In need of some 4th of July picture ideas that are simple and easy to do? Then look no further!

Whether you're looking to take a classic portrait with a fourth of July feel, capture the moments of the day, or go all out and try something a little more unique, you’re going to LOVE these 12 picture ideas.

And the best part? None of these 4th July pic ideas involve any expensive props or loads of prep work (i.e thrifty but fun!) so you can get photos you love minus the overwhelm.

#1 - Red, White, and Blue Outfits For A Classic Portrait.

One of the easiest ways to add a patriotic touch to your 4th of July pictures is by taking portraits of your family wearing in red, white, and blue outfits.

You can go all out with matching outfits or simply incorporate one or two patriotic pieces into each person’s outfit, for example, one family member could wear a red shirt, another could wear a blue skirt, and another could wear white pants. This will create a cohesive “4th of July” look for your photos without being overwhelming, or requiring you to go out and buy a whole new set of clothing.

For individual portraits, again, you can go as subtle or all out as you like - even just wearing blue jeans with a white shirt and a read headscarf can do the trick!

For portraits, try to find an interesting location that has few distractions or “clutter” - your back garden will work well, but you could also head to the local park or forest area, a open field (just make sure you ask the permission of the person that owns it!) or head to the beach like in these photos.

DIVE DEEPER:

For portrait style photos, you’ll want to try and blur out the background! This gives a really nice professional look to your portraits and is incredibly easy to do! I’ve got a free step by step guide in my (free!) Guide to Shooting in Aperture Priority Mode if you want to go download it!

#2 - Use a Flag as A Backdrop

Another classic and simple idea for 4th of July pictures is to use an American flag as a backdrop.

You could simply pin the flag onto a wall or drape it over a fence or railing, and have your subject pose in front of it.

But you don’t even need to do that n fact, just have your subject hold it behind them like in the image below and hey presto, you’re done!

This is a great option if you want to take pictures in your back garden for example, but you’re not too keen on the backdrop - the flag will take up most of the frame, blocking out any clutter or unwanted items.

But of course, why should humans have all the fun??!

You can also do this with your pets too :-)

DIVE DEEPER:

When taking portraits (of any kind, whether on the 4th of July or not!) you always want to pay attention to the LIGHT.

If you are just starting out in photography, then it can be easier to find an area with open shade, and place your subjects in the shaded area, looking out onto the light (You can read all about how to use open shade in photography here!)

Alternatively, for an extra special portrait, try heading out at the golden hour (the hour just before sunset or the hour just after sunrise) as when the sun is lower in the sky you can get amazing pictures that have that warm, buttery golden light.

#3 - Create your own DIY 4th of July Backdrop

If you are feeling a little more crafty, and have a little more time on your hands, hen you can also create a themed backdrop.

I particularly loved this DIY American Flag Backdrop from The Crazy Craft Lady, or something similar with a DIY Streamer Backdrop (on the right) from Oh How Charming.

I’m sure that if you head on over to Pinterest and search for DIY Backdrops for 4th of July you’ll find loads more examples, so don’t feel you have to just use these ones!

Plus it doesn’t have to be a backdrop - you could create a wall of red, white and blue balloons, or cut out red, white and blue stars and stick them to the wall, or create your own bunting or garland.

Again, anything goes here, and as long as you stick to a white, blue and red colour theme, your 4th of July pictures will have that festive feel.

DIVE DEEPER:

Just remember that when using a backdrop, you are best to have some space between your subject and the backdrop, so that you can blur out the background a little bit. (Honestly, it will look a thousand times more professional that if you have your subject’s close up against it!)

Check out this step by step guide on how to take studio style portraits at home which will help you get the most out of those special backdrops!

#4 - Family Picnic or BBQ.

Of course, you don’t need to have posed shots for your 4th of July pics - a family picnic or BBQ is a classic 4th of July activity, and it also makes for a great opportunity to get some more candid photos of your family enjoying the festivities!

In order to spice up these photos, you can add in some patriotic props like flags or hats for added flair.

For these types of photos, you don’t ask anything to pose or do anything for the camera, simply keep snapping away as the day unfolds.

DIVE DEEPER:

When it comes to photographing candid family photos, I find that I use my 35mm or 50mm lens the most - the 35mm especially helps give a really inclusive feel to the photos, like you could step into the frame and take part in the action!

It’s also wide enough that you can capture the surrounding too, which again all helps with getting that 4th of July feel, just like in the image below.

Check out these 12 LIfestyle photography Tips which will help you take better candid and documentary photos!

#5 - Sparklers

OK, my eyes need a teeny tiny little break from seeing red, white and blue, so I’m going to move on to some other ideas for photos you might want to take on the 4th of July.

A really fun tradition for 4th of July celebrations are the fireworks and sparklers.

