Using Prime Lenses at Disney
Prime lenses are fixed-focal length lenses that don’t zoom. While most of the photos I post here on the blog are taken with wide angle lenses, I also really enjoy using prime lenses in the parks for the way they can isolate a subject and for their overall sharpness. Prime lenses are great “storytelling” lenses, and at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, there’s always a story to be told!
The purpose of this post is to give you some ideas for ways to use prime lenses in the Disney theme parks, along with some of my thoughts as to why I used a particular lens for the shot.
What this post isn’t about is gear, but I do want to touch upon it briefly. The most cost-effective option is the 50mm f/1.8 made by just about every manufacturer. The Canon and Nikon versions of this lens only cost about $100. Not too shabby for a great-performing lens.
There are tons of other prime lenses that make great alternatives, but the two mentioned here most frequently are the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for crop sensor photographers (most of you) and the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 for full frame photographers (click on either of those to read my reviews of them). Those are my top picks for prime lenses, but each carry expensive price tags.
Okay, now that we have that shop talk out of the way, let’s look at how prime lenses can be useful in the Disney theme parks!
Dark Rides
Getting the obvious one out of the way first, Disney dark rides almost require that you have a prime lens for great photos. I do use other fast lenses from time to time, but my go-to lenses on dark rides are primes. Their f/1.8 or f/1.4 apertures allow more light to hit the sensor, and in dark situations, especially ones that move like these rides, you need more light and faster shutter speeds. For more tips on photographing the Disney dark rides, I highly recommend reading my Guide to Disney Dark Ride Photography, which gives all the technical (and some creative) tips that you need.
When photographing subjects on dark rides, remember to keep everything you want in focus on the same plane. If one subject is behind the other, it will be out of focus. Waiting until I passed this scene (and turning back) allowed me to capture both the pirate and woman in the barrel in focus.
Some of the best dark ride photos also tell a story, in this case, the guests’ competing with one another on Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters.
To have any hope of capturing many scenes in rides like Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan’s Flight, you need a prime lens. There is no alternative, save for a ride stoppage.
Portraits
Theme parks are great for portraits, both of your family and of Cast Members, characters, and other life-like “things.” While I prefer good natural lighting for portraits, if your lighting is not good, make sure to use a flash.
Not every portrait needs to be a “smile at the camera” type of shot. In the Disney parks, I like doing what I call “environmental portraits,” that focus on a person, but also show some elements of the parks. Here, Sarah looks out the window of the BellaVista Lounge at Mount Prometheus in Tokyo DisneySea.
Using a prime lens enabled me to isolate this Tokyo Disneyland Haunted Mansion Cast Member from an otherwise distracting background. (Although I should have positioned the brick gateway so it’s not directly behind her.)
Portraits don’t just have to be of people! This portrait of the Stitch topiary taken at f/1.4 benefits from having Stitch isolated from his background.
Nothing makes for a better portrait than a goat. With all portraits (goats included) focus on the eyes. Other parts of your subject can be slightly out of focus, but the eyes should be crisp. Most photographers like good focus from the tip of the nose to the eyes. That’s a good rule for humans, but with long-nosed creatures like goats, it can be broken.
Food
Pretty much every nice or themed restaurant has lower lighting, meaning you either need a flash or prime lens for good photos of food. I find using flash in a restaurant to be rude, plus I like food photos that focus on a specific part of the dish, so I tend to use prime lenses for food photography.
Isolating parts of a particular dish can give food photos a more dynamic and artistic look than just plain, straight-on shots.
Sometimes using a prime lens can make a food photo more interesting. In this case, I held up my cupcake (side note: this cupcake is awesome) in front of the Christmas tree at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn to get some light bokeh in the background. I also got some awkward looks!
In restaurants like Be Our Guest Restaurant, the lighting is so dim that without a prime lens, it’s nearly impossible to photograph food.
Details
The Disney theme parks are all about the details, but these details can get lost as we rush from attraction to attraction. Good photos can be made by focusing on some of these smaller things that demonstrate just how much attention goes into every aspect of the parks.
This is a display in Epcot (France, World Showcase) that most people rush back. However, when isolated with shallow depth of field, it’s attention-grabbing in a photo. Getting closer still to focus on specific details inside the case would make for another interesting photo.
The rose in Be Our Guest Restaurant is isolated by the f/1.4 aperture. I also positioned myself so that the tattered curtain was out of focus in the foreground to frame the flower (and add a storytelling element, I suppose).
