The 11 Best Indianapolis Family Photographers

When choosing a family photographer, you want someone who’s work goes beyond executing creative vision. Make no mistake—vision is absolutely important, but working with families requires a special set of skills that many photographers never have the opportunity to practice. Your photographer must be patient, relaxed, and able to coax joy out of even the shyest child. The photographers on this list have spent years refining these skills, along with perfecting their technical craft with the camera. Their results are incredible, and you’d be lucky to work with any one of them. Take a look at some of the best Indianapolis family photographers and get ready to book your next session.

1. Jessica Dingledy

As a mom herself, Jessica understands how quickly the time passes when you’ve got a young family. It’s important to document your growing family early on and have those memories to always look back on. Her images are made with great care and attention to detail. A combination of structured portraits and candid moments, Jessica delivers a diverse final set of images that cover every aspect of family photography—you’ll be sure to have a great collection that you’ll love showing off. She’s definitely one of the best Indianapolis family photographers you could hire.

2. Ellen Joy Photography

Ellen founded her photography business in 2009 and has been working with families ever since. Bringing tons of humor to each of her photoshoot, Ellen is able to instantly put her clients at ease by making them laugh and getting them relaxed. Her style is bright and colorful—Ellen works on location in natural light and has a good sense of background and placement. Her clients always look great in each of her images, and it’s clear they’re making great family memories while Ellen is making great images.

3. Kirsten Wray

Kirsten is an energetic photographer who makes all of her photoshoots fun and exciting. Working in natural light and on location, each of Kirsten’s photoshoots is unique. Her family photos are high contrast with rich colors and tight compositions. Kirsten has a great eye for soft, natural light, so her clients always look great in each of her images. Working across all four seasons, she uses the weather to enhance her shoots—whether that’s a warm summer session or in a snow-covered field in winter.

4. Kristeen Marie

Kristeen is passionate about photography and comes to every photo shoot ready to make amazing images of your family. She’s been shooting professionally since 2006 and has plenty of experience behind the camera. Her images are sharp and contemporary, with soft colors and faded blacks. Using center weighted composition in great outdoor settings, Kristeen keeps your family at the forefront of each image. She captures some classic poses, but also gets some great moments of candid action. Her talent and skill make her one of the best Indianapolis family photographers around.

5. Liz Donovan

Liz is an Indianapolis native and has a growing family of her own. Her style centers on beautiful light and high contrast—this creates a dramatic mood that juxtaposes nicely with the emotional expression seen on her clients. Her images are weighty, timeless, and feel important. Working primarily outdoors, Liz never puts her clients in a setting that doesn’t compliment their aesthetic. Her great composition and unique aesthetic make her one of the best Indianapolis family photographers around.

6. Rebecca Shehorn

With a bachelors degree in photography and six years of professional experience, Rebecca puts her skill and her talent to work making amazing photos. Her work is brightly lit and colorful. Rebecca often places families in front of neutral backgrounds, which makes them readily stand out in the frame. She combines natural posing with a talent for catching candid moments. Her results speak for themself, and if you have the chance to work with her, there’s no doubt that you’ll love her photos of your family.

7. Casey Rucinski

Casey has deep roots in photography, as well as a background in art education with a concentration in photography, so you can be sure she knows what she’s doing. Her work is tasteful and contemporary, with muted colors and faded blacks—Casey’s aesthetics are reminiscent of the film cameras she learned photography with. She has a well developed sense of how to balance natural posing with encouraging candid moments. This results in authentic images that sacrifice nothing in their composition.

8. Kelly Martin

Kelly is an energetic photographer driven by conveying narrative. She’s always on the lookout for real moments between families, the tiny smiles you give each other, or moments of action like children playing in fall leaves. Working outdoors in natural light, Kelly often employees a strong backlight to make her colors and subjects pop. Any one of her images would look great framed and hanging on the wall or showing off your family on your social media feed.

9. Lindsey Gentry

Lindsey is a mom of two and experienced photographer who leverages her strong sense of curiosity when making her work. Working both in the studio and on location, Lindsey has a knack for putting her subjects in the best light. Her bright images are filled with rich colors that are sure to look great for years to come. Lindsey’s posing is very natural, and ensures that everyone is looking their best in the frame without ever appearing stiff or wearing a forced expression.

10. Jolene Broad

Jolene has had a lifelong love of photography, and she began refining her skills working with families after the birth of her son. Her style is focused on authenticity—she wants to document your family’s story exactly as it is. Putting her families in idyllic outdoor settings, Jolene combines genuine expressions with stunning landscapes to create some truly incredible photos of families. The work is colorful, but not overbearing, and her skill at finding the best light keeps everyone looking great in images.

11. Holly Sample

Holly, the talent and owner behind Blue Balloon Photography, favors laidback photo sessions that focus on having fun. This lets her get those moments of real emotion, and while she does some light posing for some shots, they never feel forced. Her images are colorful, set in amazing light and great settings, whether in your home or out in nature. Her subjects are always relaxed in front of the camera, and her tight composition and attention to detail makes Holly’s work stand out.

Family portraits are a tradition that spans back who knows how long, and there are good reasons for that. We take photos of things that we love and things that make us feel—whether that’s happy, nostalgic, sad, you name it—and what evokes more of an emotional response than our families? Today’s family photoshoots are a different animal than those of yesteryear: they’re stylish, fun, and artistic, never stuffy. And when you look back years from now on the beautiful little slice of time you’ve captured, you’ll feel as glad as you do today to have those beautiful people in your life.