Getting the Best Gator Snaps

With graduation time comes a flurry of photoshoots on the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus. Shutterbugs gravitate to the same locations — Gator Walk, the 13th Street Arch, the Bull Gator statue, inside the Swamp — but not every photo session yields images that pop on Instagram or deserve a framed spot on the family mantlepiece.

To help the average photo-taker create memorable portraits at these familiar spots, we enlisted Aaron Daye, staff photographer for UF Advancement, and four current UF undergraduates, who graciously posed for a series of Dos, Don’ts and “Meh” photos, captured on two sunny mornings in March. (Note that overcast days can be ideal for photographing outdoors.)

We challenged Daye to leave behind his professional equipment and use only his smartphone camera, under natural daylight conditions, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. He deployed an iPhone 13, relying on common camera settings also found on most Android phones.

Here are Daye’s tips for taking better people pix at six popular UF locations, along with tips for editing on your phone and two how-to-videos by UFA staff videographer Jennifer Romero (BSTEL ’19).

Gator Walk

Location: Stadium Lawn, north side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, University Ave., between NW 19th St. & NW 20th Terr.

Iconic shots: Power pose (or Chomp) in center

Shooting challenges: Crowds, pockets of glare, shadows

The long, brick-paved walkway to the north entrance of the Swamp is hugely popular for photoshoots with graduates and Game Day enthusiasts. But it can be tricky getting the image you envisioned, partly because the area is often swarmed with other photo-takers.

“Ideally, you should stand far enough back — closer to University Avenue — so the UF/Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sign is fully visible above the subject’s head,” says Daye.

Gator Walk Photo Don’ts

Don’t have your subject stand directly in the bright sunlight, as our model is doing here. This casts dark shadows to her left and distracts from her face, drawing the viewer’s eye to the brick pavement.

Another error: having your subject stand on the side, not in the center of the walk. Notice how this placement exposes the photoshoot taking place behind her.

Gator Walk Photo Dos

This photo gets several things right. First, our model is standing in the center of the walk, taking advantage of the symmetrical rows of palm trees and blocking the photoshoot taking place behind her. The top of her head aligns with the window below the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sign, uniting the subject with the environment.

In addition, she is standing fully in the tree’s shadows. That produces a soft, even light over her face and body, rather than glare and deep shadows.

Post-shoot edits: Daye applied the iPhone Sky tool “Vivid,” increased Saturation, applied Vignette and cropped to follow the rule of thirds.

Pro Tips: Photograph on a Sunday morning when the crowds on Gator Walk are thinner. Photographers should shoot lower — in other words, crouch down — to capture the full sign in the background and to fill more of the frame with the subject. (For most photos in this story, Daye was crouching.)

About our model: Originally from Key Biscayne, Isabella De Miguel is a rising senior in the College of Journalism and Communications, where she majors in public relations.

Bull Gator Statue

Location: Outside Heavener Hall, SE entrance to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gale Lemerand Dr. & Stadium Rd.

Iconic shots: Standing next to or sitting on the gator, graduation cap on its head, medallion in its mouth

Shooting challenges: Harsh sunlight, long shadows

Unveiled in 2008, the Bull Gator statue in front of Heavener Hall commemorates the 2006 championship Gators football team and has become a sought-after location for photo-ops. It is a favorite with grads in their caps and gowns, as well as fans seeking to pose safely astride a life-size gator.

The secret to taking a better photo here is understanding your light source and being creative with props. If it’s a sunny day, the sun should be behind the photographer, shining directly on the subject’s face. The two photos here, taken in late morning, demonstrate the difference.

Bull Gator Photo Don’ts

For this image, Daye stood to the left of the statue, with the sunlight coming from his right. The light illuminates the model’s face from one size only. Large shadows cast by her body and the statue dominate the lower left of the photo, obscuring important details.

Bull Gator Photo Dos

For this improved photo, taken at the same time of day as the Don’t, Daye moved to the other side of the statue, closer to Stadium Road, with his back against the sun. From that position, the sun shone directly on the model, highlighting the details in the gator’s claws and making the colored pom poms “pop.”

Post-shoot edits: Daye increased Contrast, decreased Highlights and Shadows and added a slight Vignette.

Pro Tip: Personalize your Bull Gator portrait by placing a nostalgic item from your UF years — a medallion, sports gear, a musical instrument, ROTC boots — in the gator’s mouth.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Location 157 Gale Lemerand Dr.

Iconic shots: Posing by Florida Field and “This Is … Gator Country” sign

Shooting challenges: Balancing subject with scale of stadium

Gators can’t resist taking photos inside the Swamp, whether the stadium is empty or full. Choose your subject’s position wisely to make the most of this expansive setting. Pay special attention to framing and elements in the background.

Stadium Photo Don’ts

Our model struck a pose as soon as he got to his seat, propping up one foot. However, this vantage point offers a limited view of Florida Field and showcases the unattractive underside of the bleachers. From this angle, the model’s foam finger appears to be pointing to the overhead light fixture, making it the unintended focus of the photo.

Stadium Photo Dos

Get closer to the field before you start shooting. Go to the lower stands, into the direct light, to gain a more immersive view of the stadium. (You can adjust the brightness, highlights and shadows later in editing.) Changing locations turns a snapshot into a classic fan portrait.

Post-shoot smartphone editing: Daye decreased Highlights, dialed down Skin Tone, and added a little Vignette.

