Celebrate your baby’s first birthday with a Birthday Shoot or a Cake Smash Shoot, a guide to these shoots.

Happy Birthday to…

Your little-ones first birthday is quite a milestone! 

Little one is probably crawling, possibly walking and they’ve come a long way from being a squishy newborn. For parents, you made it through that tricky, sleep deprived first year and you probably feel this milestone deserves a celebration! We offer first birthday shoots as standalone sessions or as part of our Watch Me Grow package.  A lot of families choose a cake smash shoot these days, but I am always excited to hear parents ideas and passions and to incorporate these to create something even more unique for you!

Some ‘nice’ pictures first

Whether we doing a cake-smash or something else, I usually recommend some non-messy pictures first! Before all of the fun and carnage, it can be a great idea to update babies first year pictures and I am always happy for the parents/siblings to jump in a few as well.  We usually take around twenty minutes getting some nice traditional studio portraits before we turn the studio around ready for birthday photo fun, often parents will use this time to make an outfit change. 

A Cake Smash 

A what? Well, I can help by saying that it is basically what it sounds like. You bring in a beautifully made cake with your little one and then we just kind of put them together and see what happens, if all goes to plan it results in a kind of messy, fun, carnage. I love these sessions, they are so quintessential for a first birthday celebration, we use different props and backdrops and sometimes balloons to add to the ‘birthday feel’. Sometimes babies are in party outfits, but more often they are either nude or semi-nude and they love to explore the different tastes and textures of the cake – usually resulting in some hilarious facial expressions and antics. 

Although parents might imagine their little one diving straight in, my experience tends to be that they can be a little cautious to begin with. Only occasionally do we get the desired full face plant!  Most babies need a little help getting through the layers of their cakes and a little word of warning parents – you might get a bit messy also! 

We have a full cake-smash guide which will be sent to you as a PDF if you book up a Cake Smash, it has even more information including the best type of cakes to use, suggested props and outfit ideas. 

Not quite your thing? 

If a cake-smash does not sound like your kind of thing, please feel free to let me know ideas for an alternative ‘first birthday shoot’. Sometimes parents just don’t fancy this sort of shoot, not all babies actually like cake (honest) and occasionally allergies can cause issues for parents.  I would love to shoot some more alternatives to cake smashes. Here is little list of ones we have done before, but we are always happy to hear new ideas! 

Baking – If mum or dad are a chef, why not have some fun with something along this theme.  Instead of a completed cake, more a chefs hat, mixing spoons and flour (everywhere, flour everywhere). 

Pasta Smash – A shoot with big bowl of pasta and safe accompaniments, a bit of sauce and voila – a total mess! Also, some great photos. 

Flowers – Something a little more subtle than just smashing up a cake, incorporating flower design into our studio setup can create something entirely bespoke for you. Enjoy these sessions and finding the best colours and backdrops for the perfect composition. 

Donut Shoot – Your baby, a stack of donuts.  Enough said? As a bonus, I wont even judge you for eating any donuts that don’t get destroyed. 

Passions and Hobbies  – I love to incorporate family passions and hobbies into portrait sessions. If there are special skills in your family – celebrate them! We’ve had pilots bring in ride-on planes for their babies, equestrians bring in saddles… you name it, if it matters to you and we can incorporate it, then why not! 

Our Fantastic Birthday Shoots are available as part of our Watch Me Grow Package. Or it is available to book independently for £35 (includes a free 8×6″ print of your choice). I hope to see you and your little ones in the studio soon, you can book directly or if you have questions, please feel free to get in touch. Due to allergy issues, you do need to provide the cake yourself, however I am more than happy to advise and point you in the right direction.
– Esmé