Picture This!

Copyright © 2007 Barrie Brewer, Nikon D50/18-200, 1/1000s shutter, f4.8

If you listen to our friends over at the WDW Today podcast, they’ll tell you that an hour or two is more than enough time to spend in the Animal Kingdom. They are exaggerating of course, but their point is that there just isn’t that much to “do” there. If it’s attractions you’re most interested in, then I’d have to agree. The only ones I make sure I never miss are Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Festival of the Lion King.

As a photographer though, I have to disagree. I think Animal Kingdom may be my new favorite park for taking pictures. I think Disney did a fabulous job on the theming in this park. The detail is incredible. At every turn there is something interesting to capture on camera. It’s also a very beautiful park. The landscaping is gorgeous and there’s water everywhere. Oh, and don’t forget the animals. Two hours may be enough time for the attractions, but I could easily fill two days with taking photos at Animal Kingdom.

Quick Tip: I spend a lot of time looking at other people’s photos. It’s a great way to learn about what kind of photos catch my interest. Once when looking at some Disney photos I came across a photo of the Yeti Shrine with Expedition Everest in the background. It wasn’t obvious, but as I studied it I noticed the shrine seemed to have a similar shape to the mountain. In that photo I couldn’t be sure so, on my next trip I made a point to check it out. Indeed, as you can see, if you stand in just the right spot you can line up the shrine and the mountain. That was a fun discovery.