I have not done a Valentine's Day photoshoot in almost 20 years! I knew I wanted to do one this year -- however I made this decision right after my New Years photoshoot and I had to get my birthday shoot done first. Having very little time in between my birthday and Valentine's Day, I had to rush to put something together on a zero dollar budget! I did exactly that!
First I looked at vintage Valentine promo photos of actresses and tried to figure out what I could "recreate" with very little money, being that the "set" would be used only once and then disposed of. I can across this photo of Dorothy Hart that was simply her with a cut out heart to frame her. This would be easy enough for me! Then I remembered I had a bazillion red rose heads just sitting in storage - I could use them to jazz up the heart and give it more flourish for the photos. I added the Be My Valentine "ribbon" banner to really hit home this was a Valentine's Day shoot.
Being that this shoot was so rushed and had a small budget, I thought about wearing part of my Burlesque costume that is a rose covered bra (same ones I used on the heart cut out) and a white and red corset. I was worried that the rose bra would overwhelm the photos and I wanted to do something a bit less risque, so I opted for my velvet 30/40s inspired dress that I made years ago to see Seth MacFarlane in concert. I am happy I went this route as it gave the photos a more Sweetheart feel.
Earrings: Vintage 40s/50s bakelite hoops - Etsy
Bracelet: Vintage 40s/50s Bakelite - Etsy
Ribbon Choker: Vintage Inspired - My Craft Stash
Hair Flower: Handmade - My Craft Stash
Stockings: Magnolia Hosiery - Out of Business
