Last week Michael Kehoe and his photographer friends explored the most photogenic places in campus town. This week, he and his band of merry of photographers step outside of the university and into some nearby parks. Kehoe again provides the commentary for the photographs this week.
Moving outside of campus, Champaign and Urbana have lots of beautiful parks that are great for taking photos. One of my personal favorites is Meadowbrook Park in Urbana, with its numerous statues and expansive plot of prairie grasses.
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Tim Hagley
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Ryann Grove
Another great park in Urbana is Crystal Lake Park. What makes Crystal Lake Park unique is the way its walkways, open fields, and lake interact. When you go into the park, you almost feel transported into a park deep in a forest. As you follow the pathway, it takes you from the lake to open fields, then over a bridge and into to a wooded area. It makes for a fantastic photo walk. There are also boats for rent, and that’s a great way to view fish, birds, and other small animals that inhabit the park.
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Busey Woods is another beautiful place for photographs in Urbana. As the name implies, this area is heavily wooded. There is a wonderful wooden path that leads you through some of the woods, where people stroll and jog. If you’re looking for trees to photograph, Busey woods is a winner.
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Tim Hagley
Moving over to the Champaign side, we find the classic Hessel Park. Hessel is more dynamic in its scenery, as it is a host to beautiful trees and tennis courts, as well as a playground, a walking path, and numerous pavilions. For nature photographs, this area is best in fall when the leaves are turning. Notice in the photo below: the leaves on the ground are stationary. The surrounding neighborhoods give this park a wind block and allows for fairy tale scenes to emerge.
Photo by Tim Hagley
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Sam Logan
Another classic Champaign park is West Side Park. West Side is situated right near downtown Champaign and gets a lot of foot traffic. There are trees, pathways on which to walk, a playground, benches, old light posts, and a statue in the middle. West Side is literarlly filled with photographic moments. Check out some of Sam’s West Side photos:
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Sam Logan
Sam says,
“I love to photograph the Prayer for Rain statue. I am pretty sure every time I’ve been to West Side I’ve taken a photograph of this statue. I love the figure, the pond, and how it frames the statue, as well as how the sky and trees interact with it. There is always a photo to be had here.”
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Sam Logan
To see the full list of parks and other natural areas in Champaign-Urbana visit the Urbana Park District and Champaign Park District websites.
There are a few other places that aren’t directly in Champaign or Urbana, but they’re close enough for a day trip and are totally photogenic. The first place is Robert Allerton Park, donated to the University of Illinois by Robert Allerton in 1946. Allerton Park is in Monticello, IL which is a short drive from C-U.
The park is one of the largest mentioned on this list. However, its size is not the only thing that makes it unique. This park is home to gardens, statues, and secluded trails — all begging for you to pull your camera out.
Photo by Ryann Grove
Photo by Ian Cecala
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Sam Logan
Photo by Michael Kehoe
Photo by Tim Hagley
Moving even further outside of Champaign-Urbana but still within the distance of a daytrip is Kickapoo State Park, which is a relatively short 30-45 minute drive from C-U. This is where local photographer Zach Dalzell loves to go hike and take photos. Dalzell says,
“Central Illinois gets a bad rap for being boring, but there are a ton of parks — both state and smaller — locally and within a few hours of driving.”
Photo by Zach Dalzell
Photo by Zach Dalzell
Stay tuned for next week’s installment of the most photographic places in Champaign-Urbana!
Ryann Grove – Instagram: @cirriform
Ian Cecala – Instagram: @vercify
Michael Kehoe – Instagram: @mj_kehoe
Tim Hagley – Instagram: @timhagley
Zach Dalzell – Instagram: @zachdalzell Website: www.dalzellphoto.com