Want your own Personal Photographer? Well yes, of course YOU DO…

 Last december  I took one of my favorite photos

…printed it and attached it to blank cards for the christmas holidays. I did fancy lettering on the inside to make it personal. it was nothing extraordinary, just a photo that was appropriate. even though i prefer people or pets for my subjects, i also like photographing flowers…

Look through your snapshots from the summer and choose one that would tell a little something about you, have it printed up at your local drugstore (I like costco personally), get some cards, some double-faced tape, a pen in red and you’re good to go!

You’ll have a unique card that people will remember and might even save it!

contact me for more great ideas!

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YOUR VERY OWN PHOTOGRAPHER

The Royal Family has one, the President has one, even Sarah Palin has one -

And YOU can have your very own Personal Photographer when you take your vacation at Disney World, harry potter, the beaches  other beautiful vacation places around florida. no more spending time behind the camera. Be the star in your vacation!

This lucky lady had her own personal photographer in Cayman Islands…and you can too!

Shirley Cayman

Lovely Lady Texan who wanted a personal photographer for her vacation in Cayman

Your Photographer, Location Specialist Dolores Russo, will go with you through the day as you spend your time having fun going about the parks and on the rides at DisneyWorld, Florida. You won’t have to be behind a camera all day with outstretched arms taking photos  and not be in any photos! I’ll do it all for you. (We can arrange Cayman Islands too if that is your preference!)

Experienced Disney Guest, live 10 mins. from the parks and have been going to WaltDisneyWorld since it opened in 1981.

I will give you some special hints for places to go and things to do around the Parks.

I will be with you for 2-3+ hours and at the end of the day your photos will be processed and uploaded to a special site for you to see and choose the best ones for photos, CD’s, slideshows.

I have been a photographer and Location Specialist for many years working in film and now digitally. Your wonderful photos will have an expert’s edge and be professional throughout.

If you are looking for a Personal Photographer/Location Specialist, Contact me at photographysnap@gmail.com  or send an automatic email through this post.

Watch for SPECIAL OFFERS on this website! Right now there is a special reduced rate of $99 for Little Feets Pet Portraits! Click here
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All photos on this site are legally copyrighted. I thank you for respecting that. If you want to use any of them for personal or commercial use, contact me.

Travel Photos How-To: Capture the Essence

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Like Cartier-Bresson, a famous photographer who is credited with the quote “capture the moment,” your holiday photos can tell the viewer more than words can.  A moment captured of a man jumping a puddle and his reflection underneath gives movement to the print. Cartier-Bresson always had his camera with him “just in case” a photo op came up. 

To capture what is happening you have to be prepared. Camera in hand and constantly observing, you should be able to snap a photo that tells a story. Cartier-Bresson always carried his camera with him to catch those unexpected moments. You have to be prepared! Even bringing a point and shoot camera with you all the time is beneficial.

Even a visit at the farmer’s market can yield some beautiful colors and outstanding photos, as suggested below. Combining photos taken from one photoshoot can also give a unified look to your photos. 

Travel is the perfect time to take photos. It’s ok to take the snapshots of the Eiffel Tower and the silhouette skyline of a city but  get another shot of this architecture from a different angle.

If you are looking for a Personal Photographer/Location Specialist, Contact me at photographysnap@gmail.com or send an automatic email through this post.

Did Someone Say FIREWORKS?

If you happened to be over in Celebration (still a Disney “attraction”) on the Fourth, you were treated to some very fine fireworks. Granted there are many fireworks at Disney parks too, but these were different than the ones we are used to seeing as regular residents. My camera, the little point and shoot one, did a fine job. But as we all know, it’s not the camera, it’s the photographer. Ahem. I just happen to enjoy taking photos and here to share with you was last night’s “Sky Lights.”
We also had a marvelous buffet BBQ at the The Bohemian Hotel (Celebration Hotel) prior to the fireworks. Would recommend you stop there sometime when it’s not so hectic, have a drink, enjoy the decor as it is very original with art and design, go outside on the patio and see the lake from a different view too.
It’s just one of those things that never gets mentioned in a travel book…
Need a photographer to capture your memories while you enjoy your time with friends and family? Contact me If you are looking for a Personal Photographer/Location Specialist, at photographysnap@gmail.com or send an automatic email through this post.

