Daily Photo Tour - The Morning Bite

Monstro always catches my attention. I can't help but to be drawn to that gigantic bite! On a really awesome morning I caught this shot while walking around an empty Fantasyland. It's interesting to capture different areas of Disneyland in a lighting that you've never shot before. This was one of those moments. If you've ever been early on a winter's morning, you'll be able to experience the amazing golden glow that seems to encompass the entire park. Fantasyland is a gem during this time. This lucky whale gets to soak it up every morning.

Daily Photo Tour - A Morning Cup of Tea

I have a tremendous amount of respect for people who can jump into a teacup intended to spin them into oblivion first thing in the morning. I've never been one for sudden movements that early; I like to ease myself into the day. So naturally, I sat this one out and used the opportunity to take a photo of Matthew and Kevin spinning like no one's business. They wanted to contribute some additional movement to my image so I'm pretty sure they spun faster than anyone else out there, laughing hysterically the whole time.

Daily Photo Tour - You Don't Need a Magic Feather

That's right, you don't. That was the lesson from Dumbo. The secret to achieving the things you thought were impossible is really no secret at all, it's faith. Fear, doubt and unbelief are only hinderances and distractions. Can you believe that Disneyland has been around for over 58 years? What a testament to the fulfillment of Walt's hope for his original "Magic Kingdom" to be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. I can't help but wonder if he knew all along what it would become. I imagine that, in many ways, his foresight saw well beyond 58. It's pretty obvious he believed in what he was doing and that that was a source of confidence and boldness. He didn't need a magic feather and neither do you.

Daily Photo Tour - An Evening at Snow White's Grotto

There's an ebb and flow to maintaining a blog that you don't really consider as you embark on your first post. There's immense excitement or inspiration that seems to launch you head first into whatever it is that you're passionate enough to blog about. This is enough to sustain you for some time, even years, but after a while it wanes and as the excitement lessens, you find yourself searching for some source of inspiration to drive you forward. I think there's this misleading idea that if you're doing what you love you're constantly inspired (what a life that would be). What you don't hear about very often is what happens when you're struggling to find inspiration. After a few years of little to no sleep and complete disregard for what I was ingesting (practically living off of coffee for the first two years), I learned my lesson. I was burned out, riding on the fumes of the inspiration I once had. I wish someone would've told me sooner that it isn't enough to depend solely on inspiration; you actually have to balance your priorities and take care of yourself in the process. When you depend too much on inspiration or emotion to drive you, you create a roller coaster for yourself. You never know if that brilliant idea or spark of excitement will show up to spur you and what if it doesn't? Rather than drudging through those times, trying to hand crank a well that feels like it's been dry for some time, I welcome it as a challenge to push myself through how I'm feeling emotionally, because that's really all it is, emotion. I sit and draw, edit a photo or brainstorm new ideas for film projects or the website re-design. When I do that, creativity meets me half way and stuff "magically" happens and gets accomplished and it feels amazing. It actually feels better to push through and accomplish something rather than allow how I'm feeling determine how much I get accomplished in a day or how well I do it. I still get inspired quite often, but I don't allow it to determine my level of creativity.

Daily Photo Tour - Arabian Days

Matthew and I have let ourselves slack on physical activity. This became apparent from the soreness that followed a recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park, though in our defense, we climbed rocks and stayed up all night watching the Milky Way. That and listening to coyotes. We decided this morning that today would be the end of postponing exercise and we went for a long walk, more of a trek really, up down hills around our home. It was a great way to slow down, really talk and reflect on things. As is typical, it's easy to get caught up with all the things on our "To Do" list, which brings us to tonight's post. The Canal Boats are such a great way to slow down and appreciate details. Everything surrounding your cruise is so ornate. It's not hard to imagine yourself in one of the picturesque settings, in this case, a hot day in an Arabian marketplace.

Daily Photo Tour - The Jungles of the World

Have you taken a trip on It's a Small World lately? I don't get to ride too often, mostly because it seems to be a less popular ride for some. It might be the consistency of that familiar tune, or the slow gentle pace as you drift through the flume. You cannot discredit though the art design behind this ride, or the detailed scenes of each room. There is always a few new characters to find, a beautiful landscape you've never seen, or a new perspective from a different culture. That's kinda like our world now isn't it?

