Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Priyanka is ONE!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Sia is ONE!

I first worked with Deepa & Sumesh when they were expecting their daughter. You can view their maternity session images taken at the park location by clicking here. Deepa called the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for their little one, and I was so excited to see them again and meet their little girl!

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSIONS AREN’T ALL ABOUT CAKE

We LOVE First Birthday portrait sessions around here, and each one is tailored to each clients’ vision. We’ll start your baby’s session with photographs of just them that highlight their personalities and their skills. Some one year olds are crawling and pulling up, while others are walking confidently (or not so much) all over the place. Their First Birthday portraits are meant to capture exactly who they are at this special milestone. We STRONGLY encourage parents to also participate in these sessions too!

Maybe your vision for your baby’s first birthday photos includes a smash cake. Or maybe you want a platter of donuts or a pie instead. Or perhaps you don’t want to have cake be a part of the session at all. There is no right or wrong way to do it, it’s all about your personal preference.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

I don’t start every First Birthday session the same way - it comes down to your baby and their personality. Sia wasn’t a shy little girl, so I was able to start with solo portraits of just her. Deepa asked if she could try putting a hairbow on her head, and I replied, “You can try!” Some one year olds just won’t keep bows on their heads, and if yours is one of them - I suggest letting it go. It’s not a battle worth fighting and will lead to frustration on your part…and your baby will be gleefully gloating about it. If you have a bow-hater, your best chance is to try slipping it on during the fun and games portion of the whole family session or RIGHT before you present them with their cake. They’re often so distracted they forget about the bow (which you will see from the image gallery is exactly what happened with Sia during her session).

What you can’t see is her daddy hovering just out of the camera frame ready to catch her if she decided to try to crawl off the bed. I take baby safety very seriously and will always have a parent spotter at the ready during solo photos of babies. Sia was lots of fun and very curious. I photographed a wide range of expressions from her, and then had mom and dad jump in with her. It’s always so wonderful to see my previous maternity clients as parents - and it’s pretty clear that Deepa and Sumesh are loving their new roles as mom and dad!

After a few whole family images, I photographed Sia with just her mom and then with just her dad, and brought the whole family back together again. My sessions are very much baby led, and I roll with whatever baby is giving me. Babies are easily distracted and they also change their minds frequently during sessions. I see this most often in who they want to be held by! Mom! No, dad! No, mom! This leads to a game I like to call “pass the baby”, and I direct parents to keep looking at their baby and smiling, and this honestly creates the most genuine and loving images. My favorite images are almost always of things that you would naturally do with your baby at home as a family without a camera there. I love being able to give my families photographs to show them how they all love each other so well and how their baby or spouse really looks at them. (hint: it’s with pure adoration) I think we so often miss that in the busyness of our daily lives.

CAKE DETAILS

I won’t go into tons of detail here about cakes, but just know that if you’re choosing to include a cake with your session that we will send you a cake tips sheet! It outlines the best type of icing, best icing colors, the optimal size and height, and some other important things that come into play. We have a preferred baker that we exclusively (and highly!) recommend to all of our clients. You can also choose to order from your local grocer’s bakery department (Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger), or even make it yourself which I think is super meaningful and special. One of my favorite cake smashes to this day is the one where DAD made the cake, and you can see that session here. (Fun fact: this family is actually the one who referred Deepa & Sumesh to me for their maternity session!)

Parents incorporating a cake should also be sure to bring a towel and a dedicated pack of baby wipes to the session. We have a bathtub here in the studio if things get crazy messy, but usually your pack of baby wipes is more than sufficient to clean up your child afterwards. We’ll be working as a team for cake cleanup so you don't end up covered in icing too!

THE CAKE SMASH

Most parents bring a different outfit for their child to wear during the cake smash. Remember how babies tend to hate bows? This is also true for party hats and bowties - so keep that in mind if you’re hoping to incorporate these into the smash. Your baby may keep them on and be totally fine with it, or they may rip them off and fling them to the floor. No matter what they choose to do, I promise they will look absolutely adorable regardless, so don’t stress out about it too much!

The majority of our babies sit in our studio high chair for their sessions, but some babies just won’t have it. Don’t worry if your baby isn’t feeling the high chair, because we have other options. We’ll try the floor, or pulled to a stand with the cake on a crate. As a last resort, we’ll have one parent hold the cake and the other parent hold baby while standing up. Whatever your baby is most comfortable with is what we’ll do - and it will be totally unique to them.

My clients report that their favorite part of the whole experience was being able to truly watch their child explore their cake and not worry about the reactions of guests or trying to videotape it or take photos of it because I’m handling that for them! I know there have been so many times with my own children where I’m frantically trying to document it so their grandparents can enjoy seeing a video of it that I realize I wasn’t fully present and actually ended up missing out on TRULY enjoying those moments as a parent.

