WDW in B&W – WBW39
Africa, Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World

As colorful and visually stimulating as Walt Disney World can be, there is something special about a black and white image of the park. The removal of color allows the eye to focus on the details and textures of a scene. The gentle balance between shadow and light. Converting an image to monochrome does not lessen it at all.

This view of the port in the village of Harambe in the Africa section of the Animal Kingdom is a favorite view of mine. The amount of detail created by the Imagineers for nothing more than visual decoration is incredible to me. The guests can not walk down to the water nor is there a boat ride that passes by the port. It is the introduction to an area, the tone setter, the preamble for a whole section of a park.

I probably capture a dozen images of this view throughout the course of my day at Animal Kingdom. Actually, both views from the bridge into the village are as photogenic as hell. When the season is right, the sunset will occur over the building for the Festival of the Lion King and adds even more punch to my images.

But this one is an early morning capture with the sun rising over the Tree of Life behind me. I would have liked a few clouds in the sky but who is going to argue with a perfect Florida blue sky. The almost mirror-like surface of the water only “plusses” this view with detailed reflections.

This one definitely belongs in my WDW in B&W series…