rickztahone
04-13-2016, 10:20 PM
I have been a Harry Potter fan since the very first book. Needless to say, when they announced that they would open a H.P. park here in Hollywood (15 minutes from my house), I knew I wanted to be there opening day. My brother was kind enough to give me a daily pass on opening day as a birthday gift. He also ended up going with me since he is a somewhat fan, lol.
Anyways, I had an absolute blast and it allowed me to be a kid again. I took some pictures but it rained a good portion of the day and the sky was absolutely horrid which didn't lend itself well for nice pictures. The park opened at 6:30am and I was there till about 5pm. It rained for a good 4 hours of that time while waiting in line, lol.
On to the pics I liked best:
You can't go to the Harry Potter park and not buy a wand...
The ones with the map inserts are "interactive wands" where you can go to locations across the "H.P.world" and do spells.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1470/25811687013_8d96ce6707_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FjTDhr)Interactive wand insert map (https://flic.kr/p/FjTDhr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Not sure if there are enough wands to choose from:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1510/26141611260_314039a143_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FQ3Agw)Ollivanders (https://flic.kr/p/FQ3Agw) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
This room was very difficult to shoot in because it was so dark and the lighting was terrible! That was the best I could do.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1626/26414454685_5c06cefe83_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9Z7v)Marauders Map (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9Z7v) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
As you can tell, wands play a very big role here lol
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1455/26388531076_fc9540f154_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7VJ)Ollivanders Wand Box (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7VJ) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
As far as sight seeing, we have Hagrid's Hut
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1472/26414454285_3b95d12f3d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YZB)Hagrid's Hut (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YZB) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Hogwarts entry way:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1483/26388530976_b8b6650e96_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7U1)Hogwarts entrance (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7U1) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Hogwarts itself:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/26388531336_959e823423_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS81d)Hogwarts (https://flic.kr/p/GcS81d) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
And a little more thought out shot of Hogwarts. I doubt many would actually get a shot like this, I was literally hugging a huge pillar, had to go wide at 24mm and had the camera up arms fully outstretched with the LCD tilting down.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1700/26348281181_18e3b47dc4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/G9iQ32)Hogwarts / Hogsmeade intersection (https://flic.kr/p/G9iQ32) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Another one I actually gave thought to. Funny story, while making line, I took a shot similar to this but not with the castle in the background. People were moving forward in the line and I had to move. I was pretty muffed about that but then decided to come back later. Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you want to see it), it was raining later and the line got much shorter which allowed me to go to that area and really get a shot I liked. This is what I came out with:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1699/26414453985_ce83a19951_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YUr)Weasley Family Car, Hogwarts background (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YUr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Last one, nothing to do with H.P., but as you are leaving Universal, you see this huge dome piece in Universal City Walk and I thought it made a great abstract :)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/26348280741_122d8bd503_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/G9iPUr)Abstract (https://flic.kr/p/G9iPUr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Anyways, I had an absolute blast and it allowed me to be a kid again. I took some pictures but it rained a good portion of the day and the sky was absolutely horrid which didn't lend itself well for nice pictures. The park opened at 6:30am and I was there till about 5pm. It rained for a good 4 hours of that time while waiting in line, lol.
On to the pics I liked best:
You can't go to the Harry Potter park and not buy a wand...
The ones with the map inserts are "interactive wands" where you can go to locations across the "H.P.world" and do spells.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1470/25811687013_8d96ce6707_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FjTDhr)Interactive wand insert map (https://flic.kr/p/FjTDhr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Not sure if there are enough wands to choose from:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1510/26141611260_314039a143_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/FQ3Agw)Ollivanders (https://flic.kr/p/FQ3Agw) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
This room was very difficult to shoot in because it was so dark and the lighting was terrible! That was the best I could do.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1626/26414454685_5c06cefe83_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9Z7v)Marauders Map (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9Z7v) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
As you can tell, wands play a very big role here lol
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1455/26388531076_fc9540f154_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7VJ)Ollivanders Wand Box (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7VJ) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
As far as sight seeing, we have Hagrid's Hut
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1472/26414454285_3b95d12f3d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YZB)Hagrid's Hut (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YZB) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Hogwarts entry way:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1483/26388530976_b8b6650e96_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7U1)Hogwarts entrance (https://flic.kr/p/GcS7U1) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Hogwarts itself:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1516/26388531336_959e823423_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/GcS81d)Hogwarts (https://flic.kr/p/GcS81d) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
And a little more thought out shot of Hogwarts. I doubt many would actually get a shot like this, I was literally hugging a huge pillar, had to go wide at 24mm and had the camera up arms fully outstretched with the LCD tilting down.
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1700/26348281181_18e3b47dc4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/G9iQ32)Hogwarts / Hogsmeade intersection (https://flic.kr/p/G9iQ32) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Another one I actually gave thought to. Funny story, while making line, I took a shot similar to this but not with the castle in the background. People were moving forward in the line and I had to move. I was pretty muffed about that but then decided to come back later. Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you want to see it), it was raining later and the line got much shorter which allowed me to go to that area and really get a shot I liked. This is what I came out with:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1699/26414453985_ce83a19951_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YUr)Weasley Family Car, Hogwarts background (https://flic.kr/p/Gf9YUr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr
Last one, nothing to do with H.P., but as you are leaving Universal, you see this huge dome piece in Universal City Walk and I thought it made a great abstract :)
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1508/26348280741_122d8bd503_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/G9iPUr)Abstract (https://flic.kr/p/G9iPUr) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rickztahone/), on Flickr