40th Birthday Photoshoot Ideas: Because 40 Deserves a Little Something Extra

There are birthdays, and then there are milestone birthdays.

And if there was ever a good excuse to put on an incredible dress, grab a crown and a few giant balloons and make the entire day about you, turning 40 seems like a pretty good one.

This 40th birthday portrait session is still one of my favorite examples of what can happen when someone decides not to play it safe with their birthday photos.

We went dramatic. A huge black tulle skirt. Lace corset. Long black gloves. Red heels. A crown. And, because subtlety had clearly already left the building, giant red 4-0 balloons surrounded by black balloons.

It was bold, glamorous and just a little over the top.

Which was exactly the point.

Your Birthday Photos Don’t Have to Look Like Everyone Else’s

One of my favorite things about photographing women is that there really isn't a formula for what a portrait session has to look like.

You don't have to wear a flowing neutral dress in a field.

You don't have to hold a cake.

You don't have to surround yourself with pink balloons and champagne unless that's actually your thing.

And you definitely don't have to tone down an idea because you think you're “too old” for a birthday photoshoot.

Want to wear jeans and your favorite heels? Do it.

Want full glam and a gown you'd have absolutely nowhere else to wear? Even better.

Want something sexy? Editorial? Colorful? Weird? Completely over the top?

Let's do that.

Your birthday session should look like you—or maybe even the version of you that doesn't get to come out and play very often.

40th Birthday Photoshoot Ideas for Women

If you're planning your own milestone birthday session, start with how you want the photos to feel rather than trying to recreate something you've already seen.

For this session, we wanted drama.

The black gown created most of it on its own. Adding red heels gave us that little unexpected pop of color, while the crown and oversized number balloons made it unmistakably a birthday shoot.

But your version could look completely different.

Think about a sleek cocktail dress downtown. A colorful suit and killer heels. A rooftop at sunset. A studio session with dramatic lighting. Your favorite little black dress. Jeans and a bodysuit. Sequins. Flowers. Champagne. A vintage car.

Or something nobody else has thought of yet.

The best birthday photoshoot ideas aren't necessarily the most elaborate ones. They're the ones that actually fit the woman being photographed.

Yes, You Can Bring the Balloons

Normally, I'm a big believer that you are enough for the photograph.

But milestone birthdays are one place where a few well-chosen props can be really fun.

The giant 40 balloons immediately tell the story of this session, and the black balloons helped turn them into part of the overall look rather than something that felt like leftover party decorations.

If you're bringing props to your birthday photos, I'd rather choose a few things that make an impact than bring an entire carload of stuff we have to work into every photograph.

The props should add to the photos.

They shouldn't become the photos.

Don't Forget the Portraits Without the Birthday Stuff

This is important.

If you're investing in a birthday portrait session, we don't have to put your age in every single photograph.

Some of my favorite images from this session don't include the 40 balloons at all.

Once we had plenty of photographs celebrating the milestone, we used the dress, the location and the gorgeous late-day light to create portraits that could stand completely on their own.

That's something I love doing during birthday sessions.

We'll celebrate the reason we're there, absolutely. But we'll also make beautiful portraits of you.

Because those photographs don't stop mattering when your birthday is over.

Maybe This Is Your Excuse to Finally Take the Photos

Women are photographed constantly throughout their lives, but we're surprisingly good at disappearing from our own photographs.

We're taking the pictures.

We're photographing the kids.

We're documenting vacations, holidays, weddings and everyone else's milestones.

Sometimes it's worth deliberately stepping onto the other side of the camera.

You don't need to wait until you've lost weight.

You don't need a partner.

You don't need a professional reason.

And you don't even technically need a milestone birthday.

But if turning 30, 40, 50, 60—or whatever number comes next—gives you the excuse you've been waiting for?

Take it.

Put on something incredible.

Celebrate the woman you are right now.

And let's make some damn good photographs of her.

Planning a birthday photoshoot in Charlotte? Whether you're envisioning something glamorous and dramatic or completely laid-back, let's create a session that actually feels like you. Get in touch to start planning your birthday portraits.