{ Image Blog by Marc Orbito }
I recently added a new member to my family of Canon lenses - the 35mm 1.4L. Simply put, this thing is amazing.
I took it with me on my recent trip to Las Vegas and Disneyland (yes, again). The following photos are straight out of the camera (for the most part). I may have cropped them slightly and upped the fill light just a tiny bit, but for the most part, what you see is what you get.
This past week, I had the opportunity to take my hungry eyes over to the Disneyland Resort in California. As a frequent visitor, rather than just leisurely enjoying myself, I went with a mission this time. I went with purpose - to capture as many characters as I could with my cameras.
I decided to travel light. Most of my photos would be shot in the generous light of the SoCal sun, so fast, heavy lenses and strobes stayed home and wept.
Camera and lenses:
Now, Most people who's been to a Disney park will tell you that getting a photo of or with a character is no easy feat. You've gotta wait in line, the character could leave at any time, regardless of HOW LONG you waited, or they may not show up or be substituted by some other character right as you are about to step up to the plate. (I noticed that this happens especially if you want a photo with someone in particular. Grr...)
Related story. I was waiting for the Tomorrowland Monorail the other day and overheard a woman griping "I haven't seen one Disney character the entire week that we've been here. Are we even at Disneyland?" I sort of chuckled inside.
They're here, dear, but you have to be lucky, a fortunate victim of happenstance, or... put in the energy to study a particular cahracters schedules and hunt them down.
Luck was on my side and all three things happened on this visit. Happy, happy! :)
I took a while bunch of shots, but most would be reduntant to the stuff I posted last year. Instead, I'm just putting up the with Disney face characters (no masks).
Today, members of my high school reunion planning committee (myself included) got the chance to tour Disney's Aulani - a resort very close to completion and located in the Ko'olina complex on the west region of the island of Oahu. The place will be opening in a couple of weeks.
Brandi, our bright and cheery tour guide, greeted us under the vaulted, open air ceiling of the main lobby. In a few minutes, she was explaining to us the motifs and narratives presented to us in the murals above. I don't want to go too much into detail (this is a photoblog, after all), but in a nutshell it tells us, through imagery, the story of the Hawaiians of old, how they as a people lived, and what they held dear to their hearts. Anyone locals remember 4th grade Hawaiiana studies? Just like that.
Resorts in the tropics are unique in that they are always designed to be keen to the hot and sunny climate they are in. Aulani is no exception.
As you enter, one is greeted with a grand vista of "The Valley" below, the beach ahead, and the ocean beyond. The Valley consists of a pool built around an artificial volcano with slides and a "river" surrounding it.
Large windows allow enormous amounts of natural light to flood in. Fountains and water are everywhere.
We were told that Aulani leads the way in substainability, using the most energry efficient and eco-friendly elements known to us at this point in time.
Here's a pic of the (almost completed) front desk.
Long hallways take you to either the Ku or Hina wings of the hotel. Hina faces east where most of the time unit shares are. We headed west and up the elevators to check out a couple of the rooms.
A view as you exit the elevator and head to units.
The tapa motiff and symbols are everywhere. It's very easy to overlook something that has significance - the place is rich with design. And Disney magic. Can you spot the hidden Mickeys here?
A king bed awaits in the one bedroom suite. Blankets are adorned with Hawaiian quilt patterns.
All of the carpets here are custom made.
There's custom masonry and carvings on the stairs that head down to the Makahiki bar and dining area.
The bar is full of unique, hand-made scupltures illustrating different Hawaiian words. I was told that words flash up in lights on the bar's surface itself to help you build your Hawaiian language skills.
There's complimentary wi-fi everywhere on the resort grounds, all the way out to the shore. The guy seated here is from the staff on the mainland. He was tasked with sitting in the bar and testing the internet connection. Gruelling work if you ask me.
Here's where the Makahiki breakfast buffets will happen. Character dining, where Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Lilo and Stich visit tables for photo ops will occur on select mornings...
It's cute that they've got a small section of the buffet designated for children. (See left of the photo above) It's much lower in size and served up are smaller portions that are easy for little hands to access.
Next, we headed to the conference and ballroom area of the hotel.
In this 1/3 of the ballroom, there were computers setup for staff training. This is where we would be having our class reunion banquet. Seen one hotel banquet room, seen um all!
