by 136 people |
Whether you are a Disney fan, a photography buff or both - grab yourself a refreshing beverage and spend some time hanging out here. I've put together a lens to seriously distract you from anything productive that you had planned to do today!
Everything here is designed to inspire, entertain and even educate you. So just give in to temptation and enjoy yourself. Think of it as a mini vacation - you know you need one!
Note: Except for the section titles, all blue text on this page is a link to somewhere else, even if it isn't underlined. The content on this lens was last updated on 11/17/09.
Welcome!
Hi everyone! Welcome to Great Disney World Photos. I'm so glad you've come to visit!Digital photography is taking the world by storm - Disney World that is. Seems like everyone has a digital camera these days - me included. Not that long ago, I upgraded from a point and shoot to a DSLR.
In my quest to learn how to use my camera to its fullest potential, I have come across an unbelievable amount of information on the web. Much has been extremely helpful and inspiring, while some has been, well, not. This lens was born out of a desire to share the best of what I've found with other people interested in Disney World photography. I hope you like it.
Resort Areas
curated content from Flickr
Personal Photo Galleries
I find such inspiration from viewing other people's photos and there are some really gorgeous Disney World photos online. Follow these links to some of my favorite online photo galleries.
When you visit galleries that you like, give them a pat on the back by clicking on the little triangle next to their name.
Please feel free to add links to your favorite Disney World photo galleries.
1
TwoOldPoohs
One of my favorite DIS photographers. I want to be more...8 points
4
Mark Barbieri
You're sure to enjoy a romp through the parks with more...3 points
5
Magical Photography
The Disney photos rock!3 points
6
We-Luv-Disney
Absolutely incredible shots by Joseph Levy. Don't more...2 points
8
R Todd King
These photos are all about the details at the Disn more...2 points
9
demonllama
Lots of night time photos here.2 points
10
Obelisk Fotogalerijen
Beautiful photos from Disneyland Paris!2 points
11
Summer's WDW Photography
This site has some cool retro photos as well as cu more...2 points
12
Dan Murphy
Dan's photos were some of the first I remember bei more...1 point
15
handicap18
Kyle's got some very nice albums. My favorites are more...1 point
16
Andie Smith
Andie has a knack for taking WDW photos that stand more...1 point
17
Craig Dukus
Craig has some of the best WDW photos I've seen on more...1 point
18
Tamara Gray
Tamara is new to photography but she's off to a gr more...1 point
19
Gdad (Jeff)
What a skilled and talented photographer! I thorou more...1 point
20
Jeff Kontnick
All of Jeff's photos are really great, but he has more...1 point
22
Justin Miller
While many of us do our best to get shots without more...1 point
23
Scott Dommin
Scott currently has 4 WDW albums in his gallery an more...1 point
24
Brick Street Photography (Scott/gruZ)
Definately not your everyday tourist pics. Scott h more...1 point
25
AUBandPilot (Byron Hall)
If you attended MouseFest be sure to check out Byr more...1 point
26
Laura Holland (SuiteDisney)
Laura has more than 10,000 photos from around Walt more...1 point
27
Louis Allen (ShadowWind Manor)
This WDW gallery will get you in the mood for your more...1 point
28
Dave Beedle
Nice detail shots!1 point
29
Sharon & Bob
Park Hopping at Walt Disney World pictures publish more...1 point
30
Jennifer D
Jennifer has a great eye. Her gallery is really wo more...1 point
31
Craig & Dina
This gallery is FILLED with absolutely beautiful W more...1 point
32
Pete Drummond
Lovely vacation photos!1 point
34
Collection: All things Disney
30+ years of WDW photography1 point
35
Disney World Pictures Free High Resolution Pictures of the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
Free, high resolution Walt Disney World pictures c more...1 point
36
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y254/Seadragon7/Disney 2009 Trip/
Our family 2009 Trip to Disney World1 point
37
My Vacation Photos to Disney World from 2006-2009
Disney World has become a very special place for m more...1 point
Get Your 2010 WDW Calendar Now!
This 2010 calendar of images from the Walt Disney World Resort features my photography. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar will benefit Deb Wills' Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Just click on the calendar photo to preview or purchase.
Picture This!
AllEars.Net Photoblog
AllEars has a great photoblog called Picture This!
Check out the photos and tips from Scott, Lisa and none other than yours truly - me that is! Every Sunday I post a new "Where in the World?" contest.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byPhotographing Fireworks
Disney World has absolutely beautiful fireworks shows at Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Probably the most frequently asked question regarding taking photos in WDW is "How do I take good fireworks pictures?" Here are my recommendations.
