Planning a Birthday Photo Shoot in New York City
Do you have a birthday coming up? You should plan a photo shoot to commemorate the day!
I’ve done many birthday photo shoots over the years and I’m here to share some of my top birthday photo shoot ideas, some of the best spots in New York City to take photos on your birthday, and also general photo shoot tips to ensure you plan the best birthday photo shoot ever.
Let’s get started.
Why do a birthday photo shoot?
If you’re on the fence about doing a birthday photo shoot, think about how much fun it will be years from now to look back and see how you’ve grown over the years.
We stopped taking yearbook photos in college, so taking a photo each year for your birthday is such a fun way to keep up with yearly photos. Not to mention you can make it much more fun!
Make a mood board
I know it might sound a little extra (but we’re already planning a birthday photo shoot here, so I assume you’re okay with being a little bit extra) but gathering inspiration and making a mood board can help you decide what you want and save you a lot of time when creating content.
I strongly suggest going on Pinterest and collecting inspiration so that you can see everything you’re looking at in one place and get a general sense of location, colors and overall vibe.
Birthday photo shoot outfit ideas
Once you make a mood board, you will probably have a better sense of what you want to wear for your birthday photo shoot.
I really believe this is the time to let your personal style shine and wear something that makes you feel truly happy, confident and like yourself.
If you are going for a city chic birthday look, I created two flat lay collages below with some suggestions. One is a bold dress with more paired down accessories and the other is a sophisticated outfit with colorful accessories.
Whatever you choose to wear, pick something that you love and that feels true to your own style at this moment in time.
Shop these looks:
13 best birthday photo shoot locations in NYC
There are so many iconic spots in New York City that would be the perfect place to take some birthday photos. Here are 13 of my favorites:
Subway stops that correspond to the age you’re turning
Since I’m turning 28 this year I planned a shoot at the 28th street subway station!
The High Line
This is great if you want to mix nature and city vibes
Central Park
There are so many beautiful spots to take photos like the Bow Bridge and in front of the San Remo building
Financial District
For a more industrial city look, the Financial District has tons of spots to get the perfect shot
Soho
If you like cobblestone streets and lots of neutral backgrounds, Soho is the place for you! (Greene Street is my favorite place to take photos)
Brooklyn Bridge
An iconic spot! To get the best shots of the Brooklyn Bridge, walk to the West Elm building along the waterfront
Manhattan Bridge
Another iconic spot. To get the best shots of the Manhattan Bridge, head to the corner of Washington St and Water St in DUMBO
Williamsburg Waterfront
Anywhere along the waterfront here in Williamsburg is beautiful! I recommend trying to take pictures at sunrise or sunset for even better photos
Grand Central
Have your own Serena Van Der Woodsen moment with all of New York hustling by beneath you
NYPL
If you want a super plain background with beautiful architecture, the entrance to the New York Public Library on 42nd Street is the spot to be
Coming out of any subway stop
For any on-the-go icons who are always making moves
Cute restaurant
Choose a cute restaurant and take a photo by the bar or at your table. Some favorites are Short Stories (pictured), Pietro Nolita, 1803nyc, and Juliette
Rooftop bar
This is probably my all-time favorite option! Some favorites are the Wythe Hotel, Summerly, The Skylark, and the Monarch Rooftop
Truthfully, it’s hard to go wrong when it comes to New York City because everywhere is so photogenic!
As a full-time content creator, I like to star places on my Google maps in NYC throughout the year that look like good spots for photos as well so I can refer back to them when I’m planning a shoot, so if you’re local to the area, I definitely suggest trying this for all of your content creation needs.
Want more photogenic spots in NYC? Check out my blog post 21 Most Instagrammable Spots in NYC.
At-home photo ideas
Want to create a fun birthday photo shoot from your own home? No problem!
First, find an area of your home that you want to take photos in. Sometimes the most unconventional spot is the best one. (Need proof? My friend Maddy wrote a whole blog post about bathroom photo shoot ideas you should check out.)
If you’re shooting at home, think about what props you might want to incorporate into your photos! Some easy prop ideas for birthday photos are noisemakers, a bottle or glass of champagne, cake, balloons, a shimmery wall hanging, confetti or a tiara.
You can shop these items here:
Pro tips for props
If you want to try using props in your birthday photo, here are three of my biggest pro tips for photo props that I’ve learned over the last decade of creating content.
Don’t want to open a full bottle of champagne to take a picture with a glass? Add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to a clear seltzer in a champagne glass for a similar look. (Don’t drink it though! It will taste like garbage.)
Order your balloons ahead of time! If you want to order customized balloons, especially numbered Balloons from a place like Party City you can actually order them the day before so they’re ready for you to pick up when you are doing your photo shoot.
You can plan to order props that are coordinated with your outfit and shooting location from Etsy, Amazon or any other retailers you like. Once you have those two things locked down, you’ll quickly figure out the rest of your color scheme.
Tips to have great birthday photos
When it comes to taking great photos there are a few things that are helpful to be aware of while you’re planning your photo shoot and getting content.
Lighting - having the right light is key! If you’re shooting at a location, try to shoot earlier in the morning or an hour before sunset for more distilled light. Avoid shooting around mid-day when the sun is directly overhead.
Colors - think about wearing colors that will pop on camera or colors that correspond to your location in some way. If you have a more neutral background, you may choose to wear a brighter color.
Poses - look up pose ideas on Pinterest and save some of your favorites to a private board so you can reference them before your shoot. You can practice them in the mirror before you leave to see how they look too. I’ll talk more about poses in the next section.
Personality - be sure to laugh, smile and have fun with your birthday photos. This is a reason to celebrate, so have a blast and you’ll have the best birthday photo shoot ever.
Birthday photo poses to try
I know that sometimes taking photos can feel a little bit awkward, especially if you don’t do it often. The best way to make sure you get a shot you love is to brainstorm pose ideas ahead of your photo shoot.
Don’t worry if you are struggling to come up with ideas! I’ve got you covered. Some of my top ideas for poses to do in your birthday photos are:
Blowing out candles on a cake or a cupcake
Smiling and laughing looking at the camera
Popping a bottle of champagne (I suggest using very cheap champagne for this and having a second bottle handy in case the first shot doesn’t turn out how you want it to)
Pouring a drink
Doing a toast with your photographer (this is a unique angle to try!)
Tossing confetti
Adjusting your tiara or birthday sash if you have one in the shot
Holding balloons
Cutting your cake
Decorating a cake
Eating a piece of cake
Basically anything with cake (who doesn’t love cake?!)
Hiring a photographer
If you think you may want to hire a photographer to take your photos, just do some research! You can search “NYC photographer” on Instagram (replace NYC with your city if you’re not in the area) and see what comes up or ask for recommendations in local Facebook groups.
Two NYC-based photographers I’ve used before for various blog projects and love are Jessie Alcheh and Karya Schanilec (they took many of the photos you see in this post) if you want my personal recommendations!
If you don’t want to hire a photographer, you can always ask a friend to help you! Make sure you explain to them what you want from the photo and encourage them to take lots of photos so you have options to choose from.
On the off chance that you don’t have anyone around to help, there’s no shame in the tripod game! It’s 2022—it’s safe to say we’re used to seeing them around now.
I have this tripod from Amazon that I really like (it comes with attachments for both your phone and a camera) and you can either buy a Bluetooth remote, use your Apple watch if it’s linked to your phone, or go for the self timer to get a great birthday picture for Instagram.
Shop birthday photo shoot props:
I think that just about covers it! Are you planning a birthday photo shoot? Tell me about it in the comments!
yours,
Austen