Get Those Downtown Family Photos You’ve Always Wanted
Ten Tips + Tricks to Creating the Bold + Beautiful City Family Photos You Keep Seeing
Indianapolis is made up of several amazing communities and areas; all of which offer unique backdrops for your family photos. Some of my favorite neighborhoods to visit are Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Lockerbie Square, and of course the Downtown Districts! Even though these places are all within two miles from one another there is still a lot of variety to be found.
Below I am going to offer up my favorite tips and approaches to making the best of your city family photos. Be sure to read all the way through if you want to bring those movie like images of your crew to life!
1. Sunday’s are Best
If I had to pick a day of the week to schedule family photos downtown, it’s going to be Sunday every single time. The perks of a Sunday session are a) free parking, b) less crowds, and c) you’ve had a day to relax from the work week + now get to end on a fun note.
2. Make the Most of Small Areas
When I photograph families downtown I make sure to scope out areas that have a lot of potential within a little bit of space. I’ve shot entire sessions on one single street corner! There is so much character in just about anywhere you look within the heart of Indianapolis — so don’t feel pressured to run all over to find a perfect backdrop. Plenty of variety can be found all within a few yards!
3. You Might Actually Love One Ways
One of my favorite secrets to successful city portraits is One Ways! Yes you heard that right, I know we’re usually not the biggest fans of keeping track of which way is what but hear me out… One Ways make it safer and easier to get those candid walking the walk way shots. As the photographer it’s nice to be able to get this perspective without the hassle of two way traffic. (Of course always be safe when crossing the road whether you’re the one in front or behind the camera.)
4. Embrace Color
I would go out on a limb and say most of downtown serves as a somewhat neutral background when it comes to color. A lot of soft reds from bricks, beiges from old stone, and well… you get the picture. Don’t be afraid to add some color into the mix. City photography is definitely the time and place to be a little bold in your wardrobe. So bust out the bright red pants, true blue denim overalls, colored sock hats, and any other pieces that feel like an extension of your colorful personality.
5. Think Big Picture
Every session I make sure to step way way way back and get a wide shot. It feels so cinematic and dreamy when you’re documenting within a cityscape. There’s always a thousand stories unfolding at once when you’re in a downtown space; everything from people on the street to the buildings touching the sky help to weave your story into place.
6. Consider All Times of the Day
I’m an advocate of photographing in all sorts of light during all parts of the day. Don’t be afraid to try full day sun, push things into the blue twilight before nightfall, watch the sun rise over the city, or even catch the classic golden hour. Meaningful + breathtaking photography can be captured at any time of day.
7. Experiment with Posing
Much like the idea of being more daring with color, I would say downtown spaces serve as an excellent place to experiment with more editorial styled posing. Whether that means channeling your inner Wes Anderson, layering to tell the story, or even finding out that you had a supermodel side all along; let yourself be playful! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.
8. Take Advantage of the Cityscape Backdrop During Winter
It’s true, family photos during Indiana winters can be tough. It’s hard to feel motivated to document life when everything that once was lusciously green is dead. A downtown backdrop is the exception to this (dare I say?) curse. Indianapolis’ historic architecture steals the show when blooms are lacking. Also there’s something about being bundled up in front of classic buildings that just feels so timeless.
9. Sprinkle in Details that may not Feel Perfect
If you’ve chosen downtown as your family photo location, you’re probably cool. Cool people embrace realness, the not so perfect, and living in the moment. This all can be accomplished by welcoming the sometimes grungy details that Indy has to offer.
10. Be Safe! (and have fun)
Yes — the most important tip is to stay safe! The best way to do that is to work with a photographer familiar with the area. I personally have learned and noted where I’m able (and not able) to photograph safely + confidently. Now that you know my top ten tips, let’s talk about where we can best capture your family showcasing the city life!
