Through the Viewfinder: Taking photos with scrapbooking in mind

On our honeymoon at Disney World in June 1998, I took about 6 rolls of film over a week’s stay. When I had the film developed, I thought the shots were okay. When I later took up scrapbooking, I began to look at those photos very differently. I realized that many of the memories I had weren’t represented with pictures. And where were the newlyweds in the photos? Very few had pictures of both of us together, let alone either one of us having fun. I was able to put together a scrapbook of the honeymoon, but not without a great deal of regret and thoughts of “what if”.

Seeing things through the lens of scrapbooking has made a tremendous difference in how I approach photography. I’ve learned so many “tricks” that I thought I’d share a few that really help in creating a Disney scrapbook.

It’s hard to take lots of photos when your camera is always tucked away in your bag. Keep your camera out and ready if possible (invest in a neck strap or wrist strap). There’s nothing more disappointing than missing that perfect shot because you were fumbling around in your backpack for your camera.

Think beyond the standard poses. I used to just take posed pictures of people in front of something obvious, like the Castle or Spaceship Earth. I realized that these photos are just the tip of the memory iceberg. Now I try and capture the entire experience. Before I would capture the memory of a special meal by taking a picture of my husband across the table. But then I ended up with a somewhat nondescript scene that didn’t really tell the story. Only when I started taking pictures of the restaurant itself (particularly the sign outside) and asking the server to take a group shot, did I have more to build scrapbook pages around. Years from now you’ll get a lot of pleasure when you see a picture of the famous “Kitchen Sink” ice cream dessert your family tried to devour at Beaches and Cream or look at a page of 50s Prime Time Café photos complete with a group shot of everyone wearing their clean-plate stickers!

The same holds true for attractions – take photos both inside and out. (Only where allowed, of course!) A picture outside Space Mountain is nice, but add to it a picture of a an excited, somewhat nervous family member in the loading area just after they’ve climbed in a car and you have the makings for a great page that really tells the story of the ride. A Kali River Rapids spread will be a lot more fun if you take photos of your group before the ride (when they are nice and dry) and after the ride (when they are soaked). Getting a shot or two with a disposable, waterproof camera is a great addition as well! Of course, using the waterproof camera is a must for water parks – be sure to buy one BEFORE you get to Disney World.

Pages dedicated to your resort benefit from this approach, too. Try to get shots of the entrance, the lobby, the food court/restaurants, main pool, landscaping, water areas, the building you stayed in, and the inside of your room. For room photos, remember to close the curtains and turn on all the lights if you’re taking daytime photos, or else use the fill-flash feature on your camera. If you have a balcony, be sure to take pictures of your view.

It wasn’t bad enough that I was limiting the photos I took; those pictures often just included my husband (or me, if he was wielding the camera). Nowadays, I’m much more likely to ask a passerby to take our photo so we can be together in the shot. A tip to find people willing to do this? Be on the lookout for people who look like they could benefit from the same act of kindness. After you take their picture, they’re more than happy to return the favor. Not only do you get the picture you want (with everyone in it), you get the satisfaction of knowing you helped someone else!

At the risk of being redundant, I’ll say it again: don’t be afraid to take LOTS of pictures!! Even professional photographers take many shots to try to get just the right one. I find that if I take one picture of something, it might turn out okay, but it might also be out of focus, the perspective might be all wrong, the subject’s eyes might be closed, I might not have noticed background items that detract from the photo. By taking several shots, I increase the odds of getting a really good one. So what if you end up with some pictures you’ll never use in your scrapbook? It’s easy to toss extra/bad photos after the trip is over – but it’s impossible to use shots that you didn’t take in the first place!

Don’t be shy about taking pictures, either. People may not understand why you are taking pictures on the bus as you head to Magic Kingdom, but when you make a page that captures the excitement on your children’s faces as they go to their first Disney park, what will matter more? Forget the people around you and take the pictures you want to take – just be sure to be considerate while doing so.

A final word on taking lots of pictures – you can’t do it without lots of film. Be sure to bring plenty with you. I’m now a believer in bringing 2 rolls per day of the trip. Every time I try to figure out how many rolls I need, I end up limiting myself and not having enough. Going a little overboard insures having enough. Any leftover film certainly doesn’t go to waste! Film is very expensive in the parks, so don’t put yourself in the position of having to choose between paying high prices or not taking pictures at all. (Almost $20 for a disposable camera with flash and 27 exposures of 800-speed film; $18 for a 3-pack of 25-exposure, 400-speed APS film.)

Here are some great resources for taking pictures:

For more tips on getting great Disney photos, see the article “Take Walt Disney World Shots Like a Pro” by James McDonald in the summer 2000 issue of Disney Magazine.)
Visit www.kodak.com for more hints
Birnbaum’s Official guidebook has some great hints for taking great fireworks photos for SLR camera users. These easy-to-use tips worked great for getting spectacular photos of the new Illuminations show.

I’ve come along way since that honeymoon trip two years ago. On my last trip (a 2.5-day weekend getaway in December 1999) I took almost ten rolls of film. The result, a 27-page scrapbook that captures all the fun and excitement of that holiday adventure! By doing a little extra planning, paying a little extra attention to detail and packing a LOT of extra film, you too can capture more memories than ever before. Happy shooting!

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