Birthday | 2023 Student Model Photo Shoot | Ionia MI

Before the birthday-themed photo shoots, I would always post a photo of the Student Models on their birthday. It’s something I always have done and plan to continue. I would use photos from previous shoots. It worked great in the beginning, but it was time for a change!

The idea was to use a location I could always count on – lighting and weather-wise. I wanted a place I could shoot at no matter the day and no matter the weather. This would make scheduling a lot easier for them. The only solution I could come up with was my home office/studio. But I didn’t want to use a paper backdrop, because I wanted a backdrop that I could easily pull out and have on demand.

Setting Up the Birthday Background

A while back I bought gold sequin curtains to hang over the door that connects my studio and the house. I have a very nosey dog and cats who like to peek through the curtains on the other side while I’m in meetings and this kept them from being a distraction. I decided to utilize what I already had and bought more curtains, a banner, a tiara, a birthday sash, and balloons! The Student Models were instructed to bring additional props like cupcakes, a cake, or anything else they could think of to add to their session. Giving them this option made each shoot a little unique.

The Outfits

The student models were given a Pinterest Board to help with their outfits. If you need access to it, you can find it here. The Pinterest Board is full of outfits that inspire looks that range from casual to formal. I even pinned photos from past photo shoots!

In addition to the Pinterest Board, Student Models are also given outfit inspiration along with information about the theme. For the Birthday theme, I explained that they can dress up in a cute dress (fancy or casual) or stylish top and jeans and accessorize with necklaces, bracelets, & earrings. For footwear, I suggested heels and flats, or they could go barefoot. To help give them an idea for color matching, I let them know that they will be against a gold backdrop so they would need to avoid yellows/golds and our accent color is black.

The Images

Overall I feel that I gave my Student Models plenty of information about what to wear and it shows! The range of outfits is a perfect mix that matches their personalities! Here are some of my favorite images from the theme!