The Disneyland Photo of the Day...

[orbitalpunk]

Here's the "Pretty" for the day. Even though I took this at 1:30 am and there was no one in the entire front desk area or lobby, security was on me in seconds and this was the only shot I could get that night.

why, were you using a tripod indoors?

[Hot Sauce 1]

why, were you using a tripod indoors?

I was using a tripod and taking a bracket of 3 exposures. They were on my for "Security Reasons" because I might be a terrorist taking a picture of the front desk so I could bomb it or something. It's not like a real terrorist couldn't just look at Disney's website and see pictures of it.

[anndreeuhh]

I was using a tripod and taking a bracket of 3 exposures. They were on my for "Security Reasons" because I might be a terrorist taking a picture of the front desk so I could bomb it or something. It's not like a real terrorist couldn't just look at Disney's website and see pictures of it.

I'm starting to think Security has it out for you Canon users.... I haven't heard anything about us Nikon'ers being questioned. Watch me go and jinx it for the Nikon people now, lol.

Its either that, or they are determined to stop the good photographers in order to give the rest of us a chance to look a little better.

[orbitalpunk]

I was using a tripod and taking a bracket of 3 exposures. They were on my for "Security Reasons" because I might be a terrorist taking a picture of the front desk so I could bomb it or something. It's not like a real terrorist couldn't just look at Disney's website and see pictures of it.

I know tripods used indoors is not taken well. I was detained for it once years ago. I wouldn't recommend doing it. It could be worse next time or bring on too much heat for photographers in general.

[Joshnyah]

Hotsauce, I am going to nominate you for the Charlie sheen award on here cause your pics are always WINNING!

[Hot Sauce 1]

I'm starting to think Security has it out for you Canon users.... I haven't heard anything about us Nikon'ers being questioned. Watch me go and jinx it for the Nikon people now, lol.

Its either that, or they are determined to stop the good photographers in order to give the rest of us a chance to look a little better.

That's funny! It's also funny because it seems that it is Gregg and I that keep being stopped by security and both of us use Canon.

I know tripods used indoors is not taken well. I was detained for it once years ago. I wouldn't recommend doing it. It could be worse next time or bring on too much heat for photographers in general.

I can see how they would have a problem with it but I took that at 1:30 am and there wasn't a soul in sight. I am thinking that we do need to take it easy with the tripods just so they don't get fed up with us and inflict harsher rules on everyone.

Hotsauce, I am going to nominate you for the Charlie sheen award on here cause your pics are always WINNING!

Only if I get his bank account! LOL!

[Hot Sauce 1]

Here's the bright and sunny photo for the day. I took this from the very end of the loading ramp for the Monorail, right by the elevator. It's a great location to photograph from and is rarely ever used so you don't have people in the way, nor are you in the way of other people.

[sbk1234]

Love it!

[Hot Sauce 1]

4-17-11
Today’s “Disneyland Photo Tip of the Day” is to Embrace a Different Vision.

As I mentioned in my last post, I was shooting Main St. the other night after closing along side SwingingOnAStar, Disney Beach Girl and Legacy 55. I saw Disney Beach Girl shooting through the window of Coke Corner and knew I had to give it a try. I immediately remembered the fantastic shots by Andy Castro of the ice cream store window that I absolutely loved and decided to shoot those windows too.

I really wanted them to have a warm and romantic feel like Andy’s did because it reminded me of all the nights I spent as a teenager working at Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor in La Jolla. Almost everything about the Gibson Girl, except the colors reminds me of Swensen’s and I LOVED working there. I ate a quart of ice cream every day for 2 years and I still LOVE ice cream.
Here’s a look at Andy’s shots so you know what I was after.




Well, the best laid plans and hopes for a great shot rarely come out the way you want them to. Here is the original image I got, before any editing.


I processed it as a HDR, which gave me this.


Then I tried merging it with the original image like I normally do.


