I first worked with Jessica and Justin when they brought baby Theo in for his newborn session. You can view those images by clicking here. I saw Jessica again when she brought Theo in to meet Santa during our Santa event, and then again at our Motherhood event. She called Caroline (our studio manager) to schedule a First Birthday session for Theo and asked to do it outdoors in late November. She also asked to add on hair and makeup services as well since she loves working with our artists and has done so for all her past sessions.
Caroline sent over the style guide and Pinterest inspiration boards, and Jessica asked to come into the studio because she thought she might want to wear a studio dress. Caroline scheduled an appointment for her, and when Jessica came in we talked about her vision for the shoot. I reminded her that it might be cold, and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with taking the jeans, boots, and sweater approach. She ultimately decided that a more casual look was the direction she wanted to go in, and I loved what she chose for the whole family. Layering in the fall can also be so helpful if the temperature is not what we hope for!
Fall weather in the south can be… well, crazy. There have been Halloweens where my kids were in shorts and t-shirts because their costumes were too hot, and others where they were in their costumes covered with coats, scarves, and mittens and STILL cold. This particular day in November was… FREEZING. Jessica really wanted to try to go ahead and do it outdoors, so we went for it. You can’t tell how cold it was from the images because the evening light was so golden and so warm.
Despite the cold temperatures, Theo was a happy little guy for the first part of it and stayed snuggled up to his mom and dad for quite a bit. I loved the outfits that Jessica had chosen for the entire family! Theo’s knitted blue sweater was a perfect choice for him since it brought out his big blue eyes. I loved seeing Jessica and Michael interact with him. It’s so much fun to see parents throughout their baby’s first year of life. At newborn sessions, most parents are still figuring things out and by the first birthday, they’re settled and confident in their roles!
We took blanket warm up breaks as needed throughout the session to keep everyone as comfortable as possible. I always shoot efficiently during first birthday sessions since one year olds don’t have a long attention span, but I put the efficiency into hyperdrive because I knew Theo wouldn’t be able to handle the cold weather for long. By the time we were ready for the cake portion, Theo was starting to become a bit uncomfortable and was not that interested in his cake. He looked at it, started towards it, and then sat back down and started shivering. He just wanted to be wrapped up and warm, and who can blame him? I could see Jessica was feeling a bit disappointed, as she had made his cake for him all by herself. Theo has some food allergies, so making the cake was quite an involved feat, and I wanted to honor all the love and care she had put into it for him.
Please note that my First Birthday sessions typically take place indoors OR outdoors - and they are not combined. The light in the studio is best for morning through early afternoon hours, and not at sunset. I only shoot outdoor sessions at sunrise or sunset… so you can see the problem! :) However, because we finished outdoors early due to needing to shoot so quickly because of the cold, I asked if they’d like to try a few shots in the studio. I made no guarantees that the light would look like it normally does for my First Birthday sessions. Jessica and Michael jumped at the opportunity, and we headed back up to my studio. It was a success for sure, but we also had the added bonus of many of the trees having lost most of their leaves already, which allowed for enough light to come in the windows. Theo was definitely more interested in his cake now that he was warmer, and dug right in, much to the delight of his parents.
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Theo’s First Birthday session!
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.
