Anyone else think Photopass quality is decreasing?

[CuppieCake04]

I just ordered my PP+ Cd, after edits had over 1K pictures.

What I noticed was a LOT of UNCENTERED photos.

We have multiple family shots (different days and photographers) in front of Epcot and NONE of our pictures are centered with the ball..

we were there for 15 days, and aside from Main Street in MK finding a photographer was HARD. Most only wanted to do 1 or 2 shots and move us along.

These best Pictures we got were with the characters.

We will continue to pre order the PP and use it. It just seems its always hit or miss with a Photographer though.

 

[DisneyFive]

I just ordered my PP+ Cd, after edits had over 1K pictures.

What I noticed was a LOT of UNCENTERED photos.

We have multiple family shots (different days and photographers) in front of Epcot and NONE of our pictures are centered with the ball..

we were there for 15 days, and aside from Main Street in MK finding a photographer was HARD. Most only wanted to do 1 or 2 shots and move us along.

These best Pictures we got were with the characters.

We will continue to pre order the PP and use it. It just seems its always hit or miss with a Photographer though.

If it is just off center, many times that can be fixed by cropping the image.

Dan

 

[Love Tink]

This is a timely thread for me as I am just now going through my photos from last week. Some are amazing, and some are only okay. I am super disappointed in one though. We posed outside of DHS with the Monsters University scene with Sully and Mike W. made of plants. The photographer took only one picture and it doesn't have any of the background t all. It is a close-up of our family and neither kid is looking at the camera. I can't believe the photographer only took one picture. There was not much of a line or anything.

Same thing happened to us! We actually went to DHS on our last morning, on our way out of town, just to get that shot (because my oldest son loves the magic shots). Our photographer actually took several photos, but they are all framed strangely, and all of them cut off the topiaries. It is the weirdest thing.

We also have a few from character interactions where my sons and the character are a tiny pinprick in the center of the photo. Did I need to get a photo that's 1/2 floor? But those are the exceptions; most of the photos are good.

I agree with others who have said that you should just ask them to take more shots if you want more. If I wasn't sure we were set or if I saw my son blink I said, "Can you take one for safety?" They always did.

 

[Tltorrez]

If it is just off center, many times that can be fixed by cropping the image.

Dan

I think the PP is saying that the people are off center from the background focal point (I.e., the Ball, Castle, Hat, etc).

I find this to be the case too and it can make it challenging to crop/zoom. Some of it is just poor composition or being in a hurry. but I find this is more likely to happen if the photog is using a tripod. In that case, since he's not moving, you need to be sitting or standing in just the right place. The one at the front entrance of Epcot is particularly challenging because its crowded and you need to find a seat where you can. In cases like this, even if the photog isn't using a tripod, he only has so much freedom of movement in the crowd. The only shot I have at this location that I love is a close-up of DSis and me with Tink. The wider shots are sometimes fine but its just too busy of a location for something great.

My favorite Epcot location is the bridge to France - day or night. There are also some in the various countries, overlooking the water (China comes to mind). The view is nice but the light can be really harsh mid-day which isn't flattering, so you have to catch it at just the right time.

 

[MissRoseRed]

It is very hit or miss, but I'd say that's mostly in the number of photographers and that overall the quality has definitely dropped. The amount of images lost has definitely increased. Before the end of last year, I don't think I'd ever lost an image, but this year, I've had several go missing and not all of them turned up. For the past few years, we've been going 3-4 times a year and I do photos on every trip. I only buy the cd (or last year PP+) on one big trip and then order 2 or 3 prints from the shorter trips.

My party tends to be camera shy, so I'm usually the only person in the photos - and it's a lot of money to shell out for a single - how many pics can I have in front of the castle? That presents a whole new set of challenges. I'd say 85% of the photopass photographers don't want to photograph one person. I can't tell you how many times the photographer has reached around me to take the family waiting behind me's card and started to set them up before I can even get a word out. And, generally, I'll only get one or 2 rapid fire shots so they can move on. I'd have to say on my PP+ last year, only 10-20% of the shots were even decent snapshots.

There are still exceptions to the rule -- thank goodness -- I've come across some wonderful photographers in Animal Kingdom and Epcot. They really took the time to talk for a minute, set up some poses and treat me like a human being. It makes a huge difference. If I can, I do try to make some sort of small talk with the photographer before I step up to the line, and I try to visit them when they don't have much of a queue.

I know that the photographers aren't necessarily studio professionals, but the photos and CDs are not at all cheap. I think Disney could do a little more with their training and also make sure there are plenty available.

I'm a photographer myself and I am well aware that not every shot is going to be a good one. But in a situation where you're doing the same shot over and over, there should be more consistency. When I shoot team photos, for example, we find a set up that works, and know the best poses for the kids (elbow in, chin up, cap not covering the face - eyes open!) and then it's just a little adjustment here and there. That's what the people are paying for -- a picture they can show to the grandparents. Not a random blurry image anyone could have snapped off...

Sorry, this turned into a rant. Photopass has really been ticking me off lately. It's a necessary evil in my book and you just need to try and make the most of it.

 

[luvmy2babies]

Being a single parent, I was really glad to find they had this service so I could get in some of the pictures.

We have only used it twice but had good results. Of course with my daughter doing Bibbiti Bobbiti Boutique, the CD is pretty much worth it for that alone. During the makeover I'm holding my son so it's nice they are there taking photos. Both years they even got a shot of my son smiling watching my daughter’s makeover. I thought it was really neat they got that shot both years. Then I get the entire photoshoot afterwards added too. Considering the price of the photos there, photopass helps a lot.

My 2012 CD is better than this year, but we didn’t do as many meet and greets this year as last year probably because we had better weather and the lines were longer. They got great shots though. With the Princess Meet and Greet in 2012, they had shots of my daughter dancing with Cinderella. I still cry at the shots of my daughter twirling with Belle. She was in a long gown from her BBB makeover and they twirled together, Belle taught her a princess wave, the photographer took pictures while they were talking with their arms around each other, all of it. And there's a shot of my son smiling watching it all.

This year there are shots of my son dancing to impress Aurora and Rapunzel and my daughter looking as if she wishes the ground would open up and swallow her. And they always manage to get that star struck look my daughter gets when she is with Princess Tiana. We got lots of candid shots at the character meets. My one complaint was the one time we found someone with a magic shot, it didn’t come out. I haven’t tried telling them I already bought the CD. I might do that next time. I figure if we’ll be in the parks at least 5 days, or if my dd is doing BBB, it’s worth getting.

The one guy that I wanted to strangle was the guy at Tusker House in 2012. It was during the Tropical Storm so they were doing sitting shots under the shelter outside the restaurant and Donald was inside. I was having trouble getting my son to sit. It took me an extra 10 seconds max. I got him seated, said, “Okay, we’re ready,” and he said, “Ma’am I already took the picture.” I was dumbfounded. I had not ordered photopass plus. If I had I would have made him do it over, but since I hadn’t, I just considered it $30 I could spend on something else. I was surprised they even brought it to my table. This year’s shot there was amazing, but I didn’t get the ADR in time to pre-order Plus.