MAY THE 4TH ON BATUU
I've been going to Disneyland for years. But on May the 4th I brought my [real] camera. No rides, no agenda. Just Galaxy's Edge and whatever was happening around me.
THE 4TH WILL BE WITH ME
The cosplayers were out in force. Not the occasional costume that’s quickly put together, but full-commitment, clearly-took-months builds. People watching became its own thing, and the line between cosplayer and cast member started to blur.
That's the street photography angle I didn't expect. Galaxy's Edge already reads as a real place. Add a few dozen people in full costume and you're making portraits in a world that doesn't exist. Completely worth the trip on its own.
I do a lot of commercial work: product, brand, lifestyle. Days like this are the opposite of that, and I think they make everything else better. No brief, no client, no purpose other than seeing what's there.
Tim VanGilder is a commercial photographer based in Mission Viejo, California.
