Talking about the 90s, we actually refer to the period between 1980 and 1991. If you like the style and mood of that time and want to recreate them in photos, then this selection of the 90s themed photoshoot ideas can interest you.
First of all, you need to understand how clothes, accessories, interior features and household items looked in that epoch in order to create natural scenes and take arresting images.
While experimenting with the 90s photoshoot ideas, you can take portrait and street style images, photograph furniture and try a hand at other genres. However, before grabbing a camera, you have to make lots of miniature preparations so that everything goes smoothly. You have to think over images, props, and locations beforehand.
Many people associate the 90s with sportswear, which was at the peak of popularity at that time. If you flick through fashion magazines of the 90s, you will see that people liked bright fabrics and combinations, and tracksuits consisting of colored patches.
You can complement the outfit with mega popular caps, visors and or panama hats with inscriptions or brand labels. As for shoes, it is better to choose classic sneakers or world-famous white converse.
If you can't find a tracksuit from the 90s, look for modern options with a hint of the era. This can be clothes with stripes, contrasting colors, loose, or, on the contrary, tight clothes such as leggings or stockings, etc.
Take the time to select clothes and accessories that match the trends of the 90s. Your fashion photography outfit should consist of elements made of corduroy, denim, knitwear, raincoat fabric, synthetic fabrics, which were insanely popular at that time. As for style, young people at that time preferred a casual look. Therefore, by choosing, for example, loose jeans and an oversize T-shirt, you will hit the target.
It also makes sense to learn more about the brands that enjoyed popularity in the 90s. You can wear branded clothes or buy, for example, a T-shirt that imitates a certain brand. It can be Adidas, Guess, Levi's, Tommy Hilfiger to name a few.
It is known that jeans as a material gained immense popularity in the 90s. However, when choosing things from this fabric, consider the styles and models of that time. So, if you want to wear jeans or overalls, it is desirable to choose an item in a banana style or with flared legs.
Besides, for some fashion 90s photoshoot ideas, you can opt for a boyfriend style. In the 90s, people used to wear bleached or "washed" jeans, ripped at the knees or with raw seams. You can also attach chains and badges to them to add interesting details.
The aesthetics of the 90s is linked to the use of numerous accent accessories. Girls loved bright multi-colored hairpins, various hoops, and headbands. The image of a girl from the 90s was usually completed by large plastic earrings, various chains with pendants, large rings and watches on a metal strap, and chokers around her neck. The more unmatched jewelry and accessories she had, the better. Going this way, you can keep a viewer staring at your shots for a long time.
You should also apply makeup, keeping the trends of the 90s in mind. You don’t have to stick to any limitations – women in the 90s loved bright colors on their faces, glitter shadows, bright lipsticks and arrows on their eyelids. Get inspired by looking through makeup photography ideas on Pinterest or similar resources.
Along with the popular casual style in clothes of the 90s, it was also common for girls to favor emphasized sexy outfits. At that time, extremely short miniskirts and shorts, shiny fabrics, short tops that exposed the stomach came into fashion. So, you should choose glam photoshoot ideas and sexy boudoir poses to look organic in the frame. Such images are bound to catch viewers’ attention.
It was in the 90s when people wanted to have an athletic body by doing sports. You should definitely choose some 90s photoshoot ideas circling around such a tendency. For instance, you can pose with a skateboard, jump ropes, gymnastic equipment, dumbbells, and other items. It's great if you have managed to find equipment from that time, such as 4-wheel roller skates that were in high demand in the 90s.
In the 90s, walls of teenagers' rooms were completely covered with various posters of idols, clippings from newspapers and magazines, and various collages. Be sure to recreate such an environment during a 90s style photoshoot if you're shooting indoors. To do this, use magazines of that time so that everything looks as natural as possible. Remember to add 90s-style interior items and decor elements. It can be bedding, woven bedspreads, a table lamp, a stack of books or records.
