How To Create
A Photography
Floral Swing
Every portrait photographer should have a floral swing in their arsenal and today I’m going to share with you how to create a photography floral swing that is perfect for your next photoshoot!
Note: I am not a florist and have no actual idea what I’m doing. This is just what seems to work well for me. So apologies to my florist friends if this is terrible advice.
We had some trees removed on our property and I had the foresight to ask for one of the logs cut into a seat. Then we paid the tree guys a little extra to hang it from the massive oak tree in our front yard. It’s not a particularly cute swing- we used a (free) climbing rope instead of the more photogenic line. Here is how I doll it up into something my clients LOVE.
First, I clean it. Very few people actually like it when spiders drop on them, so I try to ensure there are no webs above or ant hills underneath. I also pick up sticks and any toys my son has left around the yard.
Next, I drag out my big old bag of greenery. I’ll be honest, I buy the cheap stuff you can get from a craft store such as Hobby Lobby, or Jo-Ann. It mostly gets hidden anyway, so…I do however try to buy a few different types. For example, I have evergreen for the holidays and vining plants the rest of the year. The goal with this step is to cover as much of the rope as humanly possible. You can use floral wire to hold it in place, but I have good luck with just wrapping it around the rope and tucking in the ends. However greenery you think you need, go ahead and double it. You will probably still see a bunch of gapping with the ropes showing through; I promise it’s ok.
Third, you need filler flowers. I think this is the step most people omit, but it’s crucial to getting a full look. I used these honeysuckle-shaped flowers that had cool little twisty bits coming off of them. I like my florals to look a little messy and organic, so these work well for my style. I tried to alternate the white and pink ones as much as possible. At this point, you should have a halfway decent looking swing with very few bare spots (if any).
Lastly, select your main flowers aka your showpieces. I try to select flowers that have a meaning to the client or that match the colors I know they’ll be wearing. For this mama, her color scheme was white and light pink, so the peonies I selected were perfect. I do pay for more expensive and realistic looking main flowers. This is where you can tell the difference between cheap florals vs. nice ones. Thread these in and you should have a show-stopping swing that will make your clients feel so special!
Now if you’re telling yourself, WOW, that’s gorgeous, but I don’t have time to make something like that, you’re in luck! We will be selling our photography floral swing as a digital backdrop! Keep an eye out for our announcement in the near future, or if you can’t wait, leave a comment below and we’ll get it to you!
Check out more of our blogs on photography gear and equipment such as this one to find out what I carry on every shoot: What’s In My Gear Bag