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Wednesday

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday - Disney Magic

Hey there Disney photography fans. Welcome to The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop here at Focused on the Magic where each week we get together to share our #DisneySide vacation photos.

Season's Greetings we're coming to you today from the beautiful but cold state of Maryland.

The theme this week is: Disney Magic

Midnight on Main Street

The holidays are the most magical time of year to visit Walt Disney World Resort - if you plan ahead.

It is the one time of year I plan each day and night with Fast Passes, Advance Dining Reservations, Quick Serve locations that pop up for the holidays, a list of seasonal entertainment and a backup plan.
I even plan my camera bag for day and night. At night I like to use a tote bag for easy setup. It holds my tripod, remotes, ND filters, flashlight and low light lenses. During the day I go lighter with a small photo backpack or Domke crossbody bag that holds my favorite walk around zoom lens, a low light lens for dark rides and polarizing filters.

With all the planning and plotting out of the way there's more time to enjoy the dazzling holiday lights, special yuletide meals and treats, pixie dusted parades and holiday entertainment. Solo or with family and friends it is magic.

Come along and join the fun and share your favorite Disney pictures with us.

Time to link up your Wordless Wednesday ...

The Picture Keeper: Review and Giveaway!

This week's must have is all about saving your magical memories!

Today I am happy to review the Picture Keeper - PK4 and the Picture Keeper App.

Do you have photos on your computer or phone that need to be backed up?

The Picture Keeper will help you get those precious photo memories backed up safely on your PC or Mac. There are 4 different models to choose from, The PK-4, PK-8, PK-16 and The PK Pro. All models of The picture Keeper will automatically find photos on your computer and store them on the device. Whenever you download new pictures to your computer, you just plug the Picture Keeper in and it only adds the new pictures.
The Picture Keeper Mobile App for iPhone, iPad and Android provides a simple, easy way to wirelessly backup the photos on your mobile device to your computer.

Today we're sharing a list of 10 simple things that may be helpful the next time you're capturing the Disney magic in pictures. When we're on a Disney vacation we take thousands of pictures. It's a great place to hone photography skills and experiment with with new lenses or cameras but your Disney vacation images and memories are precious so practice before you go.

Making of Magic Kingdom Park Tilt-Shift Video

Ever wonder how the Disney Parks photographers create those amazing "tilt-shift" videos? I know I have. I am always thrilled to watch them and really enjoy the creative Disney magic they share with us in each video. But then it happens, the photographer part of my brain kicks in and I start wondering just "How do they do it?". Not that I'd ever attempt to try it myself. Just wondering...

Today, you can find me over at Pursuing the Magic as part of Beth's On Safari in Harambe series. I will be sharing photography tips to help you capture great memories on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom. CLICK HERE to head on over and enjoy!

Self Portrait, Kilimanjaro Safari, Disney World, Florida

Self portraits are a way of getting in the picture when traveling solo. Pin It

Have a Magical Day!

Thanks for stopping by Focused on the Magic.com

Thursday

The Disney Moms: Capturing Great Photos

Today I am writing over at The Disney Moms. Please come join me and have a read. It's my first contribution to the group. The topic is photography, no surprise there, right? One of my favorite topics to write about and one that I'm most asked about. So, stop by and say hi!

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Only one more day to enter our first big

$100 Disney Gift Card Giveaway!

Happy Snapping!

Capturing Wishes in The Magic Kingdom ~ Tips and Tricks

Wishes is one of the most exciting fireworks shows at Walt Disney World, the other being Illuminations at Epcot. Capturing photos of Wishes and sharing them over and over when I get home is a family tradition of ours. It’s a bit of a challenge to take pictures of Wishes but with a little planning and practice you’ll be comfortable capturing great memories.

Focused on the Magic - Tips for Capturing Wishes Fireworks

5 things you'll need:

A camera with the ability to manually set the controls such as F-stop and ISO and Shutter Speed.
Fresh batteries. Memory enough to take 100 shots. Later you want to try out an ND filter but for now leave it home.
A stable surface such as a tripod, gorilla pod or the Disney Quadpod (trash can) which are conveniently located every 20 feet in the parks. I’m touting tripods but I really don’t like them. For years I wouldn’t bring one to the parks. Mine was just too cumbersome to carry on rides and if I stored it in a locker I didn’t enjoy going back for it before Wishes started. I would shoot handheld (with pretty good results) or place a small beanbag on a Disney Quadpod. My favorite Disney Quadpod is located in front of Casey’s Corner. You’ll need to get there early to claim it as it’s become quite popular over time. The Velbron UltraMax IF tripod changed my mind about tripods. Whereas my other tripods were heavy and big, the UltraMax is incredibly compact (14”) extends to 60”, weighs about 2lbs and it can hold 5lbs which does push the limit on my camera with a lens. Oh and it was reasonably priced too! I believe it’s been discontinued but I’m sure there’s a current model that’s far superior.
A shutter release (cable or remote) or self-timer on the camera. I use a basic cable release. Nothing fancy with a short cable. You can do without it but why not have the extra stability for long exposures?
A small flashlight on a lanyard that’s easy to turn on with one hand. Your other hand may be holding your camera, tripod or shutter release. Bright but compact as you don’t want to disturb guests during the show.

√ a large dose of ºoº patience and pixie dust!

Next you’ll need a good location. You might want to scope this out earlier in the day. My favorite is on Main Street, USA. I like to be far enough back that I have a clear view of the front of the castle and a large expanse of sky framed by Main Street. Another great spot is the train station platform before they put up the Christmas tree, when the flagpole is removed. Even with the flagpole in place the view of the skyline is tremendous.

