Take easy Easter photos of your kids with a backdrop

Easter photos are easy to do with a portable backdrop, like my Foxbackdrop vinyl backdrop. Add some colorful accessories, speedlites and your kids, and you have a recipe for cuteness.

Easter photos are all about color and cute, in my opinion. I set up this Easter set with my Foxbackdrop vinyl backdrop, craft foam bunting (thanks to my crafting genius mother-in-law) and some chairs from around the house. You could use:

• Vintage toys, stuffed animals
• Flowers (real or fabric)
• Painted eggs, real eggs (maybe boiled if your models are very young)
• Bunny ears, Easter bonnets, flower headdresses
• Ribbons tied in bows, ribbon wands, ribbon bunting
• Craft foam cutouts of carrots, eggs, hearts, chickens
• Brightly colored chairs
• Balloons, decorated with permanent marker to look like eggs

Camera and flash settings for easy Easter photos

My camera and flash setup is as follows:

• Camera with flash transmitter on top, handheld
• Two off-camera flashes on stands, one on either side of the backdropped area, with silver reflector umbrellas, pointing in at about 45 degrees toward where the boys are sitting
• A third off-camera flash on a short tripod bouncing off the wall to the right of the backdropped area

Once set up, get your subjects in place. When working with young children, work fast, be patient, and get down on their level. Use a fast shutter speed, and if you have more than one child, use f/3.5 or more to get them both in focus. Burst mode helps capture split-second smiles. Use continuous focus (with focal point on an eye) to help you keep focus as they move around. (For more ideas for photographing toddlers, particularly outside, read this.)

I used my 24-70mm lens for this. Side note, this lens is one of my favorites for families and weddings because it is so flexible: I set this backdrop up in my kitchen (like I did here) and this lens is just perfect for shooting in tight spaces.

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Simple photo prompts for easy Easter photos

Use some simple prompts to get your toddlers and kids to cooperate in front of the lens:

• Can you give a big smile to entice the Easter Bunny? He loves to give chocolate to kids who give him a friendly smile!
• What’s inside your hat? Peekaboo!
• Can you lie on your tummies next to each other? Put your hands in a stack on the ground! (This helps if they want to rest chins on their hands.)
• Can you give your brother a big hug? How tight can you squeeze each other?

If you need more ideas, there are heaps of prompts for photographing toddlers on my blog.

And when they get bored with looking cute, pull out the dress-ups box and let them go to town.

Edit your photos with a bright, colorful style to finish off your Easter photos. Happy Easter! May the chocolate be with you.