Hiba called the studio to inquire about First Birthday sessions, and booked one for her daughter, Talia to take place on a weekend day. She was excited that we also photograph parent and family images during First Birthday celebrations in addition to solo portraits of the new one year old. Including a cake (or any other sweet treat) is totally optional and up to each client! We sent over our style guide and cake tip sheet for Hiba to review, and were all set to go!
When the family came in, they brought along some fun balloons to incorporate and Talia’s adorable pink ombre rosette cake. She was a friendly little girl, and not scared of strangers, so we started right away. Sometimes if I see a baby is feeling a bit apprehensive, we will just sit and chat for a bit and I’ll offer them a studio toy to play with. I temper my energy level and keep my distance until I’ve established a relationship of trust with your baby. Every baby is different! There are times that happens instantly, and other times it will take a bit longer.
We started off with some family images and then transitioned to just Talia on the bed and chair. She wasn’t sure she wanted to sit there so I pulled out our toys! I have lots of wooden studio toys that we keep on hand for babies to play with during sessions and they also photograph well. Our toys are always sanitized after usage, so no worries about germs.
When it was time for the cake smashing fun, we changed Talia until a pink camisole from the studio wardrobe. We have a wide variety of sizes in case your baby is bigger or smaller than the 12 month size and have the camisoles in white, gray, and pink. They're perfect for cake smashes, and bonus: less icing caked laundry for you to worry about! I set up the balloons by the high chair, and I want to take a minute to note that balloons are fun but also a bit of a challenge, especially numbered balloons! Even in the studio with no wind, they still turn and rotate and one year olds don’t quite have the dexterity to hold them and keep them facing the right way. Parents will often be helping out to turn the balloon and then backing away slowly so they don’t create air movement to turn the balloon away again. We welcome balloons, but know that we will eventually remove them from the setup because we want the focus to be in your baby enjoying their cake and not have balloon strings be a distracting background element.
Talia’s mom handed her the cake, and she dove right in! The comment I receive most often about cake smashes from parents is that they loved being able to watch their child and fully enjoy every moment without worrying about photographing it. I take care of it for you! There was a lot of laughter as we watched Talia eat her cake and offer to share with her parents. Parents often jump into cake smashes, and I LOVE it! You may end up covered in icing, but it’s so worth it to see the sheer joy on your baby’s face when you share the moment with them too.
If your baby is turning one soon or in a few months and you'd like to document their First Birthday in a classic and timeless way, please contact us today to begin planning! It's never too soon to schedule (some of our newborn clients get on the calendar at their newborn session!) - and the further in advance you schedule, the more varied your date options will be.
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