Some parents aren’t sure that they want to do a cake because their baby didn’t have a great reaction at their party. I’ve found that at first birthday parties, a lot of babies are so overstimulated and tired by the time the cake rolls around that they want nothing to do with it and melt down instead. In the studio, it’s a low pressure environment with zero expectations and plenty of time to warm up if they’re unsure about it at first. No matter how your child reacts, it will be an organic process of them seeing their cake, and then deciding what to do with it. If your baby isn’t sure about it, get in on the fun WITH them! That’s what Deepa and Sumesh did, and they all had a blast. I love that Sia will always be able to look at these images to see her parents’ love for her and how much fun they had with her at her First Birthday session!

Enjoy a few of my favorites!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Catherine is ONE!

Dani contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Catherine with the whole family included as well. I last worked with her for her son’s First Birthday Session (click here to see those images), so was really excited to see them all again! We sent Dani our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review just in case she needed it. We’ve found that our repeat clients don’t really need these again, but we send them anyway just in case! Veteran moms know “mom brain” is a very real thing. ;) The resources that we send over are so easy to read through and implement, and the style guide is applicable to pretty much any kind of photography session you ever have with us.

WHEN TO GET DRESSED FOR YOUR SESSION AND WHY

The day of their session, the family arrived at my studio and proceeded to get the kids dressed. I always recommend waiting to dress your children until you arrive at your session. If you want to dress them beforehand, please make sure that they are not wearing something that will wrinkle in a car seat. Some moms so prefer to dress their child beforehand because they’re in a stage where changing them makes them throw a temper tantrum and it’s just not worth it. You know your child best, so I will always defer to your judgment! If having them dressed before you head over to me is the best plan of action for your family, I STRONGLY recommend having your child in a bib or something to protect their clothing just in case a random bout of carsickness occurs, or they manage to find a chocolate m&m lodged somewhere in the car seat. You may scoff at this and think it’s ridiculous overthinking…but this actually happened to a client. Fortunately, they had NOT dressed their child in their planned outfit for the drive over.

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE IF YOU’RE INCLUDING ONE

Dani brought along an ombre pink rosette cake with buttercream icing from Publix, which is a great option to pick up a basic smash cake. Kroger and Whole Foods are other great options as well! We recommend She Takes the Cake as our preferred baker and are happy to connect you with her - she offers a delivery service where she’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of. I personally worked with Christina to develop the best kind of buttercream consistency for our little clients over several cakes - and she’s perfected it: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and makes cleanup a total nightmare. Pro tip: babies don’t enjoy being wiped down, so the less force you have to apply to get icing off their skin, the better.

Regardless of where you choose to source your cake from, we will send cake tips over to you (we share a place in the Atlanta area that is actually pretty popular, but that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s incredibly gluey stickiness), but I’ll reference the most helpful below.

• SIMPLE is the name of the game - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake

• 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers. If it’s too high, it limits angles for photography since their face can be obscured.

• Real flowers are beautiful on cakes, but plan to remove them after initial photographs - they will most likely end up on your baby’s mouth. This goes for anything on your cake - candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also block their facial expressions during.

• Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) - avoid neons or overly bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Avoid shaved coconut as a topping - there has not been a single baby that has liked it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake immediately once they put it in their mouth

• Use buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant LIKE THE PLAGUE. Whipped icing is a slippery nightmarish mess that is resistant to being wiped off skin and results in a screaming baby while desperate parents on their eleventeenth baby wipe mutter under their breath, “For the love of all things, why is this stuff NOT COMING OFF?!?!?!.”, and fondant is very hard for babies to break through with their fingers and eat. How do I know this? Because I’ve witnessed sessions with them and the above scenarios have actually happened.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well.

SESSION FLOW WHEN YOUR BABY IS SHY

Catherine was very shy and clingy, so we started the session with the whole family. Big brother Tommy was interested at first, but once the family was finished being photographed, he ran off to play with some of our studio toys.

I moved on to photographing Catherine with her parents, and she made it very clear that she did not want to be put down. I reassured Dani and Mark that we would still get beautiful images of just her while being held by them, and they told me they weren’t too worried. What you can’t see from this gallery is all the crying that happened throughout. I wasn’t so sure that I would be able to get Catherine away from either of her parents for solo portraits, but I took my time and introduced some of our studio toys to her. She was definitely interested in those, so I placed them on the floor for her. She was distracted by them and forgot that she wanted to be held, and crawled right over to them. I was then able to photograph her alone, showing off all her crawling and pulling to a stand skills with a few smiles too! Alas, she remembered that she didn’t want to be alone and started crying again - but at that point I had what I needed, so it was all good.