Needless to say, my color palette is nothing like his and I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. I thought that it might help if I layered the +2 exposure image on top of it and then masked it all back out except for painstakingly masking in the letters on the window so they would be brighter and stand out more. I was so focused on trying to get the white balance and clors to look right that it just kept getting worse. I also wasn’t happy about the bright light coming from behind the “N” on Gibson so I decided to make it a part of the image and added a lens flare in that spot.


I was still very frustrated and was just about to delete the whole thing and accept my total failure. At that moment my wife walked in my office, looked at the shot and said “It has kind of a Retro feel that I like.” That was the moment when the imaginary light bulb above my head lit up and I decided to embrace what I didn’t like, run with it and make it the strength of the photo. I added a Velvia film effect and added a few more lens flares to enhance the retro feel.


Then I converted it to a Sepia Tone and added a slight blur around the edges and vignette to it so it completed the Retro look and made a star out of something that was moments from the trash.


I also did the same with these other windows to make them a series of retro photos.








I hope this quick look at embracing a different vision than the one you originally had helps you see things in a new light and let that light lead you down a new path.

Happy Snapping
© Michael Greening 2011
For a complete directory and direct links to all of these posts, please click here: http://micechat.com/forums/disneyland-resort/140579-disneyland-photo-day-50.html#post1056358940

[WDWFigment]

^I like Andy's shots a lot, but I like yours more. I am in the 'camp' that considers white balance (which is why his photos are so warm) a creative decision, and I often manipulate that in post, but those windows are just a little too warm for my liking.

The only thing I really don't like is the added starbursts to the first shot. Given the other lights in the shot, it's pretty clear the one on the "N" was added in post, and something about that just rubs me the wrong way. Obviously reasonable minds can and do differ on that--besides HDR, it's probably one of the biggest debates in photography. While I am willing to use a tripod to capture objects in multiple frames and composite them together (multiple Nemo subs or monorails), my rationale for that being acceptable to me is that I could capture all of that in the same frame if the timing were right. When you start adding things to shots in PS (such as different skies or lens flare), that's when, to me at least it ceases to be photography and just becomes art. Obviously that is just my personal opinion, and others can and do disagree. I'm sure there are plenty of ways that I manipulate my images that others wouldn't dare do. I feel like I've posted this before (maybe?), so hopefully I'm not beating a dead horse.

My point is, relative to this photo, that I think you have a really strong shot without the fake starburst, and the unnatural look it gives the shot is greater than the added "twinkle" it gives the shot. Again, just my two cents. (Which is probably the most it's worth!)

Otherwise, awesome set!

[orbitalpunk]

I can see how they would have a problem with it but I took that at 1:30 am and there wasn't a soul in sight. I am thinking that we do need to take it easy with the tripods just so they don't get fed up with us and inflict harsher rules on everyone.

I've been telling people for years this. I get really nervous about it now cause tripod activity has increased dramatically in the last 2 years. I've been doing it since 2005. Trust me, we need to be careful. Otherwise we could all wind up depending on trash cans for night shots.

[WDWFigment]

I couldn't agree more. I haven't been using a tripod at DLR/WDW as long as you, but when I started, I used to be the only person (usually) that I'd see late at night with a tripod. Now, I frequently see several other people per night. Although I think the fact that DSLRs are now more accessible to the general public has played a part in this, the truth is that the general public mostly uses the kit lens on auto mode. I think the real culprit is the proliferation of the Disney Fan Photography community.

I think if we're not careful, we'll soon have a "no tripods" rule a la Tokyo Disneyland. In my mind, the writing is on the wall.

[Hot Sauce 1]

^I like Andy's shots a lot, but I like yours more. I am in the 'camp' that considers white balance (which is why his photos are so warm) a creative decision, and I often manipulate that in post, but those windows are just a little too warm for my liking.

