Follow Friday - Disney Tourist Blog

For those of you that so faithfully follow my blogs (come on, you know you do), you may have discovered a few things about me:
1. I love my Bug.
2. I love all things Disney.
3. I love photography.

For my first Follow Friday, I reference my Bug while introducing you to his mama.  For my second, we're going to look at the next two items on the above list:  Disney and photography.

I made my first trip to Walt Disney World in 1979.  I don't remember the trip (I was a year old), but my family says I've been obsessed and in love ever since.  Even after moving away from Florida, my family continued to make yearly visits to WDW until 1999-2000.  There was a small gap between trips, as I fully entered adulthood, and was responsible for paying for my own trips, but by the mid-2000s, my yearly trips were back on (or, as in the case of 2011, thrice-yearly visits).

I've been taking photos since I was a child, as well.  I remember, at an early age, getting ahold of my dad's old 110 camera to take pictures while on vacation.  By the time I was a teenager, I had a fancy 35mm.  It was just a point-and-shoot, but at $235, it was fancy for me.  Packed away in boxes, I have 1000s of images from various trips and events in my life.
In March of 2003, I was out of work, and stumbled into a job working in a private photo lab.  That temporary position filling photo orders turned into an extended job printing orders, which turned into photography lessons, which turned into time behind the camera at real photo shoots, which turned into several shoots of my own, which turned into money to start buying my own professional photography equipment.  I now do freelance work for a local newspaper, I still shoot for the company that taught me all I know, and I've started my own photography business.

One thing I've always wanted to do more of is take pictures at amusement parks, specifically Disney parks.  I'm usually so enthralled in the aspect of just BEING there that I forget about the large, overly-packed camera bag on my back (I tend to bring everything.  Including the kitchen sink.  Actually, two of them).  Then I get back to the house, and realize that I've got 30 photos to cover 10-12 hours spent at the park.  A few months ago, I tried spending a day at the Magic Kingdom with nothing but my point-and-shoot.  I definitely had more photos at the end of the day, but none of them were what I really wanted.

What to do.....?

Then, it happened.
In the course of browsing some of the many (and I do mean MANY) Disney websites, podcasts and blogs that I frequent, I stumbled across one I'd never seen before.  A blog on Disney....and photography!

Tom Bricker is an amazing photographer who puts his talent strictly into the art of capturing moments at Disney theme parks (and all that go with them).  He's also very good at explaining why he took that shot, how he took it, and whether it turned out the way he wanted.  He gives tips, hints, advice and warnings with both knowledge and humor.  He has, in the short space of about 2 weeks, become my photography hero.

Please check Tom out at Disney Tourist Blog.  If all you do is look at the photos, you will have given yourself a gift.