Easter is all about fresh starts, happy times and the warmth of spring. It’s the time of the year when we await new beginnings, and use every moment to spend some time with friends and family.
In today’s guide, I’ll talk about photoshoot ideas for the upcoming Easter holiday. Some Easter gatherings are professional gigs. Others are just joyful moments with friends and family. In both cases, these suggestions will help you make every shot count.
Contents
Themes and Concepts
Every photo starts with an idea, which is part of a theme. I’ve divided these Easter-themed photos into three distinctive ones, so let’s look at each one to help you prepare for it.
Classic Easter Themes
A classic Easter theme is, well, classic, and it’s what most of us grew up knowing. Eggs, bunnies, and baskets are essential parts of this theme.
The ideal scenery for this theme is a backyard, and you should aim for pastel colors to help you showcase something gentle. Aiming for the details is a good approach for this theme, as you want to showcase the hand-painted eggs or the small decorations that sometimes go unnoticed. Portraits can be a great option, as long as you set an Easter-y scene.
Springtime & Nature-Inspired Vibes
With winter behind us and spring in the air, Easter is the perfect excuse to take your camera outdoors and enjoy a natural vibe for your Easter photoshoot.
Going for this vibe means you could get away with a backyard, but it would be best to aim for shooting in the open. A large meadow, flowers, trees, anything that can be incorporated should be. And don’t forget, aim for the golden hour for the most magical shots.
This theme is very flexible as you can just picture any springtime and nature related photo and add Easter elements.
A couple sharing a moment or kids playing in the field are common ideas. Add some Easter eggs or baskets to set the mood, then let natural light do the rest. For example, using shadow as patterns creates some drama, but at the same time, you’re also capturing the vibrant energy of the season.
Modern and Artistic Concepts
With the traditional aside, let’s discuss the modern approach. Sure, photographing Easter is all about vibrance, laughter, nostalgia, and so on, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider minimalism.
A single element combined with negative space or shapes can send a powerful message while keeping the composition simple.
A single Easter egg with a white or simple background may seem like product photography, but it’s a photo that will draw the viewer’s eyes to the subject. Sometimes the smallest twist changes everything. I once placed a pastel-painted egg on a mirrored tray out of curiosity, and it turned into the centerpiece of the entire shoot. Reflections like that can add depth and surprise.
One advantage many photographers will mention with this style is that you’re shooting indoors. As a result, you have greater control over the condition, especially the light.
Choosing the Perfect Location
The choice of location can help turn a simple photo idea into an excellent one, so I’d advise you to plan ahead. You are the storyteller, so you’ll decide which setting will work better for your photoshoot.
Outdoor Settings
If you’re after natural and picturesque photos, you should shoot outdoors. Any open area will do, but aiming for something away from the concrete jungle would be ideal.
Nature’s craftwork can do wonders in creating a unique and memorable photo. In addition to that, you have natural light to play with, especially during golden hour for a dreamy and warm look.
The spring and nature-themed photos are outdoors, so you can see where this is going. The couple sharing a moment with an Easter basket next to them or a group of kids around are just the tip of the iceberg here. The potential ideas will depend on the setting and the subject, so you’ll need to think about which would look the best and allow you to take memorable Easter photos.
Indoor Spaces
Shooting indoors can be a bit more flexible if you have the right idea and props, mainly because you have a bit more control over the conditions.
You can perfect the lighting in a less dynamic setting, which doesn’t necessarily mean bad. These photos aim to capture the spirit of the holiday, so it’s not impossible to shoot.
You can bring nature inside with faux grass and flowers or keep things simple with a minimalist setup indoors.
Baby & Newborn Easter Photo Ideas
Let’s start with babies and Easter, as I think these can result in some of the cutest photos. As a father of a one-and-a-half-year-old baby boy, I can guarantee that these might be a bit difficult as you can’t exactly tell them how to pose. With that said, this opens the door for some spontaneous photos.
- Newborn in a Woven Easter Basket: One idea could be to go for the baby boy or girl in a woven Easter basket. Swaddle it in a soft blanket and place it in the basket. The younger the baby, the better, as it won’t move and try to break free. With that said, be prepared to shoot quickly.
- Easter Egg Nest Setup: This idea is similar to the previous one, but you’re going for an infant in an Easter nest. You can use Easter eggs and flowers to capture the core of the photo. Props like bunny ears are welcome here.
- Bunny Ears and Bloomers: Speaking of bunny ears, you can use them for something a bit more minimalistic. Dress the baby in a diaper or bloomers and just place the ears on its head. Sure, it won’t have a lot of details, but the simplicity can make it cute. Plus, it’s a baby.
- Sleeping Bunny Pose: If you have a baby who’s a sound sleeper, you can place it on a fake fur and place a small stuffed Easter bunny next to it. It can give this photo a peaceful vibe, along with cuteness.
- Tiny Flower Crowns: To be fair, you can combine these crowns with any idea you can think of. Create a headband combining baby’s breath with colorful flowers to get a gentle, but also Easter-themed crown.
Fun Easter Picture Ideas for Kids of All Ages
The next step in this ladder is children, who can give you spontaneous and energetic Easter photos. Shooting kids in these kinds of settings gives you endless potential, so it’s just a matter of using them.
