Fave Photo Spots....

[RavsRuleDisney!]

Ok, 30 days to go :thumbsup: :thumbsup: and I was just reading up on the little ops manual for my new Canon camera. Started thinking of all the cool photo ops around WDW. So starting with the MK (will follow-up with posts for the other parks) where are your favorite spots to snap a pic?!

For me:
* The obvious Main St shot with or without family members in the picture - day or night always a cool one
* Castle shot between Casey's and Crystal Palace thru the trees
* Got some great pics of the DS' on Tom Sawyer Island
* From the top outside of Splash looking back over the park - and praying my camera makes it thru the last drop!
* HM at dusk

[hauntedmansiongirl]

Some of my favourites:

Sunset pics over the water on the boat ride from Fort Wilderness or Wilderness Lodge to the MK- these always turn out amazing!

Aiming up at the castle with the family in the foreground from the little alcove between the hub and tomorrowland.

From the bridge down onto the family on the Tomorrowland Speedway.

Pretending like we're holding up the Pixar sign near TSM at DHS.

Spaceship Earth from across the World Showcase.

The monorail from behind spaceship earth.

The MK from the outside walkway at the California Grill (under refurb while you're there though).

The Grand Floridian or Poly from any boat on Bay Lake.

The flowers and butterflies around the bridge at Coronado Springs.

Winter Summerland mini golf has all kind of cool sculptures etc to take pics with.

Yehaa Bob at Port Orleans Riverside.

I can't wait to hear everyone else's ideas!

[LVT]

I like the castle in colors during fireworks.
The paddle wheeler from shore.

[sorcerer fan]

I have a thing at disney, I take pictures of all the photo spot signs. I bring them home to show the kids and they get a hoot out of them. One son in law just hates this , thinks it's a waste of time. Maybe thats why I do it!:D

[Canuck Park Hopper]

My favourite shot was done by a PhotoPass photographer... She got down on the ground (literally laying on the ground) in the middle of Sunset Blvd at HS and had DD jump up in the air in front of the Tower. The perspective that it creates is fantastic! :thumbsup:

Not every Photopass agent will make that kind of effort to get a neat photo like that!

[TheHD]

There are many of the "regular" great DW photo spots that I love, but on our last trip, I finally had my wife take a picture of me in front of Sonny Eclipse at night. It came out really great. I sort of have an alien-man crush on Sonny. :secret:

[azcavalier]

My favorite photo spots are:

1. Between The Land and The Seas pavilions, of Spaceship Earth, while a Monorail train has just passed. Here is one of my shots from last year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8510726742/in/set-72157632861527191/

2. The fiber optic lights in the Innoventions plaza at night. I usually set the camera on the bench, and set it to leave the shutter open for a few seconds while the kids run around. You get some interesting shots there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618539/in/set-72157632861527191/

3. This last year I tried something new. I bought a GorillaPod for my camera. A GorillaPod is a small tripod (around $30-$40) where the legs are totally flexible. We got seats to watch Reflections of Earth right up against the fence, and I wrapped my tripod legs around the fence railing, with the lens between the rails. Then I snapped off about 100 pictures during the show. Got some great ones.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618929/in/set-72157632861527191/

4. Cinderella Castle, at the end of Main Street, with no people, if you can. The only chance of this is early in the morning during EMH, right at opening. However, at night, with it decorated with icicles is pretty neat as well. This one is from in front of the Crystal Palace.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618839/in/set-72157632861527191/

Look through the entire set. I took around 500 photos that week. These are my favorite 27.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/sets/72157632861527191/with/8509618839/

[barbiegirl314]

On Tom Sawyer's Island there's a quiet spot w/ rocking chairs that I have my DS's sit in and get a shot of the pond and BTMRR in the background. Sometimes I'm even lucky enough to get the train going by :mickey:

[hauntedmansiongirl]

My favorite photo spots are:

1. Between The Land and The Seas pavilions, of Spaceship Earth, while a Monorail train has just passed. Here is one of my shots from last year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8510726742/in/set-72157632861527191/

2. The fiber optic lights in the Innoventions plaza at night. I usually set the camera on the bench, and set it to leave the shutter open for a few seconds while the kids run around. You get some interesting shots there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618539/in/set-72157632861527191/

3. This last year I tried something new. I bought a GorillaPod for my camera. A GorillaPod is a small tripod (around $30-$40) where the legs are totally flexible. We got seats to watch Reflections of Earth right up against the fence, and I wrapped my tripod legs around the fence railing, with the lens between the rails. Then I snapped off about 100 pictures during the show. Got some great ones.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618929/in/set-72157632861527191/

4. Cinderella Castle, at the end of Main Street, with no people, if you can. The only chance of this is early in the morning during EMH, right at opening. However, at night, with it decorated with icicles is pretty neat as well. This one is from in front of the Crystal Palace.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/8509618839/in/set-72157632861527191/

Look through the entire set. I took around 500 photos that week. These are my favorite 27.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25939479@N03/sets/72157632861527191/with/8509618839/


Great photos! Thanks for sharing them with us!!! :mickey:

[MrPeetrie]

My favorite picture spot is with the Tree of Life in the background. But not from the park's entrance side. My favorite spot is on the path that connects Africa to Asia. About one-third the way down, there's a small pathway that leads to a beautiful view of the Tree. That's my favorite.