THE CAKE SMASH

Dani changed Catherine into her outfit for the cake smash, and I pulled out our antique high chair. I walk parents through exactly how to present the cake to their child with a quick demonstration (sounds silly, but how you do it does matter!) for 100% understanding. I demo a lot during my sessions for clients, so they never have to worry about what to do or how to do it for the best photographs. Why shy babies, I’ve been known to demonstrate how I want parents to hold their one year old using a pillow as a model rather than touch their baby. I’ll work around anything that may arise in a creative way that keeps your baby comfortable! :)

When Dani and Mark placed Catherine into the high chair, she was NOT a happy camper and immediately started to cry. I asked them to quickly present the cake and gather around her so she didn’t feel alone, and that did the trick. Once her family was there right next to her, she started playing with her cake, and the whole family got in on the fun. Tommy was ESPECIALLY excited to “help”, and some of my favorite images are of just the two of them eating the cake together. The session ended with a very happy little girl (and her big brother) covered with icing! Cleaning up took just a few minutes, and the family headed home.

DO YOU THINK WE GOT ANY GOOD ONES?

Before leaving, Dani asked if I thought that the session images would be ok since Catherine had been so clingy, and I told her that I did - and that she would probably be surprised when she saw her gallery. It’s so easy to feel like your session is complete chaos when things aren’t going how you envisioned - but trust me, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Come to your session flexible and willing to try out of the box ideas that I give you when it comes to engaging your shy child, and we’ll figure out what works for them and their personality. Some babies are more naturally “stoic” than others, and that's okay!

So, did it work out? Did we have enough? When Dani saw the gallery, she emailed me back:

Lauren you are magical!  I don't know how you were able to get such beautiful photos with such grumpy kids.  These are amazing.  Thank you so much!

See for yourself - I’ve shared a few of my favorites from Catherine’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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Sophia is ONE!

I first photographed Sophia when she came in for her newborn session, which you can see by clicking here. After that, I photographed her sitting milestone at 9 months old which you can see by clicking here.

Her mom reached out to schedule her First Birthday portraits and let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion. She wanted the session to focus on Sophia and have a few images of her big brother incorporated as well. I asked if she’d like to use our studio bathtub prop for a bubble bath in the studio since they weren’t doing the cake smash portion, and she absolutely loved the idea. Most babies love baths! We sanitize our tub prop well, and mamas bring their own bubble bath soap. Our studio kitchen has a huge sink with a pull down faucet, so it makes filling up the tub with mama’s preferred temperature for their little one a breeze! The tub can be incorporated in milestone sessions for sitters that are sitting very well (closer to the 8 month mark) or for First Birthday instead of a cake smash. If you know you want a cake smash as part of your baby’s First Birthday session, we recommend incorporating the splish splash option into your baby’s sitting milestone session.

a little bit about Session planning and our parent involvement “insurance policy”

We talk to every client at length and discuss their vision for their session. Every family is totally different - while most want the session to be equally focused on family and their baby, some prefer for the focus to be mainly on their baby with just a handful of family images. I craft my session flow around those expressed desires, and we go from there. I do STRONGLY encourage at least one parent to be photo ready with young babies or shy kids though, because there are times that I need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to build trust. If you show up wearing yoga pants and a messy bun and don’t want to be in the photos, this will be problematic if your baby refuses to be put down. It serves as an insurance policy of sorts! Sometimes the biggest grins and cutest expressions have been captured while a baby is being held by their parent. With that being said, I always work towards getting to a place where your baby feels comfortable being put down to be photographed alone. If we get to that place, I simply don’t put any of those images (unless we have some amazing ones with big smiles or too-good-to-pass-up images ) in your proof gallery. If we can’t accomplish solo portraits because your baby just won’t have it, then we’ll have images of them in your arms that will be just as beautiful as the ones of them by themselves.

Sophia was not a shy baby and was very interested in me. Her mom dressed her in the most gorgeous blue velvet dress with crochet lace detailing, and I couldn’t get over how adorable she looked! I started out with her seated in a chair - and her mom hovered right next to it just in case Sophia decided to try to get off. Baby safety is a big deal around here, and I always have a parent act as spotter while I’m photographing baby alone. After we finished with seated photos, I had Sophia show off her standing skills by holding on to the chair and an ottoman that we have in the studio. I have a collection of natural wooden toys (thoroughly sanitized after any child touches them!) that photograph beautifully, and handed one to Sophia since she was starting to lose interest. One year olds don’t stay interested in anything for very long, so my sessions with them move quickly and change up constantly to keep them engaged!