Pieces of merchandise are great photo subjects with prime lenses. For this photo, I positioned myself so that Christmas lights behind Mickey would fill the background with bokeh. The other plus side to photographing merchandise? It’s cheaper than buying it! (Now you can’t afford not to get that new prime lens! ;))
Flowers and plants are everywhere, and using a prime lens (in this case, a dedicated macro lens in the Rose Garden) to focus on them can be a great way to take beautiful photos in the Disney parks that have nothing to do with Disney to the casual observer.
There are statues all over Walt Disney World, and tight photos of them plus interesting “hinted at” out of focus backgrounds can make for nice photos.
These lamps and 30th Anniversary banners at Tokyo DisneySea are gorgeous, but without using shallow depth of field to isolate them, they’d get lost in the sea of awesomeness.
Stories
The Disney theme parks are designed in ways that tell stories. As cliche as it might sound, just about everything in the parks–from windows to statues to queues, everything is arranged in such a manner to contribute to overarching story, or to tell its own story. This is story in the loose sense of the word, not anything strictly linear. This can be difficult to capture in a single photo, but many great photos do tell a story (there’s another cliche for ya!).
Here, the goal was to frame the shot in such a way that it’s clear Jiminy Cricket is looking up at Pinocchio, but with the sole focus being on Jiminy Cricket. A photo with greater depth of field would have been too busy.
The wide open aperture used here highlights Minnie, who stares loving at Mickey Mouse. Since there is so much going on in the background, a photo with greater depth of field would having competing points of interest (Cinderella Castle, Partners, Minnie Mouse). Here, it’s clear Minnie is the focal point, with her attention on Mickey.
These awesome Mickey’s Christmas Carol vignettes on Main Street themselves tell a story, but by focusing on certain parts of them, you can “direct” that story, so to speak. In this case, the emphasis is on Donald Duck, looking in on what could have been.
This shot sort of lifts the curtain to tell the story of how Disney juxtaposes contrasting elements (in this case, Americana and a fairytale castle) in a manner that normally works. Or something like that.
I used a shallow depth of field and creative framing to tell the (fictional) story of a quiet castle at the end of a long garden. Storytelling photos don’t have to tell the actual story of what you see in a scene. By getting creative with your positioning and depth of field, you can create your own “story.”
Other
I love shooting into the sun and using a small aperture to create sunbursts. I also love using a wide opened aperture to give the sun a very soft, almost ethereal look. Here I shot into the sun using an aperture of f/1.4 to soften the light.
Night photos, including fireworks, are great with prime lenses. With a stopped down aperture of around f/8 to f/11, prime lenses are typically sharper than any other lenses.
If you use an aperture of around f/16, most prime lenses will produce beautiful starbursts, making night photos of lights even prettier.
Wide open apertures also make it much easier to capture handheld night photos. In Tokyo DisneySea, this is critical, as tripods are not allowed to be used! Here, by using an aperture of f/1.4 and shutter speed of 1/30th of a second, I was able to keep my ISO at a reasonable 1100.
This post presents just a few of the ways you can use a prime lens at Walt Disney World or Disneyland (or in Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, etc.) for creative results. A lot of Disney fan photographers think that using only a “Prime Lens Day” forces you to think more creatively, and can really give you a lot of great photos. While I have never been brave enough to try this myself, it sounds like a great idea for anyone who has the courage. At the very least, it would allow you to travel light for the day!
Your Thoughts…
Do you own a prime lens? Which one? What are your favorite ways to use a prime lens in the Disney parks? Hearing from you is half the fun, so share your thoughts or links to your photos in the comments!
I have the Sigma 30mm 1.4 and use it almost every time we go to Disneyland. We’re annual pass holders and go 2-4 times a month usually. I have a 3 year old little girl, so a lot of my photos are pictures with characters and that sort of thing, but I try to get some “fun” ones too.
Headed to Disney in November! Have a canon 6d! Just got the 24-70mm f/2.8 L and trying to decide what to bring! I also have a 50mm f/1.4! The 24-70 is soooo heavy I just can’t see carrying it around all day! Any other suggestion?
Thnx
Last December, I visit Disney world with my canon T2i and sigma 35mm f1.4 (which gives me about the same field of view as your 6D and 50mm combo). I can get a lot of good pictures and still have fun. With that combo, the camera is not heavy overall. I left my 24-105mm and flash at home, didnt regret my decision at all. So, for me it is more like do you feel comfortable and confident with your prime lense?
Another awesome post sir!
Can you recommend a good “beginner” camera for this novice? My disney trip is in October, so I’ll have the whole summer to familiarize myself with it a bit. I don’t think I can convince my husband to go too high, something around $350 would probably be his limit. Any suggestions would be appreciated (:
Hi!
