Intro / Description

Lynn and I spent a couple of nights at the Gaylord Palms Resort last weekend.  This very nice hotel is located in the Kissimmee area, near the Disney parks.  It has several great restaurants and a huge atrium divided into four sections modeled after different areas of Florida.  There are also two outdoor swimming pools, one for kids and one that’s adults only.  It made for a nice weekend and also provided quite a bit of photographic interest.

One of my favorite photos from the trip. It’s called “One second Koi” or “One second, Koi”, or “One second Koi?”

Info for Photographers

You’ll find photo opportunities just about everywhere you point your camera – so make sure you do bring one!

A small waterfall in the Everglades portion of the Atrium, just outside of the Old Hickory Steakhouse

Photo hints:  Light can be a bit on the low side, so be prepared:  Higher ISOs, wide apertures, image stabilization and camera supports will all help.  I used some pretty slow shutter speeds.  If you look at any of these images on Flickr (just click on the photos) and then click on the “More properties” link, you can see the exposures I used for each and use that as a guide for the conditions you can expect.

Tripod/Monopod: Would come in handy, and shouldn’t be a problem.  I didn’t see anyone with a tripod, although I didn’t see any signs saying they weren’t allowed.  In most areas there should be room for one – just be courteous and don’t block the pathways.  I didn’t bring my tripod and ended up sometimes bracing my camera on various objects.

Lenses: The wider the aperture the more flexibility you’ll have, and image stabilization will be a plus.  You might especially enjoy using a wide angle zoom and a macro.

Best time to visit:  Anytime.

Other:  Check Priceline.com for potentially lower room rates.  Be prepared to pay for parking.  And bring plenty of money for the restaurants.

Interior of the resort’s version of Castillo de San Marco

Summary

©2010, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.