Daily Photo Tour - Evening Blooms

Before choosing an image to post tonight, I did something I haven't done in some time. I decided to sift through all of my images from the last three years. I got about a quarter of the way through before I started to regret my decision. Who knew someone could take so many pictures. I found that most of them have already been used while the rest well, they're not even worth discussing. This is one I almost completely forgot about. It was taken almost two years ago now, but I still remember the evening I took it. Doing a balancing act with the railing because I had left my tripod behind yet again. This is not a mistake I make very often anymore. I've learned my lesson with the time I've spent in post making up for it. Nonetheless, it was fun trying to get this and I'm sure even more entertaining for Matthew to watch.

Daily Photo Tour - A Fantasy Faire Night

As has been wisely and widely shared about Fantasy Faire, I am not a member of Disney's target market. That said, this new kid at the end of Main Street has appeal. I don't see myself waiting in line to see princesses or taking seats from children for the performing thespian troop. I do see myself finding inspiration there. I'm in love with the textures and the play of the lights across them. With the quiet evenings, I can see myself spending a good deal of time enjoying its majestic atmosphere.

Daily Photo Tour - The Beginning of an Adventure

Three years ago today the three of us got in a car, headed down to Disneyland with our cameras, and began an adventure that we couldn't of dreamed up. It's weird to think that we started this amazing journey only three years ago. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not our official 3 Year Anniversary today. We started the website in early May, so that's on the horizon. It is though, a special day in the fact that it was the first night we visited the park with the intention of capturing it through a lens, and with the vision of expressing to others just how special Disneyland really is. It was just one of the milestones in life where you know you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be. Everything just feels right.

I decided to post this picture again, because it is one of the photos from that night. In fact, it was the very first HDR photo I took inside Disneyland, so it's pretty special to me. If you dive way back into the first photos we have here, you'll see this photo, but you'll also notice that the processing is a lot different. A LOT different!! When you first start doing HDR it's kind of a spectacle while you edit. And I know I sure felt that way when I started.

Over the years, I've learned many different tricks and tips, and learned a heck of a lot from Matthew and Michaela. Don't mess with them in a color test, they'll demolish you. I will always remember that night, the smell of Tabebuia trees, the crisp chill of the night air, the stillness of Main Street after closing, and most importantly, the feeling of joy and excitement that something very special was in the future.

Daily Photo Tour - The Storybook Lighthouse

The Storybook Land lighthouse is the beacon which marks perhaps the most romantic attraction in Disneyland. The canal boats take their time cruising through picturesque storybook settings. Their only catch may be that you must start this wonderful journey by being swallowed by a whale.

Daily Photo Tour - Sleeping Beauty Sunset From Fantasyland

I'd like to apologize if you've had a hard time with the site loading. We transferred domain name hosts and that caused a hiccup in our site linking through the web correctly. Everything should be back to normal by now. If pictures don't load for you, try refreshing the page a few times and that should do the trick. As for tonight's picture...

I am a firm believer that the backside of Sleeping Beauty Castle doesn't get the credit it deserves. There's so much detail. On the evening I took this, I was really taken by the way the sun just kissed the spires; it was very romantic and delicate, which is sort of how I view Fantasyland. There's a lot of love tucked into a very small, intricate space.

Daily Photo Tour - Twilight Flight to Neverland

There's really never a bad time to make a trip into Neverland. I've made the sad mistake of avoiding Fantasyland a bit to avoid the lines. I guess I forgot how much I love the dark rides. With the fast paced storytelling and the unique experience of some of the Disney classics, they can't be beat. Maybe it's the patience I've developed through photography talking but the "lines" are hardly a reason to avoid these attractions.

Daily Photo Tour - The Icy Peak

As a kid, nothing said you were almost to Disneyland like the icy peak of the Matterhorn coming into view. What seemed like an eternity in the back seat of a car quickly faded from memory as the mountain and the realization of all your excitement grew.

Daily Photo Tour - The Castle's Evening Glow

Every night as the sun goes down, Sleeping Beauty Castle undergoes a beautiful transformation. It's stone walls, tall spires, and pink facade magically fade into an amazing colorful array of elegance. If you're lucky, on a good evening you'll be able to watch the sun set, light up the sky, and see the magnificent glow bring the castle to life. It's almost as if the sunset magically radiates towards the castle. It's this glow of the castle that captivates me every visit.

