I’m Published!

I couldn’t be more excited! The 2009 version of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World has been released. The Unofficial Guide is my favorite WDW guidebook and loads of Disney fans can’t wait to get the newest version. But, that’s not what has me dancing around my office.

For the first time this book includes full color photos of Walt Disney World. Now that’s very cool and it’s another good reason to be excited. But, again, that’s not why I’m telling you about this book.

So, what’s the big deal then? Well, some of the photos that are included in the book were taken by ME! That’s right, I’m published! Woohoo!

I love taking photos in Disney World and sharing them online. This is the first time that someone actually solicited my work and paid me to publish my photos in a book. How cool is that?!

Hey, Where’d She Go?

Some people who check out this blog already know this about me: I’m a big Disney World fan. I know, some of my friends think that’s really geeky, but I don’t care. It’s my favorite place to take photos. Here’s one of my favorites from the Magic Kingdom.

 

Anyway, I have a Squidoo page called Great Disney World Photos. I’ve been spending some time this past week updating it. If you like Disney World photos, check it out. It’s jam-packed with photos, tips and resources. I’m pretty proud of it actually. There are nearly 400,000 pages on Squidoo and my page has been ranked in the top 100 for more than 400 days! Right now it is #34 overall and #1 in the Travel category.

I’m working on a new Squidoo page to help people who’ve never been to Disney World plan their trips. I’ll let you know when that one is published. In the meantime, for any other fans who may be reading this, here is a link to Focus on Disney World, a list of my other Disney World pages on Squidoo.

I also contribute to a photoblog on AllEars.Net called Picture This! We’ve been conducting a survey this week to find out what readers would like to see on the blog. I’ve been spending a lot of time reading the results and thinking about ways to improve the blog. Here’s a link in case you want to weigh in.

Also this week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed on my favorite Disney podcast, WDWToday. That was a new experience for me. I offered a few tips for taking good photos when visiting the parks. I was very nervous but thanks to Mike Newell’s editing skills, I didn’t come off sounding too bad. Here’s a link if you want to have a listen.

That’s where I’ve been – in virtual Disney World! I’ve also been out taking some photos of spring here in Oregon. I’ll work on getting some of those posted here soon.

Day Sixteen

Boardwalk Chandelier, 1/16/08

This was my last day at Disney World. I spent the morning walking around the Epcot resort area. This photo is from a giant chandelier in the Boardwalk hotel lobby.

Day Fifteen

Tomb Warriors, 1/15/08

In Epcot’s China pavilion is an exhibit called Tomb Warriors: Guardian Spirits of Ancient China. It’s pretty cool. This text is from a sign in the exhibit: The very first act of Qin Shi Huang (before he was emperor) was to make preparations for the afterlife by beginning construction of his tomb. Over a period of 36 years, 700,000 laborers constructed a vast underground city that included a massive palace and a life-size terra cotta army. This army was comprised of over 7,000 cavalry troops, chariots and horses. The tomb has been dubbed “Necropolis” or “metropolis of the dead”.

Learn more about Emperor Qin’s tomb here.

Day Fourteen

Kaboom!, 1/14/08

This shot is from the Dream Along with Mickey show at the Magic Kingdom.

Day Thirteen

Mile 24, 1/13/08

Today was the Disney World Marathon. I was taking photos at the 24 mile mark behind the Boardwalk. Everyone looked pretty beat by that point, except the people dressed in character costumes. Those folks seemed pretty energized and looked like they were having a great time. They must have gotten a lot of energy from all the cheers they got from the spectators.

Day Twelve

Big Thunder Mountain, 1/12/08

Yup, I’m at Disney World again. I just can’t seem to stay away! This is Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. I tried and tried to get a shot with the train in it but couldn’t figure out how to do it. It was moving too fast.