Finding EPCOT: Black and White

I recently returned to EPCOT Center at WDW in Orlando (I go often) with a very simple constraint:

One lens.
A custom Fujifilm Kodak Tri-X 400 recipe.
No retouching.
Black and white only.

The goal wasn’t to create perfect images. It was to rehearse the way I see.

Spaceshop Earth otherwise affectionately known as “the ball in Epcot”

Removing color completely changed the experience of photographing EPCOT. Instead of noticing bright signs and saturated environments, I started paying attention to light itself and reflections on metal, shadows across walkways, glowing interiors, repeating architectural shapes, and the way people moved through space.

One of the “fart” speakers at Journey Into Imagination With Figment

Black and white simplified everything.

The futuristic structures, showcase pavilions, and ride interiors stopped feeling like attractions and started feeling like studies in contrast, geometry, and atmosphere.

View from the entrance to Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya in the Epcot Japan Pavilion

Without relying on color, my attention to composition, edges, spacing, and timing heighten. I found myself wanting to wait longer, observing more carefully, and reacting less impulsively.

It reminded me that photography is not always about finding better subjects. Sometimes it’s about changing the way you look at the subjects already around you.

Walking in abstract. A very rare occurrence at Soarin' Around the World. No line!

This assignment ended up being less about EPCOT itself and more about learning how to see light differently.

Mexican Pavilion, those Margaritas, nuff said

Find the light.

Architectural Design. Starbucks in Epcot is located at Connections Café.

Gear
Fujifilm X-Pro 3
Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R "The Original"
Fujifilm Recipe

Kodak Tri-X 400

High-grain monochrome contrast inspired by classic pushed black-and-white film. Deep shadows, textured highlights, and raw tonal density designed for street photography, rain, night scenes, harsh light, and imperfect cinematic realism.

Film Simulation
Acros +R
Dynamic Range
DR100
Highlights
+3
Shadows
+3
Noise Reduction
−4
Sharpening
+1
Clarity
+3
Grain Effect
Strong / Large
Color Chrome Effect
Strong
Color Chrome FX Blue
Off
White Balance
Daylight
WB Shift
Red +9 / Blue −9
ISO Range (ideal)
ISO 6400 – 12800 (had to use 160, no nd)
Exposure Compensation
+1/3 to +1
Shooting Notes
Modified version of the Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Recipe: Kodak Tri-X 400 . Designed for expressive black-and-white photography with heavy grain, aggressive texture, dense tonal separation, and classic documentary atmosphere.

Below are the images from the set.


Next
Next

Field Assignment: Constructed Reality