What a delight it was to see sweet baby Kai on his 1st birthday!! It was so much fun capturing some lifestyle images of him and his older brother in their home before beginning the cake smash! From the images below you can see it went extremely well!
Today, I would like to share five tips Kai’s family and I used to help make his 1st birthday and cake smash photoshoot a success!
Tip #1: Have the cake smash in a location where the baby is most comfortable
I know a lot of families enjoy the studio look of a cake smash, with its polished backgrounds and plethora of props, but if you want those easy going smiles and an overall happier baby then you will choose a location the baby has been before. In your front or backyard works, or a favorite park, even indoors in your kitchen or dining room works great (if you have adequate lighting). Lay down a tablecloth and set up a makeshift backdrop and you are good to go!
Tip #2: Utilize your community for props
We are all part of one community or another, and these communities are full of other families who have experienced the same moment in their lives. These other families often have baby decor in their nurseries, or attics that they are usually more than willing to lend to bring your dream photoshoot come to pass. Simply reach out and let your family and friends know what you are looking for and you are sure to get some positive responses (the majority of the props in this Cake Smash photoshoot are from fellow members of our very own Carrollton Early Childhood PTA! - an AMAZING support group that I would highly suggest to all new parents).
Tip #3: Keep favorite toys and noisemakers close
These items can help an overwhelmed baby feel more at peace during a photoshoot and help bring out those bright smiles you often see in images. When a baby’s attention span starts to wane these items can help bring the baby’s focus back on the cake smash or at the photographer.
Tip #4: Utilize fruit or other easily grabbable toppings for your baby’s cake
While a child who has never had sugar might not know what to do with a plain frosted cake, ALL kids know what to do when they see their favorite fruit! If you don’t want a cake topped with fruit in your pictures, place the fruit on the back side of the cake nestled into the frosting so that your child can still get their fingers ‘dirty’ with frosting while still enjoying foods they easily recognize. Once they have tasted the frosting, most kids will be more willing to venture further into the cake.
Tip #5: Relax and know it’s okay if there are bumps along the way
While Kai’s 1 year old photoshoot went ‘smashingly’, that doesn’t mean the first, or even second location for the cake smash ended up being chosen for the final photoshoot. It was not until the kitchen table and chairs had been moved out of the dining room and all the blinds pulled up that we were able to find the best lighting for the photoshoot. Kai’s parents understood how critical lighting is for a photoshoot so they remained calm and relaxed throughout the photoshoot despite their original plans needing to change. Their attitude helped their little one to remain calm during the photoshoot as well. A calm, familiar atmosphere can drastically effect the photoshoot experience for you and your little ones. It is because of this reason that I generally suggest the home for most family and children photoshoots. If however, you choose to do a studio cake smash I will share some of my photographer friends who specialize in studio photoshoots on instagram!
If you have a little one’s birthday coming up and you would like to get some special photos taken of the occasion send me an email to learn how I can customize a family photoshoot to fit YOUR needs!