Today’s magic words: puffy white clouds. In taking my near infrared photo sideshow through the final park at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I was lucky enough to find myself on the bridge leading to Harambe on a sunny day when the sky was chock full of the little buggers. I was totally unprepared for the effect a sky full of small, fast-moving clouds would produce during 30-second exposures of Expedition Everest and the Tree of Life.
It’s a rare and satisfying experience when you look at an image as it pops up on your camera’s LCD screen and go, “Oooooo!” However, as satisfying as it may be, I realized that day that it’s probably best to smile and say it quietly to yourself rather than standing on a bridge, grinning like a goof and making sounds like a lovesick moose.
With as much fun as I’ve had shooting these near infrared photos, I find I’m having a hard time making myself take the filter out of my camera bag and put it back in the cabinet. Maybe I could leave it in there a little while longer.
Just in case.
Comments
Absolutely gorgeous! I feel like it’s a glimpse into a beautiful fantasy world exactly where I would love to be.
Hello Kent,
I would love to see more pictures! I would love to see a shot of
Mission Space and/or shots in Tomorrowland; perhaps the Astro Orbiter and Space Mountain.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Seriously beautiful work and amazing perspective. I have seen AKL photographed many times, but these are by far the best!
Hey Kent,
Amazing work once again! Any possibility of your IR photos making their way to the shops in WDW? I, and I am sure others here, would love to have the opportunity to purchase them as matted prints. The two at the top of my list would be the Haunted Mansion from an earlier post and Expedition Everest above. We rode EE a total of (13) times during the 5th Anniversary Passholder Event Nite earlier this month. The ride is much better at night. Your EE print, black frame, my wall!
Paul
Seminole, FL
OMG these photos are just so amazingly beautiful!!!!
I just LOVE the EE picture!!
Wow, just wow.
These are absolutely beautiful. They also capture one of my favorite picture spots while I’m there at the Animal Kingdom. i can’t even tell you how many photos I have take from that bridge look out at Expedition Everest. Thank you for sharing these!
Hey Kent, what camera are you using? Based on your posted EXIF from the Magic Kingdom shots, I’m betting something newer.
Using my D7000, I use bulb mode and end up with exposures of 30 seconds or more even at f/2.8-4.5 (ISO 400) and they still aren’t looking all that great, even after post. If I go with anything lower, I end up with a red mess! I’m thinking it’s because the IR filter is just too good on this newer model. I know all of the modded cameras are D50s, D70s, and D100s, so I’m wondering if the D7000 is just too new for IR.
I’ve seen comments online saying older cameras are better suited to this type of photography because the earlier internal IR cut-out filters let more near infrared light pass. We shoot with newer bodies here, but because I never played with this type of photography before this year I can’t say definitively that cameras two generations ago were better for this use. I have, however, seen a lot of near infrared photos from older cameras that were clearly shot hand-held, which is impossible with our newer models and the long exposures they require. This appears to be one of those situations where newer isn’t necessarily better.
Definitely keep ’em coming! These images of Animal Kingdom are among the best ones yet. I love these shots and would definitely like to see more.
I always love your photos. I love the way you look at things in a different way.
I love those photos especially the bottom. It has a “Shangri-la” look to it.
@Kent: Oops, sorry–I missed your reply in the first post. Thanks so much for the information! I’ll definitely be following your advice and looking up more information on near IR photography. Your photos are inspiring. 🙂
I would LOVE to see some at the resorts… the contemporary from say the magic kingdom… or any of the resort hotels… of course i love disney so much that anything is enjoyable… BUT I also love this filter
I love the picture of Expection Everest the last one. It looks like a Asian ink drawing
Fantastic! Amazing and Magical Animal Kingdom is my favorite park it is so photogenic. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Christopher. I’d love to do a “Photography Tour” at WDW. (I’d also love to be a Disney photography contributor but I think you’ve got that position in the {camera} bag).
These pictures are amazing! Please keep posting more!
These are absolutely beautiful. They remind me of what my back yard looks like when it snows. Everything is white, gray and black. Very dramatic. Would love to have these hanging on my wall at home.
It looks like the trees are covered in snow lol…these pics are amazing…I love the very first one on the list 😀
The 3rd pic is my favorite—stunning! thanks for sharing…
Absolutely beautiful pictures!!
These shots are amazing! Maybe I missed it somewhere, but would Kent mind sharing the camera and filters that he’s been using? I’ve always loved shooting black and white images, and the last time I shot IR was back when I used film and had access to a darkroom.
Absolutely gorgeous pictures!
These photos are amazing to say the least! Brilliant!
I have thousands of pictures from my 20 years of visiting the parks and always look for new ways to capture the magic.
I think WDW should offer a “behind the scenes” photography experience, I think it would be a huge hit with many guests.
I -love- the IR photographs! They’re so ethereal and lovely. Thanks so much for posting them — and please, do keep it out, just in case!
Would you mind sharing which IR filter you’re using? I’m taking photography classes and would love to know more about your setup if you’d be willing to share some details.
Krystalle/Gordon,
Take a look at some of the replies I posted with the first installment in this impromptu series, More Than Meets the Eye at Magic Kingdom, and see if they help. If not, I’ll try to answer any of your questions to the best of my limited abilities.
Just curious…how do you become a photographer for WDW? I’m a Canadian freelance photographer with a passion for Disney, and would love to know. Thanks a bunch, Andy B – Canada.
beautiful
Very Pretty!
THESE PHOTOS ARE TRULY AMAZING!!! EERIE AND BEAUTIFUL! THANKS FOR SHARING!
Oh please leave the filter in and go back some evening near sunset….on the bridge going to Camp Minnie Mickey! Hundreds of white egrets come in and camp in the trees for the evening……it is an extravagent sight! Central Florida style snowfall/icicles!
I love the photos,so do my grandsons. Great job.Hope we will get some like that when we are there,I know they will never be the same but I can dream.Again beautiful.
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