Anitha contacted us when her daughter was only six months old because she knew she wanted to schedule a First Birthday session with us. She was in love with our videos that she had seen and knew she wanted to book a video add on as well. Videos are offered for Fresh 48 and First Birthday sessions as an add on, and I really love them! While still photographs are gorgeous and freeze memories, there is nothing quite like video for remembering how your child moved, their funny expressions, and the connection between you and your baby. I know I’m not alone in going down the rabbit hole of watching my iPhone videos of when my children were tiny. I can’t believe how fast the time flies, and I’m so thankful that we have photographs and videos these days so we never forget all those little things that we love about them.
Anitha asked to book add on hair and makeup services for herself, and chose to use our preferred baker. Our baker makes CORGEOUS cakes and works with many of our clients to create something beautiful. She also offers the option of adding on delivery service to the studio so your cake is here waiting for you and it’s one less thing you have to worry about. We’ll provide you with a cake tips sheet that goes over best practices for the icing type and color, as well as a place in the area that we DON’T recommend using. While they’re delicious, their cakes have horribly sticky icing that most of our babies hate and makes cleaning it off of their skin absolutely awful. Our mamas have used Whole Foods, Publix, or bake and decorate the cake themselves! And don’t think you have to use cake - we’ve seen pie, donuts, and strawberries & whipped cream here too.
When Anitha arrived to the studio, Margaret was there waiting for her to apply her makeup and style her hair. When clients have their hair and makeup done at the studio in advance, I am sometimes there for part of it, or I’ll arrive right beforehand. In this case, I was working around the studio on other things, so we were all there together. Anitha and I chatted and got to know each other, and she showed me what she had brought along for herself and Aadya to wear. There were several options for Aadya, so I pulled what was the best with Anitha’s outfit and had everything all ready for her arrival.
Aadya and her daddy arrived just as Anitha was finishing up. Aadya was a bit shy at first, but I spent a few minutes playing peek-a-boo with her, and one I had her laughing, she was good to go! While Anitha was getting dressed, I started with solo portraits and video of just Aadya, and then moved on to family images. I use two separate cameras when I am incorporating video into First Birthday sessions because time is of the essence. Most one year olds will not last longer than 30-45 minutes and I want to make sure I’m maximizing the time they’re giving me in order to get the photographs and video footage that I need before they’re totally OVER it. While we are moving at a quick pace, you won’t feel rushed. After we finished up with the family images, Anitha changed Aadya’s outfit to her cake smash one which was a simple white camisole that she borrowed from our studio wardrobe! We brought out the cake, set it in front of Aadya, and she went to town! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a baby decide they were going to try sucking the icing off the side of the cake. SO adorable! I absolutely love watching how each individual one year old in my studio interacts with and conquers their cake. It’s always so funny and unique to each baby. Mom and dad jumped in for a few cake images too - which I welcome and encourage.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Aadya’s First Birthday session, and the video at the end of this post!
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.
