Everything the Light Touches…

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is a great place to capture photos you can’t get any other time of year. Strolling through the park first thing in the morning or just before sunset are my favorite times of day, and the best chances to get interesting light. This near-sunset shot was fun. There was a line of people trying to take pictures from straight on, but not a soul coming in from the side — so I got to take my time getting just the right amount of glare. Part of me wishes I would have taken a little more time adjusting my placement to think through how to even out the composition. For instance, I think a few steps to the left would have allowed me to separate Nala a bit and probably catch all of Rafiki’s tail. It could have even allowed me to just capture Rafiki and the cub and the sun by themselves, which would have been really nice. That said, I wasn’t trying to get in someone else’s shot (or wait in any lines) so managed with the angle available at the time.

Editing for this shot was playing with the highlights and pulling back some of the color in the foreground, which had been pretty dark in the original. I think the almost savannah-esque palette is pretty fitting giving the subject. I also love that the pyramid roofs of the Journey into Imagination and the Vacation Club Lounge building add depth here, so I tried to sharpen that area.

These kind of shots are funny because, though I love the subject and how it is set against the sun, some of my favorite moments I didn’t even realize until I started editing — like the golden sprays of grass behind Nala. Hidden and accidental are sometimes just as pretty as the planned.