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 - 'Tis an Elegant Merry-Go-Round Horse

This beautiful carousel piece can be found in the Jolly Holiday Bakery as you make your way through the line deciding what sort of yummy thing to eat. Just about everything in there is a reference to the film. It's hard to imagine a better way to get around than on a merry-go-round horse with Mary Poppins. You might say that it's practically perfect in every way.

Daily Photo Tour - Lighting Up the Emporium

If you haven't gathered already, I'm a fan of the light fixtures throughout the Disneyland Resort. This chandelier especially caught my eye with the beautiful glass mosaic and woodwork framing it. It's definitely cause to look up once in a while when you're in the shops. Just watch out for the racks in the process; I learned this the hard way.

Daily Photo Tour - Grizzly River Sunset

Splashing down cool rapids beneath a lush forest canopy on a warm summer day is about as good as it gets. Talk about refreshing. It's a vacation within a vacation, getting lost in the mini pseudo-Sierra wilderness. If you find yourself needing a respite, make this the spot!

Daily Photo Tour - A Balloon Vendor on Main Street

One of the best parts of walking through the tunnel into a world unlike the one outside it is happening upon the street vendors selling their wares. The magic to be found for sale is easily lost on us as we grow older and have to figure out paying for it but as kids, we aren't concerned with that, our parents have got it covered. As far as we're concerned, those vendors might as well be selling gold. You can tell by the way kids carry balloons and the like, bouncing up and down, waving them in the air with such enthusiasm and freedom. The magic, of course, isn't in the object itself but in the imagination given it and the opportunity to bless a child with something that brings them joy.

Daily Photo Tour - Details in the Dock

Oh the stories these oft overlooked details could tell, whether it be their imagineered backstories or their real park ones. What river adventures did they take part in? Did they save a life? I'm sure things like this get replaced as needed and that's probably more frequently than we realize, but can you imagine how many guests this rope and this life preserver have seen and conversely, how few have taken notice of them? How many conversations they've given ear to? What special moments they played part to by some obscure degree of separation? How wonderful that must be for their craftsmen. Beauty is in the details. God is in the details. Taking a moment to enjoy the details is taking a moment to enjoy the present and making a decision to lead a rich life.

Daily Photo Tour - Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop

Ghirardelli isn't exactly new anymore but it was certainly a welcome addition to DCA's Pacific Wharf. It's really no stretch at all to imagine that you're in San Francisco. Unless it's hot. Then you pretty much know that you're not. But that's all the more reason to go inside and get a free chocolate sample, err... I mean, ice cream!

Daily Photo Tour - The Light at the End of a Rainy Evening

We haven't had many outings to Disneyland on rainy days but we always enjoy when we do. It sets a different tone in the park. The crowds are certainly a lot lighter and that, of course, is wonderful. Aside from the that, the attractions and theming take on a whole new disposition. Colors against a gray sky. Lights glistening on soaked pavement. Wiping a bench off to get a dry seat after a day of running around a park you have to mostly to yourself. Each of these things, and more, creates a unique experience and contribute to some great photo opportunities.

The website is getting closer and closer to completion. We're really loving it and can't wait to share this new platform with you.

Daily Photo Tour - 3 Things Coming to TDD This Summer

My post tonight is a little different. Between working on the website, our super top secret project and completely rearranging our lifestyle to fit a more balanced, healthy one, it has been difficult to find time to process photos. We hope you can forgive our negligence as of late and find some excitement in a few changes taking place at TDD very soon.

1. Website Redesign. Matthew mentioned this in a recent post so many of you may already be aware. We're in the process of completely changing our site. It will be much cleaner and more user friendly. Navigating the site will feel like you're floating through clouds as you click from one page to the next (trust me on this one).

2. Wait for it... HDR Tutorial! Difficult to believe, I know. This is something we've been asked to do for well over year and we never seemed to find the time; our sincere apologies to those of you who have waited so patiently. It will be an in-depth look into HDR, our individual styles and take on the technique including videos of us discussing what we've learned through this process and some pitfalls to watch out for.

3. Shop. We'll be offering products and services for the first time in TDD history. We've received numerous requests for TDD swag, purchasing photos (these will be limited to landscape photography for the meantime) and the ability to hire us for events. These are all things that have been placed on the back burner, so we're excited to be able to offer them now.

These are just a few things brewing over here right now. There's plenty more to come and we hope you are all as excited as we are.

And for tonight's photo, something a little different: The day we met John Lasseter. Such an inspiration to us in so many ways and it was so nice to meet him.

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 - 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 - Fly 'n' Buy Premium

There are some occasions when only the best will do. Not the best "stuff" but the best of ourselves. They are the times worth celebrating and the ones we remember. Sometimes, it's not an occasion at all but a person that brings out the best in us. When we had the opportunity to meet Dave Durham, we spent the day learning that he is one of those people. He's not only ridiculously smart, he's unceasingly curious and passionate about everything he does. One can't help but be inspired to strive for the high standard of doing life well that he sets. He pours the best of himself into everything. It was nearly six months ago and reflecting on that day with Dave has been commonplace for the three of us. It makes you wonder what kind of impact you could be having on others if you constantly put the best of yourself forward in every situation, every opportunity, every day.




Rare proof that we have fun and the cameras are not permanently glued to our faces!

Daily Photo Tour - The Horseshoe Lighting Revue

As we were waiting for the next show to begin, we made our way around the Golden Horseshoe to explore different angles and details. One of the things I love in there is all ornate lighting. This chandelier in particular caught my eye as it served as the perfect foreground to the grand stage.

Daily Photo Tour - The Abandoned Mine

If you wander around the backside of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad you'll find a shaft entering the abandoned mine. Even though I know it's not real, I can't help the urge to cross the fence and explore. The unseen has a way of grabbing our imagination and enticing our curiosity.

Daily Photo Tour - An Evening at Carnation Cafe

There's an interesting atmosphere at Carnation Cafe in the late evenings. It's reminiscent of a small town cafe filled with regulars or maybe a small coffee shop off the beaten path. It's quaint and familiar. It's easy to pass by because somewhere in the back of your mind is the reassurance that it will always be there, waiting for you. I guess that's how Main Street is supposed to feel as everyone's hometown, the heart line of America.

Daily Photo Tour - Pooh's Honey

There's nothing better than a pot of honey at the end of a long day, that is, of course, if you're a willy nilly silly old bear.

Daily Photo Tour - A Carriage Approaches

It may not be a Doom Buggy, but this hearse always finds a way to set the tone for your journey into the mansion... and beyond.

Daily Photo Tour - Stormy Day at the Emporium

The stormy weather today reminded me of the day I took this shot. It had rained heavily most of the morning. The Park was quiet and peaceful. Eventually the rain stopped and the clouds began to shift, revealing patches of sky and rays of light. Moments like these force you into a state of awareness and make you feel alive.

Daily Photo Tour - Room Aboard the Mark Twain

The Mark Twain offers a few options for your journey through the Rivers of America. There are the decks which offer a view of the surrounding wilderness and then there are cozy cabins where you can rest a spell. Fortunately the steamer takes her time, leaving the opportunity to enjoy all she has to offer. Go ahead, have a seat and listen to the whistle sing, the stacks puff steam into the sky and the paddle wheel churn the open river.