Sophia LOVES her big brother Tommy (look how she grabbed his hand to hold it!), so we finished up portraits in her velvet dress with some sibling images. He can make her laugh almost on command, and it’s so adorable to watch. I’ve loved watching him grow into being a big brother since his newborn session, and he’s just one of the best kids ever.

Sophia was getting a little fussy at this point, so Melissa gave her a bottle and a little bit of a snack before changing her into the second outfit for the session, which had the cutest equestrian theme. The family has several horses on a farm and dad plays polo, so it was perfectly fitting. I can’t wait to go out to the farm and photograph them there for a family session sometime later this year! After just a few shots in this outfit, Melissa and I started working on filling up the bathtub!

I have mamas decide on the best temperature of the water, and then we fill up the tub together. Mamas also bring their own bubble bath soap as well. Be sure that the soap you bring is NOT new to your baby’s skin. We don't want any unexpected skin reactions!

an Important Note About Advance Preparation for Baby Bubble Bath sessions:

If your baby has never had a bubble bath before, I strongly suggest introducing them to one in ADVANCE! Sophia was very concerned and started to get upset when she touched the bubbles, and we weren’t sure if she would warm up to them or not! Fortunately, she did - and we were able to finish up the session. If she had not, this wouldn’t have worked out as the bubble bath is always done at the very end, when your child will most likely be totally out of patience and getting tired.

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Aadya is ONE!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Veda is ONE!

I first worked with Nick and Nutan for their maternity session in the gardens location when they were expecting their daughter! You can view those images by clicking here.

Nutan contacted the studio a few of months before Veda’s first birthday to book a First Birthday session and wanted it to be outdoors at our park location. She also asked to work with Margaret again for add on hair and makeup services as she’d loved it so much with her maternity session. Because it was during our peak fall season, she knew our availability would be limited or completely gone if she delayed booking. We recommend booking at least 3-4 months or so in advance for a fall session as our fall calendar is usually fully booked by end of July/early August. Some of our clients just go ahead and grab their fall date in January each year so they can set it and forget it. While we can (and do) fit last minute inquiries in sometimes, there are also times that we just cannot. We hate for anyone wanting to work with us to be disappointed, so if you’re able to, it’s best to reserve a spot on our calendar as soon as you know you want a session in the future especially if there is a specific date you’re hoping for.

We sent over our studio style guide to Nutan along with our cake tips sheet. Our guides are simple, straightforward, and really easy to read! Clients find them helpful, and we are here for any additional questions you may have. Should you want to utilize the studio wardrobe or input on what you’re thinking of wearing from home, that’s what we are here for! We are always available to our clients to assist however they may need.

The afternoon of their session, the family of three arrived at the park. I loved what they were all wearing! Nick is a sharp dresser who enjoys wearing suits. I always tell my mamas that their partner should dress how they love and feel comfortable. Whether that’s a suit or jeans and a casual t-shirt - if your guy is comfortable and happy, the session will be enjoyable for him!

I typically begin with family images to let babies warm up if needed, but Veda wasn’t a shy baby at all. I loved her big brown eyes and sweet smile. We started with family and parent images with Veda in their arms. She was an early walker, and as soon as her toes touched the ground she was off to a running start! If you’ve never had a professional photography experience for your family, you should know that family sessions with me are not difficult. I promise to guide you on exactly what to do. All you need to do is be the mom and dad that your baby adores…. and the rest will naturally into place. After we finished with those, Nutan changed Veda into her second outfit and brought out the cake!

Nutan had been a little iffy about doing a smash cake because of the sugar involved but eventually decided that she would cover it with strawberries and just cut Veda off if she started eating too much icing. Her plan worked out… because Veda was ALL about the strawberries and not a big fan of the rest.

You may be wondering if you have to include a cake in your First Birthday session. Answer: Nope! Not every First Birthday session includes a cake! It’s completely up to YOU. There is no right or wrong way to do one, because ultimately, First Birthday sessions are about celebrating your baby and their first year. While a cake is often lots of fun and results in some super adorable images, it’s not a necessity. You decide what best fits your vision and we’ll make it happen!

Here’s a few of my favorites from Veda’s 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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Parker is ONE!

I first photographed Parker when he was a tiny little newborn, and was so excited for him to come to studio to for his First Birthday. I had last seen them for an in-home lifestyle session a few months prior, and was looking forward to catching up.

While most of our families choose to make a First Birthday session a family affair complete with a cake, Madeleine and Tyson wanted birthday portraits of just Parker at one year old. I so love getting to watch my clients grow and photograph them throughout! The first year of a baby’s life is absolutely astounding when you think of just how much they grow and develop. I see it all the time multiple times per week in my studio with our repeat clients and it still never fails to amaze me every time!

The day of his session, Madeleine, Tyson, and Parker arrived and I just died over the adorable outfit that Madeleine had brought for him to wear.

