The Photographer's Wife Parenting, Disney, Travel, Reviews & Other Randomness

Happy 2 years to you, Trent!

While I am sad I am not home to celebrate your special day, I know Daddy will do something special! And just think about how much fun you’ll have at your birthday party this weekend! I’m excited for you to play with your friends and have a fun-filled day. Let’s hope you aren’t as tired and cranky and shy as last year! We’ll never let you live that down

You’re getting bigger and smarter every day. You absolutely love your rock box and going to the park. The pool has been a little cold this year, but hopefully you will start to enjoy that much more as it warms up. Mostly, you definitely love being outside.

The only downside is that your hair does some crazy things in this Florida humidity…

You are as picky as ever when it comes to food. We never know what to make for you because one day you will like something and the next day you will spit it out! You open the pantry all the time looking for snacks, and you often bring me the entire Cocoa Puffs box to open. You don’t like strollers or high chairs, so when we go to a restaurant, we have to get a booth so you can sit or stand on your own.

You have been to Disney World 6 times in your life so far…that’s crazy! Expect many more trips to see Mickey and friends

This last trip, you reached your very first height restriction ride…the Tomorrowland Speedway! You were so proud holding your little driver’s license.

You’ve already been outside of the country…to the Bahamas on a cruise! There was no need for a passport, but we got one for you anyway. I wonder if you will get any stamps on it before it expires in 5 years.

You love your Sheepy more than ever. One question though, why did you have to pick a white stuffed animal? Daddy has had to wash Sheepy while you sleep so many times!

You love playing with and feeding the dog….often chasing him around in circles for as long as your little legs will let you…which is a long time! I’m sure the dog has gotten more exercise in the past 2 years than in his other 9 years combined. The cat tries to run away from you, but sometimes you are able to grab him and then he doesn’t seem to try to run away from you after that….cats, I don’t understand them either. You also love seeing and brushing the goats at Animal Kingdom. I think you are just like your Dad when it comes to your love of animals.

We know you are going to be the best big brother. You have always loved to share…toys, snacks, drinks…so I hope you will continue that and share with your sister, at least until the sibling rivalry inevitably shows up. I’m glad you will have a new playmate in the house to keep you (and all of us) busier than ever!

I hope you always feel just as loved, important and special as ever…because you are. Every day. Forever.

Happy 2 years Trent!

 

Today is Brett’s official birthday, but we celebrated with family on Saturday at Texas Roadhouse. This location opened about a year ago and it has yet to disappoint. I think Brett and I get the same thing every time…why mess with what’s right?

This night, we were seated in Willie’s Corner.

There are peanuts a’plenty, as well as shells all over the floor…which could be an OCD person’s worst nightmare.

We both started out with a house side salad with Caesar dressing…their side salad is so tasty and not skimpy.

Brett got a plate of gravy…there may or may not be a big country fried chicken hiding under there with mashed potatoes.

I got the 6 oz. sirloin and a sweet potato with cinnamon butter. They also offer a loaded sweet potato with cinnamon butter, marshmallows and caramel, which is like a dessert in and of itself, but I decided to take it easy tonight

Trent was very well-behaved and ate plenty of rolls (their rolls and honey butter are so good!), some peanuts and some of his dinner. I guess that was his gift to Daddy this year…no tantrums in public places for 1 day

Anyone that knows Brett knows how much he HATES getting any attention for his birthday in restaurants. Although, we always go out to restaurants for his birthday instead of doing it at someone’s house, so maybe he secretly hopes for it…I don’t know. What I do know is how hilarious it was for him to have to get up on a saddle while they all yelled his name and “Yee-haw!”

He’ll probably hate it even more that I posted that photo here. There is a video out there courtesy of our niece (those dang teenagers are so quick with video and social media…I swear the video was posted on her account before he even got off the saddle!)

But that’s what birthdays are for…family/friends, fun and a little bit of embarrassment on the side.

