The day started off rather cold, somewhere around 25F but as the day progressed the sun worked its magic and by mid-afternoon the temps were at 55F. Definitely time for a walk. I haven’t been out for a walk in quite some time (longer than I care to mention). The Sculpture Garden trails were calling me. As I approached the main parking area I found I was not alone in my desire to enjoy the afternoon warmth. Luckily for me I know where the second parking area is at the opposite end of the trails.
The photo opportunities were a little slim but I enjoyed the walk regardless. Surprisingly, most of the people were enjoying the disc golf course which left the trails fairly people free. I was surprised to find a few small dandelions in the grass along the paths. You know me, I couldn’t resist…
Dream of Yesterday Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/3200s, f/2.8, ISO 200
WDW in B&W – WBW42 Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
I’m still in the middle of my love/hate relationship with Walt Disney World. The 50th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is October 1st. It is 31 days away! When the other anniversary milestones came I didn’t do anything special (to be fair neither did Disney on a couple of them). But I thought the 50th would be something spectacular and I would be there. I currently have no plans.
What I do have is more images from my trip this past May. As much as I might complain about Disney, and Walt Disney World in particular, I did have a few good times on my trip. Unexpected early entry into the parks was one of those times. The Magic Kingdom was scheduled to open at 8am but as soon as I arrived cast members were letting guests into the park. OK I thought, they probably have a rope at the end of Main Street holding everyone back until the official time. Nope! The park was open to us. While everyone was running off to any open ride, I was running around capturing as many images as I could.
I was on my way to Frontierland for sunrise-like images along the Rivers of America. Passing over the bridge from the hub presented this harsh view of Cinderella Castle which I could not pass up. Upon my first look at this image back in May I didn’t see anything special. I liked the sun flare but there were too many flare spots. Although I love shooting into the sun, there were to many spots to overcome in post-processing. While cruising the trip’s album in Lightroom last night this image jumped out at me. I needed to work on it.
It might be a cheat to convert it to monochrome but it did alleviate my problem with the sun spots. The other great affect of converting this image, it removes the new color scheme Disney used for the anniversary. I mentioned in a post back in May that the new scheme has Cindy looking like her sibling in Disneyland. I’m still undecided about the look for her but this version helps me forget. I think it fits nicely with the other images in my WDW in B&W series.
Cindy’s Morning Shine Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 17mm f/1.8, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 200
As someone who had to mow the lawn on a weekly schedule during the grass growing days, I hated dandelions. I never put the effort into “weed” control like my neighbor so my yard would eventually invade his, much to his chagrin. But the moment I started “seeing” the world around me as I began this journey with photography, the dandelion has been a constant and sought after subject.
I have photographed dandelions in every stage of their life. One of my favorites has been hanging on my wall for years (check out Dandie from this post back in April 2016, Grass). When I first moved into my current apartment I’m sure my neighbors wondered about the guy on his stomach out in the grass pointing his camera at the weeds.
I’ll continue exploring the dandelion. I am fascinated by its detail and structure. I wish to never lose my fascination with this weed…
Take FlightSide by side they wait
Wind to free their hearts one dream
New journeys take flight
Side by Side Olympus E-M1 Mark III, M. Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro, 1/160s, f/2.8, ISO 200
MLCreations Photography 