Fantasy Photography: How to Create Magical Portraits

All images in this tutorial were edited with the Fairyland Overlays and Actions Collection.

Fantasy Photography: How to Create Magical Portraits

Standard photography sessions can be a lot of fun.  Still, sometimes it's helpful to break out of your norm to inspire yourself creatively - so why not take it to the next level and embrace the magic that can happen with a fantasy photography session?

Fantasy Portraits are a fun and relatively unique photography niche.  I really enjoy setting up, shooting, and editing a fantasy photo session!  And my clients love them too! 

But I have learned that CAREFUL PLANNING is required to maximize success!

Planning a Fantasy Photoshoot

One of my favorite fantasy photoshoots revolves around a child fairy theme - what’s more magical than a little fairy in the forest?

When photographing children, I take every opportunity to make them feel special!  There’s something so extraordinary about a child’s face when they know their time being photographed is wholly dedicated to them and that we will be making beautiful and magical images together.

• But how do you create an environment that makes the child comfortable and free to explore?
• How do you confirm that everything comes together as you envisioned it?
• How do you convince the child to connect with you and the environment and embrace the magic surrounding them?

Follow these three tips to ensure success!

1. Create Your Vision

The most important part of creating magical images is envisioning what your finished photos will look like.  You then can use your location, costumes, posing, and processing to bring your vision to life.

To create your vision, you have to imagine the correct location, coordinate the proper outfits and accessories, and direct appropriate posing to ensure that any planned Photoshop effects will work and look good in post-processing.

I like to create a quick sketch of my ideas, even if it's only a stick person in the woods.  When imagining your location, think about places you are familiar with that have a whimsical or magical feel.  A pond or forest location are great places to start.  Or, maybe you noticed an interesting log on your walk in the woods recently.  Flower gardens can also be a perfect location for your little fairies to take flight.

When envisioning your final image, think about the poses that will allow you to add Photoshop Effects you want to use (like fairy wings and fairy lights, in my case) or compositing you want to do for your image.  Would it be cute if she stood to the side, or would it be better if she faced directly at the camera?  What if she were squatting down, picking a flower, or examining some moss on a rock?

Fairy wings and fairy lights can be added to almost any image, but doing a little pre-planning will ensure that these magical effects enhance your final image in the best way possible!

Quick editing tip: I really can't say enough about the Pretty Actions, Fairyland Actions and Overlays.  This collection makes it super easy to add beautiful and unique magical touches like wings, fairy lights, sunrays, fireflies, and more that will enhance your fantasy portraits! 

Just look at my before and after images included in this post!  I used the Fairyland collection on all of these!

Here are some additional things to take into account before your photoshoot:

• Does the child have any sensory issues?  Are they sensitive to any specific fabrics?
• Will the child be comfortable wearing a flower crown?  Or headband?  Would a clip-in flower be better?
• Will the child wear their own dress, or will you provide one for them?

2. Fantasy Photoshoot Pre-Planning

After you create the vision for your session, it’s time to take action and complete the pre-planning.  You will need to finalize your location and confirm the wardrobe.

Once you’ve decided on your location, it’s always a good idea to go there in advance (preferably at the same time of day the session is scheduled for).  This will give you an idea of what the lighting will be like at that time of day.  It will also give you ideas about where to place your subject.  Sometimes I bring an assistant to take test images; however, a doll can even work as a test subject for this purpose.

Next, you will want to confirm the wardrobe.  You will need to verify whether or not the client is bringing their own wardrobe for your little fairy or if you need to set aside the proper fairy dress(es) from your prop stash.

If you decide to order or rent a dress for your fantasy portrait session, you must allow enough time BEFORE THE SESSION so the items will arrive in time for your subject to try on and ensure they fit properly.

3. Bringing Your Fantasy Photoshoot Together

After you’ve spent time creating the vision and ensuring everything will be perfect, it’s time to bring your vision together and execute it.

Once I begin my photo sessions, I generally find that using prompting statements really helps my subjects feel more comfortable.  Here are some examples of prompts I use:

• Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you!  Imagine you are a fairy in the forest!
• Can you hear the magic?  Open your eyes and look for all the magic around you!
• Look at all the details on your beautiful dress!
• Now, let’s pretend there is a butterfly on your finger.

After the child is comfortable AND you can tell they are feeling the magic of the forest, lily pond, or wherever your location may be, you can begin shooting.

Remember that children can be unpredictable and change their expressions quickly, so don’t forget to conduct some test shots before the session to obtain the correct exposure.  I always like to have my camera set to a shutter speed of at least 500 to eliminate any chance of movement when I take the final image.

Final Tips for a Successful Fantasy Photography Session

Remember, with fantasy photography sessions, you are not just there to capture images of the child.  You are also there to help the child imagine and see the magic of your location.

Whether it's a forest or a pond, help bring it to life for them!  Make them FEEL THE EXCITEMENT AND WONDER all around them.  Only then will you truly capture those magical expressions that the child and their family will cherish forever!

Do you have any questions or comments about Fantasy Photography Sessions?  Leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you! And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!