Which lens to use? I’ve shot Wishes with a Nikkor 18-200mm set at 18mm and also 35mm from Casey’s on Main Street with good results. I find my Nikon 50mm to be too tight until halfway down Main Street. The Sigma 30mm lens is my favorite leaving plenty of room to crop later if need be. Most kit lenses or primes will do the job.

Guest Blogging Day! In Pursuit of Pirates!

Today I have the honor of being a guest blogger for one of my favorite Disney blogs, Beth's Pursuing the Magic series, Pursuit of Pirates ~ Part 2.

Last week in Part 1 of Pursuit of Pirates, Beth shared how Pirates of the Caribbean was the Disney spark that started her lifelong love of Disney. This week, I will be sharing a few photography tips and tricks for taking pictures of Pirates of the Caribbean.

I hope you'll join us for The Disney Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop this week!

The theme is Characters Great and Small!

Have a Disney Day!

Wishes around the Web ~ My Guest Post

Today I have the honor of being a guest blogger for one of my favorite Disney blogs, Beth's Pursuing the Magic & her Wishes around the Web Part 2.

Last week in Part 1, Beth shared a wonderful heartwarming family memory of Wishes. This week, I will be sharing a few photography tips and tricks for taking pictures of Wishes.

While you are there be sure to check out Beth's countdown series, 100 Things to Do in Disney. and The Magical Blogorail, which Beth is the founder of and I'm a proud member of.

I'll leave you for now with fall colors from Wishes....

Congratulations to all my Disney friends who've made it to round 2 of the selection process for the 2012 Walt Disney World Moms Panel. I'm sending you loads of pixie dust on fairy wings & prayers that you'll glide through to a coveted position on the panel. Best Wishes!!!
Thanks for stopping by.

Have a Disney day!

Tuesday

Tigger-ific Photo Tip Tuesday

Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege of being interviewed by my friend Disney Donna Kay for Mentoring Mondays. You can read it in full here.

During the interview I mentioned a few tips that I think may be helpful to new camera owners. One of those was The PhotoBert CheatSheet. I thought I should explore them a little further as I think they are a useful tool for anyone with a new *high functioning* digital camera.

Tigger-ific Tip Tuesday Focused on the Magic

What is it and why would I want one?

PhotoBert Cheatsheets are inexpensive laminated quick and easy pocket guides designed for every model of digital camera. Each card is double sided and broken down into categories such as exposure modes, custom settings, bracketing, focus options to name a few. Because it's folds down to the size of a legal envelope, it easily slips into a side pocket of a camera bag. They are an inexpensive handy guide for those moments when you're in the parks or out in the field and you need a quick answer.

I'll leave it to PhotoBert to tell you more:

You can order PhotoBert Cheatsheets directly from the website , ebay or Amazon. Prices range from $4.95-$12.95 plus shipping.

DebsDISclaimer: These opinions are JMHO nothing more, take it for what it's worth. I have not received any compensation for this review and will not if you order any merchandise from these links. My cheatsheet was purchased by me for my personal use. I am not to be held responsible for the manufacturers representation of this product.

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a Disney Day!
Debs

Thursday

Pirates of The Caribbean Attraction ~ Photo Tips

Yo Ho! Yo Ho! It’s a pirates life for me! ! Ahoy and welcome aboard! Arrrrgh, so we're talkin' pirates today. I love the POTC movies and the ride! Here are a few Pirates of The Caribbean (POTC) ride picture takin' tips.. me hardies, Yo Ho!

POTC is considered one of the "dark" rides and not only because it's scary to young ones. The lighting is low. So low you can't see your hand in front of you. That adds to the Disney magic but makes it a challenge to take well exposed pics unless you're prepared.

Magic Kingdom ~ Starry Starry Night

Starry Starry Night at The Magic Kingdom.
Every time I look at this picture I am reminded of just how magical main Street USA can be after dark and especially during Extra Magic Hours.
EMH in the Magic Kingdom is a perfect opportunity to have fun shooting with filters and prime lenses. On this particular night I chose to leave my usual night lens, a Sigma 30mm back at The Wilderness Lodge. I wanted to take out my old favorite Nikon Nikkor 50mm f/1.2 AI-s lens. In this shot I also used a six star Hoya filter. I've included links because I think these make a good addition to any camera kit. The Nikon lens is a manual focus lens and on my Nikon D200 works as a 76mm which is tight like a portrait lens but very fast in low light.
I just love wandering around The Magic Kingdom at night focusing on the magic;)

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Hope you are having a Disney day!

Foto Friday

~Cinderella's Castle in Silhouette ~

The Magic Kingdom Wishes Fireworks display is a truly magical experience and one not to be missed but sometimes it can be a challenge to photograph.
This photo took a bit of Disney magic to capture. It was shot with my trusty Nikon D200, Sigma 30mm, f5.6, ISO 800 @ 1/125. You may wonder why 1/125 of a second? A long shot would give beautiful streams of light. Well, that particular night was very crowded in The Magic Kingdom for the viewing of Wishes. So crowded I couldn't setup my tripod. People were jostling each other for a good spot. Tripods are a tripping hazard under good conditions. I was smack dab in the middle of Main Street with a 30mm. All my shots would have to be handheld. I'd done it before with mixed results. I much rather use a tripod but not that night. To make the best of it and not spoil the moment I just tucked my elbows in and with steady breath, shot... a lot. I was doing just fine until a very tall gentlemen lifted his son onto his shoulders right in front of me. Considering my options I realized the boy would be in every frame. He was jumping around so composing with him would've been difficult. I could neither move left or right. I decided the only option left was to shoot the castle in silhouette. Reframe, reset, shoot and pray. Chimping all the while. Despite the setbacks the Wishes fireworks show was magical and I came away with "Cinderella's Castle in Silhouette" as a photo keeper.