Converse is located in the middle of the rural Indiana and still has a surprisingly lively cityscape. The mixture of historical brick buildings, wide avenues and open fields makes the light particularly varied here. I like the city because it is not overrun and you have a free view of the sky almost everywhere. For photography fans this is a real plus point – here you can experiment almost undisturbedly.
I plan my recordings around the four most important light phases. The Civil Twilight begin to light the first city lights, ideal for silhouettes of the old factory buildings. The Golden Hour provides warm, diffuse light – a good search term if you want to test your camera settings beforehand. The Sunset over the few high-rise buildings in the industrial area creates dramatic colors that reflect well into the sky. In Blue Hour the cityscape can be immersed in a deep blue with long exposures.
On the side of poi‐travel.de you will find a map tool that calculates the position of the sun and displays the direction by line. You can enter the azimuth (horizontal angle) to know exactly where the sun is at what time.
This little neighborhood is the heart of city history. The well-preserved brick houses from the early 1900s form a charming ensemble of facades, shutters and small gardens. Especially photogenic is the road at sunrise when the light brings the red bricks to light. Opening hours: around the clock, as it is a public area. Entrance: free. Insider tip: Get to the corner of the main road and use the headstone paver as the foreground for your composition.
The modern city hall with its glass façade reflects city life and offers interesting reflections. In the Blue Hour, the glass throws a cool blue on the surrounding trees, which leads to exciting contrasts. Opening hours: 8–17 o'clock, outside the opening hours, the building is freely accessible from the outside. Entrance: free. Insider tip: Photographers from the opposite park bench to easily grasp the building obliquely – that gives depth.
The library is a simple but elegant brick building with a large, inviting entrance door. The natural light that falls through the high windows creates soft shadows in the inner courtyard – perfect for detail. Opening hours: Monday–Friday 9–18am, Saturday 10–14am. Entrance: free. Insider tip: Use the golden hour to direct the light through the windows; a light rain can make the glass shine and create additional reflections.
The park offers wide green areas, a small lake and old oaks, which in autumn show a colourful play. The lake reflects the evening red particularly well when the sun falls behind the trees. Opening hours: 6 am to sunset, free admission. Insider tip: Position on the eastern shore to use the mirror image of the sky – a short tripod structure is enough to clearly capture the scene.
The neo-Gothic church with its high tower is a striking landmark. The stone embellishments and the colourful glass window offer numerous motifs. In the Civil Twilight the church lights shine and set the building in scene. Opening hours: divine services according to plan, otherwise accessible from the outside at any time. Entrance: free. Insider tip: Photographers from the opposite cemetery to combine the tower in the foreground and the dusk in the background.
The old railway station is a relic of railway history and has a robust industrial flair. The brick walls and the wooden roof offer strong lines that have a particularly dramatic effect on counterlight. Opening hours: the grounds are open, the interior is accessible only at special events. Entrance: free. Insider tip: Use the Golden hour to direct the light through the open doors – this creates a warm, inviting image.
Converse may be small, but the variety of light moods and photogenic places makes it an underestimated destination for photographers. Whether you are looking for city lights, historical brick buildings or vast landscapes, you can find everything here without crowded tourist paths. Pack your camera, use the sun tool and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that makes every image a bit special.
With the map tool, you can plan the ideal location for a photo online in advance – taking into account the sun's path and the surroundings.
Here's how it works:
Advantage:
You can assess light, perspective and location before visiting the site – ideal for photography, sunrises and sunsets.
To find the exact point where the sun disappears behind the skyline, use the azimuth display on poi-travel.de. In Converse, the sun travels further northwest below the horizon in summer, while in winter it takes a more southwesterly angle. With the embedded line on the map, you can determine your tripod position down to the metre.
| Phase | Characteristics | Top Attractions in Converse |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Hour | Warm, diffuse light shortly after sunrise or before sunset – ideal for warm shades and soft shades. |
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| Sunset | Dramatic colors, intense red/orange light, long shadow – perfect for silhouettes. |
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| Civil Twilight | Dawning light, city lights begin to shine, good mood for silhouettes and light painting. |
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| Blue Hour | Cool, deep blue light after sunset, ideal for long-term exposures and reflections. |
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| Photos | Settings (ISO/Blende/Zeit) | Professional tip |
|---|---|---|
| South 810 East Historic District | ISO 200 / f/8 / 1/125 s | Use the headstone plaster as the foreground and focus on the brick facade for depth. |
| Converse Public Library | ISO 400 / f/5.6 / 1/60 s | Position yourself in such a way that the incident light falls through the high windows – a slight rainbow strengthens reflections. |
| Converse Train Depot (Historic) | ISO 100 / f/11 / 1/200 s | Photographers through the open doors to capture the warm counterlight; a tripod is not necessary. |
| Converse Community Park | ISO 200 / f/4 / 1/30 s | Place on the eastern shore of the lake, use a tripod and a light ND filter for soft water reflections. |
| St. Mary's Catholic Church | ISO 800 / f/2.8 / 1/15 s | Catch the luminous church lights; use a light rendition to emphasize the light. |
| Converse City Hall | ISO 400 / f/5.6 / 1/10 s (Stativ) | Use a tripod to clearly hold the reflections in the glass during the Blue Hour. |
Just a short jump to Lafayette, and you have the Wabash River bug, which shows itself like a mirror for the old brick building. The Uni-Campus architecture sometimes looks like an open photo studio, and the small graffiti corners in the city centre give a bit of color that you don't find otherwise.
West Lafayette has the Canal Walk, a narrow waterway that stretches between trees. In the morning fog lies on the water, which is a short moment you have to hold fast. Then there are the bridges that seem almost transparent in counterlight.
However, the Tippecanoe River State Park is a bit further, but the quiet river sections there are perfect for long-term exposures. The water flows over stones, and the light breaks through the leaves – a bit like a natural filter.
Shades State Park, a bit further south, sometimes seems somewhat overgrown, but that's just the interesting one. The dense forests let the light fall into narrow strips, and the old trees have bark patterns that almost look like textures for digital backgrounds.
Turkey Run State Park is a classic for dramatic sandstone rock formations. The narrow canyons create shadows that almost seem to paint. When the sunlight breaks through the columns, contrasts occur which are rarely found in flat landscapes.
Columbus is not only known for its modern architecture, but also for the clear lines of the city. The buildings of Eero Saarinen and other architects offer geometric shapes that are well suited for abstract compositions. The streets sometimes seem a bit too clean, but you can use it to its advantage.
A short detour to Muncie brings the Ball State Campus stalls into play. The old auditoriums and the extensive green areas give a bit of campus feeling that you don't find anywhere. The combination of old brick and modern glass facades is an interesting mix.
Kokomo has a few abandoned industrial plants, which almost seem melancholic in the twilight. The rusty structures and the empty factory halls give a feeling of slow motion that can be captured with long exposures.
Delphi, a small place on the river, sometimes seems a bit confused, but that's exactly what makes the charm. The old brick structures on the shore reflect the water, and the bridge there offers a good framework for city and nature recordings.
If you want to go a bit further, the Hoosier National Forest around Bedford is a good destination. The vast forests and the gentle hills give you space to photograph vast landscapes without too many people in the picture.
Villages, towns, districts, places and Vacation destinations you should visit.
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