River Sirens Themed Photo Shoot

Spring is nearly here, and today we thought we'd share with you a photoshoot that we did back in 2019 at our Girls' Weekend trip to Helen, GA. The cabin that we rented for the trip had a babbling brook that ran behind it. We thought it would be perfect for this photoshoot.

The inspiration for this photoshoot was loosely based on the river sirens from the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, although we opted to go with a more ethereal look for our costumes.

Here's The Harris Sisters' version:

And here's the inspiration from the movie:

How to Plan Your Own River Sirens Photoshoot

Make a Shot List and Consider Shot Order

We started off with list of photos we were interested in getting during this photoshoot. 

That way, we had a plan and we wouldn't miss out on any of the photos we wanted while we were all together and in costume. Because you are working with water, you'll need to be aware that once your dress is wet, you can't go back and take photos of it dry. The order you take your shots will be very important.

Our mission was to get photos of:

• on dry land (river in background/before we got wet)
• wading in water
• kneeling in water

Other popular options that we did not explore are:

• sitting in water
• floating in water 
• emerging from water

Some of the shots on your shot list will be determined by the depth, clarity, stillness, and type of water you're working with. For example, if you manage to secure a waterfall for your location, your photo shot list will look very different from someone who's working with a small stream or brook.

We were working with water that was rushing over a small bank of rocks, so while some of these shots would have been beautiful, they may not have been practical for us.

What to Wear for Your River Sirens Themed Photoshoot

When we plan photoshoots, we are all in charge of our own clothing. The first step is to find your inspiration photo and to decide which direction you're going to go in for your photos. River or water photoshoots can range from sirens to mermaids to woodland fairies.

We decided to evoke an ethereal aesthetic with long, flowing dresses that featured sheer overlays and flower accents. We choose three different colors (pink, gray with floral embroidery, and peach) to show our different personalities, but you could also opt for a monochromatic color scheme.

While you see that we're barefoot in the above photo, our best tip is to wear water shoes for the actual shots in the water. They'll keep you from stepping on rocks and debris when you're in the water.

Make Sure to Add Accessories

If you look closely, you'll notice a few extra details in these photos, and they weren't difficult or expensive to add. See if you can spot these accessories:

• floral crown
• feather hair decoration
• floral ribbon belt
• butterfly hair clip
• vintage oak leaf brooch

Down to the River to Pray

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the starry crown

Good Lord, show me the way

O sisters, let's go down

Let's go down, come on down

O sisters, let's go down

Down in the river to pray

As I went down in the river to pray

Studying about that good ol' way

And who shall wear the robe and crown

Good Lord, show me the way

 ♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥ ¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

We hope this post inspires you to plan your own photo shoot for your sisters or girlfriends. This was a fun one for the Harris Sisters to do.