Valentine’s Day Photography Ideas You Can Do at Home

In preparation for this Valentine’s day why not take Valentine themed photographs of your little one to share with friends and family. Going to a portrait studio can be expensive and if your little one is weary of strangers you might even have a more enthusiastic child at home. The last time we took pictures at a studio I couldn’t even get my daughter to take a picture without mom or dad holding her. You just need to create an interesting back drop, find a few props, a cute outfit or two and a camera.

To create a Valentine’s day background I taped some red wrapping paper with white polka dots to a wall with a good amount of natural light. The paper was from the dollar bins at Target. I blew up a few red balloons to make it fun and hopefully entice my toddler to the area. For a photo prop I added a small chair painted with chalkboard paint, a chalk heart and the words too cute. To give my daughter a place to sit I added a step stool she often sits on while looking at books.

For my daughter’s first outfit I dressed her in a Tulle & the Dragon Rainbow Cupcake tutu and rainbow tights. The tutu skirt is made from soft, nylon tulle an elastic waistband and ribbon the colors of the skirt and the bodysuit are pink, purple, orange and green. The bodysuit is rainbow colored with a purple, metallic, cupcake decal on it.

Another fun idea is to dress your little one up like their favorite character or doll. For my daughter’s second outfit she dressed like one of her favorite Hello Kitty dolls. Just like her doll she wore striped stockings, a yellow shirt, a pink tutu skirt, a purple bow and fairy wings.

Lastly, we included a little Sign Language and some photo editing to convey some love and artistic style. I asked my daughter to sign the word love and quickly snapped a few pictures. To sign the word love you cross your arms across your chest, like you are hugging yourself, with your hands closed into a fist. If you keep your hands open you will be signing rest. To add an artistic touch I used the PhotoCollage application on my phone to add a black and white metropolis effect. Now we have some Valentine photographs we can print out hand deliver, snail mail or e-mail to our loved ones for Valentine’s Day gifts that are affordable and personalized. Feel free to share your Valentine photo ideas in the comments. The person with the most creative idea will win a tutu skirt.