O M G YALL! My little baby Harper Marie is officially TWO YEARS OLD. What am I gonna do?! Take totally cute birthday photos of course! I also tried out a Milk Bath photo sesh but Harper was NOT a fan of it for some reason… Best laid plans right?
flower power photoshoot
When I was trying to decide on what photos to take I knew I wanted something that wasn’t too “stuido/staged” looking. I mean obviously I had to stage this with the little chair and lights but I still wanted it to be outdoors and in natural lighting.
to achieve these photos: I set up in front of a sago palm, which is a lower lying palm variety, they get lush and full, but not tall. If you live in an area without sago palms try setting up in front of a lush lower lying bush or shrub. You’d be surprised at how small/short of a bush/shrub you can work with! I rolled out an old quilt that you’ve probably seen before (what can I say it’s a trusty ol’ thing) Instead of trying to get a perfectly flat and even quilt surface (hint: never gonna happen outside, haha!) I just ruffled it up and let it do it’s thing.
*PHOTOGRAPHER TIP 1: Opt for a cloudy day, or take photos near sun set, taking photos in the middle of the day is going to result in shadows galore!
*PHOTOGRAPHER TIP 2: When you’re setting up your scene check through your camera lens periodically to make sure everything is “just right” to fit your frame. You may notice you have to move things closer or farther apart, or towards/away from where you’ll be shooting to get everything perfect!
shop this photoshoot
Harpers Polka Dot Bikini CLICK HERE
Paper Lantern String Lights CLICK HERE
White Vintage Bench CLICK HERE
Copper Pineapple CLICK HERE
water basin milk bath photoshoot
I’ve been wanting to do a milk bath photoshoot with Harper for A LONG TIME! But the stars just never alined until now! And then… She hated it. Seriously y’all. I had to give her Chicken Nuggets JUST to get her to stand in the wash bucket! Sitting WASN’T GONNA HAPPEN – and she let me know that with a few loud “no! noooooo’s!!” So, I just did the best I could with what I had! And I still really like them!
to achieve these photos:
So the Milk Bath process is actually super simple, you just fill a tub/basin/sink/whatever with water and then add in regular ole milk until you reach your desired “milky-ness.” I also added bubbles hoping that it would make Harper want to get into the basin more – but alas. Then place fresh flowers, foliage and even fruit into the water gently to ensure they don’t get water on the tops, as this can cause them to sink. I like to cut my flowers pretty close to the bud because I’ve found that the longer the stem you leave on them the harder it can be to get them to sit evenly in the water.
*PHOTOGRAPHER TIP 3: Use warm water for the milk bath so your little is more comfortable – like when they take an actual bath!
*PHOTOGRAPHER TIP 4: Letting your little one set up the scene with you, or even letting them play with props before hand can help get them comfortable with your scene. I should have let Harper play in the basin before hand rather than just trying to toss her in, because now she loves playing in it!
shop this shoot:
Harper’s Palm Leaf Print Bikini CLICK HERE
Metal Wash Basin CLICK HERE
Gosh, she is a CUTIE!
Happy birthday Harper! She is just too cute! Love how the photos turned out and that palm swimsuit is adorable!
These are such adorable photos. I’m sure Harper will look back on them and LOVE them when she is older.
Omgosh she looks like she had a blast! Two years old and she is adorable! I love that you Shared your ideas with making these pictures come to life! The pictures are beautiful!
This photo shoot turned out so adorable. I wish I would have done something like this with my kiddos.
Happy birthday to your sweet daughter! These pictures are amazing and the tips and advice are so useful! Thank you so much!