Milestone Birthday Session
Officially A Teenager!
My sweet niece Avery turned 13 this past week, so naturally we had to mark this occasion with a fun photoshoot. She loves pink and all things Taylor Swift. Because do you know a teenage girl who isn't obsessed with Taylor Swift right now? And rightfully so, TayTay's pretty cool. I knew I wanted to create a playlist for this session to get a fun vibe going. Being solo in front of the camera can sometimes be uncomfortable. So, I wanted to keep things light and upbeat by having some of her favorite tunes playing in the background. We both enjoyed the background music and I want to try and incorporate it in more sessions now. It just keeps the mood light and fun and definitely helped elicit some smiles. I found this great little Bluetooth speaker at Wal Mart for under $10 that can hook to my camera bag. I'm hoping to use that in outdoor sessions this spring.
Setting The Scene
For the photos I wanted my set up to be simple and pink, and I needed to incorporate 13 in some way. I liked the idea of having pink and white balloons and was able to find some rose gold and confetti balloons that all tied together nicely. Her mom brought the number 13 balloons and a sash and tiara. Let me just say, I absolutely love incorporating fun accessories in any picture! The sash and tiara were a nice touch and I loved how the photos turned out with the number balloons. That said, those balloons were a bit tricky to work with. I kept thinking I had the balloons set just right only for them to turn around. I definitely need to look into tricks on how to get them to stay facing the direction you want. If you have any tips or tricks, please share!
In addition to the balloons, I initially had the idea to sprinkle some chunky pink and gold confetti around the floor as well. Deep down I was still cringing at the idea of finding confetti for the next few weeks in random places. Instead, I took to Amazon and found this white fuzzy throw blanket. It turned out to be PERFECT in so many ways. I used it during this session as a rug and also a chair cover. We started out taking photos on the rug and then I brought in a stool for a few photos. The stool just wasn't the right height, and I didn't love how her legs were dangling. I brought in a chair that worked better for the shots I was going for, but it wasn't really blending with the rest of the aesthetic. I tossed the throw blanket over it, pulled it together with a couple clips around the back, and it was a super cute fuzzy chair cover.
TIPS
I still ended up using the confetti. As much as I dislike the mess of confetti and the uncomfortable fact that I will be finding pieces of it for months, I still couldn't resist capturing one good shot of Avery celebrating with the confetti.
A COUPLE TIPS FOR ANYONE WANTING TO TRY A PIC LIKE THIS.
- Keep your eyes open and try not to squint.
- Don't blow too hard and try not to puff out your cheeks when you blow.
- Keep your hands below and away from your face.
Happy Birthday Girly
I have to wrap this up with a shoutout to Avery for being a perfect model! We were able to try out a few different poses and captured many great images. I think we both had fun creating these shots and I just love how they turned out. I'm thrilled I got to create these special memories to mark this milestone birthday for her.
If you have a special occasion or milestone you'd like to capture I would love to help you!
"I'M NOT SUPERSTITIOUS, BUT I AM A LITTLE STITIOUS"
I'm thinking TSWIFTS LUCKY NUMBER WILL BE LUCKY FOR AVERY THIS YEAR AND THAT YEAR 13 WILL BE HER ABSOLUTE BEST YEAR YET!