[TinkerbellT421]

I have some great artsy shots.

Standing under the entrance of the Castle facing up at an angle to the clock. Very fancy. Wish I knew how to post picture to show what I mean. Some great pictures of the garden at LeCellier. The Boardwalk, the beach at beach club from across at the Boardwalk.

[azcavalier]

My favorite picture spot is with the Tree of Life in the background. But not from the park's entrance side. My favorite spot is on the path that connects Africa to Asia. About one-third the way down, there's a small pathway that leads to a beautiful view of the Tree. That's my favorite.

I know that spot. Great spot.

[Main Street Jim]

My favorite picture spot is with any sign *in* the picture that says "Picture Spot" :P

[ANG]

They don't have my spot anymore :(

We like to go in fall when decorations are out. There use to be two big Mickey head pumpkins at the entrance of Toon Town. We took our picture there every time.

Others are:

With the troll in Norway

In the photo booths in UK

Anywhere in the park if we are holding a Mickey bar :)

[epceddie]

I love making an 8 a.m. reservation at the Crystal Palace in the MK and taking shots of Main Street USA with no people around. Priceless!
Also, I like to get shots of the monorail going through Epcot with Spaceship Earth in the background. A good place to do this is near the entrance to Ellen's Universe of Energy.
Another cool spot is the courtyard between the quiet pool at Congress Park and the water in front of Downtown Disney. There's a cool fountain, the red Characters in Flight balloon gives the shot some color, and a polarizer filter really makes the blue sky pop.

[azcavalier]

I love making an 8 a.m. reservation at the Crystal Palace in the MK and taking shots of Main Street USA with no people around. Priceless!
Also, I like to get shots of the monorail going through Epcot with Spaceship Earth in the background. A good place to do this is near the entrance to Ellen's Universe of Energy.
Another cool spot is the courtyard between the quiet pool at Congress Park and the water in front of Downtown Disney. There's a cool fountain, the red Characters in Flight balloon gives the shot some color, and a polarizer filter really makes the blue sky pop.

I just bought a nice circular polarizer for my new Sigma 17-50mm lens. That, combined with my BlackRapid strap, and I can't wait to take some WDW photos!

[Altair]

Animal Kingdom - Festival of the Lion King http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8346399046_d255ff9874_c.jpg

Studios - Fantasmic! http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8224/8345361923_e2959f8df3_c.jpg

Magic Kingdom - Castle from rose garden http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8276708092_4c0c712efc_c.jpg

Epcot - flower garden in Canada http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8080/8277970104_3c83f3ddcf_c.jpg

[MinnieMal]

Great post and very helpful to us other amateur photographers - thank you! I love everyone's suggestions AND particularly love seeing the photos. I have a new camera this year, so with (my) very little professional know-how, I will be exploring and experimenting. Hopefully, with some basic skills, a decent camera and WDW as the subject, I can't go too wrong?!

Love the suggestion of a gorilla-pod, thank you for that. Anyone else have some basic tips - filters, etc?

Here's one more spot suggestion ... I have been taking the annual pic of my DS next to the baseball player outside of Casey's on Main Street for several years. It's a great way to watch him grow; who knows, maybe he'll be there with his own kidlings some day! :bball:

[indytraveler]

I like photos on Main St. However nobody mentioned this one... Stand by the hub or closer to Castle and take one back towards the Train Station. Problem, is you can't get this without hundreds of people but the design and layout of Main St. fascinates me.

Another spot in MK is when the Jungle Cruise Captain is pointing out some of his favorite flowers. Makes a nice backdrop.

[MarkC]

If you look at azcavalier's post above, they have some great shots. The first one is very close to my favorite shot.

Wait until a little later in the afternoon or early evening and point your camera directly at the living seas. I have a shot where the monorail reflection looks like a mirror in the water. I've had people have to look twice because they can't tell if the photo is upside down or not. The water is a great mirror and it may be my favorite shot ever. I sent it to a couple of co-workers and they use it as their screen savers at work.

[Zawadi]

Our favourite spot is on the bridge into Harambe with Everest in the background (just watch out for the ants)

[TheVBs]

Azcavalier and Altair, thanks so much for posting links to your pictures! They're incredible. I just took a mini-vacation in my head looking at them. :mickey: Azcavalier, you have gorgeous kids!

I love to try to get shots of things that I haven't before. Either the must haves from a different angle, or activities we're doing. One year we went with my m.i.l. and she took some pictures of us having meals, something I'd just never thought to do before! A couple people here mentioned taking pictures of the "photo spot" signs. I love that! That would have never occurred to me either.

[azcavalier]

Azcavalier and Altair, thanks so much for posting links to your pictures! They're incredible. I just took a mini-vacation in my head looking at them. :mickey: Azcavalier, you have gorgeous kids!

Thanks, but I can't take credit for all of them. They're not all mine! We went with another family, and their kids are in those pictures as well.

Just FYI for any beginning photographers out there...i'm no expert, but I am an educator/instructional designer, and a few years ago I taught a class on basic photography. I have a one page handout that simplifies how shutter speed, the aperture, and ISO (sensitivity) settings are all related, as well as some other basic rules (such as the Rule of Thirds). If anyone wants a copy, just send me a PM.

[Altair]

Another favorite spot is the Gorilla sanctuary along the Pagani Trail. http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8508/8533116732_1e9c9b62d1_c.jpg