Note that you may need an additional light source to prevent a washed-out look of pictures. Use a flash to imitate a photo of that time, and don't worry if it reflects off the glossy surface of the posters - in the 90s, photographers didn’t perform detailed photo retouching.
If you have old photo or video equipment, use it as a prop in the frame. Even if you lack time to prepare a full-featured photo booth, a standard film camera will allude to that time. Look at flea markets for famous “point-n-shoot” cameras or amateur cameras.
Alternatively, you can arrange your polaroid shots in the frame. Make sure to examine polaroid picture ideas, so that the objects depicted are in line with the 90s aesthetics. Besides, you need to make sure your polaroid shots are of appropriate quality matching that of images from the early 20th century.
If you want to take 90s themed pictures, you should create a recognizable composition by using specific food popular among teens and young people of that time. Photos, where models hold or eat donuts, cotton candy, popcorn, or fast food, will look interesting. As for drinks, choose Coca-Cola or Pepsi, as they were at the peak of popularity.
When adding food to the frame, choose dishes that reflect or complement the concept of a shot. For example, if you want to take a street-style photo, packaged snacks will work just fine. You can add eroticism with the help of Chupa Chups, and you can complement the hooligan look with an inflated gum bubble.
The freedom of the 90s is also associated with the popularization of smoking. If this is acceptable for you, you can add a cigarette to the frame, and your image will immediately become more daring or, conversely, sexy. It is not necessary to smoke. You can just hold an unlit cigarette in your mouth or in your hand.
If you analyze the popular youth films of the 90s, you will notice the interior of that time was designed with simplicity in mind. To create a perfect photoshoot spot, you should choose furniture made of natural inexpensive materials, add dishes that are associated with the 90s, and use matching decor.
In addition, you can create a slightly casual atmosphere in the room by cluttering it with various small items. These can be musical instruments (considering teens’ passion for music, especially rock), video cassettes, records, colorful rugs, etc. Play the guitar in the frame or take a player with headphones. The main thing here is to capture a day of everyday life of a young man from the 90s.
To get the most authentic photos from the 90s, look in your region for buildings of that time, and take photos with them serving as a background. It can be old canteens, cafes, cinemas or just residential buildings. You will surely get fantastic 90s themed pictures if you capture vehicles from the 80s and 90s.
When choosing a location for a 90s-style photoshoot in the city, look for unpopular places like underground passages, ordinary courtyards, subways, raw walls, metal structures, etc. Thus, you can show the atmosphere of casualness and everyday life in your shots. Such urban photography mood goes well with the aesthetics of the 90s.
Realizing any 90s photoshoot ideas is easier if you find original locations that reflect the everyday life of that period. Depending on where you live, these may be different places. For example, in the United States, it was a regular practice to visit common laundries at that time. You can use such a room as a place for a photoshoot in the style of the 90s.
If it's difficult to find a conceptual place that is associated with the desired era, take pictures against the backdrop of slot machines. They were incredibly popular in the 90s. In addition, glowing light bulbs and bright machines will be a great backdrop for portrait images.
What differentiates 90s-style photos from similar images from other times is еру relaxed poses that models take. To show the philosophy of freedom and maintain the aesthetics of the 90s, you should take a natural and comfortable pose, without worrying that it may look ridiculous or out of place. Complete freedom of action is welcome, including most frank and free posing - it is better to avoid deliberately staged scenes.
If you are looking for 90s themed photoshoot ideas for nighttime shooting, you should definitely experiment with neon lights. Such lights create beautiful color plays on hair, skin and clothes, which perfectly matches the style of the 90s.
You can take a photo at night using the light emitted by city neon signs. If the shooting is carried out in a studio or indoors, you can use artificial neon lighting equipment.
If you need to quickly edit 90s-themed photos, make them bright but not gaudy, fix imperfections and lighting issues, and more, you can apply these ready-to-use presets. In just a couple of clicks, you can improve your photos and jazz them up with cool effects, such as graininess, light exposure, blur, etc., even without basic image editing skills.
