Feature Photos for The Wall Street Journal | Carmel, Indiana

The McKay family pose for a portrait in front of their home in Carmel, Indiana.

In November, I spent a dreary day down in Carmel, Indiana, to make pictures for the story “‘How Did I End Up in Indiana?’ Welcome to the Internet’s Favorite Small City.”

You can view the online piece here.

From meeting with the outgoing and incoming mayor to spending time with two families who moved to Carmel from out of state, it was a full day of picture-making. This was my first assignment for the Wall Street Journal’s Mansion section. Part of the project would be architectural images and scene-setters of the city to help round out the piece. Sadly, the weather was not cooperating and was constantly a mix of rain and sleet. This put a significant damper on the outdoor images, but I continually snuck outside to add outdoor elements to the piece.

In much of my documentary photography work, I am focused mainly on people, and the environment plays a secondary role in the image. In this assignment, I was working to keep a strong balance between the two in the portraits.

In the process of striking this balance, I was able to hone in on solid compositions in the portraits.

One of my favorite finds from the day was the handmade letter that adorned the McKay family’s fridge. I thought this photograph demonstrated the connection and “neighborhoodness” contributing to why folks from much more dense areas moved to a city of about 100,000 people.

As I reviewed the images after they were shared online and in print, I definitely can see some room to grow in my architectural work, but I think the overall package of the piece came together nicely!

An outdoor play set is pictured in Jeremiah and Melody McKay's backyard in Carmel, Indiana. (Evan Cobb for The Wall Street Journal)

A welcome note hangs on Jeremiah and Melody McKay’s fridge in their kitchen in Carmel, Indiana. (Evan Cobb for The Wall Street Journal)

New construction is pictured in the Jackson’s Grant neighborhood in Carmel, Indiana. (Evan Cobb for The Wall Street Journal)

Beth and Joe Molina’s house is pictured in Carmel, Indiana. (Evan Cobb for The Wall Street Journal)

Beth and Joe Molina pose for a portrait in their home in Carmel, Indiana. (Evan Cobb for The Wall Street Journal)

Front image: Mayor James Brainard poses for a portrait on the south steps at The Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana. Bottom image: The Center for the Performing Arts are pictured in Carmel, Indiana.