DIY Easter Pictures: 10 Ideas for Egg-Cellent Easter Pics!

Do your kiddos always “hop” out of the frame at the last minute? Or maybe you’re tired of long lines at the mall and over-priced professional photography fees. Either way, the time has come for a DIY Easter photoshoot!

With these photoshoot ideas, you can master a session all on your own. Wish all of your peeps a happy Easter with do-it-yourself easter pictures that say it all!

1. Select a Location

Get outside! After all, the lighting is always best outdoors. Choose a neutral place, and avoid areas that might distract from the stars of the photo or camouflage your outfit choices. And remember, complete shadow will likely offer the best lighting, so stay away from areas in full sun or partial shadow.

Try these locations:

• Field. Find an open, grassy field. Avoid unwanted objects in the background.
• Lake or pond. Find a spot with no people, signs, or random objects in the background.
• Beach. Get shots in front of the water or on the dunes.
• Building. Find an open area against the plain wall of a lovely wood or brick structure, such as your home or church. Pick a spot in the grass with landscaping around it.
• Trees. Gather around a single majestic tree or choose an open spot along the tree line of woods or a forest. Catch cool lighting through the leaves but avoid spotty sun and shade.
• Front porch. Gather on the steps or the bench on your front porch for home-sweet-home photos.
• Home. Baby photos are the exception: take these at home. Find a neutral space in the baby’s room or living room and eliminate as many distractions from the background as possible.

2. Coordinate the Perfect Time

The best time for photos is during the golden hours — at the first and last lights of the day. Avoid taking photos at noon when the sun is high since this can cast unpleasant shadows in your photos.

You’d also be wise to keep the session short and sweet, around 20 minutes. Since kids tend to have short attention spans, you don’t want to push your (or their) limits.

3. Select Your Equipment

You can get high-quality photos whether you’re shooting with a digital camera or smartphone. A tripod will come in handy for do-it-yourself Easter pictures if you want photos of the whole fam. Without one, you’ll have to prop up the camera or phone, usually resulting in unflattering angles.

4. Coordinate the Outfits

The general rule for portraits is to steer clear of big, bright, bold patterns and stick with solid neutral or darker colors because they photograph best. In the spirit of Easter, take a little more leeway, but keep it simple! Play with florals, polka dots, small gingham, or vertical stripes. Try blues, greens, and purples but avoid most pinks, oranges, and yellows as they can wash out in photos.

Dressing up is always better than dressing down, especially for Easter. However, keep your kiddos comfortable to avoid complaining or fidgeting. Don’t get fancy or formal with hair and makeup—keep the look natural and in line with the style.

Coordinate outfits for everyone. Everyone doesn’t have to match, but each family member should be the same level of dressy or casual, and colors should harmonize with each other. Choose the most unique outfit first—like the perfect Easter dress for your daughter—and build the rest of the outfits off of that one. Clothes for the boys tend to be much more flexible and simple than for the girls. And remember, no outfit changes!

5. Plan Your Poses

Plan the shots you want to get ahead of time so you don’t waste precious hours (or your kiddos’ attention spans). Try out these combinations for your photoshoot:

• Kids together
• Individual portraits
• Each parent with the kids
• Entire family together
• Parents together

Try variations of these Easter picture ideas:

• Kids sitting together on a fence or bench.
• Kids walking or skipping while holding hands and Easter baskets.
• Kids hugging each other.
• Kids standing together laughing.
• Kids giving each other bunny ears.
• Parents on either side of child/children, holding hands.
• Parents standing next to each other, dad or mom holding youngest child, and other child(ren) standing in front.
• Everyone sitting on the ground (on a picnic blanket), parents in back, kids in front and/or in lap(s).
• Mom holding baby while sitting in armchair, dad standing partially behind chair.
• Mom and dad huddled close, one holding baby, both looking at baby.
• Baby sitting up in an armchair, smiling or laughing.
• Baby swaddled in blankets, sleeping.

6. Find the Props

Keep props to a minimum—the less you have to keep up with or organize, the better. Utilize natural props at the location, like a wall, fence, or bench.

Props you may want to include:

• Easter baskets.
• Easter egg.
• Spring flowers.
• Quilt or blanket to sit on.

7. Get All the Shots

As a general rule, take more photos than you think you’ll need. Be sure to get full shots and close-ups, portrait and landscape, so you have options when framing or turning them into cards. Try a continuous shot setting to catch multiple frames in one go.

If you’re using an iPhone, get plenty of candids with Live Photo so you can scan for the best key photo. You can also play with Portrait Mode, which blurs the background, giving your photo a professional look. This setting is best for close-up individual or pair portraits.

Encourage lots of laughter and natural movements. Poses are great, but snap plenty of candids, too. Try to catch your kids in between poses, when they are acting naturally—some of the best moments are captured this way!

8. Come up with a Game Plan

Have a game plan going in. Here are a few tips for smooth sailing:

1. Scope out the location prior to photo day.
2. Get the outfits together at least a week in advance. Make sure they are stain and wrinkle-free.
3. Make a list of everything you need to take and pack it up the day before.
4. Set up the tripod and test your camera or phone as soon as you get to the location.
5. Do all “prop” photos together and all “prop free” photos together. Start with “prop-free” if they involve anything that might alter any look, i.e. a hat mussing up a hairstyle.
6. Try to take all standing photos before sitting ones to avoid wrinkling or staining clothes.
7. Take your family photo first to get the kids comfortable, then get the photos you want with just the kids. Save the parent-only pics for last—you will be able to last longer than your children.
8. Scroll through your photos quickly after each round to make sure there are workable photos. Scroll through again at the end—be sure to capture all the shots you want.
9. Reward your kiddos for a job well done.
10. Back-up all your photos immediately! Then you can start editing or take a day before tackling that project.

9. Incorporate Incentives

Start the day on a sweet note with an edible donut Easter Bunny for breakfast. Pack a picnic with sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and hatching chick deviled eggs. Yummy snacks can give everyone something to look forward to at the location besides posing for pictures.

Plus, you’ll have snacks on hand to fend off any mid-session hangriness. Plan to go out for ice cream or let the kiddos pick the restaurant for a fun family dinner post-shoot. After all, a little bribery can go a long way.

10. Don’t Forget the Edits!

Editing your photos may seem daunting but with the latest apps and programs, you’ll feel like a pro. If you’re handy with editing, you can use the specific editing capabilities. If you’re not as familiar, utilize the filters that are offered to get the desired effect. One caution: don’t over-edit or you’ll end up with unnatural-looking photos.

Try these:

• Adobe Lightroom
• Adobe Photoshop & Photoshop Express
• Afterlight 2
• Instasize
• Snapseed
• VSCO

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