Parker has the most beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest expressions. He was a friendly and curious little guy, and I knew right off the bat that he wouldn’t need much of a warm up to me. Portrait sessions of just babies and children without their parents are typically pretty abbreviated (20 minutes or so) because I’m only photographing one subject. However, we allot up to an 45 minutes because sometimes your little one will need a break for a snack or snuggles.

I pulled out our Eames modern chair and captured one of my favorite images ever - Parker was about to try and take his hat off. What you can’t see is dad hovering just out of sight of the frame to catch Parker if he decided to try and dive off of his chair.

I then pulled out the high chair, and it was smash cake time! Madeleine and Tyson LOVED being able to stand there and watch and just soak in those moments without needing to worry about documenting it. As you can see, Parker was a big fan of his cake!

Enjoy this little sweetie’s handful of birthday pictures! If you’re looking for a photographer to photograph your baby or older child for a milestone or birthday, or want some updated portraits, we’d love to have you in our studio! Contact us today to discuss the different options we have available.

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Emily is ONE!

Hitomi contacted the studio to schedule up a First Birthday portrait session for her daughter, Emily. She asked to come by the studio to look through dresses we had. We scheduled a time for that, and sent over our easy to follow style guide for her to look through beforehand.

Our style consults are complimentary to our booked clients, and scheduled for 20-30 minutes. Clients can bring clothing from home that they’re considering wearing and we’ll look through studio pieces too. Some clients end up wearing studio clothing, while others wear their own or a mix of the two. Hitomi brought along a gorgeous pastel peachy skirt with an off white shirt, and a dress for Emily for me to look at. We talked about what her husband could wear from his own wardrobe as well. They asked if they could bring along a flower crown for Emily to wear and if they could incorporate balloons into the session. I’m always up for this, but just know going in that your baby might not want to keep anything on their head - so don’t get married to the idea that they’ll wear it for the entire session. Hitomi left the studio that day feeling confident in her choices for wardrobe, which is the whole point! Planning a session for your family can be overwhelming, and I’m here to take that away by providing assistance to you. If coming into the studio isn’t an option for your schedule (we completely understand busy lives!) that’s not a problem! Plenty of our mamas choose to coordinate over emails instead. It’s as simple as taking a phone snap of your outfit considerations and sending them over. I’ll use markup to circle things and respond with detailed feedback.

On the morning of their session, when the family arrived, Emily was very, very shy. She had been bubbly and outgoing at the style consult, but on this day was not. I could see that her parents were concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get any photos from our time together, and reassured her that we would take our time. This is the primary reason that our portrait sessions are structured the way that they are. Sometimes your baby needs extra time to warm up and feel secure!

We started the session with Emily in her parents’ arms, and I asked them to just love and snuggle her, and play with her. As predicted, Emily wanted nothing to do with her flower crown so it didn’t stay on for very long! Hitomi attempted to put it back on her head but after the tenth time of Emily flinging it to the floor, she gave up. Pro tip: if you want your child to wear something on their head for part of their session, definitely plan to incorporate a cake smash. As we present the cake to your baby, we’ll slip whatever you’ve brought onto their head and they’re usually so distracted by their cake that they keep it on for a little while or for the entire time! Every baby is different. ;)

As you look through these gallery images, you’ll probably notice that a cake smash didn’t happen! First Birthday sessions can incorporate a cake (or an alternative like donuts if that’s more your style!) or just be focused on your baby. There is no right or wrong way to do it - it truly is whatever your preference is!

Emily started warming up and having fun, and we played some of her favorite music over our studio bluetooth speaker. We suggest that parents have something on their phones and connect to the speaker since singing and dancing around with your baby can loosen even the toughest little client up. Baby Shark and Frozen songs are big winners around here!

As Emily became more and more comfortable, we moved on to solo portraits and some of those showcased her walking and standing skills and some BIG smiles, much to the delight of her parents (and me!). Only about half of my one year old clients are walking at the First Birthday session, so don’t worry if your baby isn’t! The goal of photographing your baby for their First Birthday session is to document them exactly as they were at that milestone. Pictures of your baby crawling are JUST as cute walking ones - and I promise that soon you will miss the days when they crawled over to you on the floor.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Emily’s session! She was just the cutest little girl with the biggest eyes and smile. She has an affinity for her mama’s shoes, and I love that she grabbed one and wouldn’t let go of it.

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Amelia is ONE!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Hank is ONE!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Grace is ONE!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Cecilia is ONE!

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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Anjali is ONE!

