All the time you hear people talking about how beautiful their campus is. Well, I can in all honesty say Carolina is the most beautiful campus I've ever been on. There are so many places on, or around, campus to get into your artsy feels and go take pictures. While I, myself, am by no means a professional photographer, I have found a love for taking photos around this campus in some of the most random locations. Here is my personal list of my top 10 spots for taking pictures.
1. Kenan Stadium
Whether you're at Kenan to cheer the Tar Heels onto victory for a football game, or you're there on a casual stroll around campus, you can never take a bad picture here. With Carolina blue skies overhead most of the time, the ceiling really is the roof when it comes to the all the pictures you can take.
2. Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower
A staple of the Carolina community, the bell tower is a beauty no matter what time of day you see it. Even on the grayest of days, you can walk under its arches to find a breathtaking Carolina blue. Stick around for a few minutes and people watch or listen to the bell as it tolls every 15 minutes. Not only is it one of the most beautiful locations on campus, it's also one of the most photographically iconic spots.
3. The Old Well
The Old Well is THE iconic symbol of UNC. Whether it's spring, summer, fall, or winter there is never a bad time to take a picture at, or of, the Old Well. While you're there don't forget to take a sip of water, it supposedly makes you smarter.
4. The Quad
Polk Place, or more commonly known as the Quad, is a favorite spot of many UNC students to chill outside on a nice day or to scurry through on their way to class. There is a never ending list of people and things you find yourself seeing in the Quad. Not to mention the pictures, including the infamous Wilson Library, demonstrate the extensive beauty of Carolina's campus as well as shows a side of student life in one of its rarest forms.
5. Murals
The town of Chapel Hill, as well as Carrboro, have some of the most beautiful murals I've ever seen. I promise you it's worth your time to take a day and go on an adventure to find as many as you possibly can. Some of my personal favorites include the one outside of He's Not (pictured above) as well as one of a map inside of the United States outline, which can be found in Carrboro. I've also heard tell of a mural not too far away in Pittsboro that has the GOAT Dean Smith on it. No matter which you end up going to, they all promise to provide you with amazing pictures for any occasion.
6. Top of the Craige Deck
One of the most breathtaking places on campus to watch the sunset is on the Craige Deck. While it may seem like a trek to get there if you live on the main campus, the pictures you get are astonishing. I mean, in general, pictures from the top of the Craige Deck turn out pretty great so you can't really complain.
7. Coker Arboretum
One of my absolute, personal favorite spots to take pictures on campus is the Arboretum. It is so relaxing walking through there on a day where you have the time to actually appreciate all that it has to offer.
Be careful though, you can easily get lost if you aren't careful. My suggestion is, for the best pictures possible, go beyond the walk through the part that leads to the Arboretum's entrance. The rest of the garden areas has some hidden gems tucked away that you most definitely do not want to miss out on.
8. Mapleview Ice Cream
Ice cream + beautiful scenery = amazing pictures. While Maple View Farms is not exactly on UNC's campus, it is included in this list because it is a frequented place by Carolina students, and it is the perfect spot for your next photo shoot.
Maple View is a nice place to go with friends during the heat of the summer or in the beginning of fall after a stressful week of classes. The ice cream is fantastic, the friends are phenomenal, and the pictures make it that much better.
9. Davie Poplar
The legend says that whoever sits on the bench and kisses the other person will end up getting married. While I can't speak to the validity of this statement, I can say that the Davie Poplar is a spot on campus that provides some incredible pictures. I mean, after all, it is the oldest tree on campus so why not go and take a picture with it?
10. UNC Seal Outside of South Building
One of the most understated icons on UNC's campus is this little emblem outside of South Building. So many people come here to take graduation pictures or just to take an artsy picture for Instagram. My recommendation is to go and take your pictures as the sun is setting, it may be a little dark but the lighting is pretty killer and the pictures turn out way better than you would initially think they would.