Sit in the shade….

It’s much too hot to go walking around in the sun.

Plan your day to do your “exploring” in the early hours of the day. Going to Animal Kingdom first thing in the morning is the best thing to do as that is when the animals are out and about. Around 10am or 11am and they seek coolness as well. So take a cue from the animals.

Find a shady spot, bring your pencils, some paper and some cool water- and practice drawing Mickey – or sketching some of the animals, trees, leaves. Here is a great link for Mickey and it’s sure to be an enjoyable drawing time for kids and adults alike. And yes, Mom and Dad – draw along with your kids. Don’t apologize for your skills. Just do it. You are setting a prime example here on how to accept your skill level and trying to do better all the time. (Sorry, it’s the art teacher in me coming out. I”ll try to hold off…)

http://disneyinaweek.blogspot.com/p/draw-mouse.html

Click on this link – it’s an awesome lesson in drawing and is the best one I’ve come across. So get your pencils and paper…and start drawing circles!

NEXT CHOICE
A leisurely lunch or dinner click on here: http://disneyinaweek.blogspot.com/p/good-eats-at-disney.html

June 21, 2011  FIRST DAY OF SUMMER – or in FLorida, it’s the first day of June 21, 2011. Summer has been here for awhile. 

Birds at Disney

Animal Kingdom – be like the animals: get out there early!

Although this is considered the “low season” there seemed to be a lot of people here on this beautiful Memorial Day. It’s hot, in the 90′s yet there is a great little breeze. It’s a “walking day” around the parks.

It’s hot and the animals know it too. They seek out coolness in this kind of weather, so if you want to see them out in the open, the best time to come to the AK is first thing in the morning.
Plan your walk in this park as it is a large place with lots of little “side trips.”

“It’s a Bug’s Life” is where you will want to escape from the heat of the day. Notice the sculptures around the tree -they are a work of art. If you walk at the base of the tree, you will see even more carvings up close. The artists really outdid themselves on this one!
The aviary with free flying birds inside gives you the feeling of being out in the wild with them. They don’t fly close and prefer to stay high in the enclosure. But you do get to see them close enough.

In the Asian section you will find a presentation with live birds called Birds in Flight. Don’t miss this one. YOu will have an opportunity to get very close to birds for photos.It’s outside under a cover of fabric, but is still a cool place to watch this magnificent show.
Although there are plenty of places to eat here I discovered two places for a quick snack that won’t break the bank: the little kiosks on the side in Asia that serve corndogs and the other has spring rolls. There is a bar at Tusker house that looks to be refreshing for adult tastes.

The park is well covered with a canopy of leaves from bamboo trees to the local trees as well. You won’t be in the hot sun until you get to the food areas. But even then, you will have the opportunity to sit in the shade.

It is May and SUMMER, as Floridians know it, is about to begin, if not already. We are missing the humidity even though you may feel it is very humid right now. This is nothing…trust me. You have chosen a good time to come to Disney! 

A flying parrot – beautiful red color. Caught him in flight – beautiful.

Not a bird obviously, but a buck in the Asian section of the park. He almost looks like a painting –

The COLOR WHEEL is Everywhere!

The season is short for this Festival, so if you want to enjoy the flowers and the gardening tips, go NOW.

 Monarchs all over the place! Don’t forget to visit the Butterfly Garden at Epcot.

 Shot while waiting for Christopher at Animal Kingdom. Just looked up and there it was -  DId a little HDR on it among other things. Did so much to it, I can’t even begin to tell you how it was done. But I liked it…

Photography at DisneyWorld is an epxerience in itself. You could spend your entire time taking photos not just of the family (which you will take a LOT of – and you should!) but there are so many other attractions here that will catch your photo eye. Look up, look down – look on top, look under. You will see images that no one else has seen and they are through YOUR eyes. Remember that every photo you take is a moment in time that your eyes and your mind saw. That is the magic of photography! 

COLOR COLOR COLOR at Epcot’s Annual Flower and Garden Festival

 Welcome to Epcot’s Annual Flower and Garden Show!

Captain Hook’s Topiary is just one example of the fabulous work of Disney’s horticulturists. This year is color, color, color – and topiaries! They are the best that I have seen in all the flower shows that I have been to at Disney.

And here’s a closeup of that lone iris

 These are in no particular order right now as I am entering them as soon as I post process the photos. Enjoy the flowers – I wish I had smell-ovision on this blog!

 These are some sand sculptures being done in the gardens by Disney artists. They are fabulous!

 It’s still too cold for roses, but this one bloomed anyway. Wish there were more in the rose gardens – maybe by next week.

 Saw this being prepared last week. The plantings are spectacular. Better than an animation movie!

This is a good one! Excellent photo!

Cabbages are flowers too!
Color is King at the Flower Show this year!

Teaching photography and photoshop is what I do – Here is a connection to that website:

You can also leave comments here on my blog  for a quicker response!

” Paint the VERBS, not the Nouns.” -Herb Ryman

If you apply that quote to photography, you might find that photos take on a new meaning. It isn’t enough to take a shot of some “thing”  or somebody- but to tell a story of some sort perhaps.  This may sound easy, but actually is quite the challenge. Try it.

Look at what you are taking a photo of, even if it’s a person. Look for something that has meaning for you and your family.

What kind of objective do you have for your photo? The eyes and how bright and sparkly they are? Then that is the “verb” you are looking for.  A child’s cherubic face with eyes that are full of mischief…now that is a photo. A cutesie little shot of a baby or a small child won’t tell you a whole lot unless you concentrate on some focused idea. Cutesie can be a focus, but remember, you want your photo to tell a story.

ornament shopping

A Memory of My Visit

Your “Personal Photographer” takes all of this into consideration for your photoshoot.

Let your “Personal Photographer” find those stories for you while you enjoy the time with your family and friends.  Click here.

Masters Art Festival Disney

Two Disney artists completing a painting for the “red chair project” which uses funds to support arts education in the Orlando area. Good stuff. These guys are GOOD.
There’s always something going on at Disney that you can get involved in. Simply ask your concierge or look up Disney activities on the internet for that week. You have the Art Festival every November, the Wine and Food Festival, the Epcot Flower Festival in the spring. 
Try these links:
http://www.studioscentral.com/column/studios-weekly/under-radar-activities-hollywood-studios
http://www.rocknrollercoaster.com/secrets
http://www.towerofterror.org/secrets
These links are “secrets” that you might not know about but could be very interesting. Most of the time guests have no idea about these things – such as the “hidden Mickeys” – and this alone is a lot of fun to seek out. So click on those links and discover some special thing about WDW.

***(I didn’t know that the RocknRoller Coaster could do 5G’s – and to think that I actually rode this thing sooooo unaware of anything that this “limo” style coaster was doing. Apparently we did  a couple of loops and was upside down a few times too. This was all compliments of a Disney “cast member” otherwise known as my daughter, Kerri, working at the time for Disney, who persuaded me to go on this rollercoaster saying it was a “nothing” —- I am NOT a coaster person at all! eeeek. Thanks Kerri.)

Orange Is The Color of The Day and Lots of It

A candy apple shaped like Mickey and it’s ORANGE! Not to mention that this was a very sour apple and all the sugar around it didn’t help it much. It was actually two marshmallows stuck on top with white chocolate covering, then dried, then dark chocolate covering , then white again and finally the orange sugar. Only at Disney…on Halloween! Wonder what they are cooking up for the holidays up ahead? A turkey candy apple?

Not recommeded eating. Too much sugar. Unless you have a toothbrush with you, you are not diabetic, you love sugar, you don’t mind having empty calories that do nothing for you but add more fat to body. Your choice…

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READY for the FOOD & WINE Festival! 
Being in the parks on these days is a great time to be there as the crowds have thinned out a bit. The weather is still warm-ish but cooler days are on their way!

You may want to plan your next trip for these weeks if you can as they are also the Food and Wine Festival which is always a treat. Bring your appetite for this one!

Next on the agenda is the Festival of the Masters – an art festival that is one of Florida’s finest. To be accepted into this festivity you have to have won a couple of juried shows. It has quality written all over it. Don’t miss it if you are here the beginning of November!