Working with this family over the past year for their youngest’s 3 month, 6 month, and 9 month milestone sessions has been such a treat! Nilam had worked with another photographer for years with her other children, but after her youngest’s newborn session they were sent my way by her. I love referrals from other photographers and I SO appreciate the trust they’ve placed in me to take good care of their clients. A lot of wedding photographers send clients to me for maternity and newborn sessions because they recognize the importance of hiring a person who specializes in that specific genre. (PS: don’t ask me to shoot a wedding, because I won’t do it…but I do have a few wedding photographers I can refer you to if you’re looking!)

All of the previous sessions had been held in the studio so I asked Nilam what she thought about switching it up for the conclusion of the year. I suggested the gardens location and she loved the look of it. She also let me know that both of her parents would be participating in the session again, which I love. Having grandparents involved is so special, and it’s a lot of fun.

Nilam didn’t have time to come into the studio for a style consult due to her busy work schedule, so she and I exchanged emails instead. She simply snapped some phone photos of what she was considering and we built it from there. Once the family was set, we moved on to the grandparents and voila! All done! This session was colorful and fun, and I absolutely loved how it all worked so well together!

When we met up at the gardens, I immediately started with the large group shots. These are often some of the most important images for my clients, and I want to be sure that we get them. In my experience, children are much more cooperative right at the beginning of a session - and once they’re over it, it can be a challenge to engage them. So, group shots first! After those were done, I immediately moved into sibling and parent images. The gardens have so many places to photograph in, and I kept the family moving to different areas. Moving around tends to keep little ones more interested and engaged, so if I see that they’re getting fidgety or bored, I usually head to the next spot! I wrapped up with the immediate family, and then Nilam changed Anjali into her cake smash outfit which was an adorable chambray romper.

Cakes are totally optional for First Birthday sessions! Most clients opt to include one since it’s a fun way to celebrate and enjoy watching your child explore their cake without the pressure of a birthday party or worrying about documenting it. We’ve also had donuts, cupcakes, and pies - so feel free to think outside the box. If you do choose to bring a cake, we’ll give you some cake tips beforehand. Believe it or not, the size and icing type/color do matter! If we’re shooting an outdoor session with a cake, you’ll also bring a blanket along as well. This ensures we are respectful of the environment and also makes cleanup much easier for you!

I photographed Anjali alone for a few solo portraits and then we put down the blanket for the cake. I always encourage parents and siblings to join in too and have some fun. Those images are ALWAYS amazing and so much fun to have to look back on. All the other photos are done, so who cares if you get a little icing in your hair? ;) Plus, you get to eat cake. I mean…. need I say more?

Enjoy a few of my favorites from this wonderful family’s session! I can’t wait to photograph them again in the future for another family 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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Talia is ONE!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Anna is ONE!

Oksana contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Anna. They had recently moved here from Germany and were looking online at different photographers and knew instantly when they came across my website that I was the perfect fit for them. We scheduled a date for them, and sent over our easy to follow style guide. If you’re still worried about your outfit selections, we are here to help you with that! You can come into the studio a couple of weeks before your session with the clothes from your own closet and I’ll help you pull things together. You can also borrow from our client wardrobe! If coming in is not feasible for your schedule, you can also email snapshots of the different combinations you’re considering. Whatever is easiest for you. I have three kids, so I totally get having a busy schedule. I want your session experience to be fun and as stress free for you as possible!

On the morning of their session, the family arrived and Anna was in the prettiest pink dress with lace accents. Her mom had picked up a gorgeous lace dress for herself from H&M which is such a great local option for Atlanta moms. They often have total gems from season to season that photograph so beautifully.

We started with Anna in her mom’s arms for solo portraits. While she was friendly and curious, she wasn’t quite ready to take photos by herself just yet since she was still getting used to me and the sound of the camera shutter. Babies run the show around here, and I structure my session flow to each individual baby and their personality. We called dad in for some family images and ended with more parent and child.

After we finished with the family and child portraits, Anna was ready to be photographed alone! She gave me the biggest grins and cutest expressions, and we had a lot of fun. What you can’t see is Anna’s dad right outside the frame ready to catch her if needed. You never know when a baby will decide they want to take a swan dive off of a chair, so we always have a parent right there spotting to catch if that happens.

Once we were finished with those, we moved to the cake! When Oksana presented the cake to Anna, she immediately touched it. She wasn’t super interested in eating it until her parents helped her out a bit, but then she totally lost interest and wanted OUT of the high chair.

So, we took her out of the high chair and concluded on the floor! I will always work with a baby to make them comfortable and happy, and sometimes that’s in the arms of their parents when it comes to the cake.

Clients should know that each baby reacts differently to their birthday cake. How they reacted at their party (if they had one) may not be how they react in the studio. Many babies do not “like” their cake at their party. Keep in mind that birthday parties are MAJOR sensory overload for one year olds. At the end, when the cake is served, they’re often completely exhausted and spent. Finally, a crowd of people staring at you waiting for your to eat is not a low pressure situation for a baby. Just so you know, a smash cake is not a required part of First Birthday sessions, but they sure are cute and lots of fun!

