The Story Behind The Photo: African Drummer

"African Drummer" is a photo taken at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida. I was joining my wife's family in the park to meet them for the very first time and I was unable to see "The Lion King" show because it was sold out. So, while they were in the show, I decided to listen to the African music concert which was right outside the theatre. Upon listening to the music, I became captivated by one of the performers, the African Drummer. I must have taken at least fifty pictures of this musician over the course of a thirty-minute concert. His expression and intensity was absolutely riveting. What I love about this photo is that it shows the drive and focus this man had to execute the flawless sounds. Everything about the African Drummer creates the music he is performing, even down to the shaker instruments strapped to his wrists. To this day, I don't even know the name of this man, which rather adds to the mystery and wonder of this image. 

I stood right next to the stage less than five feet away and the stage only rose a few feet off the ground. I used a 18mm lens to capture the image in broad daylight. I used a wide angle to gain ambient visuals of the building in the background. I had taken images prior to this one without the building and the images felt too flat, lacking in depth of field. I felt like, with this building, the image had added story and depth. This photo was taken toward the end of the concert when our mystery man was sweaty from the heat and intensity of the music. As the beat of the music quickened, the drummer's intensity elevated to match the energy and  excitement of the crowd. By the time this photo was taken, he was so engrossed in his music that it was electrifying. The other thing I love about this image is how much texture it has, including the physical drum itself. It looks very rustic and worn, but it is still able to produce such a fun, friendly and powerful sound.

What are your thoughts on the image? What story do you see? Please comment below.  

The Story Behind The Photo: Canopy Storm

"Canopy Storm": This photo, taken in the EPCOT theme park in The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, was staged in the middle of the afternoon around 3pm as a typical summer storm was rolling into the park. My wife and I had just entered the park and it felt as though we were in the middle of a hurricane. It was raining sideways and the winds were extremely gusty, shaking nearly everything in the area including the palm trees and the canopy as is shown in this image. While watching a storm and seeing its raw power, I realized that I had to act and take a picture of the storm. What ended up being captured was the storm's movement and direction. In the bottom left corner of the image, one can see a clear sunny day but, as the eyes move to the right, one can see the ominous storm clouds and the dark sky. 

 What makes this image so captivating is that it partially proves the Floridian fable, "It rains in the front yard and not the back." That is, in fact, true, but this image also utilizes the "golden ratio" which is more commonly known in photography circles as the "rule of thirds." "Rule of thirds" explains how the human eye moves when viewing an image. When the eye looks at an image, the eye breaks the image down to three groups horizontally and three groups vertically. Once the eye calculates this division, it focuses on four points of intersection. It may help to think of a cube in the center of the photo. The golden sun coming through in the top left corner of this image is the first area the eye settles on. Typically, if there is a primary point of interest on one or more of the four locations mentioned before, the eye will be pleased with the image even if it is less dramatic than a storm coming in. The power of Mother Nature is simply breathtaking. However, it is very difficult to capture such beauty and one needs to be ready at a moment's notice. This picture was taken on the first attempt. I tried several different angles and lighting techniques after this image but none were as successful as my original. 

What are your thoughts on the image? What story do you see? Please comment below.  

The Story Behind The Photo: The Confectionary

"The Confectionary" is a sweet shop in the Magic Kingdom (located in The Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida) filled with treats from wall to wall. This photo was taken after the building was completely repainted and the new coat of paint marked a monumental change in my life. It was on this day, at this moment, that I knew I found my soulmate for life. The sweetest gift in life is to love another person more than one loves oneself. The colors of this photo are so vibrant it felt like a blossoming spring as my love grew ever stronger for my now wife. If you are looking at this photo you are probably wondering how I captured it. The only way to capture the full scale of the building was to position myself low to the ground, very low. As in laying down on a sidewalk in Magic Kingdom low to capture a moment in time that was so beautiful it made me realize the great life I live. I photographed this image at 18mm in order to capture the full scale of the building and the perspective of the tree. I had originally taken this photo without the tree in the frame and sadly it didn't convey the depth of field or scale of the building. This shot, however, perfectly captured how I felt at that moment. The other benefit of the tree was to reflect the light of the sun which gave the image a glowing aura. After several attempts, with my girlfriend (who is now my wife) standing over my head keeping tourists from walking on me, this final shot was the ultimate gem. 

What are your thoughts on the image? What story do you see? Please comment below.