Rapunzel's Tower

Storm clouds loom over Rapunzel's Tower.

The Shot:

• Aperture:  f/9.0

• Shutter Speed:  1/320

• ISO:  100

• Focal Length:  34mm

• Camera:  Sony A6000

• Lens:  16-50 Kit lens

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Beast's Castle

Beast's Castle as seen from Seven Dwarf's Mine Train.

The Shot:

• Aperture:  f/8.0

• Shutter Speed:  1/400

• ISO:  100

• Focal Length:  41mm

• Camera:  Sony A6000

• Lens:  16-50 Kit lens

• Technique:  3 bracket HDR post-processed in Lightroom

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid

Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid.  Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World.

The Shot:

-  iPhone 7 Plus

-  Aperture f/1.8

-  Shutter Speed 1/2500 sec

-  ISO 20

-  Focal Length 3.99 mm

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney

Rapunzel's Tower

Rapunzel's tower as seen from upstairs in the Harbor House.

This shot was taken with an iPhone 7 Plus and a soft filter with HDR Efex Pro 2.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Storybook Circus - Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Storybook Circus is located in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  It is a fun place to have a treat from the Big Top, and ride classics such as Dumbo.

The Shot:

• Taken with an iPhone 7 Plus using Lightroom Mobile RAW/HDR

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Maurice's Cottage

Tucked away deep in the Enchanted Forest is Maurice's Cottage.  From here, you can get a glimpse of Beast's Castle looming in the mountains.

The Shot:

• Aperture:  f/8.0
• Shutter Speed:  1/1400
• ISO:  100
• Focal Length:  39mm
• Camera:  Sony A6000
• Lens:  16-50 Kit lens
• Technique:  3 bracket HDR post-processed in Lightroom

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Beast's Castle

A view of Beast's Castle from Maurice's cottage.

Settings:

• HDR 3 bracket image with normal exposure set to:
• Aperture f/8.0
• Shutter Speed 1/250
• ISO100
• 42mm
• Merged and tone-mapped in Lightroom

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

The Sun Sets on Fantasyland

Sunsets are an amazing sight at the Magic Kingdom (I am sure sunrises are too, but I'm never up that early).  They add to the magical experience that you can get immersed in while there.

This was my first trip to Walt Disney World with my iPhone 7 Plus so I took a few shots with it, this being one of them.  For this image, I used Lightroom mobile with their new RAW HDR capture, then later finished tone-mapping and other post processing in the desktop version of Lightroom.

One of the things I do notice, and it's not unexpected, is that even with RAW, the iPhone produces significantly more noise than my Sony A6000.  Of course that's understandable given the size of the sensors.  So when you see an article saying that an iPhone or other cell phone camera can replace a DSLR or Mirrorless camera, maybe if you just want a casual JPG.  But if you take RAW images with your DSLR and rely on post-processing, then you will notice the difference.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Dumbo The Flying Elephant

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an iconic classic Disney attractions based on the 1941 film Dumbo.  The original attraction opened at Disneyland in October 1955, three months after the park opened.  

The Magic Kingdom version of the attraction is located in the Storybook Circus area of Fantasyland.  In the center of the attraction, you can see part of the story about Dumbo being delivered by the stork.  At the bottom (not shown here), you can see artwork panels that depict scenes from the classic animation.  The fountains at the bottom light up at night with an array of colors that makes the ride even more magical at night.

The bright Gold, Red, and Blue colors on this ride are striking especially at Golden Hour when they all take on a warm tone.

This was taken with an iPhone 7 Plus using the latest version of Lightroom mobile using the RAW HDR camera setting.  The image was later tone-mapped in Lightroom CC.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Be Our Guest and Beast's Castle

I saw Beauty and the Beast on opening day at the AMC in Disney Springs!  I was inspired by the movie to do a B&W shot.

As with most my shots, this was a 3 bracket HDR image with the normal exposure set to f/8.0 to get good clarity throughout the frame, 1/250 sec shutter speed (set by the camera), ISO100 for minimal noise, and a 27mm focal length.

I later did the post-processing in Lightroom to merge the three images, apply tone mapping and also the B&W filter.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Sunset over Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

This was the first time I was able to go to Disney with my iPhone 7 Plus.  Lightroom Mobile also just released an update that will allow HDR in RAW (DNG) format.  The new HDR mode works by automatically scanning the scene to determine the correct exposure range and then capturing three DNG files which are then automatically aligned, merged, deghosted, and tonemapped in the app. You get a 16-bit floating point DNG, with all of the benefits of both an HDR and a raw photo, which is processed by the same algorithms with the same quality as the HDR technology built into Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom.  I don't like the default tone mapping, so I did some post-processing on the image.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

The Bridge to Beast's Castle

To get to Beast's Castle you have to cross a bridge that is guarded by Gargoyles.  

HDR, f/8.0, 1/320, ISO100, 16mm.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Prince Eric's Castle, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Prince Eric's Castle in the Enchanted Forest in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

This is an HDR image with the normal exposure taken at f/11, 1/125 sec shutter speed, ISO 100 with a 16mm focal length.

Have fun capturing the magic of Disney.

Gaston's Tavern, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

Gaston's Tavern in Belle's Village in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom, at Walt Disney World is a great place to stop in for a snack.  They serve up mixed vegetable cups, hummus with chips, fruit cups and warm cinnamon rolls.  While there, enjoy a pint of LaFou's Brew - it's non-alcoholic.

Belle's Village, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

There is a very quaint area tucked in the back of Belle's Village between Gaston's Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.  If you take time to sit on one of the benches as you rest your feet, you'll notice the amazing detail in the buildings of the village.

Be Our Guest - Magic Kingdom

Be Our Guest in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is a magical place to dine, but even moreso during the holidays.  If you are fortunate enough to get a seat by the window, you can see the snow falling outside.  That with the three, the wreaths and other decorations, make it a magical dining experience.

Rapunzel's Tower - Fantasyland

Rapunzel's Tower made famous by the Disney movie Tangled can be seen above a rocky waterfall.  This area is just to the left of It's A Small World and just to the right of Liberty Square.  It is in the location that formerly housed the Fantasyland Skyway building in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.  This area has restrooms and a great rest area with tables and benches with power in case you need to charge up your phone.

Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid

At low tide, you can enter Prince Eric's castle through an underground cavern and board a clamshell and take a plunger under the sea.  You'll become part of her world where fish sing and dance, you'll see the evil sea witch and her eels.  You can see 128 animatronic characters in your journey under the sea.  You can find Prince Eric's castle in Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Maurice's Cottage - Magic Kingdom

Tucked back in the Enchanted Forest is Maurice's Cottage.  Maurice is a tinkerer and touches can be seen throughout the cottage such as the mismatched chimney.  A wishing well and the wooden fence has been repaired by Maurice using extra wood from around the cottage.  The cottage is located in the Enchanted Forest in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

Be Our Guest in HDR

Another Perspective

In my last few posts, I wrote about the Enchanted Forest and shared a view of the bridge to Beast's Castle at night.  Before you enter the bridge, you pass through a partial arch that marks the entrance to the Be Our Guest restaurant.  For those not following my blog, this is a shot of the entrance to Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasyland, in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.