Beverly Sunset at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Nighttime Neon
Neon glows at night on the tower of the Beverly Sunset shop on Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, as seen during the 2019 Band and Chorus Disney Trip.
Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios are a neon lover’s dream come true at night. While it might not be over the top, there is neon to be found everywhere. Personally, I like it.
I can imagine some of the younger folks these days thinking that neon signs look old and outdated. They are not necessarily the trendy way to do things, at least not right now. That can always change, as neon seems to go in and out of style and “coolness.”
I like how neon is bright and colorful. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it is pretty cool.
The exterior of the building was based on the Warner Beverly Hills Theatre. But that one was demolished in 1988. All things get older and eventually go away. That is the nature of our world. However, the Florida version lives on. Even if it is a souvenir shop instead of a movie theatre.
See more photos from this trip at the 2019 Band and Chorus Disney Trip page.
Everyone Gets Older
Recently, I got drawn into watching some of the Country Music documentary, the latest series by Ken Burns (no relation). I grew up listening to country music, and we even spent some time in Nashville when I was very young, so I could identify with the subject of this documentary quite well.
You probably know how these documentary series go. They mix in archival footage and interviews with people. And with country music, there are still several artists around that they can interview.
But in watching the series and the interviews with the stars, I was reminded of one thing. Everyone gets older and then dies eventually. It is bound to happen no matter how much you fight it. There is no way to ultimately win the battle with age. Just like the old Warner theatre that was mentioned above. It happens with buildings, and it happens with people.
The show would be talking about someone and showing old photos and videos of that person back in the old days. And then would come an interview with that person today, if that person is still around to interview. Almost every time I would think, “Wow, he looks older!” Well of course he does, because we are talking a difference of 20, 30, or 40 years, or even more. We all do change in that amount of time.
Don’t Fight It
As I was reminded that you can’t fight it, I figured there is only one thing to do. You can try to fight age and lose, or you can face age with grace and dignity.
There are those who look like they are doing everything they can to make us think that they are still young, although we all know the truth. And then there are those who are aging gracefully. You can tell who is in that second group just by looking.
I sometimes grumble a little bit about getting older. So this is me talking to me. “Hey you (me)! Remember to age gracefully! It is the best way to go!”
Bible Verse
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. - Psalm 73:26
About the Photos
Both of these photos were handheld photos. I used the 50mm f/1.8 prime lens with the aperture open wide due to the night conditions. With that, I only needed a setting of ISO 640 to get a good exposure.
I then processed these in Aurora HDR. With that, I was able to bring out some of the details that looked too dark in the base photo. That made some good photos look even better, I think.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
Lens: Sony FE 50mm f/1.8 Lens
Date: March 6, 2019
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, Florida
