Top 10 Locations in Indianapolis to Take Pictures – Family Photograhy or Engagment Photography

Indianapolis is a great city and there are TONS of great places in Indy to take pictures. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for the hottest places to take engagement pictures in Indianapolis or the best family photography locations in Indianapolis. All of these location work well for both types of sessions. I have these locations listed from urban to rustic. So, if you are more into rustic outdoorsy pictures you might want to skip the first few options.

Downtown Indianapolis – The heart of the city is a great location for those who want a completely urban setting. Of course you can get your picture with the monument and the state house on the circle. But, there are lots of fun nooks and crannies within the city including rustic alley ways and fun store fronts.

White River State Park / The Canal – This park is in Downtown Indianapolis. This is a great area to get a good variety of backdrops. You can find a mixtures of greenery, city/urban-ness, brick walls, and water features. You will also find the colorful art seen in the picture on this blog post.

Downtown Carmel, IN – Bring your walking shoes, and lets travel around Carmel, IN and take some pictures! There is also a good variety of backdrops here including – a wall of fun bright colors, the Monon trail, some greenery, a water feature, older looking store fronts, and some modern art. There are also some fun shops here. So, if you are up for cupcakes or ice-cream at the end of your session, this is a fun location to be able to incorporate that.

Broad Ripple – Who doesn’t love Broad Ripple? In Broad Ripple you have the Monon trail, bright colorful store fronts, and awesome bridges. This is a very trendy place to have pictures taken – especially Indianapolis engagement pictures.

Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) – The IMA is located on the near North West side of the city and is home to the trendy LOVE statue. It also has lots of gardens that are groomed professionally. It is truly a gorgeous location! The only catch with this location is that they require a photography permit to take pictures here. This will cost you a little bit and it requires some advanced planning. I love the IMA, but the permit hassle makes this location a little less desirable. In a hope to not sound so negative, if you were thinking about having your pictures taken at the IMA you may want to consider the next location as it is right around the corner… **Update** I now have a yearly pass to shoot at the IMA. There is now no additional charge or advance planning needed to do your session at this location.

100 Acres Woods – This is such a fun location! It is located right around the street from the IMA. There is a variety of backdrops including water and greenery, a modern basketball court with fun tubing, an interesting tunnel, and stairwells. This area isn’t as well groomed as the IMA, but there are still areas that are professionally groomed. This is a great location for a couple that wants something rustic/outdoorsy but not too country.

Coxhall Gardens – In Carmel, IN you will find this park which includes lots of well groomed flowers and greenery, and some fun structures. You can’t leave Coxhill Gardens without doing at least one jumping picture, as there is a fun amphitheater with large steps perfect for jumping pictures. The only drawback to this location is that there is very little shade. This location is best for shorter sessions as close to sunset as possible.

Garfield Park – This park is located on the south east side of the city. Here you will find three distinctly different backdrops. If you go inside the gardens you will find an indoor greenhouse (there is a permit that is required for this part of the session, but it is very inexpensive and easy to get). Then, if you head right outside the greenhouse you will find professional groomed flowers and a garden. Finally if you keep walking outside the garden you will find a more rustic/natural setting. This last area includes rustic greenery, a fun bridge, walking paths, and even a rail road track. This location is perfect for those unpredictable colder months as there is always the indoor location to fall back on if it is too cold outside for a long session.

Holcomb Gardens – This may be my favorite place to take pictures in Indianapolis (but they are all great). This location is on Butler University’s campus. But don’t worry, you won’t find any giant Butler logos or any bulldogs here. Instead you will find a giant weeping willow over the canal, a fun bridge, well groomed greenery, an area of ungroomed greenery, a gazebo, and even a little water feature. This location is great all year round!

Fort Harrison State Park – This is a large park on the north east side of the city. This park is great year round, but anyone wanting to capture the fall colors, this location is ideal. This park is perfect for a couple or family that wants to capture lots of nature in their images. The backdrop selections here includes water, wooden bridges, brush, lots of trees and natural greenery, walking paths, and more.

Disclaimer – these aren’t the only places in Indianapolis to take pictures. Just because a location isn’t on this list doesn’t mean that it isn’t good. In fact, my favorite location is the one that means the most to you! I recently had a couple take pictures on their personal farm and I often do family pictures at people’s homes. Each family/couple is different and has different wants and needs. This list is intended as a suggestion/something to get you thinking. Feel free to think outside the box 🙂 

If you have questions about any of these locations, feel free to reach out to me! Also, if you are ready to book your engagement or family photography session, contact me today for pricing and availability!