Pro Tip: While shooting, use the Portrait setting on your smartphone camera to blur the background and put the focus on your subject. Viewers don’t need to see every detail of the background to know where you took this photo. Have your subject wear orange-and-blue gear and bring along Game Day props to convey their fandom.

“Gator Country” Don’ts

Lots of visitors want to be photographed by the “This Is … Gator Country” sign on the stadium’s northeast-corner wing wall. So, what do many people do? They stand directly underneath it, and the photographer shoots from far away to capture the entire message. As a result, the subject gets lost, and rows of bleachers dominate the photo.

“Gator Country” Dos

Apply the principles of depth of field, positioning your subject closer to the camera and establishing the painted wall as your background. Have your subject climb lower in the bleachers (we chose row 22), below the sign, and shoot at a slight angle. Now the subject is front and center, with the message still prominent.

Post-shoot edits: Daye cropped the top of the photo, decreased Brightness and Highlights, increased Contrast and applied a little Vignette.

About our model: Blake Loiacono is a rising senior in the Warrington College of Business, where he majors in information systems; he is also a student at the UF Innovation Academy. He hails from Coral Springs and is interning with United Healthcare this summer.

Watch our photographer at work in these first three locations in video 1, by Jennifer Romero:

13th Street Arch

Location: Corner, University Ave. & 13th St., outside Heavener Hall, Warrington College of Business

Iconic shot: Subject in cap and gown, framed by University of Florida arch overhead

Shooting challenges: Dangerous street-traffic behind photographer, foot traffic passing through arch, competing photoshoots

This redesigned entrance to the university is ground zero for pep rallies, protests and, of course, photoshoots.

13th Street Arch Photo Don’ts

The photographer made a common error: To capture the entire arch, he stood too far back from his subjects. That POV shrinks the subjects relative to the frame and causes details to be lost. Other common errors, not shown here, include inadvertently capturing shadows of the photographer on the ground, due to shifting sunlight.

13th Street Arch Photo Dos

Note how tighter framing can improve a vertical photo. Our models are standing on the same spot as they were in the Don’t photo, but the photographer has moved closer and shot lower, capturing both the arch and the UF seal below their feet. From that angle, the subjects appear taller.

Using Portrait mode blurs Heavener Hall in the background, putting a sharper focus on the subjects. To cope with harsh morning light at this location, you can have your subject stand in the shadows cast by the arch or columns.

Post-shoot edits: Daye straightened and cropped, lightened Shadows and decreased Highlights, increased Contrast and decreased Brightness.

Pro Tips: In the spring, the university installs beautiful potted plants next to the brick columns. Pose your subjects next to these colorful planters for visual interest. This is another location where photographing on a Sunday morning can help you avoid the graduation crowds.

About our models: Jacksonville natives Maggie Rhoden and Glen Dizon are rising seniors in the Warrington College of Business, where they both major in business administration. Rhoden is the computer chair of UF’s Panhellenic Council; a member of the UF Student Senate, Dizon is on the pre-med track.

People tend to jump up on the pedestal and pose right next to Albert and Alberta, like our model here. That’s OK for a snapshot, but you can do better. One good feature of this shot is that it was taken at 9 a.m., when the sunlight was indirect. By 9:40 a.m. on the day of our shoot, the statue was ablaze in blinding sunlight, and the model was squinting.

Also notice how the model is dwarfed by the statue, which deprives the photo of a focal point.

Albert & Alberta Better Shot

Create greater depth of field by posing your subject in front of the statue, off to the side. That puts the focus on your subject. Use Portrait mode to blur the background if you like.

Post-shoot edits: Daye decreased Shadows and Highlights, decreased Saturation, increased Warmth, applied iPhone Pop, increased Contrast and added slight Vignette.

Pro Tip: If your subject does the Chomp, make sure their top hand does not block any object of interest (Alberta’s head, for instance) behind them.

Century Tower

Tower’s location: Newell Dr., north of Stadium Rd.

Best place to photograph: Outside Marston Science Library (444 Newell Dr.), looking NE

People often want to be photographed “with” UF’s iconic 157-foot-high Century Tower, but choosing the best location to do so isn’t obvious to many of us.

Take a tip from the pros: Walk to the Marson Science Library, just south of Turlington Plaza, and stand in the breezeway looking northeast. The brick columns there frame Century Tower perfectly, and trees provide a soft dappled shade that flatters subjects.

Century Tower Photo Don’ts

Avoid photographing your subjects south of the tower on Newell Drive, looking uphill (where this photo was taken). Your photos will be filled with buses, cars and passersby. Other distracting elements from this vantage point include streetlamps that can look like they are sprouting from your subject’s head.

Century Tower Photo Dos

We chose a spot just outside the entrance to Marston Library with a perfect view of Century Tower in the background. Some of our nicest shots at this location framed the models between the two columns there (a classic graduation shot). Here, we positioned our models a few steps closer to Newell Drive, under the soft shadows cast by the trees, and used Portrait mode to blur the background.

Post-shoot edits: To balance the dappled light, Daye applied the decrease Shadows tool, reduced Highlights on the pavement, increased Contrast and applied iPhone Pop.

Pro tip: Pay attention to background objects: poles, cars, signs, air-conditioning units attached to windows, etc. They can mar an otherwise great image and, along with faulty lighting, are one of the key “tells” of a nonprofessional photo.

Watch our second video, about photographing at these three locations, here.