Ralphie Rough Road

It was a beautiful fall day in October.  The gardens and surrounding grounds at the Indianapolis Museum of Art were breathtaking.  With fall leaves in full color, Noelle and Mike could not have picked a better day for their wedding.  I arrived early to scout out locations for their after the ceremony photo session.  I was overwhelmed with all of the choices.  The IMA grounds are quite beautiful with a little something for everyone.  With a limited amount of time, I understood the importance of having a tentative game plan for locations.

Their day was packed, with their wedding ceremony, photos at the IMA, dropping off their moms & sons and catching a flight out of Indianapolis for their honeymoon.  When they arrived we jumped right in.  With an hour and a half to play with and many photos to take, there was no time to waste.

Starting with the family photos, we headed over to the IMA gardens.  Photo opportunities were abundant.  I find it easier to start with the group and pare down from there.  Within a few minutes, everyone relaxed and fell right into place.  Everyone was easy to work with and great at following direction.

With time ticking away quickly, it was time to focus on Noelle & Mike.  Right away my main goal was to put them both at ease and take away the stress of a very busy day.  With a lot of ground to cover in about an hour, I went to work.

Combining their ideas with my own we had fun capturing some great moments.

They had some props they hoped to incorporate.  I loved the bride & groom glasses.  It was also a chance for them to cut loose and truly enjoy themselves.

As we were headed to our next location, a bit of a walk, I noticed a beautiful pathway lined with plants, flowers, and trees.  Making an impulse decision, I decided our time would be better served to stick close instead of walking further.  More time for photos, and less walking, really paid off.

Magic happened here.  In my opinion, some of the best photos from the session were all taken here.  The light, the colors and the emotion between them were what every photographer dreams of.  Ironically, when scouting for spots, I completely missed this path.  Sometimes unexpected opportunities are the best.

With our time nearing the end, we had one last photo to capture.  They both wanted a photo at the Love Sculpture.  I saved this for the end because of the close proximity to the parking lot and to allow for the afternoon light to be less harsh.  After quickly snapping a few last photos, we said our goodbyes.  Off they went hoping to make it through rush hour traffic in time.