Picture This!

This was Challenge #42:

And here's the answer:

Copyright © 2007 Barrie Brewer, Nikon D50, 18-200VR, 1/10s shutter, f5.3, ISO 800

Only a few people recognized this as the sign from Hollywood & Vine, a full-service buffet restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Hollywood & Vine is home to a character breakfast and lunch featuring the Little Einsteins and JoJo and Goliath. Dinner is a non-character buffet.

Susan McDonald was the first to send in the correct answer this week! Congratulations to Susan and all the readers who got the answer right: Heather Coursen, Linda, Jamie Poynton, Cameron Lange, Tim Rachuba, Wendy Snelgrove, Bob Kowalski, Kyle, Pollyanna Buff and Dan McDonald. Each of you will be entered in the June winners’ drawing.
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Challenge #43: Where in the world is this?

Do you know? Do you have a guess? Send in your answer, before the end of the day on Thursday, June 26, by clicking HERE!
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Everyone who sends in a correct answer to a Where in the World Challenge this month will be entered in a drawing at the end of the month for some special AllEars® goodies and a copy of PassPorter's Walt Disney World by Jennifer Marx, Dave Marx, Allison Cerel Marx!

This week Lisa, Scott and I will be sharing night photos in our Pic of the Week series. One of the most common questions I hear is, “When is the best time to visit Walt Disney World?” My favorite answer to that question is “After dark!” It’s less crowded, cooler and absolutely beautiful! There’s no better place to take night photos than Walt Disney World.

Copyright © 2007 Barrie Brewer, Nikon D50, 18-200VR, 1.2 second shutter, f8

My Pic of the Week is from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is Grauman’s Chinese Theatre which houses the Great Movie Ride. I love how dramatic the lighting makes this building look against the dark sky.

Be sure to check back on Thursday and Saturday to see Scott and Lisa's night photo picks.

One of the creepy statues in the Tower of Terror gardens framed by American Sycamore trees.
Nikon Coolpix 995, 1/125s, f/4.4, 200 ISO, 0 EV

It is my opinion the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is the best themed attraction at Walt Disney World. A few years ago, and before Disney invented FastPass, I spent a long time in the Tower's queue which snakes through some overgrown gardens before you enter the lobby. When looking around, I spied this creepy looking statue through some American Sycamore trees. I felt it would make a good contribution to the Disney Pic of the Week Queue Line theme.

Copyright © 2007 Barrie Brewer, Nikon D50, 18-200VR, 1/320s shutter, f9

Here’s a quick tip: If you change time zones when you travel to Walt Disney World, remember to reset your camera’s clock so that your photos are stamped with the correct time. It didn’t occur to me to do this when I travelled to Europe. I organize my photos by date and I had a heck of a time sorting them out when I got home. Now, I’m careful to make sure the camera has the right time set before I start taking photos in a new locale.

If there is one thing a Disney themepark has plenty of it's SIGNS. Signs telling you where you parked, what bus to take, when a show starts, who to see, and how to use the emergency bag in Mission: Space. There are humorous signs, serious signs, small signs, huge signs and purple road signs. So, this week's Disney Pic of the Week theme is (you guessed it) signs.

People tend to forget when they enter Disney's Hollywood Studios, they are entering one very large movie set. In essence, the backlot starts at the Studio's entrance. If you look at the signs, you'll get the feeling you are on a working set in almost every corner. This sign was across from the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular entrance.

A movie set sign across from the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular in Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Nikon D70/18-200VR, 1/80s, f/5.6, 200 ISO, +0.6 EV, 31mm Focal Length

Lisa and Barrie will be along on Thursday and Saturday showing you some of their favorite Disney signs.

The Tower of Terror Lobby as it would have looked like in an episode of the Twilght Zone TV show.
Nikon D70/18-70G, 1/160s, f/6.3, 200 ISO, +0.3 EV, 50mm Focal Length

This week's Disney Pic of the Week Black & White theme gave me an opportunity to show you what the lobby of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror would have been like in one of those classic Rod Serling produced episodes.

If you read my December 25, 2007 blog, you know that my holiday gift to you is that each month I will post a photo calendar page that you can print out and use at home or work during 2008.

Peace on Earth. I can't think of a better sentiment to bring a close to 2008. This beautiful scene is from the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I can hardly believe it's been nearly a year since I began posting these calendars! I've had such fun putting them together and sharing them with you that I've decided to go ahead and keep posting them into 2009. Hope that's ok with you!

You will need to have Adobe Reader on your computer to download the calendar(s). Just click on the photo to download the calendar you want.

This one prints out at 8.5" x 11". It's handy if you need a calendar that you can write on.

This one prints out at 4.75" x 4.75", the perfect size for a CD Jewel Case frame.

Click here to see all of the calendars from past months.