1. Pick a good location to shoot from. Choose a spot that is upwind from where the fireworks will be set off so that the smoke blows away from you and out of your photograph. Remember that the fireworks will explode high in the sky, so be sure to look up when choosing your spot. Make sure that your view will not be blocked by trees, buildings or giant torches.
2. Use a tripod. It's the only way to be sure you will get a sharp picture. Even better, combine the tripod with a remote shutter release.
3. Turn your flash off. The only thing it's going to light is the back of the head of the person in front of you - not exactly the effect you're going for!
4. Use the right settings. If you have a point and shoot with a fireworks setting on your camera, use that. If not, set your camera to landscape. If you can manually set your camera, the following settings are a good place to start: ISO 100, 2-3 second shutter, aperture f8-f16.
5. Take lots of photos. After the first few, take a look to make sure you're getting what you want. Now enjoy the show!
For more tips check out the links below.
1. Pick a good location to shoot from. Choose a spot that is upwind from where the fireworks will be set off so that the smoke blows away from you and out of your photograph. Remember that the fireworks will explode high in the sky, so be sure to look up when choosing your spot. Make sure that your view will not be blocked by trees, buildings or giant torches.
2. Use a tripod. It's the only way to be sure you will get a sharp picture. Even better, combine the tripod with a remote shutter release.
3. Turn your flash off. The only thing it's going to light is the back of the head of the person in front of you - not exactly the effect you're going for!
4. Use the right settings. If you have a point and shoot with a fireworks setting on your camera, use that. If not, set your camera to landscape. If you can manually set your camera, the following settings are a good place to start: ISO 100, 2-3 second shutter, aperture f8-f16.
5. Take lots of photos. After the first few, take a look to make sure you're getting what you want. Now enjoy the show!
For more tips check out the links below.
- Fireworks and Nightime Long Exposures
- These tips for getting good fireworks and nightime shots are written specifically for taking pictures in the Disney parks.
- 11 Tips for Sparkling Fireworks Photos
- Here's Photojojo's recommendations for taking great fireworks shots.
- How to Photograph Fireworks
- Improve your results with Digital Photography School's tips.
- IllumiNations Smoke Direction Forecast
- Here's a handy way to predict the wind direction on Showcase Lagoon at Epcot. You can even view it on your mobile device when you're at the park!
Photography and Camera Services at WDW
- PhotoPass Info
- Everything you always wanted to know about Disney's PhotoPass. Once again, the best information to be found comes from Deb Wills!
- Disney's PhotoPass Login Page
- View and print your PhotoPass photos here and share your photos with friends and family. Now Disney's PhotoPass site has just become even better! Use your own photos or PhotoPass photos to make wonderful Disney themed photo books, movies and cards.
- Digital Photo Downloads
- Will answers the question of how to download or print pictures from a digital camera while at Disney World.
- Internet Access
- For those of you that can't wait to upload your photos to the internet, here's info on how to get connected at the World.
Choosing the Right Equipment
By Tom in Poughkeepsie
Deciding which camera is right for you can be an overwhelming task. It often helps to read reviews and be able to compare camera features. There are several web sites which not only provide reviews and side-by-side comparisons, but also provide glossaries, tutorials, and other information that can be very helpful for someone new to digital photography. Here are some of my favorites.- Steve's DigiCams
- Steve's site has an extensive set of reviews that are in layman's terms and easy to read.
- Digital Photography Review
- The reviews on this site tend to be much more technically detailed, but I prefer its side-by-side comparison capabilities over Steve's.
- Digital Camera Resource Page
- In addition to useful camera reviews, the Buyer's Guide on this site includes the author's own camera recommendations within various price ranges, as well as shopping tips when looking for a new camera.
Epcot
curated content from Flickr
WDW Photo Cards and Prints
Customize these cards with your own message
I just opened a shop on Zazzle and have been busy creating cards and prints with some of my favorite scenes from the Disney World resort area. Here are just a couple of the 80 or so cards and postcards you will find there - and more are being added all the time. You can even customize your card with your own personalized greeting before ordering. Visit the Focus on Disney World Store to see all the latest cards and prints for sale.
2/20/07 Update: Today I received an order of cards from my Zazzle store. I wanted to check out the quality of the printing and I am very pleased. They are quite nice, much better than cards from another online seller that I have used. I got samples of the postcards and both sizes of note cards and they all look great.
2/20/07 Update: Today I received an order of cards from my Zazzle store. I wanted to check out the quality of the printing and I am very pleased. They are quite nice, much better than cards from another online seller that I have used. I got samples of the postcards and both sizes of note cards and they all look great.
