One thing that's become obvious to me over the last few years is that there are no shortage of Disney fans that love to share their Disney content. And the content comes in all different shapes and sizes. Everything from podcasts, to online radio stations, to books, to blogs and articles, to fan websites, message forums, video sharing, picture sharing, and the list goes on. I'm very grateful for all of these types of fellow Disney geeks and I take advantage of nearly all the different types of free content available to give me my daily Disney fix. It really makes being a Disney fan that much more enjoyable (and addicting, I must admit). For me, as one can easily tell, I enjoy sharing my Disney photography. The reason is two fold for me. First and foremost, I became fascinated with creating and sharing photography - specifically Disney photography. Then, soon after I started sharing my photography online, I started to realize that many people actually enjoy my work and seeing the world of Disney through the lens of my camera. The latter is what really sealed the deal for me and has really kind of formed my addiction / obsession / hobby. Knowing that people actually enjoy my work really makes doing this all the more worthwhile and it has kind of become my way of giving back to the Disney community of content providers out there.
When I first joined Flickr I intended it to simply be a place to host pictures for my daily Disney photo blog, which I was going to name "Express Monorail". The intent was to have some tag line along the lines of "Step on board the Express Monorail for a nonstop journey to the magic of Disney Photography" or something like that. Many of you may remember when my Flickr moniker was that. At the time I had really no idea what Flickr was all about and honestly just thought it was another image hosting service. Little did I know that Flickr housed it's own little (or large if you will) Disney photography community and it very quickly grew on me and I immediately felt at home. The blog went by the wayside very quickly when I realized that my Flickr photostream was getting much more attention than the blog. After awhile I got rid of the moniker "Express Monorail" and replaced it with Joe Penniston (°O°Joe) (Joe Penniston - my name and °O°Joe - the screen name for the various message forums I frequented). I made the switch because I was planning on sharing more personal photography and sharing with friends and family, so I didn't want them thinking "what the heck is Express Monorail supposed to mean??". Well, as you can tell I rarely share non Disney photography, and don't plan on it anytime soon on this photostream. If you want to see the rare occasion when I share personal photography (I really need to get better about that) friend me on Facebook.
I've always liked the idea of a "Daily Disney Photo" blog where I could share one Disney picture a day with anyone that cares to see. I've kind of gotten away from that here recently and have been very inconsistent with my entries. I want to bring that back and I'm going to start with changing my moniker back to Express Monorail. Also, I'm going to start a daily theme to coincide with my daily entries starting with Bokeh Wednesday (borrowing from the very popular Bokeh Wednesday Flickr group). Each day of the week I'll have a different theme and hopefully I'll be able to be more consistent and post one a day (except Sundays). So yeah - step onboard and grab a seat for your nonstop journey to the magical world of Disney Photography! "Please stand clear of the doors...Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas." :=0)






Photos of Express Monorail (10)
Express Monorail's favorite photos from other Flickr members (11,964)
Contacts (5,389)
Groups (50)
- Disney's Port Orleans Riverside 218 photos, 46 members
- Walt Disney World Only!!! 7,180 photos, 248 members
- Epcot Future World 4,688 photos, 212 members
- Star Wars Fans United 23,301 photos, 2,546 members
- Rate My: Disney Shot - (Read the Rules!) 360 photos, 141 members
- Neon Lights 6,950 photos, 610 members
