1/10 70mm f7.1 -1/3EV
As you can imagine I get some ribbing for being a flower shooter and for my obvious fascination with all things Disney. So, Kurt, this post is for you, it's got flowers and Disney in it!
I'm a big fan of Buzz Lightyear and it was cool to see the front flower bed at Epcot done up with a Toy Story theme. They change it up every year for the Flower and Garden festival.
This shot actually shows one of the things that I find most frustrating about shooting at Disney. See, this is not the shot I wanted. The one I was working on was about 10 feet to the left and quite a bit wider.
I didn't get that shot because of the other people in the park. I stood in the spot I wanted the picture from for 10 minutes and just could not get a clear shot, so I walked away angry and frustrated. I stayed that way for awhile. I had missed a "once in a lifetime" shot. Being angry and frustrated, though, didn't do me a bit of good.
It did reteach me a very important lesson in photography. I have shot far more frames that turned out to be junk than I have good ones because sometimes you just don't get "the shot". Sometimes its because of my lack of skill, sometimes the light isn't there and sometimes people who paid good money to get through the turnstiles want to get their "once in a lifetime" shot because they may never step foot in Epcot again.
As I was going through the shots later it dawned on me that the shot that I did get is Lotso, and angry, bitter old bear and Buzz Lightyear, the eternal optimist. Telling, dontcha think?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Butterfly on a Flower
1/320 200mm f 4.0 0 EV
Most of the time you plan what you're going to shoot. You scout the location, figure out when the best light is and find the best angles to shoot from. Other times you just get lucky.
I was shooting the flowers when this butterfly made a surprise appearance. It sat there for only a few seconds and was gone. I fired off 9 frames and this one is I think the best of them.
This, to me, is proof that sometimes in life it's more about being in the right place at the right time. From the first frame I shot to the last was 9 seconds and then the butterfly was gone. If I had been looking the other way or had even sneezed I probably would have missed this.
Most of the time you plan what you're going to shoot. You scout the location, figure out when the best light is and find the best angles to shoot from. Other times you just get lucky.
I was shooting the flowers when this butterfly made a surprise appearance. It sat there for only a few seconds and was gone. I fired off 9 frames and this one is I think the best of them.
This, to me, is proof that sometimes in life it's more about being in the right place at the right time. From the first frame I shot to the last was 9 seconds and then the butterfly was gone. If I had been looking the other way or had even sneezed I probably would have missed this.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Castle From Tomorrowland
1/100 23mm f 16 0 EV
The Sunny 16 rule is pretty straight forward. Set your aperture at f16 and your shutter speed to match your ISO (film speed) and you can be pretty certain that you'll get a good exposure even on the brightest of days.
I like the rule because even if you can't get the shot at sunrise (which is impossible at Magic Kingdom) you can still get a nice shot with lots of color and detail.
This view of Cinderella's Castle is one my favorites. I imagine that this is one of those views that Walt Disney envisioned as he was designing Magic Kingdom. And, even though so much has changed over the years, this view hasn't changed much at all since the park opened in 1971.
The Sunny 16 rule is pretty straight forward. Set your aperture at f16 and your shutter speed to match your ISO (film speed) and you can be pretty certain that you'll get a good exposure even on the brightest of days.
I like the rule because even if you can't get the shot at sunrise (which is impossible at Magic Kingdom) you can still get a nice shot with lots of color and detail.
This view of Cinderella's Castle is one my favorites. I imagine that this is one of those views that Walt Disney envisioned as he was designing Magic Kingdom. And, even though so much has changed over the years, this view hasn't changed much at all since the park opened in 1971.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Remy
1/15 200mm f 3.2 -1 EV
I don't usually shoot characters when we're at Disney, unless a particular mouse makes an appearance.
Remy, however, is one of my favorites. Mostly because there is only one place you can catch him, the Chefs de France restaurant in the France pavilion (one of our favorite places for lunch). It's also tough to get a good shot of him because his "handler" doesn't let him out for very long at all. Another reason I'm a fan of long, fast glass.
As you can see above I shot this one "racked out" at 200mm and at f 3.2. Throw in some amazing window light and whammo, you get a much sought after (at least by me) shot of the elusive Remy.
I don't usually shoot characters when we're at Disney, unless a particular mouse makes an appearance.
Remy, however, is one of my favorites. Mostly because there is only one place you can catch him, the Chefs de France restaurant in the France pavilion (one of our favorite places for lunch). It's also tough to get a good shot of him because his "handler" doesn't let him out for very long at all. Another reason I'm a fan of long, fast glass.
As you can see above I shot this one "racked out" at 200mm and at f 3.2. Throw in some amazing window light and whammo, you get a much sought after (at least by me) shot of the elusive Remy.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Purple Flower in the Sun
And now it's time for...another flower picture!
I shot this one at Downtown Disney. There were a bunch of these of various colors planted all over the place.
