Disney Pictures

photo_DAD · Apr 12, 2012

My family and I are going to magic kingdom next week. Just wondering the best setting to shoot at. I have a pentax K7 and probably going to have a sigma 18-200 on it. Thinking shutter priority, maybe 1/250, manual white balance. Any other tips?

vipgraphx · Apr 12, 2012

There is not going to be one setting fits all! So many things change and you need to adjust your camera to change with the changing in lighting...what works in day time will not work in night time. So I do not think you will find the answer you seek...

IF you have to ask that question you might just want to shoot in auto mode..:er:

Josh66 · Apr 12, 2012

If you want a one fits all setting, I suggest the one with the green box.

Without being there, and seeing what you want to take a picture of, and the light - nobody is going to be able to get any more specific than that.

If you buy me a ticket, I'll gladly tell you what settings to use. :lol:

ghostdog · Apr 12, 2012

Hi photoDAD....

You're question is pretty straight forward, but the answer is not. I think that might be why you haven't had any responses yet. I'm not a pro, nor pretend to be. But I am a dad who mostly takes shots of my kids playing, which is why your post caught my attention. So going only by your question and the way it comes across, it seems that you might not have some basic understanding of exposure and how shutter, aperture and ISO settings play a role. I'm not trying to pass judgement, I only say this because if you had a better understanding in this area, you might be in a better position to answer your own questions. You'll also see why there is no right answer to your question and why others on the forum will not really be able to answer this for you.

Your answer will depend greatly on given conditions and on what you're trying to achieve in your shot.

I don't have any links off hand to reference for you, but I would suggest doing a Google search with keywords (exposure aperture shutter ISO). This will probably get you some hits with plenty of references to start you off. You may also find some useful Youtube tutorials as well.

Many variables come into play. Your primary variable to consider would be the amount of light available. Is it bright clear day at noon, or is it night time? Do you want a shallow depth of field, where the background is blurred, or do you want the background to be sharp and in focus? Is your subject moving fast or stationary? These are a few common considerations. So you'll need to start by getting a good understanding in the area of exposure.

With regard to white balance... You can do a manual white balance by selecting from the variable pre-programmed white balance settings on your camera (e.g., daylight, cloudy, flash, etc). However, unless you're using a custom WB, the pre-programmed manual setting may not be exactly right. If you're shooting JPEG only (and not RAW), an incorrect WB can be a pain. I usually shoot raw, so making adjustments to white balances after the fact in post is pretty easy. However, the right way to do it would probably be to set a custom WB for each shooting condition from the start. So in short, if you're new at this, I might suggest to continue using AUTO for now, though others here may feel differently.

All this said... if I were planning on a day at Disney... using only ambient sunlight and no flash, I would set as follows:

ISO:
Bright sunny or bright cloudy day: ISO 100-400
Less optimal sunlight: 800-1600 (and because I have a 7D, I may go as high as 3200)
it all depends...

Aperture:
Set my camera to Av (Aperture Priority) and let my desired depth of field decide my shutter speed. I would not use shutter priority. If I was not able to obtain a shutter speed fast enough for the desired shot, I would revisit my ISO setting or open my aperture more if possible.
it all depends...

White Balance:
Auto - adjusting in post is simpler for me and gives me the best results. Again, others may feel differently.

I hope this helps.