take quite a great picture too.

I am all caught up! Skipped the chatter


Loving your plans...double Boma, AKL and BOG....AND holiday decorations.. muy jealous!
I have to say, I'm so excited for this trip. Way more excited than usual... so many amazing things for us!

I am loving the photography tips, I really need to learn how to use my camera, it's pretty pathetic. Manual mode scares me and I confess to never having attempted it...the idea of changing on the fly like that scares me a little bit, ok a lot and while I went to Hawaii will very good intentions of doing exactly that....of course I didn't. I also confess to a no, no, the auto scene modes. A couple of them occasionally give me good results (there is only 2 I use and not all that often) but I need to figure that out on my own.
Hahaha I make it sound like a crime to use the auto modes, but they are made to do a good job, and they usually do. The biggest reason I stay away is because they take away just a little too much control over things most people don't even realize the camera is doing (focus points, metering, white balance, etc.) and sometimes the camera picks wrong. That's all! If you shoot in auto modes for convenience and get good pictures, great! If however you encounter a problem, I just like having a little understanding as to what each function does so I can fix the auto problem myself if I have to.

You have a beautiful family and I am really glad Sheeka is ok.

Aww thank you! Sheeka is continuing to improve and is doing marvelous, I'm so happy with her!

 

[amazingact21]

Sounds like a busy but fun day planned. I laughed out loud at your gif describing if you'd wait to ride the New Fantasyland rides. Pretty much the thought process of most DISers.


I'm planning on going back and re-reading your photography lessons the closer I get to my next Disney trip. There's so much useful information in these posts! Later tonight, I have my brother's graduation and mom's 50th bday, and I was reading the settings lesson going, "I need to remember this tonight." I'm definitely going to be giving this new found knowledge a test run today.

 

[teekathepony]

Sounds like a busy but fun day planned. I laughed out loud at your gif describing if you'd wait to ride the New Fantasyland rides. Pretty much the thought process of most DISers.


I'm planning on going back and re-reading your photography lessons the closer I get to my next Disney trip. There's so much useful information in these posts! Later tonight, I have my brother's graduation and mom's 50th bday, and I was reading the settings lesson going, "I need to remember this tonight." I'm definitely going to be giving this new found knowledge a test run today.

It does sound like a busy day but on our first full day there, I think we can manage it! I plan to slow down as the week goes on!
Glad to hear the photography lessons are a hit!

 

[pooksma]

Whew! Just read all the way through, if its raining as much in CB as it is here in NB, you know why!

Looking forward to more

 

[teekathepony]

Whew! Just read all the way through, if its raining as much in CB as it is here in NB, you know why!

Looking forward to more

Welcome aboard!! So glad to have you here! Yep, it sure came down hard yesterday, and all day too!

 

[teekathepony]

Hey folks!

It's Johnny's birthday today!

He turns 27. It's early and he's still in bed, so I'm updating! It's been a while since I've been around consistently -- I had a lot going on! Hopefully it is calmed down a bit now. Here are some life updates that should explain why I haven't been around much!

Sheeka - My dog who hurt her knee. She's always walking on all fours now, and when she runs slowly she uses it too. Only when she wants to get somewhere fast does she hop. So much better and so much faster than last year!

FIL - In the end they found he had two fairly large and several small strokes within approximately the last year. He has narrowing of his carotid artery but they can't do surgery because it's too close to his head and therefore dangerous. He's on blood thinners and has to go back this week for a check up. He's been released from hospital but they told him not to go home since he lives alone. He's living with his mother, sister and BIL... he's been forced to quit smoking, no drinking, eat better and maybe a little exercise. He's feeling fine and his coordination is getting better.

My cousin - is still waiting for a call from the hospital that they are able to do a biopsy on the spots on his liver. No progress unfortunately.

My sister in law just bought her first house and we were helping her move in yesterday.

Good stuff: I have a whole new camera outfit! The camera and lens I told you about as possibilities earlier became reality!

(Can you spot the [blurry] Mickey in the background?)

Now it's to figure out exactly which to take. Here's what we will be taking with us:

Canon 60D My new baby!
Canon Rebel T3i Passed on to Johnny, now his officially.
Sigma 18-250mm lens Mine! And definitely coming to Disney. I bought it specifically as a travel lens. Not the sharpest glass, but incredibly versatile! I've been trying it out and I'm very impressed.
Tamron 18-200mm lens Now Johnny's, same as above!
Canon 50mm f1.8 lens I think I will take this and play around with it in the parks a bit. I always like having the versatile wide range lenses, but the 50 makes me think about composing and setting up my shots more. I tend to get very lazy about photography while on vacation (it feels like work!) so this might just help.

I will be bringing my new Gorillapod too! It's a flexible tripod that allows me to steady my camera without needing the ground space of a tripod.

(That's not my picture! lol)

I also have a battery grip which you can see in the pic. It holds two batteries for longer shooting, but it also adds a lot to the weight so I might not bring it.

Not bringing any other lenses or flashes because I won't use them and I don't want to drag them around for nothing.

I was going to do Day 2 plans, as well as another photography lesson, but I hear a birthday boy stirring so I have to go spoil him with breakfast in bed (yes, there will be bacon!)

Taa taa for now!

 

[DaveinFallsChurch]

Hope your DH has a great birthday!

Love your gear! Congrats on the new camera! I like your idea of trying to make yourself pay more attention to composition by using a prime lens. I've taken the Canon 50mm f1.8 with me to Disney - it's been my go-to lens for taking pictures on the dark rides although focusing has been an on and off again challenge for the more darker rides like PotC and HM, but I haven't tried it as my walkaround lens. I'm hoping to upgrade by my October trip to the Canon 50mm f1.4 (fingers crossed).