Danville is located in the heart of Indiana and has more to offer than you suspect at first glance. The small streets, the historic buildings and the surrounding natural areas are a paradise for hobby and professional photographers. I like the city because it is surprisingly quiet, but still has enough interesting motives to keep the trigger busy.
I plan to snap the picture that captures the mood of the city – from the first lights to the deep blue night. I use the different light phases for this:
The map tool of poi‐travel.de is embedded under this text. This allows you to calculate the solar position, display the direction as a line, and the azimuth (the horizontal angle) is also displayed – a real gain for lighting planning.
The imposing court building from the early 20th. Century dominates the cityscape. The classicist façade, the columns and the adjacent green provide numerous perspectives – from wide wide-angle recordings to detailed recordings of the stonework. The play of light and shadow during the Golden Hour is particularly impressive when the sun dips the columns into warm gold.
Opening hours: open 24 hours, no entrance. Best photo time: early morning hours for soft light or late afternoon for long shade.
Insider tip: Put on the small stairs to the right of the main entrance and use the headstone plaster in the foreground to create depth.
A modern playground with colorful climbing stands, a large slide and a small stream. The colorful structures contrast beautifully with the green leaves, especially in spring when the trees blossom. For night photography, the illuminated carousel offers an interesting motif.
Opening hours: daily 7 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., free admission. Best photo time: Blue Hour when the lights of the park shine in the dark sky.
Insider tip: From the upper platform of the playground you have an overview of the entire terrain – ideal for drone-like recordings (without drone).
The museum shows the history of the region in old buildings and modern exhibitions. The brick facade and the large window on the ground floor are perfect motifs for architectural recordings. Inside there are interesting light plays between the exhibition pieces, especially with sunlight, which falls through the window.
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 16 pm, Sunday closed. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for children. Best photo time: late morning hours when the light flows through the window.
Insider tip: In the backyard there is an old railway bridge that delivers a great silhouette motif at sunset.
A small, quiet park with a pond, ducks and an old oak. The reflections in the water are a classic for long-term exposures, especially during the Blue Hour, when the light gently falls on the surface.
Opening hours: 6 am to 23 pm, free admission. Best photo time: dusk for reflections, or early morning for fog above the pond.
Insider tip: Use a small tripod and put a sheet of paper on the water to stabilize the reflection – this gives a surprisingly clear picture.
A forest area with several hiking trails, a small creek and an old mill. The dense trees create a beautiful, diffuse light that is ideal for portraits outdoors. The brook offers flowing water, which leads to silky effects on longer exposures.
Opening hours: daily 6 a.m.–20 a.m., free admission. Best photo time: Golden Hour when the light breaks through the canopy.
Insider tip: At the highest viewing point there is a small wooden ridge – from there you have a wide view over the valley, perfect for panoramic recordings.
Danville combines historical architecture, lively parks and open landscapes, so you can find a new photo motif at any time of the day. Whether you are looking for sunset over the courthouse or want to capture the quiet Blue Hour on the pond – the city provides the scenery, the map tool helps in planning, and the friendly locals like to give tips. In short, Danville is an underestimated photo paradise that can easily be built into a weekend break.
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 Danville, 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 Danville |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Hour | Warm, soft light shortly after sunrise or just before sunset – ideal for architectural details and diffuse forest light. | Hendricks County Courthouse & Courthouse Grounds, Blanton Woods Nature Park |
| Sunset | Dramatic silhouettes and intense color play in the sky. | Hendricks County Museum (old railway bridge), Hendricks County Courthouse |
| Civil Twilight | City lights begin to shine, yet a touch of dusk. | New Children’s Park, Hendricks County Courthouse Grounds |
| Blue Hour | Shortly after sunset, deep blue sky – perfect for long-term exposures. | New Children’s Park, Ellis Park |
| Photos | Settings (ISO/Blende/Zeit) | Professional tip |
|---|---|---|
| Hendricks County Courthouse & Courthouse Grounds | ISO 200 / f/8 / 1/125 s | Use the small stairs to the right of the main entrance, stone pavement in the foreground for depth. |
| Blanton Woods Nature Park | ISO 400 / f/5.6 / 1/250 s | Catch the light that breaks through the canopy from the wooden web perspective. |
| Hendricks County Museum | ISO 100 / f/11 / 1/60 s | photograph the window in late morning; Silhouette of the railway bridge at sunset. |
| New Children’s Park | ISO 800 / f/4 / 2 s (Stativ) | Use the upper platform to capture the illuminated carousel during the Blue Hour. |
| Ellis Park | ISO 200 / f/8 / 10 s (Stativ) | Position the tripod on the shore, place a sheet of paper on the water for clear reflections. |
Plainfield is just half an hour away and has this old railway bridge, which leads over the White River valley – perfect for silhouettes in the backlight when the sun just goes down.
However, the industrial area at the edge of Brownsburg sometimes seems somewhat overloaded, but the rusty warehouses offer surprisingly interesting textures, especially for a rain shower.
Westfield has a small but fine art district with graffiti walls that are well suited for colored street shots; the colors are not always uniform, that makes the charm.
A short trip to Zionsville leads you to a village with stone pavement and old wooden houses; the light games between the trees in spring are almost too beautiful there to ignore them.
If you prefer nature, Eagle Creek State Park is a good destination – the water reflects the leaves, and the trails lead to hidden streams that are well suited for long-term exposures.
In short, Fort Harrison State Park offers wide fields and old military buildings, which in the fog almost look like scenes from a film.
Greenfield has a historic district with brick buildings that look almost like paintings in the backlight; the narrow alleys are sometimes somewhat overrun, but that gives the picture life.
A bit further south lies the small town of Columbus, known for its modern sculptures and unusual concrete structures – a bit away from the usual tourist paths, but a real eye-catcher for architectural photographers.
Villages, towns, districts, places and Vacation destinations you should visit.
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