I recently read a wonderful book on travel photography. Since most of us travel to Walt Disney World, I found lots of great information which can be used there, elsewhere and at home. It talks about finding the spirit of where you are. This is how I approached all my photography before I even knew this was how many others also described their vision. The book, Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer, was written by Bob Krist, who's a contributing editor at both National Geographic Traveler and Outdoor Photographer, back in 2000. The year it was written is important as digital photography was in it's infancy then. Most of the equipment he talks about in the book is still SLR equipment but is not digital. However, it all has equivalents to today's digital SLR and advanced Point and Shoot world of today. Digital photography has come a long way in just 8 short years. So, keep that in mind if you decide to read the book.

The first part of the book goes in depth as to the equipment Bob uses, composition of a good travel photograph and how to get the best technical photo possible. Very good for a beginning photographer and an excellent review for those who have been shooting for awhile. All this information is geared towards a working travel photographer which we all are when visiting Walt Disney World with our cameras. Right?

The part I most enjoyed was Bob giving tips on how to photograph people all over the world. Walt Disney World is unique in you can do that all in one day at Epcot. It's a bit easier in WDW but still takes a little effort to ask non-character cast members for their picture. If you are traveling without children, remember characters will pose for your camera, too. I have seen many great character portraits on message forums and photo sharing sites like flickr.

Bob talks about how to capture the essence of a city. Written before the advent of Yahoo or Google, it is much easier today to research a location then his advice. No need to write to a travel bureau when you can "google" it in seconds on our computers. Still, what to look for is very relevant and Bob tells you the best kind of things like festivals, parades, holidays, historical events and other cultural happenings. Researching a trip to Walt Disney World is the same. When you go, there are different things going on depending on the time of year and you need to know what they are and when they happen. One advantage for us is there's usually a schedule online for us to find out these things.

There's even a chapter on photographing in the tropics. Great tips on how to get good photographs even at midday on a bright, sandy beach. While he is referring to Caribbean Islands, central Florida poses the same challenges.

Throughout the book, Bob goes over how to create stories with photographs. Many of us do produce these in trip reports to our friends, family and Internet communities. Bob shows how to do it like an editor would. Giving ideas and examples on how to wrap up all those hundreds of images into interesting essays using all the techniques and equipment he introduces us to in each chapter.

The book is filled with Bob Krist's exquisite photographs taken on his many assignments for National Geographic Traveler, Outdoor Photographer, Smithsonian, Travel/Holiday and many other publications. Yes, the book is a little dated when it comes to the equipment he talks about but the rest is timeless information for us who enjoy photographing the places we travel to and live in.

How do I capture the spirit of Walt Disney World in a photograph? For me, Walt Disney's spirit lives on in the parks and some of it rubs off on all of us who visit. Of course, there are many kinds of spirits, below is one of magic. A man's vision of two dimensional characters brought to life and giving a family's children and their parents a gift in a photograph to cherish for the rest of their lives. You can find Donald and Daisy Duck (and other lovable Disney characters) on Mickey Avenue in front of their On-Location Hollywood Star trailers in Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The spirit of Walt Disney can been seen in the faces of these children posing for their parents with Donald and Daisy Duck.
Nikon Coolpix 995, 1/100s, f/3.6, ISO 100, EV 0

A Streetmosphere performance of The Dating Game in Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Nikon Coolpix 995, 1/137s, f/4.2, ISO 100, 0 EV

When I am walking around Hollywood or Sunset Boulevards in Disney's Hollywood Studios, I keep my eye out for those lovable characters Disney calls Streetmosphere entertainers. Back in 2003, I came upon them doing their version of the The Dating Game. The lady acting as the host gave me a look of "Do you believe he said that!" to an answer given by one of the eligible bachelors. It makes for a humorous entry for my Disney Pic of the Week on Street Performers.

Ever wonder how those Hollywood stunts are done? The stunt shows at Disney's Hollywood Studios take you behind the scenes of how stunts are safely planned and performed and is this week's theme for Disney Pic of the Week. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show features the Red Hero Car being chased all over the large outdoor set by a group of Black Villain Cars. Stay tuned as Lisa and Barrie will share their best stunt shots coming up this Thursday and Saturday. And you can share yours with us by posting your favorite stunt show photo in this flickr post.

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show Hero Jump.
Nikon D70/18-200VR, 1/200s, f/8, ISO 200, 32mm Focal Length

Copyright © 2006 Barrie Brewer, Nikon D50, 55-200mm, 1/640s shutter, f5.3

I like how nonchalantly the guys with the fire extinguishers walk up to this woman engulfed in flames. It’s as if they see this kind of thing everyday… oh yeah, they do! These cast members are stunt performers in the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. They do an amazing job of showing us all how some of Hollywood’s most dangerous stunts are performed.