Capturing the Messy and Memorable Moments: Tips for a (Cake) SMASHing Good Time.

So, your baby is one or almost one! Can you believe it? Between the lack of sleep and allllll of the new and exciting firsts you've been experiencing, this year has flown by. Where do you even begin when it comes to the BIGGEST and MOST FUN milestone session?

First, take a deep breath. Planning your baby's one year photos can seem like a daunting task, but I'm going to give you my tried and true tips to make sure it's easy and enjoyable with as little stress as possible.

 1. It may seem like a no brainer but, but you'll want to make sure you schedule your cake smash around your baby's happiest time of day. For MOST, this is normally is first thing in the morning or immediately after their first nap of the day. Many of my clients come to me from 60-90 minutes away, so I suggest they use the drive to my studio as their morning nap so they wake up happy and hungry, then once they arrive they can feed a small snack while baby gets used to me and to the atmosphere.

Pro tip: Avoid scheduling around their one year check up if they will be having shots. 

2. Introduce cake a week or so before the session. You might think your babe will just love cake since most children around age one will eat literally any and every thing, but most do not love it the first few times they have it. The texture is different, it sticks to their hands... It also may be the first time your child has had something this sweet. Sweetness is an aquired taste. Try a piece of cupcake and see how baby does. