Hard to be shy when you are having this much fun!

Last week, during my glitter photoshoot mini session weekend, I watched a shy 5-year-old transform into a giggling princess the moment we started. Her mom's jaw dropped as sparkles flew everywhere and pure joy took over. That’s why I love glitter photography sessions- they are just FUN!

I offer these glitter photography sessions once a year, usually right before Valentine’s Day. Kids love them because they get to go wild, move around, and make a complete mess. And moms love them because it’s not happening in their house!

These glitter photography sessions are messy and take a bit of planning for them to be successful and something you’ll actually want to keep offering year after year. Below, I’m sharing my top tips, advice, poses, dresses, tools, and decor that have worked for me year in and year out.

Sisters are absolutely the best at these sessions. Throwing, playing and giggling are what they are made to do!

Glitter Photography Poses

Twirling Around

This is the first pose I always start with. The fun happens when kids can move naturally with spins, little jumps or even a gentle sway side to side. You want to be able to catch the fun and the light from the sparkle as well. Its how we get the best twirl and it gets those kiddos moving!

Have them toss a handful of glitter up or let it fall out of their hands slowly. Keep taking the shots, each one is unique and they tend to get better and better as the kiddos loosen up!

One of the best twirls out there is when the dress goes crazy. I always have them start by looking at the backdrop so we can get the perfect twirl.

Arms out just add that touch of sweetness. Sometimes I have them throw the glitter while twirling to give that extra confetti or glitter magic.

These are what I call “fairy” dresses because of all the tulle and soft fabric that flows when twirling!

Blowing Glitter at Camera

This one is always a favorite. Have kids cup a small amount of glitter in their hands, bring it close to their face, and take a slow, gentle breath out toward the camera. The key is soft, not a big puff so the glitter floats instead of flying past the lens. The bigger the glitter though, the harder it is to blow so you may need to do it a few times!

Encourage them to blow like they’re making a wish. Count them down so you’re ready, then snap just as the glitter leaves their hands. Perfect shot almost every time!

Some kiddos are better are blowing than others. It actually is a skill to learn! Sammy had it down. Perfect blow!

Again, some are better than others. LOL Big brother had his blow perfected. I do like to give them a couple of trys. It gets the perfect shot and it is fun for them!

The blow & throw, what I like to call it, gets the job done as well!

Adding a little magic to the blow helps those kiddos that it is for.

Laying on Back Looking Up

This pose creates the sweetest, most peaceful moments. Have kids lay comfortably on their backs and look straight up toward the lens, letting their face relax naturally. Place glitter or confetti all around them so it is set. I DO NOT recommend dropping any over their faces as it is important to keep the glitter out of their eyes.

This pose typically ends up being parents favorite shots. Its magical and shows off thier sweet faces all at the same time.

A favorite pose of moms. So sweet & giggly as I pull them across the slippery floor and place them into thier positions!

I always make sure to spread some glitter or confetti around to make this shot so pretty. I do not drop any more on top of them.

Added a little magic to this giggly little one!

Jumping Up And Throwing Confetti or Glitter

This pose is all about fun and energy. Have kids hold a small handful of confetti or glitter, bend their knees slightly, and jump up while tossing it into the air. The movement creates laughter that feels joyful and so much fun for the kids. The anticipation of throwing the glitter makes them smile usually.

Timing is everything here. Count them down so you’re ready to capture the moment at the top of the jump. Let them laugh, reset, and try again. Sometimes the in-between moments turn out to be the most magical and best shots!

This is one of the kiddos favorite things to do! I have them jump a couple of times to get all the cuteness of their personalities.

Siblings make the jump even more fun! Non stop laughter & who can jump the highest is always a fun prompt.

This was supposed to be a jump and turned into a jump and spin at the same time. ALWAYS have your cameras ready!

Have Parent Throw Confetti Onto Kids

This is my favorite time of the shoot. I usually do this pose at the end because of it possibly getting a little crazy!

This one creates the most genuine reactions. Have the child stand or sit while a parent gently tosses confetti or glitter from above. The surprise makes kids light up, and those natural smiles and laughs are pure magic.

Ask the parent to throw slowly and from a little higher up so the confetti has time to float and fall. Encourage kids to look up, close their eyes, or reach for the sparkles as they come down. This pose feels playful and relaxed and it captures those joyful, in-the-moment expressions beautifully.

Having parents assist is a must. They add so much for fun for the kids.. let alone, more sparkle!

Dad helped with this one. I love that the pose of this one is not trying to catch the confetti but just enjoying it!

No magic needed here. It’s raining confetti!