- Dress up with Bunny Costumes: Throwing in some bunny costumes can take this to the next level, especially if you decide to include some face painting. Having them wear bunny ears completes the scene and gives you just what you need. For the kids, this will result in an afternoon with endless fun.
- Easter Egg Hunt Action Shots: Setting up the hunt can be a great way to capture dynamic and spontaneous photos full of candid facial expressions. Give them an Easter basket, send them off, and start shooting. The best part is that you have natural light, so you won’t have to worry about that.
- DIY Easter Crafts Table: You can set out a colorful table with paints, glue, and baskets – let the kids go wild creating. They’ll have a blast, and you’ll get to capture sincere emotions during their workshop.
- Pastel Picnic Setup: Once this setting is over, you can move to a picnic setting where the kids will exchange the eggs they created. This will allow you to capture candid moments of each kid’s happiness as they receive a new egg.
- Easter Parade Fashion Show: Last but not least, you can let the kids dress up and create an Easter parade show. Go for a pastel palette and let the kids have some fun. Props like Easter baskets or bunny ears can help make the photos more Easter-y.
Family Easter Photoshoot Concepts
This is a gathering holiday, so family pictures are an excellent opportunity to capture the connections between family and friends. Everything can be a good photo here – every smile, look, or embrace can be full of emotions, which is what you want to capture.
- Easter Brunch Table Scene: Easter is about family members gathering, and props can do wonders here, so Easter eggs, flowers, themed table cloths, and some bunny ears here and there will sprinkle just the right amount of Easter feeling to this photo.
- Generation Portraits: Some of the best photos happen when no one notices the camera. A grandparent laughing with their grandchild, a mother gently helping her daughter paint an egg, or kids racing through a field—these moments speak for themselves. Forget stiff poses. Just let the scene unfold.
- Coordinated Pastel Outfits: Matching or coordinated outfits can help show closeness in each photo. You won’t have to aim for the same color, so even similar shades will do wonders.
- Wall of Flowers or Greenery: For most Easter gatherings, people want portraits, which is fine as long as you get the setting right. You can use an Easter-themed backdrop, or if you’re in the open, you can use some natural background.
- Walking Through a Field of Flowers: Combining these ideas with spring-themed ones is a great way to create some seasonal content with emotions. A stroll through a field of flowers or a garden can make for some emotional family pictures.
Styling, Props, & Creative Concepts
The details play a massive role, and everything from the styling to the props can make a difference.
- Mix & Match Pastels: Adding as many colors as possible to your photo is an excellent way to showcase vibrance. Matching colors even if it’s a different shade can help you add connections to each photo, especially those with multiple subjects.
- Flower Crown & Dress Pairing: In many ways, this is similar to color matching, and it’s especially great when you’re using mothers and daughters as subjects. Identical dresses, especially something Easter-related shows the strong bond between each family member.
- “Egg-stravagant” Hat Parade: A matching dress can be used for everyone attending, and all you need are hats and some creativity. Decorating them with Easter eggs, feathers, flowers, and bunny ears allows you to capture the essence of this holiday.
- Chalk Art Easter Background: Showing from above means you may have cement in the background, and there’s a way to add some color to it—chalk art. Let the kids have some fun and use their art as the background; you’ll need to show that it’s Easter.
- Holding a “Hoppy Easter” Sign: A clever choice of words results in a pun, which is one of the many ideas you can use. Have the family members hold the sign during the shooting session, and you can also have them personalize it with greetings and names.
Creative Interaction & Personal Touches
You can add as many props and details to a scene as you want, but none of them will have any meaning without the interactions and personal touches.
- Incorporate Heirloom or Keepsakes: Grandparents gifting the young ones with heirlooms or the kids interchanging keepsakes are good ways to get more emotion out of any scene. This is where you’ll get the most spontaneous shots, giving you full and unrestricted access to Easter emotion land.
- Encourage Activities: These gatherings aren’t just about Easter meals and having a chit-chat. This holiday is all about activities, something that you, as a photographer, will need to encourage. Egg painting or hunts, crafts, dress-up, sign making, and many more are very doable for these kinds of events.
- Add Humor & Whimsy: You can use the jokes and pun examples I mentioned previously and have a small contest. Find 3 chocolate bunnies of different sizes and use them as trophies. The kids and adults will play for fun, giving you the perfect chance to capture pure emotion.
Conclusion
This kind of photoshoot can be dynamic, and some are often hesitant that they’ll get it wrong. That shouldn’t be the case, and these Easter photoshoot ideas can help you get a head start on everything and be prepared. With the right setting and props, such as Easter eggs, flowers, bunny ears, Easter baskets, and more, you can capture hundreds of emotion-filled photos.
Take Away
Easter photos aren’t just point and shoot. Yes, they could work and most people would be happy, but you’re leaving a lot of potential out of every photo. This holiday offers an excellent opportunity to capture joy and connections, and these ideas are your starting point—the magic happens when you make them your own. You’ll need to think about location, setting, and having everything prepared to ensure you get the most out of every situation. It may seem like a challenge, but the reward comes afterward when you see the final results.
