Nothing says love quite like capturing memories of family and friends. This holiday season, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has some fun ideas for that holiday card, calendar or social media post.
Photo Ops in WinterFaire
WinterFaire is filled with colorful characters and picture-perfect backdrops — and the color-changing, magical fountain is spectacular.
“I have the best luck with up-close, candid photos of kids enjoying themselves,“ says Dave Rust, chief photographer of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “Pose kids too much, and it zaps all the fun. If they want to stick their tongue out at the chameleon or make funny faces with Santa, let them. Those are the photos you cherish years later and will love sharing at your kid’s high school graduation or wedding.”
Rust adds that smartphone cameras work great in the museum. “Some exhibit spaces are a little dim in places where people walk, so try bringing your family members close and use the phone’s flash. And don’t forget to tap on the part of the picture you want in focus.”
Super Selfie Spots
Here are the top spots in the museum for family photos:
- Look for the T. rex with a ‘tude. You will see Rheta the Tyrannosaurus rex and her feathered head just before you enter Dinosphere® on Level 1. Tip: Look for angles that will make it seem like the dino is chomping down on your head (all about spatial positioning).
- You don’t have to go ‘round and ‘round to know Carousel Wishes and Dreams is full of color and magical animals. Find it on level 4. Tip: Take a photo from the ground before the carousel gets moving and angle the camera up to include the animals and faux stars. Take another with the animal’s head in the foreground and your child sitting on top.
- The dome inside Dinosphere® transports visitors to vividly colored times of the day and night on the Lower Level.Tip: Wait for the rich pink/purple sky. Pose your family between the T. rex and the triceratops, and use a flash.
- The view from space is literally out of this world in Beyond Spaceship Earth, aboard a recreated portion of the International Space Station on the Lower Level. Tip: Little ones love sitting inside the recreated Soyuz capsule like a real astronaut.
- The best angle of Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass can be found underneath it on the Lower Level.Tip: Get down on your knees and aim the camera at your friend on the rotating seat. But make sure you angle up so you see the colorful ceiling, too.
- Bumblebee greets visitors entering the Welcome Center. The iconic Transformer stands 17-feet-tall, weighs a ton and was originally a prop in the 2007 movie Transformers! Tip: Whenever taking a photo of something large, stand back a good distance to get the entire object in the frame and have the family member stand close to you so you see their face in front and the object looming large behind them.
- The Reuben Wells should get the family moving full-steam ahead in All Aboard! on the Lower Level. The 35-foot long, 55-ton legend was once the most powerful locomotive in the world as it pushed cars up the hill and supported them on the descent. Tip: Stand at the front of the train and have friends pose in front of it under the overhead lights.
- Race fans can sit in a real IndyCar show car on Level 3 and pretend they’re driving in the Indianapolis 500. Tip: A great angle for this one is to kneel four-feet in front of the left tire and angle up so you see the tire, car and the colorful artwork on the wall.
The museum would love to see your creations. Use #atTCM hashtag to share your memories.
