Why hello there, sparkle lovers, are you excited about confetti photography?! Jessica here from The Confetti Bar: the coolest confetti shop on the block, where we believe happiness should be celebrated.
Just like you want to capture a special moment as a photographer, I want to make that moment something truly worth celebrating. (And what better way to celebrate than with some magical confetti?!)
While I wouldn’t consider myself a photographer in the traditional sense, I do somewhat fancy myself a lover of confetti photography, so I’m here to share all my best tips, tricks, and creative ideas for making your confetti photos really stand out. Sure we all love the classic blowing and throwing pics, but there are so many more ways to use confetti (#TheConfettiBar** specifically!) that will make your photos truly unique.
(**Obviously I’m a little biased, but part of what makes #TheConfettiBar confetti particularly amazing for photos is 1. We use a variety of colors and textures in our signature style mixes, making for a really dynamic visual appeal, 2. Our confetti is more “3D” (vs. flat) so it photographs really well, and 3. We not only offer a variety of readymade confetti mixes, our specialty is custom confetti so we can customize your colors and even add custom words or shapes! Plus, if you use Cyrissa’s coupon code, “ilovesparkle”, you can save 15% off any custom order and really make your confetti photography special!)
Now, let’s get to some ideas, shall we?!
1. Confetti in your hair (don’t care)
There’s a reason Kate Spade iconically speaks of a girl who has “a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair” — I mean confetti in your hair is downright fun and just screams of a good time. While it’s usually just a side-effect of a party’s aftermath, who says you can’t purposely add it to your ‘do? Adding some confetti as part of your client’s look is a really fun way to include all the fun of confetti without having to worry about capturing that one perfect moment when they throw or blow it. This way you can pose them and make sure their confetti-fied locks are picture perfect before snapping away. This is an especially great idea for senior portraits (you can suggest custom confetti in their school colors, or even include their graduating year!), business headshots (if their brand is all about fun!), and/or birthday/cake smash shoots.
You can check out some more inspiration in my post about Ultimate Confetti Party Hair.
2. Confetti in the air
Ok, this one is pretty close to having your client throw confetti since there will still be all sorts of color and happy raining down upon them, except rather than have the subject throw the confetti themself (again, can be tricky to capture the right moment with a non-awkward facial expression), have a helper or two throw the confetti (off camera) in the air around the subject instead. This will allow your subject to prepare a cutesy “OMG I’M SO HAPPY THERE IS CONFETTI RAINING DOWN ON ME” face without worrying about the logistics of throwing it. They just get to react, which usually creates a more genuine expression.
I find it’s best to have a confetti thrower on each side of the subject (off camera) who then toss the confetti in an underhand, upward motion high in front of the subject, so you can capture the moment as the confetti starts to rain back down. Alternatively, if you’re using a backdrop, you can have one person on a ladder behind it who can sprinkle the confetti down from above.
Our mystery bulk bags are a perfect (cost-effective) option if you just want a variety of colorful confetti to mess around with.
3. Confetti photography with creative flair
If you reeaaalllyyyy want to make your confetti photography unique, you’ve got to get ready to put your creative thinking cap on! I’m talking about how you need to start looking at confetti like you would any other prop. Flowers? Balloons? Banners? These are all things we see in photos all the time, but we can still get creative and put our own spin on them if we’re willing to take a few minutes to think outside the box. The same goes for confetti!
Doing a whimsical, fairy-tale type outdoor shoot? Maybe make a trail of confetti leading down a wooded path. (Remember biodegradable confetti is best for outdoor shoots!) Booked a special maternity session? Maybe form a confetti heart over the mama-to-be’s bump. Shooting engagement photos? Showcase the diamond in a ring box filled with confetti.
Use confetti to spell out words (or “draw” shapes) to have your subject lay next to them. Sprinkle confetti around as a textured, colorful element for your subject to sit amongst. Prefer an artistic style? Play around with shooting “through” confetti for some crazy cool bokeh effects. Maybe you even take some cute kid pics with galoshes, umbrellas, and confetti raining down. (Um, holy adorable…)
There are about a bajillion different directions you could go in, depending on the subject, theme, and style of the shoot, so the trick is to think about how confetti can play into that specifically, paying particular attention to detail shots.
Basically the sky’s the limit here, so don’t be afraid to get a little crazy — but most importantly remember to have fun!!
I cannot wait to see all the magical confetti photography you guys capture.
xx J
Psssttt: Using confetti in your photos doesn’t have to be where the happiness ends — consider using confetti as part of your photo swag bags to really make your client feel special! Whether you choose to sprinkle some confetti into keepsake photo boxes, include a small package with a note reminding your client to celebrate, or you jazz up your packaging with some double stick tape covered with confetti, it’s sure to leave a happy, lasting impression. You can check out a few fellow photographer’s confetti inspo for their welcome kits and photo deliveries here.
For more photographer’s custom confetti inspiration, check out this page. Also be sure to sign up for the Cool Confetti Club for a free download of 101 Things to do with #TheConfettiBar Confetti & follow @theconfettibar on Instagram for all sorts of colorful stuff!
Oh my goodness I LOVE all of these ideas! Double stick tape covered in confetti?!?! Genius!!!
right?!?!?! isn’t it so fun?!?!?!?