On the grounds were many Disney castmembers from the mainland. They were rehearsing their roles this week and on this particular day, Brandi tells us they are testing each other with real life scenerios - real stuff that could happen on the job. Come next week, the execs from the mainland will arrive with their families to put the workers to the test.
Again, water is everywhere. Where there is water, there is life.
Here's part of the pool where you float on tubes through caves. There's a lifeguard on duty about every 20 to 30 yards!
These large illustrations on the side of the hotel are visible form the highway. This one sits about Aunty's Beach House, an activity center for children. I wish we would have been able to go in, but they were filming a commercial at the time of our visit.
The higher end restaurant at the resort fronts the lagoon. I can imagine beautiful views of the sunset come the end of the day. The Ama Ama, as this place is known, is helmed by Chef Patrick Callarec, who I hear has quite the resume. Guess I'll have to test the place out myself when it opens!
Brandi shows us more detail of the pool area.
I don't have a good photo of it, but the resort is full of native plants, trees and flowers - all of which seemed very mature. The stuff looked like it had been growing there for years!
I tried to get at a lower angle for this shot. I'd imagine that if you were sitting in here, the perspective would blend pool and ocean together. Ahh, paradise.
There's a shave ice stand in the middle of the pool, as well as convenience store in the volcano. Workers here are testing the product.
There's a menehune water play structure for the kids off to the left. The rules say you have to be at least 48" tall to play on the thing. I can't wait to shoot my kids with the gourd water cannons.
There's also an adult pool area with a bar that was roped off.
Anyway, that's it. For now. The castmembers we encountered were quite friendly, and there was a very casual feel to our interactions. I don't know about you, but when I'm at a Disney park on the mainland, or even at the Disney Store at Ala Moana, my interactions sometimes seem phony and exaggerated. That wasn't the case here.
On the resort itself? Many will argue the cultural authenticity of the design and the people. I don't see a need to. I think Disney has put forth quite the effort in creating something real, and it will move visitors in only the way Disney can. Aulani will be an island escape designed to entertain, enthrall, and enchant those that enter. And I was all of the above. It's early, but I can already say that it's pure magic.
(Below is my somehwat subjective "review" of Disney's latest motion picture soundtrack)
Disney's 'Tangled' Soundtrack a Little Short Haired
By Marc 0rbito
The weeks leading up to the release of another Alan Menken Disney movie soundtrack always fill me with great anticipation. Perhaps it's the nostalgia kicking in, but I remember loving the soundtrack to The Little Mermaid so much, that I'd spend all of my time in distant hallways, before school and during recess with my headphones on. I didn't want to be bothered. I wanted to stay under the sea forever. Captivated, I wondered at the time: how the heck are these guys gonna follow this up? There's no way in hell it could come anywhere near this. When the soundtrack to Beauty and The Beast was released, I bought it immediately, hoping for the best. Hearing Paige O'Hara as Belle in the opening number of the same name blew my mind.
Sold. These guys were brilliant.
Year after year, it became a surprise when Alan Menken DIDN'T win the Oscar for Best Original Score - apparently, I was not the only one who that that his music was THAT good. The streak was broken when The Hunchback of Notre Dame lost to Emma, in 1996. (I still think Emma's score sounds too much like The Cider House Rules which was nominated later but didn't win) This isn't a good estimation of when I feel he started slipping. It started much earlier. Don't get me wrong. Musically, I really enjoyed parts of Pocahontas, Hercules and Enchanted. The quality of the movie projects themselves, seemed to have taken a hit when his partner, Howard Ashman passed away after the duo had completed three songs on Aladdin. Since then, Ashman collaborated with a slew of other lyricists and the results have been either hit or miss. Home on the Range, anyone?
Tangled's soundtrack is mostly miss. It's not Menken's fault though, rather, it is the other participants that don't seem as though they are up at his level. Menken's score is poignant as always - soft, sensitive, tender, radiant, exciting, and adventuresome when I'm thinking the movie will need it to be. But there's something about Mandy Moore's voice that doesn't quite fit what I envision Rapunzel will be. "When Will My life Begin" feels like something better suited for Camp Rock or Radio Disney. (I read somewhere that Rapunzel actually plays the guitar in the movie, so maybe this will provide an explanation as to why the arrangement for this song is off-kilter in relation to everything else. Maybe my opinion will change when I see the movie next week)
Moore's shortcomings are mostly apparent after hearing Donna Murphy, a seasoned Broadway veteran, brilliantly singing her part in "Mother Knows Best," a treacherous piece played with snide counterpoint. From what I hear, she could give Ursula a run for her money.
