getting good photos

cattprez

Member
Original Poster
Just wondering if anyone has any good ideas for getting good photos, like hanging out close to closing to get night photos with no bystanders?
 

crazydaveh

Active Member
Getting shots without bystanders is not easy to do. I've done it a few times, but it's because I was in the park while closed during media events.

If you get to the park first thing in the morning you can get some great shots before the masses head in. Staying late might work, might not, just depends on what time the park closes. If it closes at 7, most people will leave at closing and it will be crowded getting out.

Take pictures during crowd breaks. You will be able to see them coming and take advantage of it! Of course this will not work around the castle, SSE, Tree, or Hat, but around other smaller areas of the park, it works fine.

Good luck. Have fun, and ask CM's for help taking your group pictures when you need one!
 

Laura

22
Premium Member
Just stay late. They won't kick you out until much after the park closes. When I want pictures I wait till the masses are gone (which surprisingly is only about half an hour after the park closes) and then I get plenty of unobstructed shots. Of course with it being dark you'll need to get nice and friendly with the trash cans. ;)
 

Tom Morrow

Well-Known Member
The biggest thing in getting a good shot is patience. Most guests take really bad photos because they don't take the few extra seconds to properly frame the shot or get the right angle. A good example is guests walking down Main Street. Right when they see the castle, they pull out their camera and quickly snap a pic, barely even stopping. The castle ends up off centered or partially blocked or something.
Of course with it being dark you'll need to get nice and friendly with the trash cans. ;)
I used to do that, but then I bought a small tripod that folds up that you can easily carry around.
 

PeeplMoovr

Active Member
I notice that, while this may sound obvious, getting some of the clearest and best pics comes in the fall/winter/spring. Our humidity is much less those times of year and the parks and the air have a clarity and crispness that they don't usually have in the summer. The haze is gone, and often no clouds will be in the light blue sky, giving everything a crystal clear look and sharp contrast.

On the other hand, if you're looking for colorful skies to compliment your park pics - say purples, pinks, etc., the summer works better because of the haze, clouds, and the typical pink twilight color of the skies. Some of the most dramatic shots might take place immediately before or after an afternoon thunderstorm due to the great purple, pinks, gray and even greenish look to the sky.

Still, I find my pics taken during Dec, Jan, and Feb have a clarity that just makes the colors, landscaping, and architecture of the parks *pop* in a way that I like most.

:)

Don't forget to share pics with us!
 

Yoop33

New Member
I have also noticed staying late can get you some really nice pics. Even the Photopass Photographers will stick around a little while longer for people.
Also try getting a mini tripod. Night shots are really hard to take without one due to the longer exposures. But this will allow you to get good firework shots if thats what you are looking for.
 

BillyBuff

Active Member
I have also noticed staying late can get you some really nice pics. Even the Photopass Photographers will stick around a little while longer for people.
Also try getting a mini tripod. Night shots are really hard to take without one due to the longer exposures. But this will allow you to get good firework shots if thats what you are looking for.

I think that kinda answered my question that I was about ask...

"Can I bring a mini tripod into the parks?"

Thanks!
 

RonAnnArbor

Well-Known Member
You can bring a minitripod in, but they will ask you to move it if you are obstructing walkways...

A few more tips -- sometimes the crowds can make or break a photo -- nothing like some shots of the mobs on main Street with the fireworks behind.

Take pictures right at dusk -- in Florida the skies turn several beautiful shades of blue then purple before turning black -- here are some of my photos from last December, planning to take more next week.

About a half hour before the 6 pm fireworks:

http://ronannarbor.smugmug.com/photos/118361461-L.jpg

About 6 pm at MGM - note the crowd makes the photo balanced:

http://ronannarbor.smugmug.com/photos/120055944-L.jpg

During the MVMCP, the exterior is abandonded...this was about 8 pm at MK on MCMCP night:

https://ronannarbor.smugmug.com/photos/118361523-L.jpg

Here's a shot taken at MGM a few minutes after the one a few shots above...here the crowds have all moved to Fantasmic leaving the courtyard relatively empty:

http://ronannarbor.smugmug.com/photos/118361430-L.jpg

None of these were taken using a tripod, although I do use image stabilized lenses. The trick to the last one is to make sure you do continuous shooting mode so that the spotlights in the sky line up the way you want them on at least one of the 20 or so shots it takes to get that if on continuous shooting mode.
 

dove_

New Member
i agree with getting into the parks early. when i go with my family, we do character breakfasts, at the earliest possible times, and those are great opportunities. my dad has a great picture of my sister and i walking down main street when it's completely deserted, it's wonderful.

even after we finish eating, if nothing is open yet, it's a great time to grab some pictures.
 

TheDisneyMagic

Well-Known Member
Epcot is amazing after closing, both sides of Future world empty so fast and I can get the shots I need of all the pavilions. The by the time you finish getting those photos the park is empty enough to get some nice shots of Spaceship Earth from both World showcase and Future world.

You can get some amazing photos outside Journey into Imagination with the pyramids, the fountains, the signage.
 

BriLee

New Member
If it's really important to you to keep the minimum amount of people in the background in your picture as possible, I suggest planning your trip during the times of year where the park is practically empty of visitors, such as the week after thanksgiving or the week before Christmas. There are other times during the year that are also fairly "empty", but in my experience those are the most.

Also, having patience really helps! Sometimes waiting for an area to clear of people can be really worth it!

Photopass people also often have great ideas for photos, ones that you probably wouldn't have thought of yourself. For example, I went to Disneyland for a day during my high school senior trip last May. I have a small group of really close friends that I was with the whole day, and we wanted a group picture in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. I went up to the photo pass woman and asked her to take a picture using my camera. She agreed and said, "But only if you take a jumping picture!" At first I didn't know what she was talking about, but once she explained, it turned out amazing and is now one of my favorite pictures of all times! Heres the pic:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3055/2905353167_26d171845c.jpg
 

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