Backyard Valentine's Day Photo Shoot

Last year we bought a Sony Alpha 6000 and it is the best camera I have ever had. I have used it for parties, vacations, daily adventures, and my personal favorite, at home photo shoot. I have also done mini sessions with my iPhone (I might share these at a later time) but I love my camera.

With Valentine’s day approaching, I decided to do an impromptu photoshoot of my littles. It was super easy to set up and it took under an hour to photograph both girls, together and separate. You can do the same with these simple steps.

First, choose your props; I used a tassel garland, blanket, confetti, and chairs. Pretty simple, right?

Second find a location, I decided to take this photo shoot outside. It was the first time that I had done this, but will probably continue to shoot outside – weather permitting, Texas can get really hot.

Shooting inside works well too, I usually set-up by a window to take advantage of all the natural light.

Third, choose your outfit and accessories. For their attire I used t-shirts with cute graphics and tutus; and for accessories headbands and bows. I try to pick clothing that is representative of the seasons. But I also find the girls always look good in pastels and tend to gravitate to this color pallet.

That’s all you need! Well, you will need lots of patience. Especially if you are photographing little ones.

My six year old did great, she followed instructions and even came up with some poses of her own.

My almost two year old on the other hand, kept running away, playing with the confetti, and pointing and waving at the birds. It’s actually fun to watch her but like I said, you have to be patient.

Once you have taken the photos, you may want to edit them. I personally use the Photos app on my Mac. I can adjust the lighting, contrast, etc. on there. I especially like the color option under the adjust menu; you can use this to make the photos black and white and even a sepia tone.

I hope this post is useful and you try your hand at taking your own photos with these easy steps. I mean, I am all for hiring photographers for special events, but these quick photoshoots can be done by anyone.

You can take great photos, trust me. It’s not as hard as it may look.

Saludos,