This little guy is one of my favorite babies! His parents are some of my favorite humans too. I first met and worked with Erised and Dan for their maternity session in the gardens, and then photographed Benicio when he was a not so tiny newborn. I then saw him during our 2019 Santa Event (sold out, but you can get on the waiting list! ) and then again for his six month session. I was so excited to celebrate his turning one with a First Birthday session!
Erised always chooses the cutest clothes for Benicio’s milestone sessions, and this one was no exception. She dressed him in an adorable chambray romper with tan suede straps, and brought second linen romper with removable suspenders as well. (Have I mentioned how much I love suspenders on little boys?) Benicio is one of the friendliest and happiest babies I have ever worked with, so no warming up was necessary. Every baby is different, and I follow their cues to determine the best flow of the session. Sometimes that means we start with family images, but for this session we started with just him and then added in his parents for whole family photos and some with each of his parents. I move pretty quickly during sessions involving little ones because they do not have the attention span or patience to last long. My average session involving babies this age is 30-45 minutes even though I allot an hour just in case we need to take a break for a diaper change or a snack!
As we moved through the session, Benicio gave me the BIGGEST grins, showing off his two bottom middle teeth. I love that toothy grin so much, and it’s just about the cutest thing ever. My girls both had those two bottom teeth come in first… but then my son decide to reverse it and his two top middle teeth came in first instead. After parent and family photos, he let us know he didn’t want to be held anymore, so I suggested letting him do his own thing. I really love to capture all the cute things that babies do all on their own, so I’ll often give them one of the studio wooden toys to play with and wait to see what happens. After he was done playing, I pulled out our white Eames chair which is a popular favorite in the studio. When babies come see me throughout their first year, I like to photograph them in this chair because it really gives you perspective to look back and see how much they’ve grown! Erised changed his outfit after a few images in the chair, and as soon as we put him back in, he stood right up and was SO proud of himself. Don’t worry - dad was standing just outside of the frame ready to catch if needed. Safety is a top priority here!
Benicio was pretty much over the session, and that’s when we pull out the cake, if you’ve chosen to include one. Cake is a great distraction and something new for them to explore. Erised had brought along a fun balloon to include, and the cake was designed by our preferred baker, She Takes the Cake. Many of our clients love using her services, and she’s located in the Summerhill area. You can either pick up your cake from her before your session, or she does offer an add on delivery service to the studio as well where it will be here waiting for you when you arrive. If you just want to stick with simple, we have a Publix and a Kroger less than a mile away from our Poncey-Highlands studio, and we’ll give you a cake tips sheet for best practices. (Believe it or not, the type of icing on the cake is important stuff!) If you want to do something different, feel free! We’ve had cakes, pies, donuts, even a bowl full of whipped cream. Remember, including something for your baby to smash is optional - we have plenty of clients who skip that part entirely. The choice is yours!
Benicio loved his cake and went right for it. Check out that little tongue of his! I absolutely love photographing the natural interactions that happen with the first birthday cakes! Parents also really enjoy being able to watch it all and take it all in instead of worrying about documenting it for posterity. Watching something through a camera lens is not the same as being fully present in the moment, trust me. I learned this the hard way from personal experience - and now when I’m watching something momentous that one of my kids is doing, I ask a friend to do the documenting so I can be 100% all there.
I can’t wait to see this Benicio again at 18 months for fall family photos in November, and to see him again with Santa this year!
Enjoy a few of my favorites from this session! If you’re considering a First Birthday session for your little one, I would LOVE to hear from you to see if we’re the perfect fit for what you’re looking for. We schedule our milestone sessions around naptimes so your baby is as well rested as possible.
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.
