Clermont is located on the southern shore of Ohio River, just a short drive from Indianapolis. The city combines small suburbs-Charm with surprisingly many green areas that are perfect for image compositions. I like Clermont because the light moods change here quickly and you can discover new perspectives again and again. For photographers, this is a real plus – there is enough space to experiment without being overwhelmed by crowds.
My goal is to crack a picture that embraces both the city and nature. In Civil Twilight awakens the cityscape when the first lights begin to flicker – ideal for silhouettes of the skyline. The Golden Hour provides warm, diffuse light; simply search for “Clermont golden hour” in your planning app. The Sunset throws the light over the river banks and lets the old factory building dive into a soft orange. The Blue Hour is perfect for long-term exposures of bridges and illuminated paths. The map tool, which is integrated on poi‐travel.de under this text, shows you the position of the sun, the direction (azimut) and allows you to capture lines for the optimal orientation of your camera.
The Lions Club Park is located directly on the river and offers a wide view over the water. Particularly photogenic is the wooden bridge, which acts almost transparent in the counterlight of the sun. The park is free, opening hours are from sunrise to sunset. In the morning there are hardly any visitors, the water is quiet – perfect for reflections. Insider tip: Use the small boat landing site for shooting with a boat and city motif in the background.
Miller Park is a small town park with a historical monument and a small pond. The playground-cleaned green is particularly colorful in autumn, which gives great contrasts to the blue sky. Free admission, opening hours 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. A short walk to the pond is recommended for the Blue Hour, where the light falls on the water and produces reflections. Tip: A light rain makes the surface smooth – a short umbrella is enough.
Robey Park is known for its wide meadows and ancient oak groves. The combination of natural light and cartiful trees creates dramatic silhouettes, especially during the Civil Twilight. The park is free of charge, opening hours are around the clock as it is not fenced. It can be a bit full on the weekend, but early in the morning is almost empty. Insider proof: The small hill in the northwest offers panoramic views over the city – ideal for wide-angle shots.
The campsite is located on the edge of the Ohio River and offers rustic wooden shelters that look almost like sculptures in opposite light. Access is paid (approx. $15 per night), opening hours 24 hours. The best photos are taken to the Golden Hour when the light dips the tents into warm gold. A short walk to the adjacent hiking trail provides additional perspectives on the river. Tip: A small binoculars helps to integrate remote boats into the image composition.
Eagle Creek Park is one of the largest city parks in the Middle West; the Clermont section offers a lake, hiking trails and an amphitheater. The lake reflects the light of the Blue Hour particularly well, while the amphitheater is illuminated at night. Free admission, opening hours 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. For long-term exposures, the amphitheater pavilion deck is recommended, which offers a wide view over the lake. Insider tip: In spring, the wild flowers flourish along the path – a colourful foreground for urban panoramas.
Airport Park is located close to the small airport of Clermont and offers an unusual combination of aircraft silhouettes and green spaces. The start and landing lanes are a highlight especially at the Civil Twilight when the lights of the aircraft begin to shine. The park is free, opening hours 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the best shots, you should bring a telephoto lens to capture the aircraft from a distance. Tip: The small view point on the southern edge provides a wide view over the runway and the river in the background.
The Chapel Glen Club is a private golf club which is open for visitors on weekends. The well-kept fairways and the clubhouse with its red brick facade offer a classic Americana motif. Free admission, opening hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (only for visitors). The Golden Hour makes the red brick appear particularly warm while the shades of the trees become long and soft. Insider proof: The small pond next to the clubhouse reflects the light and creates double layers of images – a real photo trick.
Clermont combines calm nature, river panoramas and surprising city views that are ideal for photography adventures. Whether you want to capture the first lights of the Civil Twilight or use the colors of the Golden Hour – here you will find enough space to shoot your best picture. And the map tool by poi‐travel.de makes lighting planning almost child-friendly.
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 Clermont, 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 Clermont |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Hour | Warm, diffuse light; long shadow, golden tones. | Lions Club Park, Raceview Family Campground, Chapel Glen Club |
| Sunset | Sunny, orange light above the river and the landscape. | Lions Club Park, Eagle Creek Park – Section Clermont |
| Civil Twilight | First city lights, blue dusk, silhouettes. | Robey Park, Airport Park |
| Blue Hour | Cool blue tones, ideal for long term exposures. | Miller Park, Eagle Creek Park – Section Clermont |
| Photos | Settings (ISO/Blende/Zeit) | Professional tip |
|---|---|---|
| Lions Club Park | ISO 200 / f/11 / 1/250 s | Take low angle to emphasize the wooden bridge in counterlight. |
| Miller Park | ISO 400 / f/5.6 / 1/60 s (Tripod) | Waiting for light rain – the mirror-smooth water surface strengthens the Blue-Hour reflections. |
| Robey Park | ISO 100 / f/8 / 1/125 s | Photographing from the small hill in the northwest to get dramatic silhouettes of oaks. |
| Raceview Family Campground | ISO 200 / f/4 / 1/30 s (Tripod) | absorbing tents in counterlight; a reflector can emphasize the warm light in the foreground. |
| Eagle Creek Park – Section Clermont | ISO 200 / f/8 / 1/60 s (Tripod) | Position at sea level to capture the reflections during the Blue Hour. |
| Airport Park | ISO 400 / f/5.6 / 1/200 s | Use telephoto lens to clearly isolate the luminous aircraft lights in the Civil Twilight. |
| Chapel Glen Club | ISO 100 / f/11 / 1/250 s | Include the red brick of the clubhouse and the adjacent pond to strengthen the warm light of the Golden Hour. |
Bloomington is not far away and has the campus of Indiana University as a surprisingly good photo motif. The old brick buildings almost look like a film set, while the campus green can be a bit too colorful in spring. The nearby Lake Monroe offers reflections that almost surreal in light fog.
A short trip to Indianapolis brings you the skyline and the wide boulevards. The Canal Walk is a bit touristy, but the bridges at sunset give you interesting lines. The cityscape sometimes looks too smooth, so there are enough graffiti hands in the side streams that are a bit rough.
New Albany on Ohio River has an old railway depot, which today serves as a museum. The brick buildings there are not perfectly preserved, but the light falling through the high windows creates beautiful shadows. The river itself offers in the evening a calm mirror image that can easily be overlooked.
Jeffersonville, right across from New Albany, has the historic district with cobblestones. The alleys sometimes seem somewhat overrun, but early in the morning the light is soft and the old facades give you good textures. The nearby Big Four Bridge is a photo motif for long-term exposures.
Madison, a little further south, lies at the confluence of Ohio and White River. The old houses on the Riverfront have a bit of patina that fits well with black-and-white recordings. The view from the Indiana-State Museum-Hill is not exaggerated, but offers a wide overview of the city.
French Lick is known for its mineral baths, but the environment has more to offer. The old casino buildings look a bit cheesy, and there are some abandoned gardens that look almost like an old movie in fog.
The Hoosier National Forest is a huge area that you can easily reach by car. The forest paths are not always clearly marked, which makes photographing light beams through the canopy more interesting. Sometimes it's too quiet, but that can be the right thing if you're looking for quiet nature shots.
Brown County State Park is a popular destination for hikers, but the hills and ancient oaks also offer great panoramas. The trails can be full on weekends, yet there are remote paths where you can catch the light in the late afternoon.
Turkey Run State Park is a bit further west, but the canyons there are a real eye-catcher. The water flowing through narrow rock canyons creates patterns that you do not find anywhere. It's a bit remote, you have fewer people in the picture.
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