Location drives the vibe of your photoshoot.


I feel like the midwest gets a bad rap for not being "cool" enough, especially in the photography world. I'm used to seeing photographers work at the beach, around cliffsides and mountains, or in the desert. But in my experience, Indiana has some fabulous options for photography locations, and some of them are super unexpected. My business is based in central Indiana, but being from Shelbyville, many of my sessions take place in Shelby County, the east/northeast side of Indy, or the southside. I've shot in various locations this year and have definitely discovered some new faves!


Whenever clients book a shoot with me, we always discuss the vibe they're going for, and I suggest locations based on our chat. Sometimes clients suggest somewhere new to me, which is fine too! Below are a few of my fave spots to shoot!

Blue River at Sunset Park- Shelby County


My husband helped me discover this location over the summer. He grew up exploring and fishing on Blue River, and I was looking for a good shoreline area to take some river pictures at. The sun comes down beautifully behind the trees here, and each time I've been down to this spot, there have not been people nearby. This area is easily accessible from the parking lot at the park.

Blue River Memorial Park- Shelby County


This park is my go-to in Shelby County. There are so many options for photos here. There's a walking trail, numerous wildflower fields, an old iron bridge, and a sunflower field in late summer. I discovered a new wildflower field this summer full of black eyed susans, and went back in the fall to find the field full of tiny white flowers- so pretty. This is also a great area for sunset sessions!

Beckenholdt Park- Greenfield, Indiana


A friend of mine mentioned Beckenholdt Park to me last year when I was looking for a park with lots of grassland. I still haven't even explored the whole park (apparently there's a long walking trail that goes through the woods and a second pond I have yet to see, but I LOVE this spot. The sun comes down and lights up the grasslands, making everything glowy and ethereal. There's a pond with a cute dock, and walking trails through the grasslands, which are dotted with wildflowers in the spring/summer. I always recommend this location to clients who live nearby.

Mill Race Park- Columbus, Indiana


I found Mill Race by chance while googling parks in Columbus to meet a client at. She lives in southern Indiana and we wanted to meet somewhere halfway to make the session convenient for both of us. I happened to be in Columbus with my mom one day and found this park, and we did a drive by to scout it out. There's a pretty pond in the middle of the park, and the park runs along the river and has a beachy shoreline that's gorgeous at sunset. There's also a walking trail that goes through some wooded areas, so lots of variety here.

Coxhall Gardens- Carmel, Indiana


This was a new-to-me location that a client suggested after hearing about it from her friends. I went out to scout the park a few days before our shoot, and after scouting I was PUMPED to shoot here! The grounds are gorgeous and there are so many great spots for a session. The park has a large pond with a stone bridge, two clock towers, a wetland with a wooden dock path running through it, a waterfall, mansion, amphitheater, a barn and more!


Coxhall does require a permit to be able to shoot on their grounds, so clients looking into this location have to let me know in advance so that I can check availability and secure a permit, as they often have weddings in the park and close off some areas to the public.

Ft. Harrison State Park- Indianapolis, Indiana


Ft. Harrison is another location that has so many options for a session. Fields of tall golden grass, footpaths that run through copses of trees, open fields, a pond with a dock, horse stables and more! Ft. Harrison is a state park, so there is a $7 entrance fee that clients are responsible for if they choose to have their session here.

Franklin Township Community Park- Indianapolis, Indiana


This park doesn't look like anything special when you pull into the parking lot. A basketball court and a playground, and honestly somewhat poorly maintained landscaping. But if you walk down the path through the tree line, you end up on a walking path near a pretty field and a nice wooded area that looks beautiful at sunset. I learned about this spot from another photographer when she suggested it to me for our own family pictures last year. I've come back for sessions multiple times and it never disappoints.

Additional locations I like:


  • Blue Heron Park- Franklin, Indiana
  • Flat Rock River- Shelby County
  • Indiana War Memorial- Downtown Indianapolis
  • Franklin College- Franklin, Indiana
  • Downtown Fortville, Indiana