Here are a few images from Anna’s birthday celebration in the studio!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | First Birthday

I first photographed Max when he was a tiny little newborn, and was so excited when his mom contacted the studio to book a portrait session to commemorate his First Birthday. While most of our families choose to make a First Birthday session a family affair complete with a cake, Jessica wanted some simple and updated portraits of just Max at one year old. We sent over our style guide and Pinterest board to give her ideas for what to dress Max in, and scheduled the session to take place after a nap and some food. Sessions with babies (and really, pretty much anyone!) are best timed for when they’re well rested with a full belly!

The day of his session, Jessica and Max arrived and I couldn’t believe how big he was! That first year of a baby’s life is absolutely astounding when you think of just how much they grow and develop. I see it all the time multiple times per week in my studio with our repeat clients and it still never fails to amaze me.

Max has the biggest blue eyes and the funniest expressions. He was a friendly and curious little guy, and I knew right off the bat that he wouldn’t need much of a warm up to me. Portrait sessions of just babies and children without their parents are typically pretty abbreviated (30 minutes or less) because I’m only photographing one subject and work quickly and efficiently. However, we allot up to an hour because sometimes babies need a break for a snack or some milk, or just want to snuggle with their mom for a little bit. Max was pretty go with the flow, and we wrapped up in about 25 minutes and used several different studio furniture pieces. Jessica was hovering just out of sight of the frame to keep Max safe if necessary. Babies sometimes decide they want to dive off a chair, so we always have a parent right there just in case.

Enjoy this little sweetie’s handful of portraits! If you’re looking for a photographer to photograph your baby or older child for a milestone or birthday, or just are overdue for updated photos, we’d love to have you in our studio! Contact us today to discuss the different options we have available.

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Jordyn is ONE!

Rashida is a long term client who has done several sessions with us since she was pregnant with her second child! I’ve been lucky enough to photograph maternity, Fresh 48, and newborn sessions for her second and third children and LOVE working with their family. Rashida called us to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Jordyn with her two older sons included as well for some sibling images!

The day of their session, when the family arrived there were hugs all around. The boys know and remember me from previous sessions, and their parents are always fun to hang out with. Rashida is a pediatrician, and Jordache is an architect, and I always enjoy catching up whenever I get to see them.

Rashida has worked with me so many times, and had her kids all dressed and ready to go with no help needed from me. She did ask to borrow one of the studio tiebacks, which Jordyn kept on for a little bit! Jordyn started walking at just nine months, and was a complete ball of energy! There was lots of giggling and running around happening during this session, and she definitely made me work for it.

We started off with all the siblings together - and once those images were done, Jordache took the boys and left since they live close by. I then photographed just Jordyn, who never stayed in one place for longer than a millisecond. Rashida kept apologizing, and I told her it was totally fine, because it was! If your baby is a mover and shaker, let them be who they are. First Birthday sessions are about capturing their personalities and who they truly are at that time in their life. If they are always in motion, I’ll photograph them in motion - and they will be much happier. Also: have you ever tried to force a one year old to sit still? It’s not actually possible. ;)

Jordyn started getting fussy, so we took a break for some milk and a snack. Once she was finished, she was back to her old perky self, and we moved into the cake smash portion of the session. I keep simple camisoles on hand in white, grey, and pink for clients to use if they’d like to spare their clothing from icing. Rashida took me up on that offer since the cake icing matched the pink camisole I had, and we changed her into it.

Rashida brought an adorable smash cake with buttercream pink rosettes from Publix for Jordyn. If you choose to include a cake in your baby’s First Birthday session (nope, it isn’t required!) we have a list of resources for you in the Atlanta area if you don’t want to make it yourself! It doesn’t matter where the cake comes from, although we do have a couple of local bakeries we recommend avoiding due to the icing not working well and will give you those names when you book.

We’ll also guide you as far as what to choose for icing type and colors if you plan to include a cake in your baby’s session! Our recommended baker is super talented and can accommodate egg and diary food allergies. She can also create vegan cakes for those who may desire or need that as an option. Sugar free cakes are not an option though, just so you’re aware! Our preferred baker can also drop the cake off at the studio before your session so it’s one less thing you have to worry about on the day of. We have a full kitchen in the studio with a fridge, so your cake will be good to go!

