Even though UMass Amherst is dubbed one of the ugliest college campuses in the United States, this shouldn’t stop you from finding aesthetic places to take cute photos at school! Here are five places to check out in Amherst for your next photo shoot.
- UMass Greenhouses
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The UMass greenhouses — such as the Durfee Conservatory and the Morrill Greenhouses — are the perfect place to take pictures year-round! When we enter the winter season in Amherst, the atmosphere gets so gloomy. However, in the greenhouses, there are beautiful roses, cool cactuses, and other intriguing plants to spice up your surroundings and your Instagram pictures! In the Durfee Conservatory, for example, there is a coy fish pond and an enchanting bridge that goes over the small body of water. The conservatory is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday but is closed on the weekends.
- Campus pond
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Another great place to have a photoshoot in Amherst is the UMass Campus Pond. In spring and fall, the surrounding trees and vegetation are bursting with color. Of course, one cannot forget the animals that live in the pond as well. This natural environment makes for great graduation pictures — especially when the weather is nice. The Du Bois library and the Chapel beside it also provide an aesthetic architecture that photographs well. Another great thing about the Campus Pond is that it does not have opening and closing hours, so you can take pictures at any time, like during sunrise or sunset!
- Studio Arts building
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The UMass Studio Arts Building is one of the most aesthetic buildings on campus. Inside the building, there is a room with white blank walls that are perfect for headshot photos. As young adults, getting a proper headshot photo is a goal one eventually obtains. However, the blank wall in your dorm bedroom may not provide adequate space to pose properly. In addition, lighting is super important when getting a headshot photo done. Poor lighting and bad posture do not look appealing in headshot photos that may be used for future jobs, online applications, and casting calls. In the Studio Arts building, this blank room is perfect for comfortably and easily taking a proper headshot photo.
- Downtown Amherst
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Downtown Amherst has plenty of cute and aesthetic places to have a photoshoot. For example, in the spring and fall, the foliage is gorgeous as the trees are sporting pretty pink, yellow, and white flowers in the spring, or gold, orange, and red leaves in the fall. In addition to the natural attributes of downtown Amherst, there is also amazing architecture as well; whether it be the golden yellow wall of Garcias or the graffiti and art walls on buildings, these details provide intriguing backgrounds for your next photoshoot. Another reason downtown Amherst is a good place to take pictures is that, like the UMass Campus Pond, there is no opening and closing time to the outside environment, making this location perfect for sunset photos!
- Puffer’s Pond
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All the way in North Amherst is Puffer’s Pond. As an outdoor environment, this is super cute for photos depending on the season. Additionally, the pond itself, the mini waterfall, and the sand, all make for a pleasant photoshoot opportunity. There are also not many areas in Western Massachusetts that are close to UMass with aesthetic bodies of water.
Despite our campus not being the prettiest, you can definitely still take pretty photos of yourself in these locations! And while we still have the warm weather, these five options are the perfect spots to snap cute photos of you and your friends for your next gram post!
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