Tips for Better Disney Park Photos
I recently came across these tips from Frank Anzalone. Frank is a Staff Writer on MousePlanet and a past official photographer for Disney Magazine. Although most of his photos are from Disneyland, not Disney World, he has some great tips for taking better photos no matter what resort you are vacationing at.
- Photo Tips #1 - The Basics
- Photo Tips #2 - Better Framing for People Shots
- Photo Tips #3 - Low Light Photos
- Photo Tips #4 - Perspective
- Photo Tips #5 - Photographing Characters
Frank has a site where you can see some of his photographs: MckyFoto's Disney Photography
Disney Photography Communities
Connect with other Disney World fans interested in photography.
- Tagrel's Photography Around the World Board
- Without a doubt, Tagrel is THE friendliest, and funniest, Disney online community there is! This is my favorite photography board. Come on over and say hello.
- DIS Photography Board
- Just try to keep up with all the posts on this bustling forum! A great place to hang out and talk photography at WDW. These folks are very helpful.
- The Magic in Pixels Discussion Forums
- This popular board was launched by Tim Devine. It's loaded with photos and chatter about Disney photography.
- WDWMagic's Digital Media Forums
- Photo albums, contests, tips and techniques to discuss with other Disney photography enthusiasts. These forums are listed as private so you will need to log in to view them.
Animal Kingdom
curated content from Flickr
THE books to buy!
There are lots of books you could buy - believe me, I have plenty! These are my current favorites.
Wallpapers
Free Disney World Photo Gifts for Your Desktop
There's nothing like a beautiful Disney World photo on your computer screen to take your mind off your work and whisk you away to the most magical place on earth.Disney World wallpapers may not be good productivity tools but they sure are nice to look at when we're stuck at the computer.
Here are some sites I have found to jazz up your desktop. If you know of others, please email me and I will link to them here.
- Desktops@Rocket9.net
- Bernie offers up some beautiful shots from Disney Parks in Florida and California. Be sure to take a look, you won't be disappointed. These high quality photos are available in four sizes.
- Downloads for Your Desktop
- More free wallpaper photos from the folks at Mouse for Less. This page includes instructions for installing the photos as your wallpaper. You can even send them one of your own photos to share.
- WDWLIVE
- This new site posts a new wallpaper/photo every day. There are some real beauties here.
- Started by a Mouse
- Tons of great wallpapers here!
Photo Storage & Sharing Sites
People are always asking for the best place to share photos online. The truth is it really depends on what you are looking for. There are all kinds of places to upload your photos to share, each with a little different twist. Some are free and others collect fees. Some are built on the community concept with ways for viewers to add comments and rate photos. Some offer a way to purchase products with photos on them, like t-shirts or cards. Depending on how you want to use or show your photos, you may even decide to have galleries or albums on more than one site.If you want to see MANY of the possibilities available check out this lens. It has links to more than 100 different sites where you can upload, store and share your photos.
Right now, my favorite site is flickr. I love the community aspect of it and you can't beat the price - free! A pro account is only $25 per year for unlimited storage.
The other sites that I most often see recommended are PBase and smugmug. They are both fee-based.
Tips and Tutorials
There's always something new to learn about photography and editing. These tutorials are great, free references for increasing your knowledge.
- Digital Photography School
- This is a great place to learn about digital photography. It's a wonderful blog with new lessons added each week. The articles are well written and easy to follow and the photos are beautiful. They've also have a discussion forum.
- Cambridge in Colour
- Excellent photography and Photoshop tutorials. Be sure to check out his gallery of Cambridge photos as well - they're beautiful.
- good-tutorials
- A link list of tutorials from lots of different sources. They are rated by viewers to easily identify the best of the bunch.
- Learn Photography
- Kelly Grannell's popular tutorial. Her no-nonsense approach to teaching is both refreshing and entertaining.
- Lifehacker
- Often tech-related, Lifehacker is full of tips to make life easier - from building your own solar-powered generator to quitting a nail-biting habit. This link goes directly to their digital photography articles .
- Photojojo
Now that we all have digital cameras we also have more photos than we know what to do with! Check out this site for some great tips on all kinds of fun photo projects.- Everything Photography
- Photography lenses on Squidoo are a great place to gain new information, shop for equipment and see some fabulous photographers' work showcased. The Everything Photography group headquarters is a perfect starting place with more than 60 lenses amongst its ranks.
3/1/07 Update: Great Disney World Photos was voted February Lens of the Month on Everything Photography and there's a short interview with yours truly! - Disney Photography Tips
- Mark Barbieri started this thread on the DIS with tips, requests for tips, and questions about the tips - all related to taking great shots in the Disney Parks.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
curated content from Flickr
Photography Magazines
Need some inspiration? Want to learn a new technique? Looking for some new equipment? These magazines will give you plenty to drool over!
