Disney Photography | Walt Disney World | Disneyland • Matthew Cooper Photography

Cinderella Castle Fountain Fisheye – The Remake

by Matthew Cooper July 17, 2018July 17, 2018

In 2011 I took a version of this shot that really was the shot that hooked me for good on Disney Photography. It was the first shot I took where I was framing it and before I even pressed the shutter button I knew it was going to be good. I’ve taken tons of photos over the years but only a handful gave me that feeling of this might be something special when shooting it. Now, 7 years later this shot has been done to death by others, but I thought it might be time for me to have another go at it. Originally shot with a Nikon D7000 and Prooptics 8mm fisheye, this time I approached the shot with the Nikon D810 and Rokinon 12mm fisheye. Combined with 7 more years of editing knowledge I think I’ve come away with a vastly superior version of this shot… at least technically. It doesn’t hold that special place of being THE shot that hooked me on Disney photography.

July 17, 2018July 17, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Pillage and Plunder

by Matthew Cooper July 16, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

I’ve shot this scene numerous times over the years but have never shared one that I recall simply because none were up to my standards. Enter the Nikon 28 1.4 and I guess through a combination of gear and growing as a photographer I got a shot of the scene I’m happy with. I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

July 16, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Into the Belly of Monstro

by Matthew Cooper July 12, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

This is my shot of Monstro from the Storybook Land ride. There are many like it but this one is mine. It’s an incredibly easy shot to get but needed to complete the “collection”. Enjoy.

July 12, 2018 0 comment

Travel

Sunset Between the Joshua Tree

by Matthew Cooper July 7, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

I’m still digging through my shots from the national parks I visited on my journey to Disneyland. I really liked the sky and sunrays in this one from Joshua Tree National Park. I only wish we had spent more than 1 afternoon and a night here. We barely scratched the surface!

July 7, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Floating Mountains of Pandora

by Matthew Cooper July 4, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

This time around shooting the floating mountains of Pandora I opted for my Rokinon 12mm fisheye lens. I thought it was cool just how much of the scene I was able to capture with it. As usual however, the edit itself was a bit of a challenge. Though this is a single exposure I ended up using 3 different white balanced versions to create the final version. Further color balancing and levels adjustments helped dial it in just right. Finally, as I shot at a slightly raised ISO 400 I captured an amazing amount of stars which really help finish off the image.

July 4, 2018 0 comment

Disney

French Connection

by Matthew Cooper July 2, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

Today, I’ve got another take on Beauty and the Beast from the most recent Flower & Garden Festival. I shot this from the far side of the fountain using the Nikon 70-200 2.8 at 135mm. The compression from the longer focal length makes Impressions de France appear closer behind them. Finally, the highlights on Beast and Belle were a little strong so I had to use 2 total shots blended to get them just right. Enjoy!

July 2, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Disneyland’s New Orleans Square

by Matthew Cooper June 25, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

Unfortunately, I did not get many photos of New Orleans Square on my trip. Of the three I did get I only liked two of them, this being one of them. I went for a darker, moodier edit for this shot as I felt it fit the atmosphere well. The main challenge here was controlling the highlights in the windows, especially around the chandeliers. Thanks to the wonderful dynamic range of the Nikon D810 however I was able to create the base blend with only 2 shots. A third shot was used for the sky which captured way more stars than expected.

June 25, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Cozy Cone Motel

by Matthew Cooper June 20, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

It’s been a while since I’ve touched a Cars Land shot so here you have it. This time I took a stab at one of two Cozy Cone Motel shots I got from the trip, this one being my favorite. I feel that it’s not often my photos contain orange elements, so this was a fun bit of change. I also really like the contrast of the warmth of the Cozy Cone area with the cool on the right edge and Flo’s Café. Enjoy.

June 20, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Sunset on Paradise Pier

by Matthew Cooper June 15, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

The title of today’s shot is a double entendre of sorts. It is sad I only just visited Disneyland and shot Paradise Pier for the first time and it’s already being replaced by Pixar pier. I really enjoyed what I saw and now if I ever make it back it will already be replaced. I am thankful I was able to see this rendition however. I’m really going to have to hustle if I want to get all my MANY unprocessed shots of Paradise Pier out before Pixar Pier opens.

June 15, 2018 0 comment

Disney

Sunset on Harambe

by Matthew Cooper June 11, 2018

written by Matthew Cooper

I have wanted to get this shot for quite a while now but never got anything worthwhile. Finally, the sky gave me something interesting to work with and I now have a shareable version of this shot. I really wanted some warmth in the sky to compliment the warm lighting of Harambe’s port. The orange glow from the setting sun did just the trick. Enjoy!

June 11, 2018 0 comment