Photo Stories Week 2: Sunsets in Ada

Living on a campus like Ohio Northern, the views you are given are something out of this world. These views really come to life when sunset rolls around on the north side of campus. Living in a rural area many miles away from a populated city, golden hour really becomes something very moving, especially for a photographer. 

As you make your way towards the very end of campus on the north side of Ohio Northern, you reach Dial Robertson Stadium, which when you make your way to the top you are instantly blown away by the view as the sun is about to set. As you look beyond the field right in front of you, you see the staple of the university: the three windmills side-by-side. As strange as it sounds, these three giant wind turbines make for incredible silhouettes with the sun setting directly behind them. Drive across the street and you are able to position yourself right below these machines, and I was able capture pictures like this:

This picture is one of my all time favorite photos I have captured. The tall grass gives the picture a depth of feel and gives it many layers. The windmills aligned back-to-back almost perfectly also adds a sense of symmetry to the frame. 

This picture was taken about 30 minutes before the sun completely disappeared from the horizon. When sunset was getting closer. I made my way to the top of the football stadium right next to the press box where the games are called on Saturday Afternoons in the fall. I had already snapped many great photos, but I decided to try a different angle, and this was captured one minute before sunset: 

This photo was easily the best picture I took that night when I came to framing and composition. The silhouette of the windmill on the left and the stadium light to the right gives the photo many different subjects, which fills the picture with depth. 

Photography is all about capturing moments in time that live on and tell a story. Capturing these sunsets around Ada are so important to me because of the memories they create and the stories I have now to tell for years to come.