- Curves vs. Straight Lines 32,824 photos, 1,483 members
- Disney Railways 406 photos, 221 members
- Disney's Port Orleans - French Quarter 278 photos, 53 members
- Tiki Tiki Tiki 256 photos, 773 members
- World Wonder! (invite required) 1,817 photos, 585 members
- World Icon! (post 1, award 3, SWEEPER used) 15,965 photos, 2,493 members
- Disney Dusk to Dawn 3,845 photos, 203 members
- Disney's Citizens of Hollywood 775 photos, 28 members
- Blue Sky Disney 2,383 photos, 144 members
- Taiko / 太鼓 2,125 photos, 297 members
- Japanese Culture. 15,459 photos, 673 members
- Star Tours 2 107 photos, 49 members
- SOOC (Straight Out of the Camera) 155,702 photos, 7,987 members
- Art of Images...(P1/A3) / Not Awarding=BAN 705,148 photos, 33,687 members
- Super~Six ☆ Stage #1 ☆ Bronze. Post 1, Award 5. (Sweeper) 867,430 photos, 38,115 members
- Disney Really??? 855 photos, 48 members
- World of Classic Cars 318,160 photos, 10,975 members
- TouringPlans 13,818 photos, 864 members
- The Land at Epcot 496 photos, 58 members
- Experience Kissimmee, Florida 5,154 photos, 233 members
- +1000 Favorites 25 photos, 102 members
- Coke Side Of Life 2,777 photos, 732 members
- Dynamic-PHOTO HDR 33,741 photos, 1,971 members
- Disney's Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower 199 photos, 49 members
- WDW Photo Weekend - May 6-9, 2010 179 photos, 26 members
- Disney World Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights 305 photos, 60 members
- Disney Postcard - Should be, Could be!!(Invite Only) 796 photos, 125 members
- The Magic in Pixels 3,038 photos, 53 members
- artland 494,594 photos, 28,428 members
- Save a Photo (Second Chance) 36 photos, 12 members
- Disney Park Christmas (XMAS) 1,129 photos, 105 members
- ~EXPLORE~ 12,826 photos, 562 members
- Walt Disney World Addicts 63,836 photos, 518 members
- Biggest Roller Coaster Fans 1,549 photos, 326 members
- I Love Disneyland 11,430 photos, 294 members
- Disney monorails 912 photos, 129 members
- Darckr User Group 11 photos, 11 members
- Reflections of Disney 510 photos, 70 members
- parrots, parrots, parrots! 19,916 photos, 3,090 members
- *Karma* 725,587 photos, 15,901 members
- The World Through My Eyes - TGIF is *OPEN* 3,154,597 photos, 92,014 members
- 5 Star Disney (Invited Photos Only) 1,809 photos, 137 members
- Baseball Unlimited 30,422 photos, 2,056 members
- Chicago Cubs 6,023 photos, 828 members
Galleries (2)
- Disney Fun (08/17/09 - 08/24/09) 16 photos
- Disney Fun (8/07/09 - 08/16/09) 14 photos
Testimonials (34)
-
Jeff.Hamm.Photography says:
"Joe was one of my first contacts on Flickr. His work never ceases to amaze me and I always love to check out his photostream. Keep up the great work! :)"
27th December, 2010
-
Lita Ludji says:
"you know your photos are AWESOME and very IMPRESSIVE :D"
13th May, 2010
-
Erps says:
"You have NOT seen Disney until you've seen it through Joe's camera. One of the very very few photographers/photographs that make you just say...WOW. Joe's works are nothing short of amazing and spectacular and would do Uncle Walt very very proud!"
10th November, 2009
-
EddyMixx says:
"One of the best and most inspiring photographers here on flickr. Especially if you're all about Disney. If you're looking for something Disney, Joe has a beautifully composed picture of it."
25th August, 2009
-
Mitchell Press says:
"I am so pleased that such a fantastic photographer as Joe left a "Beautiful shot!" comment for one of my photos and marked it as a Favorite. Thank you Joe, I love your work!
Mitchell"17th August, 2009
-
Todd Hurley (Todd_H) says:
"A truly inspirational photographer, Joe is hands down one of the best Disney photographers out there today. His attention to detail and talent for creative composition, as well as his perfect post processing skills makes his style a natural fit for photographing all things Disney."
30th June, 2009
-
Scott9432 (Back... Again) says:
"Wow! His photos are some of the most amazing I've on Flickr, his photography and post-processing skills are fantastic! The photos he posts a inspirational and wonderful, I don't think he's ever posted a photo that I didn't like. Well Done!"