Close Up Feet And Hands

This pose is perfect for capturing the little details. Have kids sit or lay comfortably while you focus in close on tiny hands or feet. Sprinkle glitter or confetti on the ground before the session begins. As they play and dance, glitter will naturally get on their hands and feet.

Have kids hold up hands or pose feet slightly highlighting just how small and sweet they are while adding a touch of magic with the glitter.

These boys wanted to do this pose and I welcomed it for sure! Now that they are older, it is so fun to see the comparisons of how much their feet have grown!

The little ones love to show you their messy hands. The sweatier the kids are, the more the glitter & confetti sticks! They love it!

Such a sweet pose to document. Seeing both hands & feet are precious memories.

Glitter Photoshoot Tips and Ideas

After doing hundreds of glitter photoshoot sessions, I've learned what works (and what creates cleanup nightmares). Here are my go-to tips for creating glitter photos that kids love and parents actually want to hang on their walls. Trust me, these little tricks make all the difference between a fun session and total chaos.

Choose Bigger, More Colorful Pieces of Confetti or Glitter

Leave the fine glitter in the store. No one has time for that cleanup nightmare. Go for a soft shimmer or chunkier glitter/confetti for easy cleanup and lots of sparkle in your glitter portraits.

Bigger pieces photograph better anyway. They catch the light beautifully and make your glitter photos pop without looking like a craft store exploded. Choose more colorful pieces too - they show up amazing in photos and give kids something fun to focus on during the photoshoot glitter session.

It’s important to have LOTS of confetti or glitter on the ground. Everything from the flowy dress, to the sparkly glitter down to the color of the backdrop goes perfectly.

Sometimes we get a shy one. They always warm up after they see the mess they can make!

This little girl came in with her brother. She was unsure but we still got the sweetest little photos. It was Mom’s first girl. She was so excited for the shoot.

Add Confetti to Twirl Shots

Adding confetti to twirling shots makes the shot just look better. Let alone keep the kids interacting. They love to hold it in their hands and give a big throw amid the twirl!

Here I am using confetti with glitter and you can see it much better in the shot.

Twirling is done best with flowy dresses that just follow the lead. SOMETIMES a twirl can be a bit too big so watch out how high that dress goes! The confetti has been thrown and is everywhere in this shot!

My favorite look is when the hair follows the dresses movement. Makes everything look fun! This little one threw her confetti and THEN twirl Let them try all sorts of what they want to do and it just adds to the fun.

Pick the Right Dress

Flowy dresses and twirls make a perfect match for any glitter shoot. The key is picking fabrics that move and dance when kids spin. Think lightweight materials that float and swirl - not stiff party dresses that just sit there.

The spinning adds movement and makes the fabric dance, creating that fairy-like or princess feel kids absolutely love. Have them twirl slowly, letting the dress do its thing while you snap away.

Each year I change up the background and dresses. Don’t be afraid to try colors you wouldn’t typically pic for a glitter photoshoot!

This hot pink, super flowy, sequin dress was by far one of the favorite dresses chosen. I linked it in the dress section below.

Don’t Count the Boys Out!

Think glitter shoots are just for princess-loving girls? Think again! Some of my favorite glitter pics come from boys who go absolutely wild with the sparkles. They love the freedom to throw things everywhere and make a huge mess - which is exactly what makes for the best photos.

What should the boys wear? I love the suspender and jeans look or just white tees and jeans.

Mom brought this little guy in blue jeans and suspenders for his whole session. It went perfect with the deep gray backdrop and colorful gold glitter.

Little brother joined his sister on this one and I love his suspender and jeans look.

These boys have the best connection. They love to laugh and be silly. Exactly what these shoots are made for.

Little boys in blue shirts blowing confetti during glitter photoshoot — Glitter photoshoots aren’t just for girls! These two brothers had a blast tossing blue, multi shades confetti with a blue balloon background!

Big brother did not like the way the confetti felt on his feet. So we improvised. He had so much fun throwing all the different shades of blue confetti on his little sister.

Use Painters Plastic for Easy Cleanup

Clean-up hack that saves my sanity: Use painters plastic and put it up to frame an area you would like to use to throw. This way little pieces of extra glitter or confetti can be contained instead of ending up in every corner of your studio.

Painters plastic taped up and covering everything in the studio!

The whole side is covered with plastic and taped down.

Cover everything! I'm talking cameras, lights, furniture - everything gets a plastic drop cloth during my glitter mini session days.

It might look crazy, but it's worth it when cleanup takes 10 minutes instead of 2 hours.

Add Overlays for Extra WOW Factor

A little editing magic takes these shots from fun to absolutely stunning. Boost the contrast and highlights to make the sparkle pop, and try a soft glow for an extra effect.

Find an overlay to add extra magic to those glitter photo shoot ideas that could use that WOW factor! I use glitter and confetti overlays for added magic to the final image when the original shot needs a little more sparkle. Some sessions just need that extra digital sparkle to really shine

Love this close up shot of sweet Aria. I also added an overlay to make things sparkle just a bit more.

Holding hands brings out the sweetness but it doesn’t allow them to throw so the chunky overlay added on this one made it perfect.

Although we had LOTS of confetti on the floor for this little one.. we added more in post for that extra pizazz. I love that mom was a helper in this to get some interaction!

Photos With Glitter Backdrops, Decor & Supplies

Having successful shoots also requires the use of some great tools and aides! Over the years of shooting these minis I have narrowed it down to the best ones and I’m sharing them with you here:

Savage Seamless Background Paper

This is the Savage Seamless Backdrop I use to ensure there is room for the kids to throw and twirl all around. This link is for the one in Super White, but I have also used Dark Gray, Navy and Pecan as colors as well.

Many different colors to use for your backdrop to match your dresses and glitter/confetti. Make it fun!

Tan, Gold, Silver & White Balloon Arch

This is one of the balloon garlands I used for my set up. I have also used this pink set to add variety.

Although I dont use silver glitter this mix works! The silver and white balloons add a bit of contrast when the gold glitter is thrown.

I used pink & purple dresses with this balloon garland.

Adhesive Usable Hooks

I use these 3M hooks to hold up my balloon garland attached to a very large rubber band. Although they say removable, they are not on paper. I attach them to the paper in a couple of spots so my garland doesn’t move.

Glitter and Confetti Supplies

I used these types of smaller glitter and larger gold confetti for my gold set up. And then various blue confetti pieces along with pink confetti pieces as well.

I have a dedicated tub to hold and store all my glitter supplies! The kiddos can pick which type they want to throw or blow depending on size!

This pink confetti has a mix of chunky paper and smaller metallic pieces and it makes it colorful & pop.

Plastic Drop Cloth & Painters Tape

This is the Painters Drop that I use. Quite possibly the most important part of your set up. Cuts down on the mess which makes the fun THAT much more enjoyable! Don’t forget the Painters tape that makes removal easy! When you are done… just take down, roll up & throw away! Mess contained!

Left side of my studio where I have covered up all my newborn shooting area to keep it glitter free! You can also see my big light that I use for these sessions.

Glitter Photography Dresses & Accessories

I use various dresses with various sizes to add to my collection so children can choose what they would like to wear. Although some are unique which I have found on the marketplace, I have included some links underneath the photos so that you may find some of these exact dresses.

Pink & Gold set of dresses in my studio.

Girls Sequin Dress from Amazon

I used this Girl’s Sequin Dress as one of my gold options.

Gold Sequin Dress

This is another variety of a gold dress I used for choices.

Small Gold Sequin Dress

I used this version of a gold sequin dress for my smaller & younger girls.

I like the touch of silver in this dress.

Bright Pink & Purple Fairy dresses for Confetti Minis in multiple sizes in my studio.

Fairy Princess Dress

I used this Fairy Princess dress to add the purple option into my confetti minis.

Perfect color of purple and look at those feathers! This dress comes in a variety of colors. Pick the one you want your kiddos to wear!

Bright Pink Sparkly Dress

I used this Sparkly Twirly dress for my added pink option!

I love how the bottom of this dress is so twirly.

Pink Sequin Romper

I used this Toddler Pink Sequin Romper for the youngest ones in our confetti sessions!

I use this for my younger confetti throwers!

Gold Wand for Photos with Glitter

I use extras like confetti filled balloons and 2-3 of these Gold Wands for the kids to move around and dance with.

Wow.. this is a long image. But you get the point.

Gold & Silver Headbands & Tiaras

I always set out some Gold and silver headbands and Tiaras for the kiddos to pick from. I also put out some simple headbands that I have lying around my studio for variety.

Assortment of accessories laid out in my studio. You can find most of these on Amazon. Just make sure they are more kid sized and not to heavy.

Ready to Book Your Glitter Photoshoot Photographer?

Glitter, confetti, and movement turn mini sessions into unforgettable, joy-filled experiences. So grab the sparkle, get twirling, and make some magic! Your kids will have the time of their lives, and you'll get authentic photos that show their real personalities - not forced smiles.

These sessions work great year-round here in central Indiana, but spring and summer are perfect for outdoor sparkle photography when we can use natural light. Ready to let your kids make a beautiful mess while someone else handles the cleanup?

Glitter Photoshoot: Ideas, Poses and Tips