And just like that, your precious newborn baby is all grown up … from each milestone from sitting to standing and maybe even walking… now you are approaching baby’s first birthday!
It’s a celebration of baby’s first year - but also a moment to recognize your first year of motherhood. Great accomplishments for both you & baby have occurred over the past year- it’s definitely a time to celebrate!!!
SO … now comes documenting that first year. The first birthday party will be busy with friends and family running around and it may even be a bit chaotic. You’ll capture some candids of the day, but you will want more than that to hold onto these memories - so where do you begin?
Schedule a professional portrait session for your one year old. Our first birthday photo shoot includes a few outfit changes for baby PLUS a customized cake smash experience. Here’s a few tips for a successful one year portrait session:
1) Hire a professional that SPECIALIZES in baby photography
Why is this required - anyone with a camera will do- right? Wrong.
Every photographer has a forte, an area of expertise. This means they have specific training and experience in that particular area. Imagine hiring a plumber to hook up your electricity. Sure- they are both construction trades, but clearly they have different skill sets needed to safely and accurately perform the needed tasks.
Why a photographer that specializes in baby and motherhood photography is so important for your first birthday portrait experience:
experience interacting with babies, knowing how to SAFELY capture the moment
technical knowledge, knowing the angels and shots to capture
knowing the tricks of the trade to capture happy baby portraits
having access to the right sized props for little ones that are both safe, fun and aesthetic
having a professional prepare you for the day - what to expect, what to bring along, how to prepare…etc…
2) Consider timing when planning your baby photography session
You can talk with your baby photographer about the timing of your portrait session - this is very important for a multitude of reasons.
when do you want products back - before baby’s birthday for display at the birthday party - then schedule early to allow time for the photo shoot, post production (editing of images) and product selections
time of day - we walk our clients through the best time of day for baby to be photographed… after 15 years of photographing babies, my number 1 rule is baby is boss - babies have windows of time that are best to work within for successful results - we work with clients to help ensure a pleasant portrait experience
3) Selecting a cake smash theme
One of the fun parts of planning your one year old’s birthday photo shoot is planning the cake smash theme. Below are a few options:
ask your photographer what cake smash backdrops they have in stock and select the one you like best - then shop for your cake smash wardrobe (did I mention we have a baby wardrobe closet) and cake to coordinate with the backdrop
show your photographer your wardrobe and cake design photos and ask the coordinate to those
plan in advance with your photographer - often my baby planner clients share cake smash ideas months in advance which I love as it allows me to prepare a special set up - like above … I worked hand-in-hand with this baby portrait planner client moths in advance for her cake smash which allowed time for me to order and receive a special backdrop for her lilac floral garden party theme