Jet Mariano

Tag: Sleeping Beauty Castle

  • MIT8 — “Don’t You Quit” (Disneyland Fireworks)

    Sleeping Beauty Castle during the fireworks, framed by the Partners statue. Tripod + remote shutter, long exposure on the 14–24mm f/2.8G. Manual focus, no flash.

    Why this fits Elder Holland

    Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead… Some blessings come soon, some come late… but they come.”
    Fireworks are a patience test. You compose in the dark, wait through false starts, and trust the next burst will fill the sky. That is discipleship in miniature: keep your place, stay steady, believe light is coming.

    Pocket I’m keeping

    When life feels like a long exposure with nothing on the sensor yet, don’t touch the tripod. Hold your ground. Keep praying, keep working, keep walking. The frame will fill.

    BTS (how I made it)

    • Arrived early to anchor composition on Walt & Mickey leading to the castle and sky
    • Tripod low, remote shutter to avoid vibration; manual focus set before showtime
    • Long exposure to “draw” fans and heart-shapes in the air; no flash to keep ambient color
    • Wide at 14–18mm to include crowd, statue, castle, and sky in one story

    Final reflection

    Walt’s “dreams come true” meets Elder Holland’s “don’t you quit.” Courage starts the dream; covenant faith finishes it. Stay close to Christ and keep moving—light always finds the faithful.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • MIT8 — “Roses, Stone, and Sky”

    Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland framed by morning roses and a still moat. Low-angle composition, layered foreground-to-background for color, structure, and reflection.

    Intro

    The castle is storybook stone, but the roses are living color. Faith is like that—rooted, seasonal, and bright against whatever feels immovable.

    Excerpt

    I framed this low in the rose bed to stack three layers: blooms, castle, and reflection. The flowers pull you in, the bridge and turrets anchor the middle, and the sky opens the scene. The castle gets most of the attention, but the roses do the inviting.

    Notes from the Devotional

    “Make Jesus the light of your life. And then by his light, see everything else.” — Elder Neal A. Maxwell
    When the Light is first, everything else makes sense.

    Perspective

    “Sometimes it is better to be left out than to be taken in… It is better for you to be alienated from the gang than to be alienated from God.” — Elder Maxwell
    Beauty is not popularity; it’s alignment. Choose the view that keeps you closest to the Light.

    Practice (today, not someday)

    “Obeying is one of the best ways of exploring.” — Elder Maxwell
    Honor park rules and guests. Work within limits: arrive early, stay off the beds, wait for gaps in foot traffic, and compose from the edge.

    Final Reflection

    “Trust the Lord for he sees your possibilities even when you do not.” — Elder Maxwell
    The bloom you notice is rarely the only one ready to open. In time, a whole garden appears.

    Pocket I’m Keeping

    “Be very careful about what you let come inside your storehouse of memories. Those memories will be there for a very long time.” — Elder Maxwell
    I want a storehouse full of color and peace—moments of quiet light with people I love.

    Behind the Shot

    • location: Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disneyland
    • approach: arrive early; look for still water in the moat for a clean reflection; use flowers as a foreground frame
    • composition: very low angle, flowers as leading foreground, bridge arches and turrets for structure, negative space in the sky
    • settings (starting point): 16–24 mm, f/8–f/11, base ISO, shutter as needed; confirm nearest bloom focus; keep verticals natural
    • etiquette: stay out of the beds; don’t block paths; be quick and kind with guests and cast

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

  • Dreams Come True (On Quiet Nights at the Castle)

    Sleeping Beauty Castle after closing, colors breathing against a quiet walkway. Handheld patience, not luck.

    Story
    I didn’t grow up thinking “bucket list.” I just liked being with my family and carrying a camera. During my consulting years we were blessed with no-blockout annual passes to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. I only share that to explain why we have so many pictures there—and so many good memories. The park was our long walk after a long week.

    I wasn’t chasing rides. Most nights I was chasing light. My kids and my wife did their favorites, and I did mine: “it’s a small world” for the melody I can’t shake and “Soarin’” for the way it makes your heart feel bigger than your chest. Between those two, I was usually off finding a quiet corner to photograph, waiting for the crowd to thin the way a tide pulls back.

    We spent more than a few Christmas Eves at the Disneyland Hotel and Christmas Day in the park—again, not to show off, just to be together somewhere that made us smile. In other seasons, when I worked with an aerospace team and later in perinatal healthcare, our groups sometimes held Christmas parties at Disneyland. I’d still slip away for a few minutes, because the castle looks different every night, and the fireworks give you one more excuse to try again.

    A lot of those photos are still on old memory cards from three cameras. I know—process them already. But there’s something honest about leaving a few dreams unwrapped. The parks taught me that: you don’t need a louder life; you need a longer patience.

    Walt said, “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” For me, courage looked like staying five minutes longer, carrying a tripod when my back complained, and coming back when the last shot failed. It’s a small practice, after all—but small things add up.

    If you see Disney or temple photos here, that’s what they’re made of: family time, a stubborn camera strap, and the quiet belief that good light rewards people who are kind and who stay.

    © 2012–2025 Jet Mariano. All rights reserved.
    For usage terms, please see the Legal Disclaimer.

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