If I was underwhelmed by Mandy Moore, I was somewhat impressed by Zach Levi singing as Flynn. A quick Wiki query reveals that Levi (known for playing the role of Chuck in the television show of the same name) began his acting career "in regional productions such as Grease, The Outsiders, Oliver, The Wizard of Oz and Big River at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center." Nice.
Perhaps it's the mishmash of talents that make this uneven, I'm not sure.
"I See The Light," a duet featuring Moore and Levi hits all the right mushy chords. I...liked it, but there's nothing memorable about it. I probably won't remember its existence a couple of months down the line.
Missing are the big-band showcase musical numbers. (Think "Be Our Guest," and "Prince Ali"). There's nothing like that here. Well, take that back. There's "I've Got a Dream," which includes the ensemble of characters. It's a grandstand of hopes and wishes, but it's not fun. I miss the hyper-observance required in classic songs like "Friend Like Me" or ""Under the Sea." Those songs were stuffed to the gills, rich and grand, pun intended.
Oh, and we also get Grace Potter singing bubble-gum pop in "Something That I Want," which we'll probably hear in passing as we exit the theater.
The whole effort feels incomplete. I really want to like Tangled and I hope the movie itself changes my perception of what I've experienced so far. But...it's going to have to be really good to make up for the difference.
With that, I'll be putting my headphones back on again. I need to go back under the sea.
P.S. Alan Menken was finally given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last week. It's about time!
Earlier this week, I received an email from a woman who works at Fishbowl Worldwide Media, LLC in Hollywood. I originally thought it was spam, but my senses told me otherwise. So I called.
Apparently, someone at Disney found some pictures I had taken of our family at our recent trip to Disneyland. Now, I love the Mouse (I actually love the princesses even more but the 'mouse' statement is more standard fare), so when they asked if I'd be interested in letting them use the photos for their "Let the Memories Begin" campaign for 2011, there was no hesitation. I'd fill out those 12 pages of forms - sure, no problem!
Yesterday, I learned that they had narrowed the pool down. The following photo is on their short list for use on their print collateral and advertisements for next year. Yay!
This has been more exciting for me as a parent than it has been as a photographer. As a photographer, I sometimes get too swept up in the technical aspect of things and I forgot the importance that sentiment and posterity play. I mean, this isn't what I would consider my best photo at all, but the sincerity in my boy's expression is there and THAT is the selling point.
I uploaded the photos to their Dropbox, with the required caption on this photo being:
Andrew and Elton on Gadget's Go Coaster at Toontown
This was the the kids’ first ride on a roller-coaster of any kind. I remember being amazed at how fearless they felt and joyful they were. It was such a pure moment. Disneyland just has that effect on us.
I'm not sure what kind of compensation I'll receive, but I've been told that regardless of whether a photo of mine is chosen, I am guaranteed some limited edition Disney lithographs just for my time and trouble.
Anyway, I shall keep you guys posted. I'll definitely post pics of the lithographs when they come in.
See the full gallery of our trip to Disneyland by clicking over here!
Take a peek at Disney's "Let the Memories Begin" campaign. This makes me all mushy inside!
It's aviator Minnie!
I've been fortunate enough to visit both Disneyland AND Disneyworld in the last 4 months. At both parks, I'd made it a mission to photograph as many "face characters" (costumed Disney castmembers whose faces are not hidden by a mask or faux head) as possible. I'm aware that I've over-saturated these pics. Maybe too much. The reasoning behind that was that I wanted to make them look cartoonish. Hmm...anyway, this is what I have so far. I'm hoping to add to my collection in the future as the scavenger hunt continues! :)
Howdy! My name is Marc Orbito. I'm a general photographer in the state of Hawaii who enjoys photographing people!
I'm also a father, husband, Apple geekboy, writer, Disney junkie, Miami Heat basketball fan and washed-out cinephile.
I invite you to look around. Hopefully you'll like what you see and and maybe even hire me!
Contact me for rates at marc @ orbito.net
