Usually when I’m taking photos around Disneyland park, I keep my lens focused “inside the berm,” as we say around here, which means everything that’s inside the wooden berm that surrounds the park. On occasion, though, our guest experiences – particularly the taller ones – give a glimpse beyond the berm, yet they still blend seamlessly with the natural wonders around us here in Southern California.

In February 2019, after a heavy rain at Disneyland Resort and snowstorm in the San Gabriel Mountains (about 50 miles from here), I thought it might be neat to see what Matterhorn Bobsleds looks like against the San Gabriels. I determined that my best chance to get the picture was from a Pixar Pal-A-Round gondola all the way over at Disney California Adventure park.

A 400mm lens compressed the distance between the attraction and San Gabriels nicely. My focus point was Matterhorn Bobsleds, so while this picture shows a world beyond the berm, it’s still grounded in Walt Disney’s Fantasyland. If you didn’t know better, you may not even realize this is a photo of Disneyland! This is just one of many #DisneyMagicMoments I’ve had in my career photographing The Happiest Place on Earth.

Ready to take your picture-taking skills to the next level? Head over to the Disney Youth Programs Kahoot! page to learn photography concepts used by Disney photographers!