(Hats Off to You)

What is it about an Orlando vacation that drives us to try on all manner of hats? Even as a typical germaphobe, I lose all sense of how many heads each hat has undoubtedly graced, just to get that one photo that will forever live on my Facebook page. I, with the courage that typically only comes with the help of a liquid libation, run straight to the nearest, most wonderful hat and instantly throw it atop my head. It is from that point that I shout to my husband, "look at me, take my photo!" And, if I come to the conclusion that there are too many "hat photos" of yours truly, poor J must step in, and honor those vows that we spoke on our wedding day: "I promise to love and cherish you, and to take ridiculous, embarrassing pictures in Florida." Come to think of it, I wish that had really happened. Vow or not, he does manage to humor me on every trip. So without further ado, take a look at one fabulous hat photo collection:

2006, from left: then-MGM Studios; Epcot's Olympic chapeau; Mickey's Philharmagic; Epcot, again; Rainforest Cafe, Downtown Disney; Stitch's Great Escape! Magic Kingdom 

2007, from left: Team Mickey Athletic Club, Downtown Disney; Rainforest Cafe, Animal Kingdom; "Mexico," Epcot; Raglan Road, Downtown Disney

2008, both at Mickey's Star Traders

2009, from left: Epcot's Mexico; "Morocco," Epcot; Animal Kingdom

2010, top to bottom: World of Disney, Downtown Disney; Brown Derby Hat Shop, Universal Studios Orlando

2011, Disney Cruise Line, Mediterranean 

Do you have any fantastic and/or embarrassing hat photos? Send them on!

Happy chapeau-ing,

(What to do with no Picnik?)

I'm a little late to the game here as many bloggers and photography fiends have done their fare share of venting about this, but a few weeks ago, I received the most disturbing news to my inbox:

I can't describe how terrible I felt when I read this. As someone who really loves her camera, this is an awful shame. Picnik really held its own among the best of editing programs, and was a joy to use -- incredibly user friendly and equally inexpensive (a premium membership cost $24.95/year).

So...what now? Google+ users will have some features of Picnik available to them, it appears.I don't mind sharing photos with friends on the social media platform, but I would like the option to edit them and download them to my computer as I could with the previous version of Picnik. It isn't immediately clear to me how this new option is going to work.

I would love to hear your suggestions on a great replacement. We have until April 19, 2012 to take advantage of Picnik - I urge you to do so!

And here's hoping that my dramatic sound-off is all for naught - Google did promise bigger and better things, didn't they? Let's hope that they deliver in time for my October 2012 trip to Disney World!

Happy editing (while you still can!),

(My Best Shot: Wishes! & Cinderella Castle)

I love love travel. I would say that it's my favorite thing, but I can't travel anywhere without my camera. So maybe photography is my favorite thing. Either way, travel and photography go hand in hand for me, and one is not complete without the other. Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom is one of the most photographed structures in the world. I'm (clearly) no pro when it comes to photography, but I give it my best shot, and am always learning something new. It has long been a personal goal to get the perfect picture of Cinderella Castle, particularly during the fireworks show, Wishes! The problem is, I don't really have the patience to carry around the required equipment to actually do so. I always feel for those people in the Disney parks carrying around their giant backpacks and tripods, although I know they're getting amazing pictures so I sort of envy them, too. The thing is, it's easy to get really frustrated when snapping away during the fireworks show. On most occasions I spend more time fidgeting with my camera than I do enjoying the show. But every once in a while, I find a hidden gem among the hundreds of blurry shots. It's not perfect or professional by any means, but still, I find something special. Take a look at below at my attempts over the last few years.

2005. Pretty blurry, but look at the colors!

2006. I love the castle draped in shadows paired with the brightness of the fireworks. 

2007. Another where the castle is shrouded in darkness, but look at the sky! 

2009. A bit blurry, but  take a look at the couple bottom center. How sweet!

2010 from Narcoosee's. Blurry, and this is where a better zoom lens would come in handy. 

My 2010 photo isn't anything special, but I thought it was cool to have the show from a different location. This was the first year that I visited Disney World without a point and shoot (I had finally upgraded to a DSLR). For some reason we didn't make it to the park in time to see Wishes! up close, so next year I'll really test it out and hope for some good results.

During PM Extra Magic Hours, 2010.

So, personal goal still not attained, but I'll keep on trying (which means I'll just have to keep going back to Disney, bummer!) Perhaps someday I will acquire the appropriate equipment (and talent) to really get that perfect one. Until then, I'll just give it my best shot and hope for something special!

Send me your castle photos!

Happy Snapping!