Photo Friday: Christmas at lightspeed

 

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

As we anxiously await Santa's big flight -- I thought this shot from the Osborne Lights might give you a feeling of Christmas at lightspeed, which is what I suspect Santa must be able to travel at in order to deliver all those gifts to all the children of the world in a single night...

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Photo Friday: Ga-Ga's House

 

It's time for Photo Friday.

This week, I'm sharing a photo that has quite a bit of personal meaning, most especially today, Dec. 7, 2012.  Today, we lay to rest my grandmother of 96 years.  I knew her as Ga-Ga.  When I saw this sign in 2010 during a visit to the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights I knew I needed to take a few shots. 

Every time I see this shot, I smile and remember the woman who (at least to me) inspired this sign.  I spent many a day at Ga-Ga's house and those fond memories will stay with me forever.

So today, this photo is dedicated to Ga-Ga.  We love you and will miss you.  Go say hi to Walt for me.

Photo Friday: Merry Christmas in July

Well it's time again for another Photo Friday!

I thought I'd continue with the "Christmas in July" theme this week with a shot from my favorite holiday event at Walt Disney World - the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios. 

This shot was taken on the final night of the Osborne Lights for the 2011/2012 Holiday season, during marathon weekend.  I decided to play a bit with zoomed exposures to create Tron-like light trails.  Above is just one of a few shots that came out.

Enjoy!!!  Christmas is only 149 days away!

Photo Friday: Standing guard at the Osborne Lights

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

As we continue our holiday-themed photos, I wanted to share a picture from my favorite holiday event at Walt Disney World - the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  This (and pretty much any other photo you see) really don't do the Osborne Lights justice -- they truly are that spectacular.

I took this photo while waiting in line to take a PhotoPass picture with the light switch and the trees/soldiers seen here.  You can see that photo in this week's Tip Tuesday post. Like most night photography, you really need to find a way to hold your camera very still and allow the shutter to be open for a longer time (this shot had a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second).  I also like the slightly odd angle to the image - it just looks different.

I hope you enjoy this and more holiday photos from Walt Disney World!

Tip Tuesday: Better night photos at the Osborne Lights

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

Now that the holiday season is officially upon us, I wanted to give some tips specifically related to the holiday season.

It's no surprise that my most favorite holiday event at Walt Disney World is the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios.  There's nothing like it in the world!  If you're looking to get some good photos, however, you might find that's much harder that you think.  Mostly, it's because the event takes place at night and you're using a standard point-and-shoot camera, you're probably going to have to shoot your pictures using a small flash which tends to wash out the background.

If only you had better equipment to use... but you do!

Disney has several PhotoPass photographers station at various locations throughout the Osborne lights area.  Each photographer has a professional-grade Nikon camera with lights and (most importantly) a good steady tripod.  This means they can take those longer exposure shots that allow the background lights to be much more vivid in the final photo (see above).

If you take advantage of these and other PhotoPass opportunities, you can later purchase a digital download of the photo or (better yet) a CD of every shot.  You'll really appreciate the kind of pictures you'll get -- far better than what you (or anyone else) could take with a standard point-and-shoot camera, or even a decent SLR.

So be sure to take advantage of the top quality provided by PhotoPass - it really will help you best capture all those holiday memories at Walt Disney World!

Tip Tuesday: Christmas at Walt Disney World

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

I've just returned from a quick Thanksgiving trip to Walt Disney World.

The holiday decorations were up and many events were just getting started as the weekend came to a close.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to focus on some tips to help you experience the holidays at Walt Disney World.

So with that, let's get to this week's tip: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

For those who might not know what the Osborne Lights are - this is a HUGE display of holiday lights along the Streets of America. All the buildings are completely lit, making this one of the most spectacular holiday displays you might ever see.

Now this gets really crowded. The lights go on at dusk and stay on until the park closes. There are two ways to plan to view the lights. The first is to be on hand as the switch is made - then be ready to deal with the crowds that will quickly assemble once the lights are on.

The other option is to wait until the end of the night, especially if it's a Fantasmic night. The crowds will diminish as closing time approaches (usually around 8:30). The final hour in the park is a great time to see the Osborne Lights without quite such a huge crowd.

One other thing to keep in mind -- there's more to the lights than just the main avenue-- there also are lights in other places that are just as incredible.

Oh, and parents, a little tip for you when it comes to the kids. It does "snow" all along the Streets of America, though this isn't snow you'll want to eat. They are actually tiny soap bubbles, so trying to catch the snowflakes on your tongue might not be such a good idea.

Don't forget your PhotoPass card, because there are plenty of photographers around!!

WDW at the Holidays: Disney's Hollywood Studios

Up next in my preview of the holidays at Walt Disney World -- Disney's Hollywood Studios.

What am I looking forward to seeing in person here? Well, it's the obvious: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. This show originated in the Osborne's yard in Arkansas (no, not Ozzy). His christmas decorations became so big that he bought the houses on either side of his and then expanded even further. Things got so big that people would come from all parts of the nation to see this spectacle, causing insane traffic nightmares. The town took legal action to shut down the whole thing. When Disney heard about this, they stepped in and offered to move the entire thing to Disney World. Since the 1995 move to WDW, the spectacle has become bigger and bigger, but all the original lights are still there.

(Image copyright Disney, all rights reserved.)

This is one holiday event that is near to my heart. Each year, I want to do more and more decorations (lights) outside. I'm trying to find a way to add more Disney references to the decorations. Who knows, maybe I'll get a few ideas from seeing this spectacle.

When I say this thing is huge, I really mean HUGE!!! There are about 4 MILLION lights in this event, and now they dance across the Streets of America. To top it off, "snow" falls during the evening. Best of all, this is not a hard-ticketed event (like Mickey's Very Merry), it's included with the price of admission.

This really is one I will not miss. See for yourself, check out the YouTube clip from http://www.wdwinfo.com/ below.