Our Sunday was a bit relaxing with some pool time and swinging for Trent and I (it was beautiful outside!), and errands and yard work for Brett (Happy Father’s Day, I guess? - That’s what happens with a kid’s birthday party to prepare for.) We gave him his Father’s Day gift a day early…a Roku Streaming Stick for his tv upstairs and this…

It was supposed to be made with paint, but Trent did NOT want to touch the paint and it was starting to head into mess disaster area, so I traced his hands on foam sheets and cut them out. Pay no attention to the random sizing of the letters…i normally have nice handwriting, but I think I get nervous when making something in permanent marker as a gift or something.

Tonight, I will pick up something for dinner to bring home, Brett’s choice, and hopefully watch the final episode of Breaking Bad. We’ve been watching one episode every 1-2 nights on Netflix and we are at the end. Whatever shall we watch next?!

We love you Brett! Happy birthday!

 

 

Yay - we made it y’all!

This week felt a little crazy…lots to prepare for at home (so excited for Trent’s birthday party next week!), busy at work, doctors appointments, craziness all around…I have a feeling next week will be even crazier. Yikes! But busy can be good too…that means things are happening, but I will be glad to relax after it all. Oh, who am I kidding? We have baby #2 on the way…there will be no more relaxing for 18 years! Haha

Without further ado, here are some fun things over here and on the interwebs I found this week.

 

-These photos of famous landmarks from an angle that will totally blow your mind and see them differently

 

-How awesome is this UP costume? They actually made the head!

 

-This pin of 40 DIY Photo Booth backdrops. Great ideas without spending a fortune.

 

-We’ve decided to make the nursery grey and purple - with a bit of white in there too. This art looks like it would be really easy to make myself and would go perfectly with the theme!

 

-This photo was pretty popular on my Instagram and Facebook. I took it at Hobby Lobby last week. Doesn’t it make you freak out a little? I know I’m sure not ready for Christmas! Someone mentioned that people that make crafts may have to start this early, which I can understand, but not everything there was for crafting!

 

-With the release of The Fault in our Stars, I’ve heard a lot of talk about how this movie will make EVERYONE cry. Here’s a list of 25 other movies that will make you weep. I personally always cry when I watch Forrest Gump. Every time. What’s your favorite tear-inducing movie?

 

This coming week, we have Father’s Day, Brett’s birthday, Trent’s birthday and Trent’s birthday party. FUN! Last year, we were in Disney around this time (you can read that trip report here), so it’s nice to be home to prepare for all the festivities.

 

Enjoy your Friday, friends! Cheers!

 

It’s that time of your again when we celebrate our paternal parent and say thanks to Dad for everything he’s done for us over the years. Dads are pretty special so it’s only natural that many want to go the extra mile and spoil them a little for Father’s Day.

With that in mind, here are some fantastic gifts if you want to go all out for your Dad this Father’s Day…

Track day

If your Dad is a bit of a petrol head then he will absolutely love a day out racing fast cars around a track. You can find track day packages for some of the best circuits all over the country racing amazing cars including Audis, Ferraris and more. You can even take a car around Silverstone, the UK’s Formula 1 circuit. If your Dad has spent his whole life driving around in a beaten up old car then he will absolutely love the chance to really burn some rubber.

 

Sports events

For sports mad Dads there is a world of different things you could get him for Father’s Day. Whilst it might be a little late (and expensive) to head over to the World Cup in Brazil, you could check out one of the big sporting events in the UK this summer, such as the British Open, Wimbledon, or even tickets to a football match for when the new season starts a little later in the year. Other great sports gifts include stadium tours, sports equipment and clothing.

 

A family photo shoot

If you want to get your Dad a gift that feels a little more personal then you could opt for a family photo shoot with a professional photographer. They’re great fun and at the end of it he has something he can keep that is truly unique. For example, Venture family photos are always popular and he can choose whether he wants to include the whole family or just the two of you.

 

A slap up meal

Who doesn’t love food? Everyone enjoys a nice meal out and your Dad will undoubtedly love being treated to a meal at a nice restaurant. Whether he likes a nice bit of pub grub or something a bit more upmarket, it’s a great gift. You can invite the whole family and turn it into a bit of a family outing or you can make it just the two of you for something a little more personal. Either way, he’ll really appreciate the opportunity to sit down with his family and have a good ol’ chat. Make sure someone drives him there though so he can have a drink as well!

