Getting Nervous About Walt Disney World Trip (Leaving 6/10/05)

[mblanton]

I have been packing this weekend so that I will be ready to leave Mayfield, KY, friday morning. We'll drive to my parents house in Harlan, KY and then leave for Orlando, Saturday morning at 4:30 am. Hopefully we'll arrive at Disney World around 7:00 pm. We are going to do 6 days in the parks and stay at All Star Movies for 2 nights and Port Orleans Riverside for 4 nights.

I'm charging the 4 batteries for my 10D as I'm typing this. I got on line and found a Walgreens and Super Wal-Mart less than 10 miles from where we will be staying that both burn cd's. I have a 1gb memory card, but figure I will have to do at least 3 backups while we're there.

I bought my 10D, 17-40L, 28-135IS, 50mkII, 75-300IS, and 420ex in October and thought that would give me plenty of time to learn all of the functions and prepare myself for my trip of a lifetime. The truth is I am very nervous about the photography. I am trying to make my experience full proof, but I think that might be impossible. I shoot mainly in the creative zone (all modes P, AV, TV, and Manual) with and without flash. I wanted to shoot as much as possible with fill flash, but I am having the most difficultly with this area. I get very inconsistant results and if we get the chance to meet characters I doubt there will be any chance to get a second shot. So, I have to get it right the first time. I thought about shooting the camera on fully automatic, but I am fighting with myself about that.

I just want to come home with some really nice pictures. I don't want the whole trip to be about photography. I want to enjoy the time there with my family and I don't want to stress out over taking pictures. So what would you suggest? Any magic combination of settings that will get me close to correct exposure. I have been reading alot about fill flash and trying different things. I have tried +/- 0 exposure compensation and -2/3 to -1 flash exposure compensation in program mode. Sometimes it works and sometimes its really bad. I've tried +2/3 exposure compensation and -1 2/3 flash exposure compensation in program mode. Smetimes it works and sometimes its really bad too. I've tried setting the camera on manual with no compensation at all and choosing a shutter speed of 200 and an apeture of 8 and letting the flash make the decisions. This worked great for my daughters birthday party under our carport, but it was terrible at the park in direct bright sunlight.

Sorry, I've started to ramble. Someone step in and offer me some guidance please. Thanks so much.

Mike

[etaf]

its probably a bit late now, but you can get imagetanks which are portable harddrives which will copy the CF cards, I use one of the very early versions called Imagetank and its great as i dont worry about eunning out of space.
just stick the card into the box and copy all the files OFF.

heres some examples, but there quite a few on the market now
http://www.aquaindigo.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0405/04052504sonyhdpsm1.asp
http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=13157201
http://www.image-tank.com/

i'll let some one else reply on the flash, but just to say with my Film EOS5 and 550 flash - i just use it as default on Tv or Av and its worked great

[mdm]

I know what you mean about being nervous. Were leaving on a 7-day cruise in 2 hours. The fear inside me says shoot everything auto, but I can't and will switch around on all settings. I'll take the laptop shoot bunchs in raw.

[mblanton]

Good luck on the cruise. I wish I had a laptop so I could archive my pics and review/edit in the hotel, but that is not an option. I like the imagetanks, but I don't have enough time to order and receive one before I leave. I have thought about shooting on AV and leaving the flash set to +/- 0, but I'm not sure, thats why I'm posting.

P.S, I got one battery charged...just 3 more to go.

Mike

[mdm]

Have fun at Disney World. What a great place to take pictures. Don't forget to get some fireworks shots.

[Citizensmith]

don't over analysise, take lots of photos, and have fun. It may be the trip of the life time but even if 90% of your photos suck, if you are looking at coming home with 4Gb of photos thats still a lot of good ones. Don't worry if you screwed up the Winnie the Pooh photo because you nailed Snow White and you don't really need every character in the album.

Basically, don't worry, have fun. :)

[Citizensmith]

Hmm, when I said "nailed snow white" I was referring to getting a decent photo, not any other possible use of that as a slang term.

[mblanton]

That's alright....besides I don't think Snow is that kind of girl..lol. I also agree that fun should be a major priority. I think I'm going to shoot full auto if I can fight the urge to change modes. I have my camera bag completely packed and I'm charging my camcorder batteries. I hope to have everything ready for check off by tommorrow evening.

Mike

[Mocking-DX]

mblanton
i was in the same situation like you about fill flash till this last weekend
i wish i learned about fill flash when i was in disney last month

But here's what i do for my setting:

I meter the bright background in full manual shooting mode(adjust the aperture and time to get the correct exposure)
then adjust the flash compensation to -1 1/3 or -1 2/3
this way you don't blow out the background--which happens if you meter the
dark subject and use fill flash
I think you can use the other creative mode also as long as you meter the background first
then step down on the flash to 1 1/3 to 1 2/3 as well

hope this helps and hope i'm making sense
Anybody out here can probably explain this better

Good luck

[MazerRakhm]

Have fun at Disney! We went last year and stayed the entire time (At Disney anyway) at the Port Orleans Riverside as well. You will love Riverside, it was phenomenal! The best meal we ate at Disney was in the Riverside restaurant, absolutely everything was unbelievable!