13th June, 2009
-
Kiki FL says:
"Joe is both a good photographer and a good friend. His photography is a real inspiration and a pleasure to experience. The level of technical expertise he exhibits is equaled by his artistic vision. Joe is a skillful and creative artist and the sky is the limit for him!"
3rd June, 2009
-
Duane Matsen says:
"Joe is one of my very favorite photographers on flickr. I really love his subject matter composition. His photos are well done without being over produced (which is the nature of all too many on flickr). Joe inspires me to do better with my photography. Keep the great photos coming."
2nd June, 2009
-
Scott Smith (SRisonS) says:
"JUST realized that this was "°O°Joe" from the DisBoards. Loved seeing his work on there, and am now pleasured to see his shots in spectacular glory, here on Flickr. An amazing talent. I'll probably have to steal some of his shot ideas during my future Disney trips ;) Keep up the great work!!!!!"
24th April, 2009
-
DazzlingDigitalPhotography says:
"Joe has THE best Disney photos on Flickr! Besides being there, this is the next best thing!"
23rd April, 2009
-
divaostrich says:
"I remember seeing your photos on the Disboards.com 'Picture of the Day' thread a few years back and have always enjoyed your photos so much. Your photos are just jaw-droppingly fantastic! Thanks so much for doing what you do and sharing it with all of us!"
17th April, 2009
-
tonyboytran says:
"Joe inspires me to keep photography as a hobby. His photos/shots are so good that it makes me cry tears of joy."
14th April, 2009
-
Samantha Decker says:
"Joe's pictures of Disney World are outstanding! His post-processing skills are fantastic. I always look to his photos for ideas!"
23rd March, 2009
-
Mandy Maloo says:
"For a few weeks before I decided to join Flickr, I would spend hours looking at Joe's photos. I am absolutely mesmerized at how perfectly your able to capture not just the beauty of the subjects, but the feeling we all experience by being at Disney. Your photos certainly give me something to strive toward!"
2nd March, 2009
-
Craig Stevens <castevens12> says:
"Joe's first full year on Flickr has provided this community with some of the most fantastic pictures of Walt Disney World that we have ever seen. The infrequent shots of life on the Mississippi River Valley are a pleasant divergence from the Disney shots to show us a glimpse of the life of the man behind the photographs. I have been inspired by Joe's work, and it's nice to know that one of my mentors/inspirations takes time to look at my photos"
5th February, 2009
-
Brian Rechenmacher says:
"All I can say is that everytime I check my contact's newest photos, Express Monorail always has the best and most entertaining photos. Whether it be Disney-related or not, his pictures show the touch of a true genius through style, composition, framing, lighting, and clarity. Keep it up and thanks for sharing!"
28th December, 2008
-
astanse♥(Angela Stansell) says:
"Joe's photographs are truly awe-inspiring, spectactular works of art. Every photo he posts is a wonderful masterpiece. Disney should only be so lucky as to hire him as one of their official photographers. I have never seen any photos published by Disney that are as fabulous as Joe's! Disney needs to wake up and see Express Monorail's photos. Hello! I also want to thank Joe for giving me my regular Disney 'fix' on an almost daily basis! Thank you for sharing your art with all of us here at Flickr! Keep up the phenomenal work!"
10th December, 2008
-
Ya Ba Da Ba Doo, Amirah to the Rescue! says:
"YOU YOU YOU MAKE ME WANNA GO TO DISNEYLAND NOW!!!
:D"5th December, 2008
-
Tana71 says:
"Tus fotos son increibles!!
Me encantan, gracias por agregarme en tu lista de contactos
Besos"7th November, 2008
-
Alright Guy says:
"Great story. Awesome pictures. You are incredibly talented! Most of your pictures should be on postcards. Thanks for sharing your photographs. It really helps me see how I should be taking pictures."