It was a really bright day which made it difficult to get the light exactly how I wanted it, and believe it or not I don't have a Joe Mcnally sized crew to help me modify light. So I'm left to crawl around trying to find the right angle to get the light where I want it and in the right place.
It makes it all worth it when you get the shot you're looking for.
I like this shot. It's got a decent amount of flower detail, one lone drop of water and the color works for me.
I hope you like it, too.
I shot this one at Downtown Disney. There were a bunch of these of various colors planted all over the place.
It was a really bright day which made it difficult to get the light exactly how I wanted it, and believe it or not I don't have a Joe Mcnally sized crew to help me modify light. So I'm left to crawl around trying to find the right angle to get the light where I want it and in the right place.
It makes it all worth it when you get the shot you're looking for.
I like this shot. It's got a decent amount of flower detail, one lone drop of water and the color works for me.
I hope you like it, too.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Mickey Icon Bench
Every so often you run into something at Disney and you have to ask, was this planned or just a happy accident?
The logical side of me says of course it was planned! These are the most creative planners in the world. But then again, it is The Most Magical Place on Earth!
This shot also represents a pretty big departure for me from taking better pictures of things that are right in front of me to doing a better job of finding things that I don't normally see.
Finding new things to take pictures of is at the heart of photography. I don't mean simply taking pictures of things that you have never seen before, what I mean is to see things that you would normally miss.
A year ago I would have never even given a thought to taking a picture of this bench, never mind noticing how the Mickey icon cast a wonderfully abstract photo on the wall behind it when the light was at the perfect time of day.
Putting a camera around your neck helps you see the world better.
It also helps to have a wife who already has the gift to be able to see what most people miss!
The logical side of me says of course it was planned! These are the most creative planners in the world. But then again, it is The Most Magical Place on Earth!
This shot also represents a pretty big departure for me from taking better pictures of things that are right in front of me to doing a better job of finding things that I don't normally see.
Finding new things to take pictures of is at the heart of photography. I don't mean simply taking pictures of things that you have never seen before, what I mean is to see things that you would normally miss.
A year ago I would have never even given a thought to taking a picture of this bench, never mind noticing how the Mickey icon cast a wonderfully abstract photo on the wall behind it when the light was at the perfect time of day.
Putting a camera around your neck helps you see the world better.
It also helps to have a wife who already has the gift to be able to see what most people miss!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Adventurer's Club
1/8000 168mm f 2.8 -1 2/3 EV
There are a lot of things at Disney that come and go.
Usually, though, they disappear seemingly overnight and while you're blinking the new whatever just appears. Downtown Disney is a bit different. Long ago closed are the Pleasure Island clubs, but yet they're still there. Kind of eery, if you ask me.
I never took the time to go to the Adventurer's Club, but I've heard that in its day it was a lot of fun.
There is a plan for this part of Downtown Disney, so this picture will be gone soon. I'm happy that I paused long enough to get it.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Fun with Light and Spaceship Earth
1/2000 21mm f 16 0 EV
Is it color or black & white...
Believe it or not, it's a "color" shot.
One of the things that digital cameras have the hardest time with are the differences between high contrast areas of light and dark.
This shot is actually nothing more than light and shadow, without any real color, but there is no black & white processing.
I think that suits Spaceship Earth just fine.
Is it color or black & white...
Believe it or not, it's a "color" shot.
One of the things that digital cameras have the hardest time with are the differences between high contrast areas of light and dark.
This shot is actually nothing more than light and shadow, without any real color, but there is no black & white processing.
I think that suits Spaceship Earth just fine.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Red Flower Abstract
I admit it, I'm addicted to depth of field. To be specific, for the photogs in the crowd, I'm addicted to f 2.8.
Working on what feels like a razor's edge forces me to really work to nail what's in focus. It's really the difference between a shot that pops and one that looks like I was running past the flower I'm shooting (which is what most of them look like, trust me).
It's the work to get better with every shot though that keeps me out there shooting.
Now if I could just figure out what those other numbers on the lens mean...trust me, the photographers are laughing. :)
Working on what feels like a razor's edge forces me to really work to nail what's in focus. It's really the difference between a shot that pops and one that looks like I was running past the flower I'm shooting (which is what most of them look like, trust me).
It's the work to get better with every shot though that keeps me out there shooting.
Now if I could just figure out what those other numbers on the lens mean...trust me, the photographers are laughing. :)
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Flower & Garden
1/640 20mm f 11 -2/3 EV
One of the surest ways to know that spring has arrived is that Epcot cranks up their annual Flower and Garden Festival.
This shot is from a few years ago. We just haven't been able to get down there in the spring for awhile.
To me that's one of the coolest parts of photography. Anytime I want I can open this picture and go back to this moment. I can remember being in Epcot on a warm day and taking this shot.
Being able to share that moment, by the way, is one of the other cool things about photography. So feel free to sit back, relax and take in the view.
If you stare at it long enough the monorail just might come by. No, seriously, it might. Just keep looking for it...
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