We were recommended to Riverside by some friends of my wife who go to Disney at least once a year, and they always stay at Riverside now!

Definitely use fill flash when you’re with the characters! We went right about this time last year, and there are a couple of shots that I really wish I had used the fill flash on. It’ll mostly help because you’ll be out during the mid-day time with a lot of harsh downward light.

Overall I really wouldn’t worry too much about it, you’re there to have fun after all!

(A couple of batteries help! I would take 2 with me and leave one back at the hotel charging.)

[mblanton]

mocking-dx
When you meter the background, do you use multi or spot metering? Do you have any pics online that you took using this technique. I would love to see an example.

mazer
I can't wait to get there. I saw some pics of riverside online and it looks great. I want to rent one of the four person bike/car things. I bet the food will be awesome. I can't wait to post some pictures when I get back.

P.S. My bosses boss has a laptop that he is letting me take so I can archive my pictures.....I am so relieved.

[LisaMarie]

FYI- in the event you don't have other means of back up or something happens to your back up plan while in Disney ...

Disney will take your digital memory cards and convert them to CD while you're in the parks. The cost is around $12.77 for 120 images, and around $6.38 for an additional 120 images. Prints are around $0.73 each. You'll need to leave your digital media with Disney while they create the CD, typically around two to five hours.

Being a resort guest all you have to do is contact guest services and they will direct you.

Have a great time ! It took me years to get my husband to go to Disney with me - some years later ....now it's his favorite place to go !

[Mocking-DX]

mblanton

unfortunately i just learned this technique this weekend and i already erased my test shots
i use center weighed averaging

i think the other quickest way is meter the bacground in AV or TV and lock AE * lock it, recompose and let the E-TTL do the adjusting(decreasing the intensity) of the flash

remember the flash sync will only allow 250 TV during flash, so i would use AV so you can adjust the AV value to stay at 250 max(at least with my 20D-dunno with 10D) speed.
If not sure just shoot RAW, will give you better chances in case you under expose the subject

Here's the link that i used as reference-thanks to schmoelzel:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=76871

Good Luck and enjoy your stay in FL

[Tom W]

Have fun at Disney World. What a great place to take pictures. Don't forget to get some fireworks shots.

The fireworks are great, but you need to find a good vantage point to get any shots. There's a lot of people gathered around at that time.

Really, don't be nervous about getting images. Just take you time. Use P mode if you have to when things are moving fast. Otherwise, read your histogram, use exposure compensation to bring out the shadows, or gain detail in the highlights. And enjoy yourself.

PS - if you get on any wet rides, make sure you have provisions to keep your camera protected and dry.

[MazerRakhm]

I want to rent one of the four person bike/car things.

We rented one of those! It was fun, but man they can be a bit of work!

[boomerang]

Just got back was at Disne for two days and shot alittle over 1,000 shots used my laptop to download at night. My advice.....have fun. I wouldnt get lens crazy- pick your favorite walk around and shoot for fun. Animal Kingdom is excellent.

[lostdoggy]

1GB seems like very little if you're shooting RAW even at 4MP. I fill 2 1gb CF in less then an hours time during a local parade. You should at least have 1 GB for backup just incase the only one you have fails. But don't worry there is at least 4 Ritz camera there. While you are there you might also consider a Media storage tank. They have a clearance on a 20GB for $160, I think.

Here is the link:
http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/MapQuestView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&languageId=-1&city=orlando&state=fl&zipCode=

[tompokny]

Hi Mike,

I was just wondering if you'd gone on your trip, and when we'd be seeing some pictures from you!

Glad to hear that you found a laptop for offloading your CF card, so that you're not wasting your vacation time driving somewhere to back up your photos. Also, the nice part about spending 6 days in the parks is that it gives you a chance to review your photos in the evening, and adjust your technique the next day, as you see what works / doesn't work.

If you have time before you leave, I posted another gallery, this one from my trip in April: http://www.pbase.com/tominpok/wdwapr2005

Don't get too involved with the photography, be sure to relax and have fun with your family. Enjoy your trip!

Tom in Poughkeepsie

[mblanton]

Tom,

I really enjoyed your pictures and I'm getting really excited....just 3 more days till I go to WDW! Fun with my family is exactly what I've got planned. I will return home on the 19th and then back to work on the 20th. Hopefully I will be able to add pics to my gallery www.pbase.com/mblanton during that week.

Thanks for all the advice and encouragement.

I'll let everyone know how it went.

Mike

[gkuenning]

Several people have said "Don't get too involved in the photography."

I couldn't agree more. I've been lucky enough to visit a ton of major tourist destinations this year, and everywhere I saw somebody who was experiencing it through the viewfinder of a camcorder. The camera should be the memory of what you actually did. It shouldn't be the thing you do. Especially if there are kids involved: my opinion is that you should never be in the position of interfering with their enjoyment because you were focused (groan) on a picture.

[Tom W]

Several people have said "Don't get too involved in the photography."