I’m learning to use my Canon T3 and I’m taking it to Disney this weekend. I’m planning on buying the 50mm f1.4 lense. It’s going to be my first prime lense and after reading your blog I’m very excited to give it a try. I have the lense it came with (18-55) and also 75-300. Should I take all three? Your pictures are beautiful!
Unless you have a reason to leave one of the lenses home, I’d take all three. They each serve different purposes. Good luck!
which would you take if your choice were either a 35mm f1.4 or a 21mm f3.4?
21mm f/3.4? Do you mean f/1.4? If it were my only lens, the 21mm. If I also had a wide angle lens, I’d take the 35mm.
Reading this just reminds me of how badly I want an ultra-wide angle prime lens for those times my dirty thirty is too tight
An ultra-wide f/2.8 is ‘close enough’ to prime for me. Since the focal length is shorter, you can safely use a slower shutter speed handheld.
We will be at Disney World in another week and I am really torn about what camera equipment to bring. I’m a professional portrait photographer, so the Nikon 105mm 2.8 is almost always on my D700, though I use the 50mm 1.4 for group photos, etc. I also have a Nikon 24mm 2.8, which I suspect would be a good Disney lens, though I almost never use it for portrait work. I’d love to leave my 105 at home because it is so heavy, and just bring the 24 and 50. I had also thought about bringing my D300 instead of the D700, because it is slightly lighter and I’d be less upset if something happened to it, but I’m worried with the crop factor that even the 24mm would be too close to take photos on the tea cups, etc. Keeping in mind that I’ll have my three kids with me, so lots of my photos will contain people, do you have the time/inclination to offer an opinion? I also have a couple of older film zooms (Nikon 28-70 2.8 and Nikon 70-200 f4). I use the shorter zoom for studio work, and the longer one for pretty much nothing.
Mind you, I’ve never used this lens, but I don’t see a lot of utility for the 105mm f/2.8 at Walt Disney World given your circumstances. It’s simply too long of a focal length for portraits there (due to crowds), and while I can see some creative applications for it, I also see the “three kids” part, so I’m guessing this isn’t a photography trip. I’d leave it at home.
If you plan on taking the 24 and 50, I would pair them with the D700–I don’t think they’ll be wide enough on the D300.
The thing about WDW as compared to your normal shooting conditions is control. You have very little at WDW. If you want family portraits, you often have to use wider lenses out of necessity, as the space simply isn’t there, especially for candid shots. Granted, you can get portraits with plenty of space in certain locations, but I find it much easier with wider lenses that a portrait photographer would typically NOT use.
I’m not at all familiar with the Nikon 28-70mm f/2.8, but assuming the quality is good, I’d be inclined to take that lens, too. Zoom lenses have much more versatility, and that’s always a plus in the parks.
Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. You confirmed my thoughts, and now I know what to pack. You are absolutely right-I may be able to wander off from the husband and kids now and then, but its definitely not a photography trip. I’m most interested in getting gorgeous photos of the kids with characters and on outdoor rides.
I’ll be taking my Olympus Pen as well (mirrorless DSLR), which has a 14-42mm (effective 28-84mm) lens. It’s really small with great photo quality, though the lens isn’t fast enough for dark, and it doesn’t have the great bokeh of my Nikon lenses. It should be really easy to cart around, though, on days when I don’t want to keep up with camera gear.
Great as always atom. Thanks. You have been a great help and I wondered if I could have some advice. I have a Canon T2i which came with a 18255mm and a 55-250mm I like the bigger 55-250mm but don’t really like the 18-55 it came eith. The pics are nt as good as the 55-250mm lens. I was going to ask what 18-55mm or thereabouts would be better but now I’m thinking maybe get a prime like the http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007U0H06/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0007U0H06&linkCode=as2&tag=distoublo-20 you suggest.
What do you think and if both what 18-55 please?
Best
Craig
The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a great option to the kit lens. Another great alternative would be the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8. I recently reviewed that lens here: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/sigma-18-35mm-f1-8-lens-review/
Hi Tom! Great article about how to use prime lenses at Disney! I love your photo examples to show how versatile a prime lens really is. Just recently, I’ve started taking just a Nikon 35mm f1/4 prime lens to the park for the day and I love it! Glad to see you inspiring us to use a prime lens more often.
I love using the FX 35mm f/1.4 in the parks–it’s a great walk-around option! Glad to hear you enjoyed that!
I think calling the 50mm f/1.8 a “great-performing lens” is a bit of a stretch. I had the Canon version and wasn’t a fan at all. It always has the allure of being good for the price, but with the price of the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 I can’t see why one would bother with the 50mm. (On a crop sensor, at least.)