The only thing I really don't like is the added starbursts to the first shot. Given the other lights in the shot, it's pretty clear the one on the "N" was added in post, and something about that just rubs me the wrong way. Obviously reasonable minds can and do differ on that--besides HDR, it's probably one of the biggest debates in photography. While I am willing to use a tripod to capture objects in multiple frames and composite them together (multiple Nemo subs or monorails), my rationale for that being acceptable to me is that I could capture all of that in the same frame if the timing were right. When you start adding things to shots in PS (such as different skies or lens flare), that's when, to me at least it ceases to be photography and just becomes art. Obviously that is just my personal opinion, and others can and do disagree. I'm sure there are plenty of ways that I manipulate my images that others wouldn't dare do. I feel like I've posted this before (maybe?), so hopefully I'm not beating a dead horse.

My point is, relative to this photo, that I think you have a really strong shot without the fake starburst, and the unnatural look it gives the shot is greater than the added "twinkle" it gives the shot. Again, just my two cents. (Which is probably the most it's worth!)

Otherwise, awesome set!

You're definitely not alone. My wife hates the lens flare too. I thought about getting rid of it but I had already saved all my changes and would have had to start all over again, which at the late hour I was doing it, was not going to happen.

I've been telling people for years this. I get really nervous about it now cause tripod activity has increased dramatically in the last 2 years. I've been doing it since 2005. Trust me, we need to be careful. Otherwise we could all wind up depending on trash cans for night shots.

You are so right. I see a lot more tripods now than I used to. One night I actually saw someone with a huge wooden tripod and a giant box camera shooting on 8x10 glass plates. I would have loved to see their photos. Whenever I am using my tripod in the park I make sure to be out of peoples way and to keep the foot print of it as small as possible.

I couldn't agree more. I haven't been using a tripod at DLR/WDW as long as you, but when I started, I used to be the only person (usually) that I'd see late at night with a tripod. Now, I frequently see several other people per night. Although I think the fact that DSLRs are now more accessible to the general public has played a part in this, the truth is that the general public mostly uses the kit lens on auto mode. I think the real culprit is the proliferation of the Disney Fan Photography community.

I think if we're not careful, we'll soon have a "no tripods" rule a la Tokyo Disneyland. In my mind, the writing is on the wall.

I think it is definitely on the wall. I'm going to order a small gorilla pod and see how I do with that one of these nights. If anything, it will force me to find more unique viewpoints to shoot from.

[orbitalpunk]

I couldn't agree more. I haven't been using a tripod at DLR/WDW as long as you, but when I started, I used to be the only person (usually) that I'd see late at night with a tripod. Now, I frequently see several other people per night. Although I think the fact that DSLRs are now more accessible to the general public has played a part in this, the truth is that the general public mostly uses the kit lens on auto mode. I think the real culprit is the proliferation of the Disney Fan Photography community.

I think if we're not careful, we'll soon have a "no tripods" rule a la Tokyo Disneyland. In my mind, the writing is on the wall.

You are so right. I see a lot more tripods now than I used to. One night I actually saw someone with a huge wooden tripod and a giant box camera shooting on 8x10 glass plates. I would have loved to see their photos. Whenever I am using my tripod in the park I make sure to be out of peoples way and to keep the foot print of it as small as possible.

I think it is definitely on the wall. I'm going to order a small gorilla pod and see how I do with that one of these nights. If anything, it will force me to find more unique viewpoints to shoot from.

I am extremely relived that you guys recognize this issue. I know its like a new drug at first, but you don't want to OD. I've been planing to write up a FAQ on my experience with some helpful tips.

[SwinginOnAStar]

Disney is not going to ban us for using tripods simply because there's more than 2 in the park. That is illogical. They understand that we want to take long exposures and have granted us that. Disney will start to reconsider only when we start CAUSING PROBLEMS with them. If we start tripping people, disrupt traffic flow, are rude to other guests and cast members/security, THAT is when we can start worrying.
Also, remember that everything is checked before we enter the park. The people who have the super huge tripods and steady cam rigs essentially have permission to bring them in by the people who dig through our bags.