I couldn't agree more. I've been lucky enough to visit a ton of major tourist destinations this year, and everywhere I saw somebody who was experiencing it through the viewfinder of a camcorder. The camera should be the memory of what you actually did. It shouldn't be the thing you do. Especially if there are kids involved: my opinion is that you should never be in the position of interfering with their enjoyment because you were focused (groan) on a picture.

Good point, and it does really depend on whether you've got family and kids around or not. I'd not hesitate to do the Animal Kingdom alone for the sole purpose of taking images. But I wouldn't get so involved with the camera as to forget the people that I came with.

[Rob612]

Hmm, when I said "nailed snow white" I was referring to getting a decent photo, not any other possible use of that as a slang term.


Ahahahahahahahahahah !!!!!!!


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Croasdail]

If you thought photography is expensive... hold on to your wallet... you haven't seen anything yet. Have a great time and do take some pictures so you can remember what you spent all that money on.

[mblanton]

My daughter and I just came in from taking a few test shots. I set the camera to manual, metered the subject, and set the flash to -1 1/3. The pictures looked awesome. I feel very good about the photography now. Thanks for all the help...I couldn't do it without all of you. Talk to you when I return.

Mike

[04rexracr]

woot for Port Orleans!!!! just got back 2 weeks ago. we stayed for 6 nights

[mdm]

I'm back from the cruise. What a trip it's been. Cruised through Arlene when it was a tropical storm. took a ton of shots in raw. I had the laptop onboard. I will post some shots when I go through them.

[tommykjensen]

Several people have said "Don't get too involved in the photography."

I couldn't agree more. I've been lucky enough to visit a ton of major tourist destinations this year, and everywhere I saw somebody who was experiencing it through the viewfinder of a camcorder.

Hehe, this reminds me of a guy that went on the new ride Mission Space in Epcot. You get locked into a really tight space during the ride and this guy had his VIDEO CAMERA going!! He wanted the ride that put him through several G's on film. I doubt he got anything except alot of shaken footage....

btw the Mission Space ride is the most awesome ride ever built.

[mdm]

I just got back Sunday from a cruise with the family. My brother was the pilot who took the cruise ship out of Galveston. I was able to ride in the wheelhouse with the camera. Thank goodness for raw. Now I understand a little more about raw, Bob Gross. Some shots just didn't come out right on the white balance and with a little tinkering on the computer they looked halfway ok. I took a picture on the dock of the ship with a 4 second shot. Just trying a little trial and error. The big show was in Cozumel when the kids got to swim with the dolphins.

[Mernya]

I recommend staying at the Animal Kingdom lodge. Great resort for photos, too! Lots of animals and theming. Also, if you are going for a week+ and staying at a resort, consider one person getting an annual pass. I did in February. It was about $200 more than my wife's pass, but we saved 50% on our room. It paid for itself after two days. It also entitled us to sign up for a Disney Dining Experience ($50) that gave us 20% all of our sit down meals. It was cheaper to sit down and eat well instead of fast food.

I can't agree more with gkuenning, either. Sometimes it is hard to put the camera down.

[slin100]

btw the Mission Space ride is the most awesome ride ever built.

I read that a 4 yo child recently died on that ride. :(

[mblanton]

Well, I made it back from Walt Disney World. We had a great time. I took everyone's advise and really enjoyed my time in Florida. I put photography in the back seat, but I still brought back alot of great snapshots. I didn't spend much time looking for artsy shots. If you want to take a look I put them up on my site.

http://www.pbase.com/mblanton/disney

Thanks for taking a look.

Mike

[etaf]

you have some great family keepers there - I too find it difficult with all the family to start spending an a couple of hours on some arty shot.
glad you ahad a good trip - thanks for letting us know the outcome

what was you solution to storage? {may help others who go}

[tommykjensen]

I read that a 4 yo child recently died on that ride. :(

Oh my good, I never read that.

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/US/06/14/disney.death.ap/

[mblanton]

My storage solution ended up not being very simple. I borrowed a laptop (the screen did not work) and a 14 inch monitor and packed it to the hotel room. Each night when we came in I would off load the pictures from my card and recharge my batteries. It worked, but if I ever do it again, I'll probably be prepared and have extra cards or an image tank.

Mike

[Mernya]

Yeah, some 4 year old died on the ride, but last I heard, they weren't sure why. There was no trauma. The ride simulates the force during take off via a centrifuge. You experience 2 Gs. You generally experience more force on a roller coaster. Disney is very safe. If it wasn't, they wouldn't stay in business. :) At Disneyland, in California, almost all the attraction deaths were caused by people not following the rules.

That said, Mission Space is a cool ride. I just got back from Disneyland 2 weeks ago, and Soarin (now at Epcot) is an AWESOME ride. (did WDW in Feb)

[cerveza4lu]

About the 4 year old, there was no signs of trauma as stated earlier, however, it has been said the child truly did not want to get on that ride and was quite terrified. It is possible that he was literally scared to death. (I'm not trying to be funny here. It is possible, similar to the dying of a broken heart)

For those of us with kids, it really makes you think back on those times weve told them "Oh, it's not that scary. You'll be fine."