“Happiest Place on Earth”

Even when visiting a colorful place such as Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, one can frame photographs in a way to capture interesting and contrasting black-and-white pictures. These shots were taken in December of 2019 on an Ilford HP5 disposable.

I had spent the Summer of 2019 interning in Brunswick, GA while staying each weekend in Orlando, FL where my fiance was working for the Walt Disney Company. We often visited the parks each weekend for the entire summer since she was an employee and had free guest passes. And to be honest, the parks were getting fairly uneventful and old by the end of the summer. I visited Orlando, FL again in December, and this time I had the idea of getting a couple of Ilford disposables to spark some artistic inspiration as well as enjoy the parks the best I can.

Even as we visit a place almost entirely built upon visitors, the many people who work at these places are the reason they exist. To those who work at theme parks like Walt Disney World, we thank you.

Walt Disney’s properties change throughout the year. The largest costume change is probably during the winter holiday season. Trees, lights, wreaths, music, the whole kit-and-kaboodle.

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Orlando, FL to visit this Disney property every year, so it is hard to imagine that a family can have an experience that is different from another’s. I believe analog photography can be a great way to see and experience a place differently.

The disposables definitely heightened the experience, even after visiting them every weekend the entire summer. Shooting disposables also makes photography extra “cowboy-like”. There are no settings, no focusing, and one can even go as far as to say there isn’t really much framing. I guess that’s where the saying “Point & Shoot” comes from. But it makes viewing the photos later that much more satisfying. Since these moments were so quick and fairly “unthoughtful” (in the full spirit of pointing, shooting, and moving on) you forget you even took half of the shots. It tingles the mind as you try to remember the moments before and after each shot.

Walt Disney created an atmosphere where people from all over with different backgrounds and cultures, can find a common entertainment outlet to enjoy, whether that be a Disney park or more recently Disney Plus.

Thank you for viewing analog Walt Disney World, USA.