Grab a few supplies and you'll be photographing like a pro!

We do Valentine’s Day mini sessions every year, and while there is nothing quite like a professional portrait, you can DIY and come pretty close!

For this simple project, you’ll need the following supplies: roll of wrapping paper (not glossy), scissors, tape, decorations from the dollar store, and optional things are a rug and a chair!
supplies

Once you have your supplies gathered, find a wall in your house that gets good window light.  You can have the window to the left of the set like I do (you can’t see it, but I swear I do), to the right, or directly in front of your set.  You will want to make sure that you’re doing this on a nice day, not too overcast or rainy.

Cut your paper about 4 feet in length and tape all 4 corners to the wall.  Make sure that if you’re going to have your child stand, that it’s atleast 6 inches taller than they are in height.

 

backdrop

My paper went onto the floor some, but that’s ok because I’m using a rug.  If you’re not using a rug, you’ll want to stop right above the baseboard trim, so that when you tape it down, it looks like wallpaper or the wall color.

Next, add your decorations. I have a $1 set of hearts I bought at Hobby Lobby that I stuck to the paper using double-sided tape.  Takes under a minute for this step!
IMG_0964

 

Now, add your rug and chair, and you’re ready for a photoshoot!  I didn’t have a child available when putting this together, so I used my trusty studio teddy, but you get the idea.

valentines day photo final product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now this was done ENTIRELY with an iPhone and the quality is pretty dang good 😉  If you use your point and shoot camera (or DSLR if you have one), shoot in the P mode, not the green square/auto mode.  It will allow you to turn the flash OFF and the ISO up to about 800.    Even though it might look bright enough, your photo will probably turn out dark if you miss that step.

Enjoy and please post your results either here or our Facebook Page

DIY Valentine’s Day Photoshoot

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