Daily Photo Tour - The Ominous Whale

Fantasyland takes on a whole other life when day turns to night. No exception is the look and feel of Monstro the Whale. He seems to glow and shimmer in the peaceful canals of Storybook Land, all while having an expression of great peril and ominous danger. Tricky, tricky whale...

Daily Photo Tour - Fairest of Them All

Believe it or not, sometimes writing for a post is the most difficult part of this whole process. So much concentration goes into trying to convey an idea or feeling visually through a photo that when resources are tapped to communicate something more through words they are found empty and the objective seems like grasping at air. How many times can one fill in the blank of "I took this picture because _______"? Certainly there are times when it's no additional effort at all. I guess tonight is not one of those times as I sit here in the quiet, staring back into the gaze of the Evil Queen.

Daily Photo Tour - Finding the Right Pony

There's nothing that will bring back your childhood more than an old fashioned ride on a carousel! Okay, well, maybe for you it's Sponge Bob, Nancy Drew, or Mouse Trap, but for me it's riding a fake horse around and around listening to a syncopated melody that will inevitably by stuck in my head for the rest of the day. Yes it's true. I am a man who likes his carousel's. There is just something that is so nostalgic that it has the power to transport you to another era. Even the horse's themselves, stuck in an infinite rotation with gnarly expressions and a gallop frozen in time seem to create this fantasy world. One of the most interesting parts is finding that particular horse that suits you. You might adore a finely decorated pony, or you might prefer a more simple horse. Maybe you like the more visually calm looking horse, or maybe you like the ones that appear as if a turbine engine has been placed in front of its snout. Yes, you know what I'm talking about. Whatever it is, you have to find the right pony and stick with it! What is your favorite pony?

Daily Photo Tour - The Beauty of Christmas

Christmastime is one of those times that has a way of making you stop and look inward to see how things are going. Sure there's the hustle and the bustle as well but with hope and warmth and love saturating so much around you it's hard not to find a moment to see how your life matches up to these virtuous themes. Disneyland is a perfect place to find such a moment. Mine was standing right here, at the entrance of Sleeping Beauty Castle, all aglow with her Christmas attire. Contrary to what that plentiful picture takers behind me must have thought, I was not trying to photo bomb their images. I just wanted to capture mine.

This year has taught me a great many things, the most important of which is to value the people around me. It's a common thread in Christmas cards, movies and music. Sounds easy enough and I thought it was a lesson I had already learned. But I realized that my actions weren't showing the people around them how much I care about them; how much they mean to me; how my life wouldn't be the same without them. I've allowed myself to become busy with things that when seen by the light of day, pale in comparison.

The thing is, it's an easy rut to fall into. The sun rises and it sets. Each new day brings about any number of mundane responsibilities that need tending to after which you grow tired. When such things have bogged you down, there are no spirits of Christmas past, present or future to visit you in the night and point you in the right direction. Should you recognize such things on your own, there's no angelic chorus that sings overhead. There's no big drama about it whatsoever. It's up to you to wake up every morning and decide that your actions will show the people you love how much you care about them, tired or not.

But, you know, the good thing is that as long as you have breath in your body, it's never too late. You can change. You can set out in a new direction and should you fall, you can learn to pick yourself back up again. The beauty of Christmas is not the things, the food or the time off but the loved ones we share them with.

Wishing you the most beautiful Christmas...

Daily Photo Tour - Spreading Christmas Cheer

There's nothing that spreads cheer quite like the glowing lights of Christmas. It's a Small World is a testament to that. An attraction whose line is moderate throughout the year will have you waiting in a queue that wraps all around the Small World Mall once it's gorgeous light display has been turned on. Why? Because there's something in that warm glow that reaches deeper than our skin. I suspect it's something different for each one of us; a fond memory of Christmas past; hope for a brighter tomorrow; maybe it's simply a reminder to cherish the moment you're in and the people you're with.

Daily Photo Tour - A Christmas Fantasy

I don't think there is anything more magical than Sleeping Beauty Castle all lit up this time of year. It's the first thing I see when I walk down Main Street and it fills me with the same sense of warmth and cheer year after year. My family used to come once a year for the holidays and it was such a wonderful time to get away from the craziness of life and spend some quality time together. No matter how many times I see this castle all dressed up for the holidays, I'm always reminded of those memories and I feel like I'm with them enjoying the holidays once more.