5 Simple Valentine’s Day Prop Ideas

Today I’m sharing a few fun ideas that you can use for Valentine’s Day props. Some of them are things you might already have in your home!

1. Confetti. This one gets messy, but can be so worth it! I chose confetti that was specifically for Valentine’s Day. We found it at Michael’s. I sprinkled some in my daughter’s hands and told her to hold them close together.

I also asked her to bring her hands up close to her mouth and blow the confetti towards the camera. I counted to 3 and made sure that I was ready to click the shutter when she started blowing and I kept snapping until she was done. It took a bunch of tries because my focus would grab the confetti, but I wanted her eyes to be sharp. Don’t get frustrated. Just keep trying! A few things to consider – make sure your background is plain and clutter free. I should have raised my aperture so the confetti wasn’t so blurred, but I kind of like the sparkle it gives. Also, make sure your shutter speed is high enough to freeze the confetti. My settings are below the image.

f2.8 – ISO 1250 – SS 1/400

2. Construction Paper / Felt Hearts. There are a ton things you can do with hearts. Use them as a backdrop, have your kids hold them, or write fun messages on them. In this shot, I asked my daughter what she wanted to do and this is what I got. Lol! Need some more backdrop ideas? Try these – balloons, ribbon, colorful rug or blanket, garland, chalk, or wood letters.

f2.5 – SS 1/200 – ISO 500

3. Fun or Colorful Pillows. I picked up this adorable pillow in the dollar bin at Target! Pillows are great if you have a little one who might not be sitting up quite yet.

f2.5 – SS 1/200 – ISO 500

4. Silly Accessories. We’ve had this headband for years tucked away in the basement. Before you head out to the party store, check your house. See what you can come up with. I bet you’ve got some stuff stored away. Think of things like glasses or lollipops. Check out free photo booth printables online or you can get creative with a marker!

f2.5 – SS 1/200 – ISO 500

5. Chalkboards. You probably already have these in your house so use them! Have your child write a sweet message to their classmates or grandparents. Or simply ask them to draw a few hearts 🙂

f2.5 – SS 1/200 – ISO 500

You don’t need a lot to make these shots happen. Just some pretty, natural light and your creativity. I moved my kitchen table to take advantage of the light and added in a piece of white foam core board as a make shift reflector for a few shots. You can see in this pullback shot that I don’t have a lot of space. I used a 50 mm lens and got in nice and close to get rid of anything distracting in the background. When I used the reflector, I held it in my left hand close to her face without it being in the frame. Of you scroll back up and take a closer look at the shot of my daughter blowing confetti, you can see the reflector in the left side of her eyes.

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_1]