Here's a photo from 1959, from Frontierland. I am guessing that the photographer meant to focus on the Mark Twain, but instead he/she wound up with a photo of pink oleander blossoms, and a blurry Twain in the distance. It's artistic, man!
This guy dreamed of piloting a sleek Monorail, or perhaps a nuclear submarine, or even wearing lederhosen while helping folks on to the Matterhorn bobsleds. But you've got to start somewhere.
This photo dates from June 25, 1966. "It's a Small World" opened less than a month before that (on May 28). I'm so glad that the façade was returned to the white and gold palette, although the multicolored pastels that it sported for years had its fans. The vast expanse of pavement is a bit off-putting, though it was probably necessary. Bear Country had a similar look to it before Splash Mountain and the change to "Critter Country".
This guy dreamed of piloting a sleek Monorail, or perhaps a nuclear submarine, or even wearing lederhosen while helping folks on to the Matterhorn bobsleds. But you've got to start somewhere.
This photo dates from June 25, 1966. "It's a Small World" opened less than a month before that (on May 28). I'm so glad that the façade was returned to the white and gold palette, although the multicolored pastels that it sported for years had its fans. The vast expanse of pavement is a bit off-putting, though it was probably necessary. Bear Country had a similar look to it before Splash Mountain and the change to "Critter Country".
The River looks amazingly "authentic" in that Twain, er, Oleander pic. Flowing wide and muddy. :)
ReplyDeleteDig the Shirt of the Future foreground right jiving with the House of the Future in the cleanup pic. Meanwhile to our left, that's a cute Couple of the Future on the bench. Enjoying an ice cream, watching the peeps, chillin' on a park bench in Disneyland all "la de da..." - that's the life. ;)
I'll agree the layout there of Small World was too spare originally. This photo doesn't show it to advantage - gosh was the photographer the abandonment expressionist artiste you had a bunch from a long ways back? - but the idea was to lead attention to the facade, which it did. It was good of them to restore the facade.
I dunno, that first photo made me feel like I was sitting on the edge of the river, chewing on a piece of straw when WHAT'S THAT? Oh, up in the distance there's a ship! LOL
ReplyDeleteThese aren't ugly, they offer a great glimpse back. OMG and I forgot about the guy "getting his start"!! I wonder how long it took them to figure out a way to put diapers on the horses? Quite a while I'm thinking, because I do remember having to watch where I stepped on Main Street!!!
In the clean-up photo, is that a construction walls just past the light pole, green and white?
ReplyDeleteI would take that guy's job. Cleaning up after Disney's horses would be a pleasure compared to some of the clean-up I have had to deal with over the years.
Sigh. I understand now why my uncle always wanted to mow the grass in the cemetery.
The photographer had the right idea in the first photo with the Mark Twain. Tree branches or a flower etc... in the foreground to help frame the picture. The mistake he made however is that he was probably shooting the picture at f 1.8. In other words, he was taking the picture with the lens wide open. He/she should have adjusted their shutter speed to perhaps 1/125 or slower and he/she could have shot it at f 8 or more (Shutting down the lens aperture more like a pinpoint) giving him/her greater depth of field.
ReplyDeleteThere is great depth of field in the second photograph. Everything is in focus. Shot at f16 or f 22 on the camera lens. The lens opening would be like a pin hole. This allows for greater depth of field and everything appears in focus and clear.
The third photograph lacks something in the foreground. All you have is an expanse of concrete. Make the photograph less pleasing to the eye.
I'm not trying to be a smarty pants. I am still using (and have been since 1982) SLRs that require film. Manuel focus film cameras mostly from the early 1980's before the advent of motorized lenses etc...I need to set the aperture, the shutter speed and focus it myself by hand. No motors or computer chip doing it for me. So I have to know this stuff in order to take decent photographs.
Anyway, it might be interesting to someone out there who has never used a fully mechanical manual focus SLR.
Chiana, I've oftened wondered how they keep the river looking so muddy. I've heard they add dye, but I think of dye as looking transparent. And yes, I do dig that shirt! Op art (think Vasarely). I definitely thought of that other photographer who loved pavement so much, glad you did too!
ReplyDeleteConnie, I didn't say these were ugly (although that last one kind of is...), just not the greatest photos ever. How was the CHOC walk? Did you see that Daveland was there too? And tell me you are joking about diapers on the horses. I could almost swear I had to avoid horse poo a few weeks ago.
JG, yes, those are some sort of construction walls, although I can't imagine what they'd be for. Right in the middle of the hub? No statue yet. Any ideas?
OC Native, all I know is that when I press the button, the little man in my camera has to paint REALLY FAST! I am impressed with your knowledge, are you a pro, or an avid amateur?
No. I'm just an amateur. I've just been taking photographs for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI'm actually a biology instructor.
Major, those walls are not in the middle of the hub, the photo is almost aimed down Matterhorn Avenue, northeast, so the walls are just beyond the outer edge of the hub street.
ReplyDeleteThere is a souvenir stand now right where the truck is parked, and the walkway behind leads around to the Snow White Grotto. It looks like the screens are set up in the planters behind the benches along that route and the route to the Matterhorn.
This avenue is the main parade route now, with a lot of sound and lighting on dedicated towers, which do not show in the picture, added later. Maybe they are screening excavations for this work, there are no other permanent works in this area, it's all planting.