tissandtully
Well-Known Member
"just" has two meanings in that context, just sayin
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News PhotoPass at some character locations being replaced by automated cameras
- Thread starter ToyStoryMiss
- Start date
mikejs78
Well-Known Member
I'm waiting to see the results... I'll probably still get MM as the park and ride photos are more important to me anyways...
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
I'll be interested to see the photos coming out from it and updates. Haven't heard anything yet, but I know some people that are going next week who may update me.
Disney Loving Swede
Active Member
I'm interested to see how this play outs. If anyone experiences it, I would love to hear opinions/experiences.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
mikejs78
Well-Known Member
Each time represents a different moment in my life. Last April, for example, was the first trip with my youngest son. So yes, that's a once in a lifetime memory, for me and my family, even though I've been to WDW many times.really? Those once in a lifetime Memories...
For the 37th time?
Disney's a great place, and I'd have fun even going there solo (which may happen this May due to a business trip) but for me the best part of it is the memories with family. And those are always once in a lifetime because life keeps changing.
BWDVCkidsince96
Active Member
Didn't read the whole thread so sorry if this is repetitive, but has anyone had bad experiences with photopass photographers seeming like random amateurs pulled off the street and not knowing how to operate a camera? I thought they used to be pretty decent photographers! some still make an effort to get a kid to smile but most of them don't seem to. Also we got a family photo in front of the castle and the way the settings on the camera were set up, you couldn't really see the castle in the background because it was like washed out and bright and/or it wasn't centered behind us. I was surprised they wouldn't at least know about the camera settings.
maybe they aren't getting great feedback on the quality of the human photographers and that is part of the consideration of automated cameras (which i would not be a supporter of, just to clarify).
maybe they aren't getting great feedback on the quality of the human photographers and that is part of the consideration of automated cameras (which i would not be a supporter of, just to clarify).
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MickeyMinnieMom
Well-Known Member
I feel like it's always been a mixed bag. I would still take a human over a box any day when it comes to capturing the moment -- particularly with character M&Gs and children. And we've had some PP photographers who were truly fantastic and captured amazing moments with our kids over the years.
Totally your fault for glowing so much!
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
Generally photographers are not supposed to touch the settings. They are given a set mode, ISO, and other exposure settings and aren't supposed to touch them. However, those settings should also function in such as way that you don't get a totally washed out photo like you got. That's definitely overexposed, which makes me think that something didn't get set right. I'm sure that part of the issue was the time of day with some extra bright sun, but the camera, if set correctly, should adjust for that automatically. Or perhaps you had someone that thought they knew what they were doing and changed something they weren't supposed to. As a former photographer, I would be embarrassed by that.
The photographers don't get as much training as we used to. It used to be a week or so of training on how to use the cameras, settings, etc. Now I believe it's 3 days, and they lose a lot. Some of the standards on how to frame the photos have also slipped. We'd never shoot photos like either one of those in the past. the first the castle would be centered behind the family. The second would never include feet but shoot from about the waist up and zoomed in to make that castle look nice and large behind them. Both shots would be considered below standards when I was there. But I've noticed my last couple of trips that the second shots framing seems to be more common now. I don't like it.
But even with that, their photos are still usually better than 90% of what I've seen guests shoot on their own. Sorry that particular set was not a good one for you.
DisAl
Well-Known Member
The decision was probably made by a "pointy haired boss" who knows absolutely nothing about photography. I don't think technology will ever replace the talent of a good photographer.
Not every photo made by photopass photographers is good, but 99% of them are as opposed to about 20% of those made for me by other guests.
We have until the last week of February to make a decision on purchasing MM for this trip. I hope we get some feedback from people who have experienced the new system before then. I don't want to waste money on something that may not be any better than the red light runner cameras.
Not every photo made by photopass photographers is good, but 99% of them are as opposed to about 20% of those made for me by other guests.
We have until the last week of February to make a decision on purchasing MM for this trip. I hope we get some feedback from people who have experienced the new system before then. I don't want to waste money on something that may not be any better than the red light runner cameras.
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
if nothing else, I will be there from Feb 20-26 and will be making use of it. With the return trip and settling in, it will likely be Feb 28 before I think about making a post/ review of it, assuming that it's being done then. I don't know if that's early enough for you or not.
Though I'm sure we'll see something from someone before that as well.
Jahona
Well-Known Member
I looked into a few photopass photography jobs several years back. The requirements were not that high. It didn't require actual experience with a camera and only recommended having theoretical knowledge of how a camera works. I've met a few photopass photographers that knew their stuff but I've also had to show a few how to use their cameras to properly expose a shot. For the most part the human aspect of Photopass should be the interaction of guests utilizing props and or framing and positioning. That's something a kiosk can't always do.
tomast
Well-Known Member
What about a kiosk with a CM that can help? I think it a big loss for guest but I can see this kiosks happening. And when you leave the M&G I guess you may have to surf a lot of un-magic pictures for choose from the only kind of special one.
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
They've actually cut back on the number of "view" stations in the parks compared to what they once were. When I left in 20011, there were no less than 12 places to see your photos at Magic Kingdom (8 in Grand Expo, 4 in Toontown). Now there are 4. AK is about the same, DHS has 2 less than it did. Epcot has the same number at Spaceship earth, but lost the station at Test Track. They're moving people more and more to looking at their photos online now instead of in the parks, and I don't see that changing.
tomast
Well-Known Member
I mean surfing either online or at the station. I think guest would like to have 4 different angle photos to choose from and not 7 of the same angle and auto-shoot where guest are looking anywhere and not to the camera .
But maybe in some near future with some AI you can get good pictures too from a machine
BlogMickey has photos of the cameras installed and a breakdown of the exprience: http://blogmickey.com/2019/02/autom...t-tinkerbell-meet-and-greet-in-magic-kingdom/
SirWillow
Well-Known Member
They also have them on the front page of WDW NT.
Not the multiple cameras and angles that some were hoping for, but the single camera in a fixed position. There's still a photopass photographer shooting when these were taken, but it doesn't give me any optimism for it.
Not the multiple cameras and angles that some were hoping for, but the single camera in a fixed position. There's still a photopass photographer shooting when these were taken, but it doesn't give me any optimism for it.