11 Cool 17th Birthday Photoshoot Ideas

Whether you’re a 16-year-old with a 17th birthday coming up or a parent to a soon-to-be 17-year-old, here are 11 cool 17th birthday photoshoot ideas that you’re sure to appreciate. After all, a 17th birthday is a big deal! Even though it’s not usually as widely discussed as the milestone of the 18th birthday, it represents one significant step on the road to adulthood.

We’ve also included some links to relevant listings on Peerspace, the largest online marketplace for renting spaces of all kinds (including but not limited to photo studios). So be sure to keep an eye out for those as you read this post. Let’s get started!

1. Rent a photo studio for classic portraits

Perhaps you want to keep things really simple with a clean backdrop and a series of straightforward portrait shots that keep you as the main focus of the photoshoot. If so, renting out a photo studio is a wonderful 17th birthday photoshoot idea.

The easiest way to rent a space by the hour is through Peerspace. For example, check out Montmartre at Hodgepodge Studios in Philadelphia. It is a beautiful space you can rent for only $45 per hour.

There are hundreds of positive reviews of the space from photographers who’ve used it before, including this glowing assessment. “This was my first time using hodgepodge studios and I must say the experience has been great. The host was very nice and helped with every question I had. Definitely would recommend this place to any photographer that is looking for a great studio for an affordable price.”

2. Don’t wear too much eye-catching jewelry

Blogger Momma Teen has a great suggestion when it comes to photoshoots for teenage girls: don’t wear too much jewelry, especially jewelry that will distract from the subject of the photo. ​​

After all, “the photograph should accentuate your face, eyes, and personality, not draw unwarranted attention to your jewelry. Also, jewelry can date a photograph very quickly. Classic jewelry pieces are best.” This doesn’t mean you can’t get glammed up for your birthday photoshoot – just don’t do it to the point of distraction.

3. Include props that represent your interests

A 17th birthday photoshoot is all about capturing your personality and passions at this point in your life, during the transition between childhood and adulthood.

One way to do this effectively in your photos is by bringing items relating to your interests, such as a musical instrument or equipment related to your hobbies. You’ll look back on your photos and remember how much you loved to play the violin, or what your favorite book was that year, and you’ll be glad your 17-year-old self brought them to the photoshoot!

It’s never too early to start planning: check out our 18th birthday photoshoot ideas!

4. Photoshoot of you doing your favorite activity

This one is similar to #3, but a little different. Is there a hobby, sport, or other activity that you’re passionate about? Whether it’s basketball, painting, dance, horseback riding, baking, or knitting, this is another way to bring your personality into the photoshoot and make it front and center.

A photoshoot of you doing your favorite activity is one of our favorite 17th birthday photoshoot ideas by far!

5. Flower crown outdoor photoshoot

This 17th birthday photoshoot idea is great for those with a nature-loving, bohemian aesthetic. Make or buy a flower crown and go outside somewhere pretty – your local park or a nearby field would be perfect locations for this type of photoshoot. Then snap photos of yourself posing and frolicking in nature!

If you’d prefer to purchase your flower crown pre-made, take a look at Etsy. We love this affordable option from HBotanicsWeddings, but you’ll find tons of different options on the site.

6. Numbered balloons as a prop

For this easy and extremely affordable yet visually dramatic 17th birthday photoshoot idea, purchase two large numbered balloons in the color of your choice: a “1” and a “7”! Then hold them both while posing, ideally in a matching outfit. You can buy the numbered balloons here from Amazon.

7. Confetti-throwing photos

Confetti gives everything a festive feel, so why not use it for your birthday photoshoot? This one is simple – buy a bunch of confetti and throw or blow it at the camera while photos are being taken! We’d suggest a simple white backdrop for this style of photo so that the bright colors of the confetti really pop.

8. Picnic photoshoot

Are you someone who likes to get out in nature and have a delicious picnic? If so, this is an unbeatable option for your birthday photoshoot.

Pick your favorite natural area with good lighting and a large flat surface, spread out a picnic blanket with a picnic basket of delicious and aesthetically appealing snacks, and start snapping photos.

Check out our cute picnic photoshoot ideas for more inspiration!

9. Teenage bedroom photoshoot

This photoshoot idea will be especially fitting if you’ve put a lot of time and effort into decorating your bedroom and really making it an expression of who you are. It means that your bedroom is in many ways an extension of yourself – so what better place to take birthday photos?

Plus, it’ll be a treat to look back on these photos decades from now and remember what your bedroom was like when you turned 17.

10. Fruit picking photoshoot

If there’s a fruit that’s in season in your region and a pick-your-own farm nearby, this is a winning destination for a photoshoot. A field of apple trees or blueberry bushes covered in ripe fruit makes a lovely backdrop for photos, and you’ll get plenty of great action shots as you’re picking fruit.

Plus, you’ll get to bring the fruit home and enjoy it yourself, so it’s really a win-win!

11. Group photoshoot with friends

Another one of our favorite 17th birthday photoshoot ideas is to get together a group of your closest friends and have a photoshoot of all of you together, hanging out and having fun. You can do some candid photos as well as some more posed group portraits, and even some individual portraits if you like. Since it’s your birthday photoshoot, you get to be the star of the show!

You might also want to see if it’s possible to rent out a cozy and comfortable space where you all can hang out and have the photoshoot, instead of doing it at someone’s house. For instance, this stunning loft in Charlotte, North Carolina costs only $60 an hour and one glance at the photos will reveal how open, well-lit, and well-decorated it is. It’s no wonder it has well over 100 positive reviews!

Find unique photoshoot locations on Peerspace