Valentine’s day photo d.i.y

Each year (once a month) I try to take simple at home photos of the kids, these years are fleeting and it‘s nice to capture the moments without breaking the bank. During the holidays I try to incorporate something seasonal without overwhelming the subject. Take a look at some of our past valentine photo sessions for inspiration.

Here you’ll see a few from 2021, on the top row, where I threw some of my sweaters on the girls and left our son in a neutral outfit. I added red heart confetti that a found for under $2. The following year I skipped the confetti, cut out a heart from a cardboard box and wrapped it in blush yarn I found in a craft box. Our daughters had these deep rosewood colored pajamas, they held the yarn heart and I snapped some photos of them being themselves, it was simple and very casual. At the time we had red heart glasses from a valentine’s party, baby brother was in his cream colored pajamas, and I handed him the glasses to play with without worrying about it being posed. I snapped as many as a could and kept the best of what was captured. While I make my own presets, there are plenty presets you can use that suit your aesthetic and preferred style. You DO NOT need a fancy camera to take photos like these.

Last year I regret not taking the time to snap some photos, I felt I was in survival mode. I made sure to pre plan taking some of the kids this year. While I am still in the editing process I can share a couple that I’ve completed. I wanted these to be a bit more moody. Again placing them by a big window, it was raining at the time but I think the lighting worked in our favor. I tied some ribbon into her hair and she wore a muslin cloth blush dress with mini white hearts all over. Again you do NOT need to have themed cloths, in fact this dress was just because, not for valentine’s specifically.

The girls kittens made their way into the shots. I decided to roll with it and it could not have been more perfect. If anyone knows my daughters, then you know just how bonded they are with Nori ( little sister’s kitten ) and Pippin ( big sister’s Kitten ). Big sister had this sweet layered midi dress from last summer with peach and burgundy floral print. We paired it with an oversized cable knit she had in the closet and added an oversized satin gold bow. You could even make black work or polka dots! Again it does not have to fall within the stereotypical themes you see for Valentine’s Day.