You can incorporate sparklers into your photos simply by having your family hold sparklers out in front of them, but again, you can add in little patriotic touches, or stick to a white, blue and red colour scheme to give your photos that 4th of July feel. (in the example on the left, you can see this isn’t “overdone” - a blue t-shirt and red nail varnish can make all the difference!)

When photographing sparklers, you want 2 things - to be shooting when it’s dark, and you really, really REALLY want to be shooting in manual mode so you can get the correct exposure!

DIVE DEEPER:

You can read my step by step guide on how to shoot in manual mode step by step for more advice (and grab a free manual mode cheat sheet while you’re there!)

Also check out this guide from The Blonde Abroad on How to Take Sparkler Photos.

#6 - Patriotic Props.

The easiest way to add some extra flair to your 4th of July photos is with patriotic props and accessories.

Think mini American flags, fun glasses, stars and stripe balloons, hats, red and white and blue table confetti and more!

Be sure to get in close and capture all those little details for fun 4th of July photos!

DIVE DEEPER: 7 Tips For Capturing The Details in Lifestyle Photography

#7 - Set up a Photo Booth

If you’re having friends round for a bit of a get together, then you might want to set up a photo booth!

Don’t worry, you don’t need an actual booth, all you need to do is set up a scene or backdrop where your guests can go to take their own pictures. (You can go back to #3 on this list for some ideas for backdrops!)

Its also a good idea to add in some props for more fun - as an example, these 4th of July props on sticks are fun and you can get these really cheaply from Amazon (these are around $7 so hardly bank breaking!)

#8 - Capture the Firework Displays

Find a good location that you can see the fireworks from, but that ideally has some foreground interest such as buildings or trees.

As you’ll need to use a very slow shutter speed when photographing fireworks, in order to avoid camera shake and increase the likelihood of getting a sharp, crisp photo, this is one of those occasions when you really need to use a tripod!

Plus, with slow shutter speeds even just touching the camera can result in blur, I also suggest that you use a remote shutter.

Then set your aperture at around F8, shutter speed at around 5 seconds, and your ISO at the lowest setting for correct exposure - and off you go!

#9 - Use A Flag as A Prop

A great idea for your 4th of july pictures is simply to incorporate the flag into your pictures, either by having your subject hold it, or by taking a picture just of the flag itself.

The first way to do it is to use a wide angle lens so that you capture the subject with the flag, and also lots of the environment too! This is a great idea if you have a stunning location that you want to show off. (A 35mm or 50mm lens is ideal for this!)

Of course, you can get in closer and go for a more traditional portrait style shot showing the head and shoulders like in the image below.

A great lens for this is the 85mm (you can read why it is one of my favourite lenses for child photography here!)

Finally, you can photograph the flag on it’s own (no person involved!)

A great way to do this is to incorporate backlight - hang your flag from a tree, or fix it into the ground with light coming in from behind. You’ll definitely want the sun to be lower in the sky for this one, so shooting at the golden hour (the hour just after sunrise or the hour just before sundown) is ideal.

DIVE DEEPER: Although I love shooting with back light, it can be tricky to get right, especially with exposure and focus, so check out this step by step guide to shooting with backlight.

#10 Red, White & Blue Food

Just that whole red, white and blue color scheme can add that 4th of July feel to your photos, and a really easy way to incorporate that into your photos is with food!

Think cakes, cupcakes, bowls of blueberries and strawberries with whipped cream, or watermelon and blackberries….

(Blue food is particularly hard to come by, so sometimes cakes are easier since you can use a bit of food colouring to create the blue!)

#11 Statue of Liberty Crown

How cute is this Statue of Liberty crown?!

It’s definitely something a little bit different (especially if you are pining for a different colour than red, white or blue!) and looks like it’s really easy to make

Get the full instructions and a free printable from Paging Supermom.

#12 Confetti

There’s 2 different ways you can use confetti for a 4th of July theme photoshoot - you can either use a confetti “bomb” like in the image below, OR you can have your subject hold the confetti in their hands and blow on it, out towards you as the photographer.

DIVE DEEPER:

Whichever version you go for, try to make sure that you use a fast enough shutter speed to capture the motion so you don’t have motion blur on your subject (it’s fine to have some on the confetti, but not too much!)

#13 Chalk Background

For this idea, you basically create an image with chalk (or spray chalk if you have it) on the ground and then ask your subject to lie down so you can photograph them from above.

It can be as simple or as complex as you like - from a child “holding” some red, white and blue balloons you paint on, a full fireworks and sparklers scene like this one from 5 minutes for Mom!

#14 - Add in some bubbles

My son spent many a happy hour chasing bubbles in the back garden, so if you are finding it hards to get younger kids involved, add in a few bubbles!

I hope you got plenty 4th of July picture ideas from this list!

If you need any help, just leave a comment below, and I’ll be along to help. Finally, be sure to share your 4th of July pictures on Instagram with the #livesnaplove hashtag so I can see them!