Website and Group Galleries
Many Disney fan websites now have photo galleries built into their sites. Some sites are totally devoted to WDW photos. Here is a link list to some of the best that I have discovered.- Focus on Disney World Flickr Group
This flickr group is the official meeting place for people who enjoy this lens. Please stop by and say hello. We have thousands of photos, with new ones being added everyday. We'd love to see yours! - AllEarsNet Photo of the Week
- Tagrel Photo Galleries
- Walt Disney World Flickr Group
- The Gallery at Mousetyme Vacations
- Mouse Pal's Photo Page
- The Magic in Pixels
- WDWPhotos
- DIS Community Photos
- DIS Boards Photo Thread List
- Disney World & Orlando Unofficial Online Guide
- SmugMug Disney Community
- ClickMagique's PicParade
Gallery Searches
I've done a few searches to find Disney World photos on different photo sharing sites. Here are the results - happy viewing!
ps - try your own searches with more specific words like EPCOT, Mickey Mouse or Tower of Terror.
- smugmug
- keyword: Disney World
- photobucket
- keyword: Disney World
- flickr
- keyword: Disney World
- PBase
- keyword: Disney
Photoshop Editing Software
Once you get hooked on digital photography it won't take but a minute before you find that you just can't live without some good editing software. There are lots of companies with products out there but my recommendation is Adobe. They have set the industry standard for editing and graphic design software and have software designed for amatuers and professionals alike.
![Adobe Photoshop CS3 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31rPo-fLAjL._SL75_.jpg)
![Adobe Photoshop CS3 Upgrade [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Yn29U8lYL._SL75_.jpg)
![Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 (Win/Mac) [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BSa3UbCmL._SL75_.jpg)
![Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 [OLD VERSION]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51x-3FIR9CL._SL75_.jpg)
Magic Kingdom
curated content from Flickr
Please Sign My Guestbook
Do you have ideas for what I should include on this lens? Want to leave a comment? Just click on the "submit your own blurb" button below.
I do appreciate comments of all kinds and love when people add links to their Disney and/or photography lenses and websites. However, I will no longer approve posts that advertise unrelated sites and pages.
Readers - click on any commenter's name to see a list of all their lenses. I always do - there are some great lenses out there!
submit
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Reply
- Surfie Surfie Nov 10, 2009 @ 6:56 pm
- What a fantastic lens! I would love to have some good photography skills. I'm currently a point-and-shoot only photographer. Thank you for all the great resources.
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- luanna luanna Oct 9, 2009 @ 2:03 pm
- I love you Disney
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Reply
- lakern26 lakern26 Aug 27, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
- Excellent lens and gorgeous pictures! We've been the Disneyland a few times in recent years, but it's been over 10 years since we visited WDW. From the looks of things, the place has changed dramatically. We're going back next summer, but looking at your beautiful pics makes me wish that our trip was that much sooner! Thanks so much for sharing your talent and all of those helpful links with us! 5*
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- armhida armhida Aug 18, 2009 @ 1:03 am
- Disney world is a very fun and adventure place to go to..hope I can go there with my family.
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- strayspay strayspay Aug 17, 2009 @ 9:49 pm
- Very nice lens. Makes me wish I could go back.
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Pass the Word!
- PhotographyVoter
- If you like this lens, please take a moment to vote for it on PhotographyVoter so that more people will find it. Thanks!
A Collaborative Project
I'll get by with a little help from my friends...
Although I have a big interest in photography, I'm definately no expert on the subject. In fact, I'm just beginning to cut my teeth really! I've decided that rather than make stuff up (which I have no problem doing by the way!) that I'd like to invite members of the community to help fashion the content for this lens.I learn so much from you all every day and I'd like to share it here. If you'd like to contribute some tips, a "how to" article or some recommendations that you have please send me an email. It can be anything you think others would find useful and it can be as short or as long as you want.
Tom in Poughkeepsie contributed some great information on Choosing the Right Equipment.
Some Parting Notes...
All the photos featured on this lens were taken by me at Disney World (unless otherwise noted) and most were taken with a Nikon D50. I just recently upgraded to a D300 and can't wait to go back to Disney World to try it out there!
Thanks for visiting! The next time you need a little distraction in your day come on back to see what's new. And in the meantime, check out my other Disney World lenses at Focus on Disney World.
Thanks for visiting! The next time you need a little distraction in your day come on back to see what's new. And in the meantime, check out my other Disney World lenses at Focus on Disney World.
by Barrie
Hi there! My name is Barrie and I live in Portland, Oregon. I'm a big Disney World fan. I try to make the long trek from the Pacific Northwest at leas...
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