Composition at Character Meals

Light Meter by Lisa K. Berton

Eight weeks after booking your dining reservations, it’s finally time to lean back and breathe in the warm vanilla and cinammon goodness of your efforts. The character meal is comprised of characters appearing at a restaurant to match its theme and not a meal comprised of characters. Ya know, I just want to spell it out for the newbies. Welcome! For example, Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club has a seaside theme where Minnie, Donald, and Goofy show off their vibrant beach/swim wear.

Characters make their way to each and every table where they will sign autographs, pose for photos, replace anyone missing from your table (Donald stole my seat when I went for waffles), and on rare occasions knock over your glass of skim milk (I promised I wouldn’t tell who it was) and then run and grab napkins, clean the table and show you how sorry he is.
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This ia great opportunity to get nice family photos in a room temperature controlled setting without a stroller obstacle course. When Baloo (or Pluto or Stitch or Lilo or…) comes over, say hello and ask him or her to pose with said relative, friend, frenemy, or boyfriend/girlfriend you haven’t yet introduced to your parents. If the character gets down to be level with your model (I find that in FL they do this with kids whereas in CA they do it with anyone seated) try to also be eye level with them. Should the character stand beside or behind your pal, you should also stand so you’re not looking up Goofy’s nose.

You know how much I love providing photographs of what does and doesn’t work.

Location: Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
Meal: Breakfast buffet
Characters: Pooh and Friends
Models: Susan (in blue) and Pam (in red)

Eeyore was the first to come by. Susan adores him and so we made sure to take a photo of them together. The average snapshot (based on 7 years of working in a retail camera store) looks something like this.

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On the plus side, the photo is in focus because I held the shutter button down halfway to focus before snapping the photo. It’s well lit from natural light and my camera’s flash. On the minus side (Down side? There’s 2 sides to every Schwartz.) Susan and Eeyore are off-center, there’s a random arm on the left, and on the right sit other patrons who are probably all quite lovely but they don’t need to be in my photo album. Years down the road someone will ask you who they are and then you’re going to have to lie and make up names and backstories which lead to a deprivation of character lawsuit against you from “Mr. and Mrs. Brickhouse” and then you’ll spend 3 years in jail without visitation rights. Don’t photograph other diners.

Fill the frame with your loved ones and whoever’s vacationing with you.

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You’re too old to suck your hoof, Eeyore.

Are you traveling with multiple humans? Great! Get them all in the photo. With Tigger bouncing his way between Pam and Susan, I took 2 photos. Here we have too much space above Tig’s (we’re buddies) head, the group is off-center, and again there’s excess empty space in the shot. We can also lose the table and wait for Susan to hand over her camera to Carl (who is off camera).

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A nice close group photo works great. Tigger is the center and centered. Yes, you can gently crop the tippy top of a head or use the camera’s viewfinder (if it has one) so as to not move the camera while shooting. Again, use the flash for proper lighting.

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We now have a nice photo to print, put in the photo album, and cherish without going to prison. Now if little Ralphy would expand his palette beyond mac ‘n cheese, you would be an even happier mommy or daddy.

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One Reply to “Composition at Character Meals”

  1. Great tips! I always find character meals difficult to photograph. Usually an unsightly table winds up in my picture as well. Thank goodness for online photo developing which helps to correct the mistakes made on vacation!