I took the Nikon with me to the reunion, and practiced on a familiar subject, the Grounds (aka campus) of the University of Virginia. It’s a worthy subject as well as a nostalgic one; the original grounds, designed by Thomas Jefferson as his last major project, are designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO (together with Monticello). The buildings, which draw on an array of classical models and incorporate multiple architectural details, were meant both to provide housing and classroom for students and teachers and to be a living classroom for students of history and architecture. It was in this spirit, as well as with my Class of ’94 ring on, that I took my camera along. The result was a collection of almost 50 shots of the Central Grounds area of the University.
I tried to think more about composition this time out. I know there are things I could do to improve light-dark balance, but I only had three days in Charlottesville, and two of them were raining or cloudy. I also tried to grab photos of some interior spaces which were meaningful to me but haven’t been excessively photographed (example: the basement rehearsal room for the Glee Club in Old Cabell Hall). Despite the conditions, there were a few photos with which I am pretty pleased.
