Photographing Disney as has opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the magic, and has taught me a few lessons along the way that extend far beyond taking great photos. How we view the parks and the world around us depends on more than the lens we use or the subject matter at hand. It all starts with us, and how we choose to capture what we see.
Here are four lessons I’ve learned from photographing the Disney parks to give you some food for thought and inspire you to look for the light, lean in, and just be.
1. The hardest moments are worth it
Sometimes I feel a little ridiculous when I take unusual shots. I remember taking a picture of the ground at Pandora at night, and to anyone else, it probably looked pretty bizarre. There I was, my ever-patient travel companion looking on beside me, practically laying on the dirty asphalt while the park closed around us and I changed settings again and again to get the shot just right. In the end, I look back at the final photo with delight. It’s one of my favorite photos I’ve taken, for it’s complicated simplicity. (Pictured below)
But in that moment… when the twilight was changing and it was hard to capture just right, I did think maybe it wasn’t worth it. Maybe it’s silly to spend so much precious park time taking a picture of the ground. Maybe it was time to give up and go back to our resort.
I think we all have those moments. The ones when it’s easier to check out than lean in. When that relationship, ambition, career, dream, you name it just seems too hard. You may forget why you chose the path you did in the first place. The apathy sets in, and you wonder… if you stopped, would anyone notice?
These are the moments I feel like Walt would step up next to us and remind us that our dreams are worth pursing. Maybe he’d share of those times when he wondered if building Disneyland was a mistake, or listened to those who said no one would visit. I often wonder how often he metaphorically laid on the asphalt and thought about giving up, only to choose to keep going.
So here’s what I learned: Keep going. Even when it’s hard. Even when you aren’t sure if it’s worth it to put one foot in front of the other or not. Because what you are doing and who you are matters. Investing your time and energy matters. You might not see it yet, but you will, looking back. This is just a snapshot of what it takes to become who you are meant to be.
2. Perspective matters
An early photography lesson I learned is that simply changing my height, angle, or location makes a world of difference in the shots I take. That castle view from the bridge to Liberty Square? It was “fine” from standing, but moved to “amazing” by simply crouching down and looking through the wooden slats. Moving three feet to my left (or right) often changes a shot dramatically, all from simply altering my angle. Sometimes even going new places I’d never have ventured otherwise paints a dramatically different scene I’ve never recognized before.
The same happens when I see the world from the height of my children. There are parts of the Disney parks that are more magical from kid-height, like the Cinderella fountain that has a crown on the princess’s head when observed from a lower angle.
All of this has made me seek out new ways to experience the parks, to see it with fresh eyes. You see, often we wander down the same paths and same patterns when we walk the parks (see: The Disney Ghost Rules You Didn’t Know You Had). It tends to be out of routine or what we are most comfortable with. But when we wander into uncharted territory and start looking for places we’ve never seen, that’s when the adventure begins.
Nowhere is this more true than at Animal Kingdom park. With the sheer volume of antiques, flora, fauna, and breathtaking vistas that overwhelm you around every turn, I doubt there will come a day when I don’t stumble upon something I’ve never seen before. But it’s also true in all the Disney parks, that there is a different way of experiencing the magic, if you only look.
There is something to be learned here for our every-day lives far away from the Disney bubble. Our perspective is just that… our perspective. And it’s not the only way to see what’s around us, though it’s all we know in the moment.
But we can choose to see differently, to adjust our angle and see with fresh eyes. We get to choose everyday if we are going to follow the same paths or alter our course for a new adventure.
It’s all about perspective.
3. Pay attention to the light
Golden hour. I’d heard the phrase tossed around for years but never did I truly see the light (haha) till I started photographing Disney. How can you make something magical even more magical?
Bathe it in soft, golden light.
For those of you who aren’t photographers/cinematographers, golden hour refers to the hour just after sunrise or just before sunset, when everything looks painted in gold. Blue hour refers to twilight, the period of time after the sun sets or before the sun rises. They are, hands down, the most breathtaking hours of the day.
It’s easy to ignore these glorious hours in our day-to-day lives. Some of us may not see the sun much where we work, or be otherwise too occupied to notice. I have a friend who texts me when there is a beautiful sunset (and I do the same) as a reminder to look up and take in what’s around us.
We all need a friend like that. Someone to remind us that there is a golden hour in our days, a time to pause and appreciate the day for what it is, good or bad. To stop our ceaseless motion and appreciate the moment.
When our family visits the beach on the Pacific coast, the sunset becomes an event on cloudless days. We will relax languidly in a campsite or spend all day reading and playing games in our hotel rooms, but we don’t mess around when it comes to that great orange ball descending into the ocean. Everyone on the coast shows up, even if simply observing from a window. We delight in the colors that appear in the sky, taking each one in as we watch the day slip away slowly and rapidly all at the same time. All too soon, we are leaning in and trying not to blink to see if we can catch the elusive green flash over the horizon, then packing up our memories and heading in for the night as the stars appear one by one above our heads.
We’re all looking for the green flash, so much so that we can miss out on the everyday golden hour because we forget that what we already have is spectacular. Pay attention to the light, whatever it looks like in your life. Because it, like the golden hues, won’t last forever.
4. Put the camera away
In our media-driven-TikTok-insta world, it’s no surprise that our screens get more of our time and attention than the people around us. We all crave that dopamine hit from likes and scrolling, and it’s so easy for our Disney experiences to become one long string of day-long disposable content.
In taking photos in the parks, I’ve found that often my favorite moments are the ones where I’ve elected to put my camera (and phone) in my bag and just be. To talk to my family and friends, or appreciate the sights and sounds around me. Not taking photos has taught me just as much (or more) than getting the perfect shot.
This idea that we need to be “on” social media all the time or we might miss something has turned reality upside down. The fact is, we are missing everything by being on social media all the time.
What would your day in the parks look like if you pretended you were back in 1955 and there were no phones to be had? I realize with mobile ordering and dining check-in this is a tall order, but hear me out. What would you do differently? How many more details would you see? What conversations would you have?
I’m not a technology hater (far from it), but I have learned the value of moderation. Of putting the camera down so my memories could be captured by my mind instead of in a photo. Of showing the people that I’m with that they are more important than whatever is calling me from a small inanimate object.
Maybe we would be authentically us, without the screens. Not putting on a show. Not feeling the need to look a certain way or attain a certain amount of fleeting attention. Maybe instead of being TikTok famous we could just be there for a friend who needs us.
Put your camera (and phone) away once in awhile. Feel the sun on your face. Give your spouse a hug and tell them how happy you are that they are with you. Ask your kids big questions and silly questions. And just be.
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