 

Fancy gadgetry

Another thing that most Dads can’t get enough of is swanky gadgetry, so this could be the ideal Father’s Day gift. From iPads and digital cameras to the latest games consoles and sat navs for the car, there is always something new that takes his fancy. Just bear in mind that if you do go for this option then you might not see your Dad for a while as he plays with it!

 

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Brett and I have been going to Walt Disney World Together for over 10 years. In that time, his camera bag and its contents have changed numerous times. New cameras, new lenses, replacing outdated items with new ones, different bags…it really is just a constantly evolving art.

Even in a single day the contents will change, as certain things are used during the day, some only at night, some only for fireworks, etc.

Brett gets lots of questions on his camera equipment, both online and in person. I thought I’d share a post about what is inside his Disney World Camera Bag. Brett included descriptions of each item and additional info in the photos themselves, but after the photos you’ll also find the items listed with links to where you can find them to purchase for yourself.

Canon 5d Mark III

This is my main camera and I absolutely love it!

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS

A top quality zoom lens, fantastic for portraits and used heavily in Animal Kingdom for animal pictures. Great for action shots. It’s heavy, so I may swap it out for something else depending on what park I’m headed to.

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L

My workhorse lense…I use this lens for 70% of my work. It’s a great quality lens, is good with fairly low light, and has a decent zoom range.

Sigma 15mm 2.8 Fisheye

Super fun lens to use, very wide 180 degree field of view. Great for unique shots in close quarters. Excellent in low light. Very sharp, too light not to bring everywhere! (Note from Lynn: This is also great for capturing selfies and is sometimes the only way we can get photos of our family without handing the camera to someone else!) *Designed for full frame cameras only. Sigma has a 10mm twin of this lens for crop sensor cameras.

Canon 50mm f/1.4

Fantastic in low light, used on dark rides constantly, great for portraits. Super lightweight, always carried! *If using a crop sensor camera, you may want to shop for the 35mm version of this lens.

Canon 580ex II

Only used when doing portrait work around the park as a fill flash for shadows. When not carried, this slot holds the GoPro.

Neewer Shutter Release

Remote shutter release/timer is a must have for fireworks! Also good for bracketed shots so you don’t shake the camera.

B+W Filters (be sure to get the correct size for your lens)

-3 Stop Neutral Density: Darkens the lens to allow for longer shutter durations. A favorite for fireworks.

-10 Stop Neutral Density: Extremely dark filter for long exposures in broad daylight or VERY long firework exposures.

-Circular Polarizer: Directs the sun’s rays properly into the lens for those beautiful blue skies.

Plenty of Memory!

Lowepro Pro Runner 200 AW DSLR Backpack

Fantastic bag! Has lumbar support, built-in rain cover (a must have for Florida!) and holds a ton! Has built-in tripod straps. Fits on every ride in one way or another.

Benro Travel Angel Carbon Fiber Tripod

Great sturdy tripod that I carry at night for long exposures and fireworks. A tripod is a MUST for photographing the parks at night!

Joby DSLR Gorillapod with Ball Head

A great alternative to a large tripod when you just need something for family pictures or the occasional night shot. The legs will wrap around anything…railings, light poles, etc. I have even used it wrapped around the large tripod to mount the camcorder or GoPro on to record the fireworks at the same time I am taking pictures!

Not pictured:

GoPro Hero 3+

We use the GoPro Hero 3+ for video recording, unique-angle photos, and anything near water. The quality is amazing and there’s so many fun uses for it.

Camera Extender

We put the GoPro on this extender pole and we can get video/photo from high up, walking level, places a normal camera won’t reach, etc.

To see some of Brett’s amazing Disney photos that he took with this equipment, go visit and like his Disney Photography Facebook Page: Disney Photo Snapper

To read our past trip reports and see many Disney photos too, chef out our Disney Trip report page: Disney World Trip Reports