Ulen is located in the middle of the rural Indiana, surrounded by fields and small forest pieces. The city looks small, but the light moods here are surprisingly varied. I like Ulen because you can catch almost every corner without crowds. Especially the mix of open landscape and a few well maintained parks offers many picture ideas.
I plan the shooting around the four most important light phases. The Civil Twilight awakens the cityscape, the first lights dive the streets into a soft blue. The Golden Hour provides warm, diffuse light – a good search term for lighting is “golden hour Ulen”. The Sunset over the few buildings produces long shadows and dramatic colors, ideal for silhouettes. In Blue Hour long-term exposures of illuminated paths and the water park can be easily implemented. The map tool of poi‐travel.de, which is embedded under this text, shows the position of the sun and indicates the azimuth (horizontal angle) – practically to determine the direction of the sun exactly.
The water park is the highlight for colour-intensive recordings. The bright slides and clear water reflect the sunlight particularly well during the Golden Hour. In the late afternoon, when the light is flat, beautiful reflections arise in the basin. Opening hours: daily 10 – 6 pm, admission 8 USD for adults, 5 USD for children. Insider tip: Early in the morning the park is almost empty, the water is more calm and can be used more easily for long-term exposures.
A classic city park with wide paths, old oaks and a small lake. The lake is a perfect place for reflections of trees and sky, especially at sunset. The bridge over the lake offers an interesting foreground for compositions. Opening hours: Open 24 hours, free admission. Insider tip: In autumn, the leaves are colouring, which ensures warm shades in the Blue Hour.
The Municipal Park is located on the outskirts of the city and offers wide fields that are well suited for wide landscape photography. During the Civil Twilight, the fields show a delicate blue that contrasts well with the first city lights. The small playground can be installed as a human element in otherwise empty scenes. Opening hours: 6 – 22 a.m., free admission. Insider tip: A short walk to the highest point in the park gives a good overview of the entire Ulen valley – ideal for panoramic views.
This silent monument is made of granite and bronze, the surface reflects the light particularly beautiful at the Blue Hour. The simple design allows the viewer to focus on light and shadow. Opening hours: around the clock, free admission. Insider tip: In light rain a fine fog is created, which makes the monument almost mystical – a good motif for black-and-white photography.
A small, but well maintained park on a lively intersection. The benches and lanterns offer interesting light sources for night photography. In the Golden Hour, the light casts long shadows over the paved paths, which leads to dramatic lines. Opening hours: 7 – 8 pm, free admission. Insider tip: The old oak in the middle is a popular meeting place; a photo with the oak in the foreground and the city lights in the background is particularly balanced.
The southern park is known for its sculptures and the small creek that flows through the terrain. The flowing water produces beautiful traces of light at the Blue Hour when you make a long-term exposure. The sculptures made of metal reflect the evening light and give the image structure. Opening hours: 8 – 9 pm, free admission. Insider tip: The best place for the photo is the bridge over the creek; from there you can catch both the water and the sculptures.
Ulen may be small, but the combination of quiet parks, a vibrant water park and clear light phases makes the city an underestimated photo magnet. Those who like to work with natural light find enough motives for Golden and Blue-Hour recordings, and the few buildings give the cityscape a subtle urban touch. A short stay is enough to get a strong portfolio image.
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 Ulen, 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 Ulen |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Hour | Warm, diffuse light; long shade; intense colors | Memorial Park Water Park, Corner Park |
| Sunset | Dramatic colors, long shadows, silhouettes | Memorial Park (See & Bridge) |
| Civil Twilight | Soft blue, first city lights, soft contrasts | Municipal Park, 9/11 Memorial Park |
| Blue Hour | Deep blue, long-term exposures, illuminated paths | 9/11 Memorial Park, Abner Longley Park (South Side Park) |
| Photos | Settings (ISO/Blende/Zeit) | Professional tip |
|---|---|---|
| Memorial Park Water Park | ISO 100 – f/8 – 1/125 s | photograph early in the morning or the Golden Hour; Use reflections in the basin. |
| Memorial Park (See & Bridge) | ISO 200 – f/5.6 – 1/60 s | At sunset, use the bridge as the foreground; Use water as a mirror. |
| Municipal Park | ISO 400 – f/4 – 1/30 s | While Civil Twilight record the wide fields; Insert playground as a human element. |
| 9/11 Memorial Park | ISO 800 – f/2.8 – 10‐30 s (Stativ) | Blue Hour for gentle light and shadow effects; light rain creates mystical fog. |
| Corner Park | ISO 100 – f/8 – 1/125 s | Golden Hour: Use long shadows of the old oak; Laterns for evening mood. |
| Abner Longley Park (South Side Park) | ISO 800 – f/2.8 – 15‐25 s (Stativ) | Blue Hour: bridge over the stream for traces of light; Metal sculptures reflect the evening light. |
Only a short jump to the north is Lafayette. The skyline is not spectacular, but the silhouette of the Purdue building throws interesting shadows over the Wabash River, especially at deep sun.
West Lafayette, on the other hand, has a few old factory buildings that now serve as studios. The rough bricks and the play of light and dust are a real place for street and architecture photography.
However, Delphi is not just a name on the map. The small town on the river flashes with a mixture of historical façades and modern graffiti walls – a bit of contrasts that work well.
Kokomo looks like any other middle-class city at first sight, but the southern edge of the industrial area offers rusted metal structures that are almost surreal in fog.
If you want a little nature, go to Tippecanoe River State Park. The river sounds through dense forests, and the light that breaks through the canopy creates an almost painted feeling.
Peru lies a bit further east, at the edge of the Mississippis. The old warehouses at the port are a bit dilapidated, but that makes them exciting for night shooting.
A short trip to Warsaw brings you a small art district. There local artists hang their works on the facades, and this ensures colorful details between the otherwise sober buildings.
Logansport, at the confluence of Wabash and Eel River, has a few old bridges that give a beautiful silhouette picture at sunset – when the weather plays.
You can drive to Crawfordsville for something downhill. The Courthouse Square sometimes acts overrun, but the old lanterns and the headstone paver give you enough material for atmospheric recordings.
Villages, towns, districts, places and Vacation destinations you should visit.
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