First time in WDW with new DSLR

[Disney84]

Hello...

So excited, purchased a Canon T3i about a month ago, been shooting like crazy. Not a stranger to photography, but have always had just a point and shoot in WDW, never a DSLR.

Just looking for opinions, to achieve the best vivid sunshine/day shots, basically around the parks, what settings are most of you using, considering just having the kit lens, 18-55mm, with IS on. Would a polarizing filter been beneficial for the vivid shots?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Cafeen]

Hello...

So excited, purchased a Canon T3i about a month ago, been shooting like crazy. Not a stranger to photography, but have always had just a point and shoot in WDW, never a DSLR.

Just looking for opinions, to achieve the best vivid sunshine/day shots, basically around the parks, what settings are most of you using, considering just having the kit lens, 18-55mm, with IS on. Would a polarizing filter been beneficial for the vivid shots?

Thanks in advance!!

For me (since this is pretty subjective), I'll typically keep the camera on Av (Aperture Priority) while shooting outside. I do this as DoF is something that I want to control and shutter speeds aren't typically an issue. I also manually set the ISO to 100 or 200 if I can get away with it (sometimes I'll have to bump it to 400). I also found myself underexposing by 1/3-2/3 of a stop for many outdoor shots to prevent blowing out my skies (I'm bad at that.)

However, there isn't really one right setting to use here, as lighting and subject matter change drastically. (Though, shooting RAW with Auto White Balance is probably a good bet, since you can then adjust the WB in post pretty easily and it could get tricky keeping up with the different lighting situations within the parks.)

As far as the CPL, it can add to some shots. You may want to be mindful of overuse though (I'm pretty sure I used mine too much this past trip as some softer blue skies would have been nice...) They can be a bit of a pain to add/remove on the go though (I typed "on the goat" there...wtheck?)

 

[havoc315]

A polarizing filter can help, but not always necessary.
You want to meter your shots carefully, and/or shoot raw.

You will find that if you're not careful, the sky will often be over-exposed.. Leading to well exposed subjects in your frame, but a blown out white sky, instead of a vivid blue sky.
If you shoot RAW, you can use lightroom to bring back the sky later. And/or -- when metering your picture, try underexposing a bit or metering on the sky.

You'll want to stop down your aperture. Shoot around 8. Though background blur is often desirable, you may be looking for vivid sharp shots where you can also fully appreciate the Disney background. For this, you'll want to stop down.

 

[Disney84]

Wow, thanks for the tips so far. So would I be ok shooting in RAW+JPEG mode? I do not have a zoom lens yet for this camera, worry with one? Thoughts? Looking at the basic EF-S 55-250 IS f/4-5.6 lens.

The sun is supposed to shining this weekend around us, so I am going to go shoot like crazy and try and practice different lighting, shade, etc.

My DD is 4 and my DS is 10, so I what to try and be prepared as "much as I can", while still having the time of our lives. Really pumped to try shooting the Wishes fireworks and we are going to MVMCP. I do have a small portable tripod for at night.

 

[wiigirl]

A polarizing filter can help, but not always necessary.
You want to meter your shots carefully, and/or shoot raw.

You will find that if you're not careful, the sky will often be over-exposed.. Leading to well exposed subjects in your frame, but a blown out white sky, instead of a vivid blue sky.
If you shoot RAW, you can use lightroom to bring back the sky later. And/or -- when metering your picture, try underexposing a bit or metering on the sky.

You'll want to stop down your aperture. Shoot around 8. Though background blur is often desirable, you may be looking for vivid sharp shots where you can also fully appreciate the Disney background. For this, you'll want to stop down.

 

[havoc315]

Wow, thanks for the tips so far. So would I be ok shooting in RAW+JPEG mode? I do not have a zoom lens yet for this camera, worry with one? Thoughts? Looking at the basic EF-S 55-250 IS f/4-5.6 lens.

The sun is supposed to shining this weekend around us, so I am going to go shoot like crazy and try and practice different lighting, shade, etc.

My DD is 4 and my DS is 10, so I what to try and be prepared as "much as I can", while still having the time of our lives. Really pumped to try shooting the Wishes fireworks and we are going to MVMCP. I do have a small portable tripod for at night.

18-55 is a zoom lens. You mean you don't have a telephoto zoom lens.

Shooting RAW + JPEG is a nice compromise. Let's you mostly use the jpegs, but you have RAW as backup for the maximum flexibility in making adjustments. The downside, it becomes a memory hog.

You'd be fine with just your 18-55. At Disney, the time where a telephoto zoom becomes nice to have, is the Animal Kingdom Safari. Outside of the safari, you really don't need a telephoto zoom. Can be useful if you want pictures of stage shows, but that's about it.

Most people seem to agree that Disney is best shot at wide angles.

 

[OKW Lover]

Wow, thanks for the tips so far. So would I be ok shooting in RAW+JPEG mode? .

When I first started shooting RAW, I used the RAW+JPEG mode (I'm using a Mac and shoot Nikon, but that's irrelevant for this discussion) and quickly found it was a waste. Just shoot RAW and your computer will automatically make a JPEG for you to view when you import the pictures.

 

[havoc315]

When I first started shooting RAW, I used the RAW+JPEG mode (I'm using a Mac and shoot Nikon, but that's irrelevant for this discussion) and quickly found it was a waste. Just shoot RAW and your computer will automatically make a JPEG for you to view when you import the pictures.

But it will be a "flat" jpeg......
Remember, when a camera shoots jpeg -- it typically adds in some contrast, saturation etc.
If you shoot RAW, you need to do those things yourself.

jpeg + RAW gives you 1 image where the cameras has made those adjustments, and another flat image, where you can add those adjustments yourself.

I shoot RAW only, because I prefer fiddling with all my images. But if you only want RAW as a backup to save blown images... If you want photos that are ready to use straight out of the camera, then you need to shoot JPEG or JPEG + RAW.

 

[hakepb]

And there's the basic technique for good colors. Shoot with the sun behind you, you get the best color at or near the "golden hour" after sunrise and before sunset.

 

[Goofdad]

as a T3i shooter, I always recommend taking some video to go along with your stills.
The T3i is a FANTASTIC video camera capable of amazing, cinematic video.

Video rule(s) of thumb:
whatever video frame rate you shoot at (24fps, 30fps, 60fps), set the shutter speed to double the frame rate:

24fps, set shutter to 1/50
30fps, set shutter to 1/60
60fps, set shutter to 1/120

 

[photo_chick]

Hello...

So excited, purchased a Canon T3i about a month ago, been shooting like crazy. Not a stranger to photography, but have always had just a point and shoot in WDW, never a DSLR.

Just looking for opinions, to achieve the best vivid sunshine/day shots, basically around the parks, what settings are most of you using, considering just having the kit lens, 18-55mm, with IS on. Would a polarizing filter been beneficial for the vivid shots?

Thanks in advance!!

I don't know where your photography knowledge is at but the single biggest thing you can do to help you get great shots is to learn to use the camera. Learn the AF system... many would be great shots are ruined by poor focus. Learn how the metering system works so you can expose for the part of the scene you want to. And learn how light, shutter speed, aperture and ISO come together to make the exposure so you know what you need to change when.

Before you worry about filters, more lenses, etc... get that stuff down. It will save you time and money in the end.