If you’re a new reader to this site, you might be wondering why there are photography posts on a Disney blog. Questions like this are common, as are statements preceding links to us, such as, “I don’t know why a Disney blog has such a surprisingly thorough post on [insert photography topic], but they do…”
Heck, last week, I literally wrote an article on the 10 best restrooms at Walt Disney World the day before writing my How to Take Better Photos with Your Point & Shoot Camera guide. When it comes down to photography advice, you might be asking yourself…is some random dude writing about toilets really a credible source?
I can’t answer that for you. You can judge for yourself based upon the quality (or lack thereof?) of the writing in my photography posts, based upon my photography portfolio, and my working experience as a landscape photographer. My Disney Parks photos have been featured in publications around the world and I’ve done photography campaigns for The Walt Disney Company, Virgin Group, Popular Photography Magazine, The Unofficial Guides, Engadget.com, BuzzFeed.com, and many others. Not bad for a guy who writes about toilets, eh? 😉
In other words, I’m first and foremost a photographer and that’s why I write photography posts on what is otherwise a Disney Parks vacation planning blog. Every photographer have a niche, whether that’s wedding photography, aviation photography, etc. Mine just so happens to be Disney photography.
My photography is a big reason why this site exists in the first place, and why many long-time readers come to the site. Plus, I view photography as an essential component of a memorable trip to Disney–capturing memories via beautiful photos is universally important and I’ve made it my goal to help others improve their photography. Beyond that, it’s my blog…so I’ll write about whatever the heck I want on here, whether that’s photography or the best Halloween costumes for dachshunds! 😉
So that’s it in a nutshell. If you want to know a bit more as to how this mix of photography and Disney blogging came to be, read on.
A Brief History…
Before my wife, Sarah, and I started the site in 2011, I had been posting on various Disney forums, and sharing my photos on Flickr since 2007. I wasn’t happy with my first photos that I shared online, so I spent myriad hours obsessively teaching myself photography, interacting with other photographers online, and applying what I learned as I practiced taking better pictures. I shared new photos, and basically did a rinse, wash, repeat kinda thing with those steps, trying to improve my photography skills.
Eventually, I did get better. People started asking me questions on the forums and Flickr. Not just about photography, but about all things Disney. If you’ve spent 10 minutes on the blog you know I probably have an opinion on just about anything, and am not afraid to share it. Several people suggested we start our own blog to share our thoughts on experiences and my photography, so I did just that.
At first, this blog largely consisted of a mix of photo of the day posts with technical info, trip reports, and restaurant reviews. Over time, this blog has grown from something that was originally read by friends and other Disney fan photographers to a bit more. As such, to those visiting for the first time, the photography content might seem out of place.
That’s especially true of the more in-depth photography posts, such as those covering fancy lenses for full frame cameras, or other topics that are squarely aimed at serious photographers. If you’re new to Disney fandom, it may surprise you to learn that there’s a huge community of Disney fans who take photography quite seriously. If this sounds interesting to you, make sure to connect with us.
If none of this sounds interesting to you, well…hopefully you enjoy the other articles on the blog. You can always skip the photography ones! 🙂