Soft Aesthetic Pictures: How To Get The Look

Want to create your own soft aesthetic pictures? Everyone is getting into soft, dreamy pictures right now. And who can blame them? This aesthetic is really appealing and versatile. In fact, it has a transportive effect, making you feel like you’re entering another world when you see these photos.

In this article, we’ll explain how you can take soft aesthetic pictures of your own, giving tips and tricks for creating that otherworldly vibe with total ease. We’ll also share how you can use Peerspace to uncover the perfect setting for your soft aesthetic photoshoots (and pretty much any other creative project you’re cooking up). After all, Peerspace is the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, with a platform that makes it easy to find and rent unique spaces everywhere.

But enough about us! Use this guide to master the soft aesthetic look at your next shoot.

• Use soft lighting whether working indoors or outdoors
• Try out longer exposures and lower shutter speeds
• Change up the depth of field of your photos
• Add softness by using lens flares in your photos
• Choose the right setting for your photoshoot
• Use Peerspace to find the most unique photography locations
• Examples of Peerspace locations for taking soft aesthetic pictures

Use soft lighting whether working indoors or outdoors

As with just about every form of photography, lighting is absolutely crucial when it comes to taking soft aesthetic pictures. Finding soft lighting can be a total breeze – it’s just a matter of waiting for an overcast day when the sunlight is diffused by the clouds.

If you’d prefer to take your photos inside, simply ask your subject to stand near a window, which will effectively be functioning as a “softbox” to diffuse the sunlight.

Try out longer exposures and lower shutter speeds

Using a longer exposure and lower shutter speeds can create blur that adds a dreamy, soft feel to your photos. Then have your model (or yourself!) move around and it will create a trailing effect that looks totally out-of-this-world. It’s a good idea to take these long exposure photos in a space that’s not too brightly lit to avoid having your photos be overexposed. 

Change up the depth of field of your photos

One way to produce soft aesthetic pictures is to take photos with a shallower depth of field. This will give your photos a blurry background while focusing in on the subject in the foreground.

A shallow depth of field creates a dreamy effect while also placing all of the visual attention on your model.

Add softness by using lens flares in your photos

Lens flares can go a long way toward creating soft aesthetic pictures . It can take some time to get the hang of this, but once you do, you’ll be glad you figured it out.

Here’s how the experts at Skylum explain the process of achieving lens flare. “Lens flare can be instantly achieved by shooting into the sun. Just allow the sunlight to hit the lens at the right angle. What you need to do here is to redirect the light so that instead of directly reaching the sensor it reflects several times internally before hitting the sensor.”

Love this stylish suggestion? Then check out our guide, what is lens flare?, to learn more!

Choose the right setting for your photoshoot

Setting is always important for photography, but it’s especially important when you’re trying to take soft aesthetic pictures. The right location makes all the difference in creating the kind of “suspension of disbelief” that lends itself to soft, dreamlike photography.

Choosing the right location will of course heavily depend on the kind of photos you’re taking and the specific look you want. As a general rule, we recommend natural locations like forests and fields (think: an overcast day in a wildflower field). And don’t forget beautiful and tastefully decorated indoor spaces like lofts or old houses.

Check out Peerspace for indoor and outdoor photoshoot locations that help you capture stunning soft aesthetic pictures. You might also find a photo studio or set of some kind that you can modify to your heart’s content to maximize the dreamy vibes. Keep reading and we’ll recommend our favorite place to find great photography locations along these lines!

Use Peerspace to find the most unique photography locations

As we mentioned, location is a crucial element of taking soft aesthetic pictures. Luckily, there’s an easy way to find fabulous and unique locations of all kinds: Peerspace!

Peerspace is the internet’s largest marketplace for hourly venue rentals. This includes photo studios and other distinctive spaces with a range of aesthetics and in a range of budgets. You’ll find many thousands of spaces available for rent via Peerspace, across hundreds of cities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Whatever you’re seeking, if it exists then it’s pretty likely that Peerspace has it. 

The other major benefit of Peerspace is that the search tool makes the process simple. You can easily browse and narrow down the right options among this massive selection with ease. Start by entering “photo shoot” into the main search bar, as well as the city you’re planning to do your photoshoot in. This will return a bunch of listings that you can then narrow down according to numerous criteria.

These parameters include keywords in the listing descriptions, outdoor and interior spaces, production equipment and other amenities, aesthetic and style of the space, type of space (whether you’re looking for a warehouse loft, a straightforward photo studio, or a cute little apartment in the middle of downtown), and miscellaneous features including fireplaces, libraries, pianos, bathtubs, and so forth.

Speaking of bathtubs, take your soft aesthetic to the tub by utilizing these creative milk bath photoshoot ideas!

Examples of Peerspace locations for taking soft aesthetic pictures

There are tons of photoshoot locations courtesy of Peerspace available for rent that would be perfect for taking soft aesthetic pictures! Here are a few great examples, just to give you a sense of what’s out there:

A historic downtown brick building in Kalispell, MT

This historic downtown brick building in Kalispell, MT (pictured above) is a beautiful setting that’s ideal for taking soft aesthetic pictures. The studio is 3,000 square feet of open space, featuring white concrete floors, white brick walls, high ceilings, and an elegant selection of furniture and props.

A pastel studio in the Arts District, Los Angeles, CA

Pastel colors have a naturally soft aesthetic yet a vibrancy all their own, too. And this DTLA all-pastel studio is a very cool option if you want to take some colorful portraits that still have a soft feel to them. It’s a 1,200-square-foot studio four different custom sets at your disposal. All four have a different pastel shade, with furniture and props to match. So fun and adorable!

A handcrafted tiny house/cabin in the woods in Dallas, TX

Tiny properties are always popular with creative projects since their quaintness outweighs their small stature. And this handcrafted tiny cabin in Dallas has a lot of what you need for soft aesthetic pictures. While its interior is on the rustic side, the sunlight the home gets softens it significantly. And just outside its door, there is a beautiful and lush forest ideal for practicing your skills in natural light.

Creating soft aesthetic pictures: conclusion

There you have it! With this guide, you can now successfully create soft aesthetic pictures at your next shoot. While these tips and the right equipment are crucial, we also think your photoshoot setting plays a huge part in the success of any shoot.

Remember, that’s also how Peerspace can help! Use our handy platform to find and book venues near you that have the dreamy, soft aesthetic you’re looking for to make your job that much easier. See you soon!

Find unique photoshoot locations on Peerspace