Herald's Sky View: 'Golden Hour' illuminates Northbrook

My favorite time of day for outdoor photos, particularly during autumn, is the "Golden Hour" ­­- the last hour of sunlight on a clear evening.

Northbrook's water tower was repainted this summer, and I had been meaning to take photos of it wearing a coat of fresh paint.

Recent assignments since then have brought me to the village during midday, though, and the lighting on the water tower and the surrounding downtown area during those visits had seemed somewhat bland. With days becoming increasingly shorter, I was afforded the opportunity to take an aerial photo of my intended subject in golden sunlight Tuesday.

I kept my flight a safe distance away from the water tower and took a variety of angles that featured different lighting perspectives. Some photos included the base, others did not.

I chose this photo because I wanted to minimize the nearby infrastructure and paved areas that I didn't find visually appealing. I like how the lighting is coming from the right, with a slight shadow area to the left. The sun is still shining brightly on downtown buildings, and trees that haven't yet reached peak fall colors.

When I was a kid, I remember taking a car trip with my dad along a U.S. highway dotted with small towns, and every time we passed through a community I would ask him, "what town is this?" Perhaps growing weary of my questions, he pointed out that every town has a water tower, and I should look for the town's name stenciled on the sides, and then I'd know.

While packing my drone away Tuesday, I thought of this moment and laughed to myself, because the village's name does not appear on Northbrook's water tower. It didn't matter though, because I knew where I was, and I just wanted to enjoy the last moments of sunlight on a beautiful evening.