The idea of the most photogenic places in Champaign-Urbana comes to Smile Politely from the community. Sam Logan, the SP Photo Editor, has teamed up with Michael Kehoe to bring you a series of articles displaying some of the best places to take photographs in our area. The first in the series focuses on campus town. Kehoe writes the commentary, contributes photos, and curates other local photographers’ work for this and the next two articles. Read on as Kehoe takes you to the most photographic places in campus town. — Mathew Green
From Sam Logan:
Let’s be honest: most of the state of Illinois can be very flat and very boring. If you enjoy photography, this can be a bit of an obstacle at times. In other places that have incredible scenery, inspiration is not difficult to come by. In East-Central Illinois, however, you may find yourself searching for places to take photos and may be having a tough time. This is why I — along with some other amazing photographers in the area — want to highlight some of the most photogenic places in the Champaign-Urbana area. I hope for this to serve as some inspiration to get out and take some photos. All you need is a camera (or camera phone) and a willingness to explore.
For its prominence in Champaign-Urbana, I would like to start with the University of Illinois Quad and campus in general. There are loads of places to take photos near the Quad. One of the first places to look for inspiration might be Altgeld Hall. This magnificent structure is full of beauty and is incredibly photographable. Aaron Weiss, a senior in advertising at the U of I, explained its allure perfectly:
“I find Altgeld absolutely stunning because of how old it is. It looks amazing in literally every picture you take. I also like how crowded the area gets since it’s pretty much the center of campus.”
Aaron has taken some of the best, and most creative, photos of Altgeld.
Photo by Aaron Weiss
Photo by Aaron Weiss
Photo by Aaron Weiss
Photo by Michael Kehoe
In addition to Altgeld, the rest of the Quad is great for inspiration and is a good place to start taking photos.
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Ian Cecala
Photo by Ian Cecala
Weiss explains:
Siebel Center (below) is off the path and also one of the newest buildings. Because it’s so modern, the inside of the building is a very cool place to take photos, too.
Photo by Aaron Weiss
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is also an enjoyabe location to take some photos. The amphitheater, especially, can make for some very interesting photographs.
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Just to the southeast of the heart of campus, there is the University of Illinois Arboretum, a beautiful place to take a walk and take some photos! Fun fact: near the Japan House at the arboretum, there is a gazebo and bench that were built by U of I alumnus Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation).
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Tim Hagley
Zach Dalzell likes to take his talents indoors when enjoying some of the local music shows that Champaign-Urbana has to offer at places like The Canopy Club.
Photo of Noelle Scraggs from Fitz & Tantrums by Zach Dalzell
Photo of Ryan Merchant from Capital Cities by Zach Dalzell
Stay tuned for the next installment of the most photographic places in Champaign-Urbana.
More about Kehoe:
Michael is 21 years old, originally from Orland Park, IL (southwest suburb of Chicago). He is soon to graduate with a degree in Kinesiology and will be attending Palmer College of Chiropractic next year in Davenport, IA. He hopes to have his own Chiropractic practice someday. As for my photography, he has have just become really interested with it in the last few years and have loved exploring Champaign-Urbana by taking photos!
Photo by Sergio Perez
If you want to follow any of these fanstic C-U photographers check out their info below:
- Tim Hagley, Instagram: @timhagley
- Ian Cecala, Instagram: @vercify
- Michael Kehoe, Instagram: @mj_kehoe
- Aaron Weiss, Instagram: @weissbro Website: www.weissbro.com
- Zach Dalzell, Instagram: @zachdalzell, Website: www.dalzellphoto.com