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by Mark E Davison

Story and photos Copyright 2000 Mark E Davison. Non-commercial use permitted.

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I recently acquired a Biogon 21 / 2.8 lens for my G2, and decided to try it out by using it as my main lens for taking family snaps on a pilgrimage to Disneyland, in Anaheim California. The self-assignment was to start learning the ins and outs of composing with an extreme wide angle lens, to see what how this might change the character of my personal photography. I can't claim that the results are art, but I find them entertaining. (The selection of photos here will seem a little odd--to comply with the UK restrictions on depicting children I had to find photos where the only distinguishable children were my own--a hard task given the child-centered nature of Disneyland).

Here's the whole kit that I took on the trip. For low-light interior shots, I brought along the Planar 35/2. Film was Kodak Portra, 160NC for daylight, and 400NC for interiors and night shots. I think the black 21 lens actually looks quite handsome on the titanium G2. (Equipment photo taken with Olympus C2020Z digital camera in macro mode.)

Our family stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which is a bit of an amusement park in itself. My son was immediately drawn to the remote control boats, where for a mere dollar a minute, you can be captain of a small universe. Using the 21mm lens, I moved up close to Ian, to exaggerate his size relative to the boats.

An unexpected treasure in the hotel courtyard is this Koi pond, shot with the 21mm at close range and cropped a little. The 21 forces you to consider the arrangement of fish and the reflections, rather than portraying the distinct colors of a few fish. The color rendition of the 21 is quite remarkable.

In typical Disney fashion, the hotel courtyard includes a fantastic landscape with illuminated waterfalls that light up the dark. Shot taken with 21mm at dusk, with the camera braced on the hotel railing for a 1/4 sec exposures at f2.8.

The thrilling rides are the easiest thing to remember about Disneyland, but in terms of the time you spend, Disneyland is really about waiting in line. I shot my son waiting for the perimeter railroad using the 21. By getting down to his level, I attempted to share his perspective. The perspective exaggeration of the 21 also creates a layering effect: foreground, midground, and background are clearly distinguishable.

The railroad itself is quite a piece of work, with elaborate ceilings and fixtures. Using the 21 in vertical format and keeping the camera back nearly vertical, gives a sense of the perspective of the train interior.

Here's another example of using layering with the 21. This is in the simulated New Orleans district, which is actualy quite charming. By shooting at an angle to the background buildings, strong diagonals are created which add a sense of energy to the photo. This can be easily overdone--if the angle to the buildings is too large, you get very unnatural appearing acute angles in building corners. The wide exposure range of the Portra 160NC allows us to see into most of the shadows.

No Disneyland adventure is complete without a character meal. Here the 35/2 captures an environmental portrait of a young actor playing the mad hatter. Strict verticality is sacrificed in an attempt to portray the zaniness of his character. Small depth of field helps separate the actor a little bit from the garish background of this incredibly over-themed restaurant.

Like any amusement Park, Disneyland is visually most arresting at night. Using the 35/2 I made this weird abstract image while attempting to capture trails from the rear lights of the Rocket Rods. In the middle of my exposure I got knocked, and the resulting camera motion produced this lively picture of Tomorrowland. For me it captures the spirit of the wild Rocket Rods, if not their literal appearance.

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