Indianapolis Portrait Photographer | L. Severson Photography
Photography Featured In
You Know These Days Won’t Last. Let’s Make Sure You Remember Them.
Right now, your baby fits in your arms. Your kids still want to be in the same photo as you. Your senior walks across a stage in a matter of weeks. Indianapolis families come to me at exactly these moments, not because they planned far ahead, but because something inside them said this is the part worth keeping.
Here’s what nobody says out loud: the first year goes faster than anyone warns you. Phone pictures are sweet, but they are not the same as a portrait your daughter hangs in her first apartment twenty years from now. The families who book a session never regret it. The ones who wait for “later” often wish they hadn’t.
Portrait Photography Services in Indianapolis
Families are at the center of almost everything I photograph. Whether you are a family of three who hasn’t had portraits taken since your youngest was born, or you are expecting and want to capture this season before it passes, I design every session around the real people in front of my camera. No stiff poses, no matching outfits unless you want them, just genuine connection documented beautifully.
I photograph families, maternity, newborns, baby milestones and cake smashes, seniors, and boudoir. Everything except weddings and events. If it matters to your family, it matters to me.
Senior portraits are one of my favorite sessions to design. This is the one time in a person’s life that is entirely about them, not a baby, not a family, not a milestone anyone else shares. I work closely with each senior to build a session around their personality, their style, and the locations that feel right to them. Indianapolis has incredible backdrops for senior portraits and I know exactly which ones photograph best in every season.
If you have a senior in the Class of 2026 or 2027, now is exactly the right time to start thinking about booking. Learn more about senior portrait sessions here.
What Kind of Portrait Session Are You Looking For?
Favorite Places to Photograph Families in Indianapolis
Indianapolis has some genuinely beautiful places to shoot. Here are the locations I return to again and again with families.
Newfields | 4000 Michigan Road
The gardens at Newfields are a photographer’s dream. Sculpted hedgerows, blooming seasonal color, and elegant architecture give portraits a timeless quality that holds up for decades. Especially stunning for maternity sessions and family portraits in late spring and early fall.
Holcomb Gardens | Butler University
Tucked along the White River on Butler’s campus, Holcomb Gardens offers stone bridges, weeping willows, and a quiet formality that photographs beautifully. Senior portraits here have a classic, unfussy elegance that clients still love twenty years later.
Canal Walk | Downtown Indianapolis
River views, city skyline, arched bridges, and open sky all within a short walk of each other. The Canal Walk is the best location in the city for families who want something that feels distinctly Indianapolis without feeling generic.
Garfield Park | 2345 Pagoda Drive
One of Indianapolis’s oldest parks, Garfield Park has a sunken garden, a historic pagoda, and mature tree canopy that creates soft, natural light even on bright afternoons. A great option for families on the south side who want a beautiful location close to home.
White River State Park | Downtown
Wide open lawns, riverfront views, and urban greenery that never feels forced. White River State Park works especially well for larger family groups who need room to spread out, and for seniors who want a downtown backdrop without the traffic noise.
Broad Ripple Village
Murals, tree-lined streets, and relaxed neighborhood energy make Broad Ripple a natural fit for senior portraits and casual family sessions. It’s one of those locations that feels lived-in and real, which is exactly the quality that makes a portrait feel authentic rather than staged.
What Indianapolis Families Are Saying
“Her work felt timeless, natural, and exactly what I envisioned for capturing our baby’s first professional photos and she exceeded every expectation. She made the entire experience seamless and stress-free, and captured the most beautiful, meaningful images that we will treasure forever.”
Erin Sweeney Barry | Newborn Session
“Leah did a stunning job on the photos and even worked with my crazy schedule to make sure everything would be done in time for my wedding! Would absolutely recommend her and use her services again!”
Faith Noel | Portrait Session
“We had a large group plus several smaller group poses and she handled the session very smoothly and kept things going, which was wonderful with small kids involved! We’re all pleased with the photos and the whole experience!”
Sharon Racke | Family Session
Your Indianapolis Portrait Photographer — Leah Severson
I’ve been photographing Indianapolis families since 2002. In that time I’ve shot newborns in Meridian-Kessler who are now heading to college, photographed pregnancies that turned into cake smashes that turned into senior sessions, and watched this city grow into one of the most genuinely wonderful places I know to raise a family.
Indianapolis is not a backdrop to me. It’s the place where most of my favorite work has happened. I know where the light falls at Holcomb Gardens on an October afternoon. I know which corner of the Canal Walk photographs the cleanest. I know Garfield Park in every season. When you book a session with me, you get someone who knows this city the way a local does.
I’d love to meet your family. Reach out here and let’s start planning.
Frequently Asked Questions About Portrait Photography in Indianapolis
Do you travel into Indianapolis for outdoor sessions?
Yes. I work with Indianapolis families every week. Whether you want to shoot at Newfields, the Canal Walk, Holcomb Gardens, or a neighborhood park close to your home, I am happy to meet you on location anywhere in the city.
How far in advance should I book?
For newborn sessions, book during your second trimester if you can. The ideal window is within the first two to three weeks of birth and my calendar fills fast. If your baby is already here, call me anyway at 317-867-3723 and I will do my best to get you in. For family, maternity, and senior sessions, four to six weeks ahead is ideal, especially in spring and fall.
Where is your studio?
My studio is near Carmel, just north of Indianapolis. It is easy to get to from most Indy neighborhoods and well worth the trip for studio sessions like newborns, cake smashes, and boudoir.
What types of sessions do you offer?
I photograph families, newborns, maternity, baby milestones and cake smashes, seniors, and boudoir. Everything except weddings and events. If it matters to your family, it matters to me.
How long does a session take?
Full newborn sessions with family and sibling shots run anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours. Most other full sessions last about an hour. Mini sessions are typically 30 minutes.
When will I receive my photos?
Your private online gallery will be ready within two weeks of your session. From there you can download, share, and order prints directly through the gallery.
Serving Families Throughout Indianapolis
My studio is near Carmel, which puts me right on the doorstep of Indianapolis. I work with Indianapolis families every single week, regularly photographing sessions in Broad Ripple, Meridian-Kessler, Butler-Tarkington, Irvington, and Fountain Square. I am just as happy to meet you for an outdoor session in Garfield Park, Eagle Creek, or Fall Creek Place as I am to have you come to me in the studio.
Whether you are in an older neighborhood like Herron-Morton Place or Lockerbie Square, or a newer development on the north side, the families I photograph in Indianapolis all want the same thing. Pictures that actually look like their family. Not overly posed, not stiff, just real, beautifully lit, and worth hanging on a wall. That is what I do, and I would love to do it for you.