I brought out the studio’s antique high chair and photographed Jordyn playing with a few of the wooden studio toys in it. It helps babies get used to sitting in it, and if we find that they don’t like it, we can move to an alternative option! I suggested to Rashida that she try putting the headband back on Jordyn when she was preoccupied with the cake since she would likely be too distracted to notice it. She snuck it on really quickly once Jordyn had her fingers in the icing, and sure enough Jordyn didn’t try to take it off since she was too busy playing with the icing. I always love seeing how babies explore and react to their smash cakes. Jordyn wasn’t too interested in eating her cake, but really enjoyed playing with the icing…. until she didn’t. Check out the last image to see what I mean! ;)

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Jordyn’s First Birthday session! If you’re interested in booking a session for your baby, contact us today to discuss options.

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Benicio is ONE!

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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Rylan is ONE!

Sindi emailed me to set up a First Birthday portrait session for her younger daughter. I had last seen Rylan for her sitting milestone session, and you can see those images by clicking here. It has been so much fun getting to know her parents over the past few years since I started photographing them when they were expecting their first child, Rylan’s big sister!

Since Rylan’s last session had doubled as a family session too, Sindi opted to keep the focus totally on Rylan for this one. You’ll notice that a cake smash didn’t take place during this session! First Birthday sessions can incorporate a cake (or an alternative like donuts if that’s more your style!) or just be focused on your baby. There is no right or wrong way to plan it - it is whatever your preference is!

Sindi had bought along some of the most ADORABLE outfits for Rylan. The first striped seersucker dress was from a local store, and the second Spanish styled lace top with a denim flounce skirt was from Amazon, of all places! Amazon is actually such a great resource to shop for special outfits. In all honesty, the fabric quality of some items on Amazon is not that great, but they photograph beautifully. So if you only care about how an outfits looks in a photograph and not the durability over time, definitely consider browsing Amazon for your baby’s First Birthday outfit!

Rylan was such a sweet and happy baby and made the funniest expressions! Sindi and I kept laughing throughout the session at over how ridiculously cute she was. I used a variety of things in the studio to show off her pulling up skills. Since Rylan was not walking yet, I focused on her pulling up and crawling. Only about half of my one year old clients are walking at the First Birthday session, so don’t worry if your baby is not there yet! The point of a First Birthday session is to capture your baby exactly as they were at that milestone and document the skills that they do have. Crawling photos are just as cute as walking ones - and I promise that you will badly miss the days when they scurried towards you on the floor.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Rylan’s 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.

Atlanta Baby Photographer | Sven is ONE!

I first photographed Sven when he was just a not so tiny newborn. You can see his adorable newborn session images by clicking here. It’s amazing how much he still looks the same!

When his mom, Angela, contacted the studio to ask to schedule a First Birthday session she let us know that this wouldn’t be the typical session with parents. Both sets of grandparents were going to be in town, and Angela wanted to schedule the session for when they were there as a gift to them to thank them and honor them. I was ALL for this and absolutely loved it.

I was so fortunate to have two wonderful sets of grandparents who were both heavily involved in my life, and I still have one set here with me today that I remain incredibly close to. The images with my grandparents are something that I cherish and show to my own children. To be able to facilitate in giving that gift to another family is amazing and such an honor for me!

Angela also asked to treat Sven’s grandmother’s to makeup services, so we set that up with Ellis who traveled to their home before they came to the studio. We sent along our style guide to Angela so she could coordinate with everyone on what to wear. When the group walked into my studio, I told Angela she’d nailed it and it was the perfect mix of colors, patterns, and texture while also keeping it true to everyone’s unique personalities and style preferences. Sven was a little bit stoic when he first arrived, but this is normal for his personality. I love serious images of babies just as much as I love happy ones. It shows a range of their expressions and a look into their personality that you wouldn’t get if every photo looked exactly the same.

We rotated through grandparent pairings and groupings and it was just SO cute to see Sven interacting with his grandparents. He is one very loved little boy! Once we were finished with all of the grandparent images, we moved on to Sven’s solo portraits.

By this point, Sven was comfortable with me and was starting to interact and smile. He made some of the CUTEST little faces and showed off his adorable dimples. I love watching how babies will arrange themselves when they sit in a chair, and Sven immediately went into the perfect little cross legged pose all on his own. Then he started grabbing his little toes… and well, if you know me, you know I don’t think there’s anything much cuter than a baby playing with their toes. Sven wasn’t walking alone just yet, but I enlisted one of his grandmas to come and give him a helping hand.

We then moved to the cake smash portion. This part is completely optional for clients, but it’s a lot of fun! Angela had brought a cute little cake from Publix which was simple and had fun sprinkles. As soon as Angela placed the smash cake in front of him, he dug right in and showed us a little glimpse of his two bottom teeth. I think he was pretty happy about it, don’t you?

I can’t wait to see this little guy again at our upcoming Santa event in December and see him running around. As a note, our Santa event is sold out, but you can still get on the wait list!

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.