Walt Disney World has been a part of my life since the park first opened in 1971. The colors, textures and exciting adventures drove my passion for capturing the best possible Magic Kingdom memories.
Many of the early images I shot from disposable 110 and 126 film type cameras aren’t much to look at now. Fortunately, the advent of digital photography afforded an economical opportunity to experiment and advance my artistic journey.
Of course, I owe much of the photographic field fun (aka education on the fly) to Inside the Magic. Originally my ITM role was to assist Ricky Brigante with covering events by taking photos while he concentrated on video.
Eventually my role expanded to writing articles for the site. I’ve enjoyed numerous theme park events and made several friends over the years, as a result of this wonderful adventure.
As the theme parks are still not accessible, turning to perusing past photography adventures (for ITM and for personal fun) serve as a surrogate to visiting in person.
Actually, I owe a great deal to the perfectly themed attractions and settings at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort, for helping to grow my passion and continue the learning process of taking a good photo. The desire to get that perfect shot at dark rides like the Disney’s Haunted Mansion, especially pushed me to experiment more and dive deeper into digital imagery.
Favorite Photos from My Magic Kingdom Memories
It’s my hope to share images and inspire others to take the shot with these photos. I’m by no means an expert, I just love what I do and have learned along the way.
For this installment, I’d like to focus (pun intended) on Magic Kingdom Memories. Walt Disney’s attention to detail evolved into a wonderful network of grand theme parks offering a variety of subjects to shoot.
Capturing the Castle
Sure, Cinderella Castle is probably the single most photographed structure at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. That, however, should not prevent one from trying different points of view.
Everyone Loves a Parade
From the nostalgic Electric Light Parade to the Headless Horseman lead Boo to You Parade, below are a few photos of processional pleasures.
Special Event Images
Even before shooting for ITM, special events offered opportunities for more unique settings. The images below include scenes from the 999 Happy Haunts Ball, One More Disney Day and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Nighttime Magic Photography
There’s something about painting with light, and Disney does it so well. These after dark images include a couple of cell phone images that just had to be shot.
Random Acts of Interest
Sometimes, something as simple as a lamp post captured my interest. These random images from around the park are further examples of picture worthy distractions.
Dark Ride learning curve
One of my goals as a budding photographer was/is to capture the best possible image (without flash) in a dark ride. For me, having enjoyed these attractions for almost 50 years, making this happens adds to the joy of visiting rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, and, of course my favorite attraction of all time: the Haunted Mansion.
Parting shots
Pain shared is halved, and joy shared doubled. Thus, I hope that by sharing these Magic Kingdom Memories, I’ve sparked a bit of pixie-dust powered smiles along the way.
Could some of these photos have been better shot/produced? Of course! But then that was part of the learning process and what makes them personal favorites.
Do you have a favorite photograph taken at the Magic Kingdom? Please share in the comments of our Facebook post of this story.
Source and images: Michael Gavin