Sharing vacation photos with friends and family are always
special moments. And in this session, my photo tips are aimed at taking
pictures of the parks themselves… many of the spots that I love to search
out and photograph. There is so much to see and way too much to try to
cover with one photo tip article, but this should give you the basics
for your next Disney visit! This edition will feature the Disney Resort
parks and park landscapes both at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, guiding
you with more specifics for capturing unique Disney park images and memories
that make great photo keepsakes.
My first (and biggest) photo tip is… “Take lots of pictures!” Have
you ever looked back at your vacation photographs and just wished there
were more to look at? The price of film is worth every penny when you
walk away with those great shots. Every special photo memory is “priceless”!
And if you have a digital camera, there’s really no excuse about “wasting
film” anymore.
Ok—Grab your camera and let’s get clicking. And remember please
keep your hands, arms and cameras in the tram while in motion.
Photographing at the parks
The one common theme throughout this edition of photo tips is to take
some time to look around as you walk through the lands and see the inbetweens.
Just as in Disney animation, the key drawing is the main action, and the
inbetweens are what make the transitions from one main drawing to another
nice and smooth. Many times when we go to the parks, we rush from one
big attraction to another, so I hope these photo tips inspire you to take
a little extra time to notice the special (and many times unnoticed) inbetweens
as you walk through the parks.
As you walk through Disney’s California Adventure, you pass the Golden
State winery area. The afternoon light filters through the leaves and
grapes, adding nice contrast and depth to the plants. To enhance the landscape
picture (and to help tell the story of where I was), I set the camera
angle so you can see a little bit of the familiar icon in the background.
Photo by Frank Anzalone.
What our eyes see is a grand perspective of our surroundings. What the
camera sees is a small area and a split second of those surroundings.
This is the big challenge when taking vacation photographs—what should
I take a picture of? When choosing your scene to take a picture, sometimes
the larger area and grand view is what we want, and sometimes you might
want to get in nice and close to selectively choose what you are trying
to show with a photograph. With these photos, you will see a few different
perspectives… and then you decide what you like! After all, you
are the photographer!
The Castle has always been the main Disney icon for photographs. Try shooting
a picture from the sides of the castle instead of directly in front. You
will get a less populated image when you take a picture from these angles.
You might also frame your picture with some of the detailed landscaping
to add to your image. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle [left] was taken right
next to the moat at the castle’s edge and Cinderella’s Castle [right]
was taken from the dining area near the entrance to Tomorrowland. Photo
by Frank Anzalone.
The typical angle is to shoot your image straight on, but most times
you are sharing that view with many other park guests (and waiting for
a clear shot that you may never get). If you stand just to the sides and
frame your picture just right, you can get a great picture and help minimize
the number of strangers in your photograph.
Another picturesque image at the park is of the Partners Statue. Look
at the figure from a few angles, use the castle, or the Matterhorn to
add to the composition in the background. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Getting in close can make an interesting picture. The familiar structure
is not the focal point of these photographs, it was used for the background.
Focus your camera on the closer images to set the background a little
out of focus (yet still very recognizable). On the left, a Main street
lamp with Sleeping Beauty’s Castle as a background and on the right, the
entrance iron work gate to the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom at
WDW. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Disney has taken great care to tell a story with characters at the parks.
The brooms from Fantasia [left] are part of the landscaping in
front of the Brown Derby restaurant at the Disney Studios in Walt Disney
World. Frame your picture close to one character and the others will support
your picture story. [right] As you leave your “it’s a small world” ride
experience, the clock tower is larger than life. Although this is a small
section of the overall attraction display, you need not see more to know
exactly where you are. and you can get a close, detailed photograph! Photo
by Frank Anzalone.
When shooting large landscapes of Disney parks, I enjoy using reflections
and remembering the “Rule of Thirds” (divide the sky, land and water into
1/3 proportions for composition). [left] Notice the curve of the flowerbed
that draws your eyes to the monorail here at Epcot Center. [right] In
this picture, the curves of the rollercoaster draw your eye from left
to right to the Sun Wheel focal point. Remember that the focal point does
not always have to be in the center of your picture! Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Here again is an example of the “Rule of Thirds” for composition. [left]
Spaceship Earth at Epcot is the focal point of this photograph, framed
in with the water and trees. [right] Using the water and reflections here
also give a sense of movement for the Disneyland Monorail. Photo by Frank
Anzalone.
As you walk through the parks, take a moment to notice just some of the
little areas that are “inbetweens” of the main attractions. [left] Rounding
the castle at Disneyland on the way to Fantasyland, I found these park
guests relaxing in the shade. [right] Strolling from land to land at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom, the landscaping is very lush… and you never know when
you will pass by some extremely unique vegetation. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Our family enjoys the search for Hidden Mickeys when we visit the parks.
If you keep your eyes open, you will see that even Mother Nature likes
to play the Hidden Mickey game. [left] At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I was
photographing the Tree of Life with its reflection in the water, and noticed
a familiar shaped set of lily pads (bottom of the picture, almost center).
At Disneyland [right], the cactus in front of Big Thunder Mountain also
took on that familiar shape. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
When the day is done and you are walking out of the parks, sometimes it
pays to not only look where you are going, but to also at where you have
been, as there is always time for one last picture. [left] At Disney’s
California Adventure, the medallion sculpture in the middle of Sunshine
Plaza had the sunset colors reflecting off the metal, and the moon was
above in the sky. No need to be far back for this picture—frame in
close to tell the story. [right] Walking out after a long day at Epcot
Center, just before walking through the exit turnstiles, I caught Spaceship
Earth with it’s evening lighting. Photo by Frank Anzalone.
Next time
That completes our forth edition of Frank’s Photo Tips. The next edition
will concentrate on taking pictures of the Park characters. Each time
we go to a Disney park, we seem to notice something different (and we
have been countless times!), and the various characters you find at the
parks just add to the experience!
Something to remember…
Although I receive comments about my photos, one important thing you
need to know is that it’s all in the eye of the photographer. You do not
need to use the most expensive camera on the market to get a good image.
You can get a great picture if you take a moment to use a few simple and
easy techniques. These “tips” are just suggestions and ideas to use when
you are the cameraperson. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad picture…
some are just better!
I hope this might inspire you to want to take more and more pictures,
and capture those special Disney memories and moments. So plan that trip
to the Park, pick up your camera, take lots of pictures and see what develops!