You forgot another benefit of prime lenses: If you had your camera to a Cast Member to take a picture of your family, it’s fun to watch them try to zoom with it!
I disagree. I think the big disadvantage of the 50mm on a crop sensor camera is its field of view. For me, that’s a big sticking point. However, in terms of quality, the 50mm f/1.8 is a great performing lens. Check this out: http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012817/article/50mm-lens-shoot-out-f18-or-f14
Nice article Tom. I love my 50 1.4. Every time I see any of your pictures I am amazed. We are heading to WDW for Christmas and I look forward to using several of your techniques with the hopes of getting a few usable pictures. Thanks.
Great article once again. Thank you for showing all these different ways to use primes. I think most people only relate it to portraits and/or for bokehfying the background. My favorite pic from this article has to be the reflection of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle (sorry, I can never memorize the official French name) on the window.
I just picked up the 30mm 1.4 based on that price drop! I now have 2/3 of what I call the “Bricker Disney Line-up” with that and the Tamron 17-50mm 2.8. Hopefully the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 drops in price as we’ll to complete the trifecta.
Tom, FYI- your link to the DX lens is dead. But the good news is that the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM Lens for Nikon on Amazon is discounted $200 right now. It’s now $289 after discount.
Thanks for the heads up! I’ve fixed the link and added one to the sale on Amazon. That lens is a STEAL for that price!
Headed to WDW for a week in Dec.for our first trip. I will be armed with a D7000 the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Tokina11-16 f/2.8, Nikkor 35mm f1.8 and Nikkor 50-200mm f/4-5.6. I see borrowlenses.com has the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 for around 60/week. I like landscape photography and portraits of our two young kids and their surroundings. I probably won’t have much time to set up shots and will be shooting on the fly during the trip. I haven’t had great success with the 35mm and the 50mm may be too much zoom as others have mentioned. Do you think it would be worth renting the Sigma? Really like your pics,posts and podcasts. Thanks!
Why not sell the Nikon 35 and 50 and just buy the Sigma 30mm f/1.4? $60 seems like a lot to rent it, especially given that you aren’t satisfied with the two lenses you have (and I suspect you would like this lens).
Love your photos and your artsy compositions!
Great article… I really like your description of the different styles of shots in which a prime lens is useful. It seems that most of those situations really just call for a wide aperture, in which case the new Sigma 18-35mm 1.8 you reviewed fits the bill as well. It may not be quite as sharp as a prime, but in my use of it so far I’ve been really impressed with it. It is a great lens for getting the benefits of the prime without losing the flexibility of a zoom. I have yet to shot with it as Disney, but I’m really looking forward to doing so!
Yeah, this article applies equally to the Sigma 18-35mm (except for the forcing you to learn composition part). It’s just that “Using Prime Lenses (Plus This One Zoom Lens That’s Unlike Other Zoom Lenses) at Disney” isn’t quite as catchy! 😉
Nicely done Tom.
Thanks for the article! I typically only use my Canon 28mm 1.8. It has served me well, and was the only lens I brought on my recent honeymoon to WDW/ Disney Cruise. However, since then I’ve added a few too many new lens to my bag lately (Tokina 11-16mm, and just picked up a Canon 17-55 today), and have been slightly wavering about whether to keep my 28mm. This article was perfectly timed, and I now realize that I would miss my fast prime too much. Thanks for strengthening my resolve, and keep up the good work!
I definitely wouldn’t get rid of the 28mm f/1.8…unless it’s to get an f/1.4 lens! 😉
Couldn’t agree more. My first, I’d say 5, visits to WDW after I got my first DSLR I used only a prime. Doing so forced me to think more about composition and lighting. So much so that when I gave my camera to my GF as a hand-me down I have been forcing her to stick with the prime on our last 2 trips. She also has learned faster because of it.
Brave man forcing your girlfriend to do anything! 😉
My daughter and I are big fans of your photos. Reading your blog and viewing your photos even drove me to buy several hundred dollars in camera gear. (Thanks a lot!) We are Disneyphiles and regular visitors to WDW. We were there early last month with our new gear and tried to capture Disney as well as you, but failed miserably. (We did get a few good ones.) We even would ask each other if a particular shot is “Bricker” worthy. (None were.) But it’s great to have something to strive towards as we get more experience.
My prime lens is the Nikon “nifty-fifty” you reviewed, and I agree with you that it has ‘too much’ zoom. I am looking at getting a Sigma 30mm 1.4 for our next trip in May.
This is another great article and we thoroughly enjoy your photography tips.
If you look at my early photos, most aren’t all that good, either. It takes time, practice, and making mistakes to really learn. If you do those things, you’ll get there!