Robin Hill Park

It took several attempts for me to finally settle on a place for the photograph on your own assignment. My friends and I originally went to Schenley Park, thinking the assignment was due earlier than it was. The next weekend I went to North Park and didn't have much luck there either. After going to these parks, I just wasn't happy with most of what I came up with. And since I had the chance to pick my own place, I really wanted to get something good out of this assignment.
That's when I finally decided to visit an old favorite place---Robin Hill Park. Just five minutes from my house in Moon Township, it's been one of my favorite places to hike since childhood. It also became a favorite photo spot for me in  high school since there's a mansion, an herb garden, and a gazebo. But in order to add a fresh approach, I decided to go further into the woods than I have in a while. Last time I went hiking here, I ended up getting lost for several hours and turned up in a housing plan quite far from the park! So even though I wanted to get into the woods, I made sure I had a plan. 

I took the Log Cabin trail which lead me to a long creek running through the woods. The bright midday sun was exactly what I wanted for photographing the water. The trickling water had a really crystal clear quality to it and I liked the patterns the sun made on the rocks. I really tried to pay attention to the way the water moved and how the sunlight interacted with it. 

I've really become interested in photographing water at the low to the ground perspective. My visit to Schenley Park definitely inspired this and I wanted to explore streams of water more. I've found new ways to experiment and I actually really enjoy taking an abstract approach. I realized that much of my cohesive photos are of water, meaning I might hone my idea in even more. The two photos below are very similar, but I liked the different compostions.

I think this class has really changed my perspective on photographing nature. I pay attention to things I never would have before. I'm getting more detailed and I'm no longer just taking pretty shots of the scenery. And I've learned to appreciate the time of day and lighting a lot more while out in nature. I'm glad I was able to go to a park that I've been to so many times and get something new and fresh out of it.


Here's a few outtakes from my previous attempt at North Park: