Valentine Day Photoshoot Ideas

Are you looking to create a valentine photoshoot for your Instagram or tiktok ? Need some quick tips and ideas? Look no further. I’ll be going through props , photo ideas , camera setting and outfit and poses for your next valentine photoshoot.

A first step is creating a vision board of what you would love to see in your photos

Finding Props

Props are super important for creating an amazing valentine themed shoot. Common props include balloons , stuffed teddy bears, red paper decorations and petals.

I’d like to note that the following are sponsored affiliate links to Amazon target and Etsy.

Valentine Balloons can come in different forms. You can get round pink and red balloons that are great if there are many in the background of your photos.

There are also options on Amazon and Target with “” balloons and balloons with custom text. These can be helpful when you are trying to say a statement in your photos.

Another common prop is the classic furry teddy bear. You can use small or large teddy bears for this. Often the bear can add a cozier vibe to your final images and may be subtle ! Here is a small teddy bear that can fit by your waste Here is a larger teddy bear for aesthetics

Great creative with red/pink paper! Paper and strings are helpful for decoration and to emphasize the valentine mood. You can use regular red paper or construction paper to create your valentine hearts and decorations or you can buy them prepaid.

Either way using paper can add a lot to your photos!

Roses and rose petals. See if you can find roses and rose petals to emphasize the valentine mood.

Envisioning Valentine Photoshoot ideas

Before you have your props it’s good to think of some ideas . Try a few out or look at some and figure out which one you would like to pursue. These include building your own valentine wall, taking photos outdoors, bedroom photoshots and more!

The wall of valentines

Creating a wall with all your valentine decoration is one way idea. The setup will take some time to finish but it will be very creative and unique.

Think of a random assortment of ideas to put in the bachelor degree such as hearts, shredded paper and the like.

Take to the outdoors

If the weather is right or even it isn’t take to the outdoors! Include some balloons with strings and carrying them outside. Take interesting perspectives such as from a low angle

Another idea is shooting near a red wall or red roses. This can create an authentic background that you can use.

Also keep an eye out for colors that match with red or pink and cute areas that you have saved for moments like this.

Bedroom photoshoots

The easiest and most comfortable place to take photos! Get some props together and go out on a bed. Use rose petals and props to shoot.

Make it subtle

Let the outfit or your poses do the work. Put in some little things here or there. Like heart earnings. Take a look at the posing section for more ideas.

Studio Photoshoot

If you have some extra time and want to make this valentine's day extra special, hire a photographer or get your camera and tripod together!

Wth a studio you can get the best professional light and pure backdrops. Some ideas may include red, black or white backdrops with different props.

Setting camera settings

Whether you are on a iPhone or DSLR here are some tips everyone can use for amazing photos straight out of the camera!

iPhone and cellphone users should use the front facing camera for highest quality . Or you can either have a friend/ boyfriend or mirror to help you see yourself . The front facing camera can really make your images to a whole new level and keep all the detail in your photo.

Another tip if you can’t find someone to take the picture is to use a timer or a smartwatch to trigger the camera or set a timer. If you have a smart watch, alexa, or anything that connects to your phone, you can setup a button to take camera photos hands free! On Iphones and DSLRS you can also set a timer, I suggest a 5-10 second timer that allows you to get into your desired pose. Press the timer, and then get in position and wait. Also take about 5 photos in the same position so that you have variety and get choose from them later1

But wait? If I don’t have someone to take it how will I hold it? A few tips include using tripods, books, and anything that can give your image height. Books are so helpful if you can stack them onto each other and “frame” your photo.

Aperture

Close your aperture. If you are using a dslr use a f stop number of f/8 or higher. This will allow you to get detail in the foreground and background of your photo and capture your props in full quality. Although shooting at a wider aperture may be desirable, it won’t be too helpful if you are using props.

Open your aperture. If you are shooting in a dark room, open up your aperture and let some light in. Opening your aperture may also be a great idea if you are shooting detail in the face or up close makeup or face form.

Where to Focus

Focus on your face or eye. This is very important when taking photos. Your focus area should be on your eye or face. Why ? Because people first look at the human face and if you're in this photo it will do wonders!

If you’re doing a valentine photoshoot, you want to be a part of the subject and have focus where it is most important! However you are taking a body empowerment approach focus on the face, but frame your image for the body.

What ISO for Valentines shoot?

ISO on iphones, Androids and DSLRS is the artificial light bucket. It creates light but adds in noise to your images. The best tip to avoid this is to shoot natural light outdoors or through a window. Natural light will bring more light into your image, so you can keep your ISO low around the 50-500 level. Indoor lighting can be tricky depending on where it is coming from. A good range can be anywhere from 800-1600, however this is dependent on your camera.

Anything above 1600 or the iso limit where noise is extremely apparent should be avoided unless you are editing images in the future.

How to edit valentine photoshoot

How should you edit your valentine photoshoot? Weather you are using apps such as vsco, snapseed or photoshop/lightroom here are a few tips to remember when you are finishing up your photos.

Valentine colors. Remember that your whole theme is valentines based, so try and keep the red and pink colors as much as possible. If you can try and remove any colors that do not match the mood or stand out too much from the image.

A cool idea for valentine photoshoot is bringing down the focus and softening the image up. This can give a light glow to your image. Be careful with this and only put a hint of this into your final image.

Outfit’s and Posing

I would like to say that this is an extra bit I wanted to add on. There are many great articles online that provide more information on outfit styling and posing! However as a photographer here are some tips.

Here are a few outfit ideas and posing ideas.

Getting a valentine photo shoot together can be fun and creative! If you want some awesome photos for valentines day try getting some preps together, ideas together and get your lighting right!