17th October, 2008
-
Amanda's Weekly Zen says:
"Joe's Disney pictures are awesome. I look forward to his new uploads."
16th October, 2008
-
Abby Lanes says:
"Express Monorail is your fast pass to the best that Disneyland and Disney World have to offer. He captures everything so beautifully! I can't wait to see what he posts each day. I've never seen one photo that wasn't just perfect! He captures angles, colors, motion, characters, everything Disney, in such a creative, visually stimulating way. I favorite, and re-favorite some of his images over and over, so I can see them regularly. Express Monorail will never let you down with his beautiful Disney Art."
13th October, 2008
-
Matt Pasant says:
"What can you say that has not already been said.. but I'll try anyway. Joe is a terrific photographer with a dialed in eye for details and the ability to add the special touch in post that brings you into the picture. His posts are Flickr are a must view and unrivaled."
24th September, 2008
-
justyncox says:
"Its amazing how quickly we outgrow our cameras. Big jump from a 40 to a 300! Love the work and you couldn't pick a better subject! You have given me lots of ideas for both edits and composition so if I post something that looks vaguely familiar, its just flattery, not theft!
You are lucky to have so much to photograph: Kids and Disney...Perfect! No wonder you are so good!"23rd September, 2008
-
Tom.Bricker says:
"Talented and versatile, Joe is one of the best Walt Disney World photographers out there. His great eye for photography shines through as he takes a simple subject and makes it spectacular, or as he takes a spectacular subject and makes it beyond words. His feedback is always kind and encouraging, and he is careful with his feedback, even if it is constructive. All told, one heck of an asset to the Flickr community, and one of the few photostreams I check daily. Great work, Joe!"
22nd September, 2008
-
huffmans says:
"Thank you for all your kind and gracious comments! I look at your gorgeous and stunning photos as a source of hopeful inspiration! Keep it up!"
21st September, 2008
-
Lunchbox Photography says:
"One of the most talented photographers I've seen, especially regarding Disney theme park photos. He's got a great eye for detail and really captures the moment perfectly - as I'm sure you can tell from a quick glance at his photostream. Not to be understated, though, is along with his tremendous talent goes someone who just simply loves photography - he's incredibly helpful with advice or pointers, and is quick to compliment and praise the pictures he appreciates. Joe's a great photographer, and a great guy."
13th September, 2008
-
ScreenBlog (Danimator) says:
"'Express' wrings every vivid color and bit of texture out of WDW, and captures the candybox visual romance of the place with the sympathetic eye of a gifted Disney aficionado. His shots are always a pleasure to peruse. Keep at it!"
13th August, 2008
-
Kartoon-Kompany says:
"I love your pictures! I wish I could take pictures like that!!!! You are truly an artist!"
2nd August, 2008
-
Nylons and Cake says:
"I'm stunned by all of the gorgeous Disney photographs in your photostream! Please keep them coming. You are truly and artist!"
12th July, 2008
-
kevkev44 says:
"One of the best of the best of photography...especially Disney photography! Every singe shot in his photostream is just a hit, you can really tell Joe spends a lot of time editing and shooting every shot in his stream. Very talented photographer with a creative outlook behind the camera."
25th June, 2008
-
seven_lilies says:
"Joe is someone who has found a way to truly capture the heart and soul of Disney. The colors in his photos are beyond amazing and he always seems to find the little details that make Walt Disney World so magical. Have a stroll through his stream and you're sure to come away with several more favorites to add to your collection.
Thank you Joe, for letting all of us see through your lens too! :)"25th June, 2008
-
Big Thunder Mountain says:
"A talented artist, both behind the camera and in the editing booth! Lot of favorites in his collection!"
4th April, 2008
- Name:
- Joe Penniston
- Joined:
- January 2008
- Hometown:
- Iowa
- Currently:
- USA
- I am:
- Male and Taken






















