These days, cake smash photo sessions are THE thing to do for a first birthday celebration. It’s so much fun to set a delicious treat down in front of a one-year-old and then wait to see how they’ll respond! Will they dip a finger into the frosting? Will they bury their face in it and laugh with glee? Or perhaps they’ll find it suspicious and just look at it with curiosity for a few minutes before finally giving it a taste. Whatever happens, it always leads to fabulous photos.

This little one’s first birthday cake smash photos capture so many of those adorable expressions. I photographed her and her family when she was six-months-old. And prior to that, I did a session with them all in their home in Philadephia when she was just a newborn. I have worked with this family quite often since their first child was one, and it is always such a joy to photograph them. They are busy, but they make it a priority to get professional family portraits on a regular basis. And they always include the family in these milestone photos (like the cake smash) which shows just how special the bond between them all is. The photos are a priority for them, but their family is the true priority. 

SIMPLE THEME PUTS THE FOCUS ON WHAT MATTERS

There are plenty of options when it comes to a cake smash photo session theme. Some choose to go with lots of props and color, while others like to keep the accessories to a minimum. For this session, mom chose a super simple (yet classy) white theme with just a little pop of light pink and gold. I love this theme because it kept the focus right where it should be — on the birthday girl. 

The soft colors complement her golden hair and crystal blue eyes wonderfully, and I love that I’m really pulled in to her expressions in each shot. There were smiles, giggles, and moments where you can see her simply tasting the sweetness of the cake. And we can’t forget the smashing! There was plenty of that, too.

STAYING TRUE TO YOUR VISION

These moments of your lives and your children’s lives are important. They mean everything in the world to you. Therefore, it’s important to find a photographer who is willing to listen to your vision and help you bring it to light. As you search for the perfect person to capture images like cake smash photos or portraits, make sure you look for someone who can see what you want to accomplish. It’s by working together that you will get portraits you’ll fall in love with.

THE JOURNEY OF A SESSION

I love doing a family session in several different spots around the location. In this way, I’m able to capture their interactions with each other in new ways, as well as their interaction with their surroundings. This also gives families many different looks and styles to choose from. 

We started this particular session outside the studio before heading inside to get the cake smash photos. This was a great opportunity to capture the whole family together. The only requirement here was to play and have fun. (A crucial element for photoshoots with young children!) This was a fall birthday so we were able to capture the changing colors of the leaves as well. But most importantly, we captured their closeness and love for each other. Having photographed the family many times before, the kids and I were familiar with each other, which made them even more comfortable and easygoing for this session.

We ended the session inside for the birthday girl’s special cake smash. And after we got such lovely images of the whole family, these individual shots really were the “icing on the cake”!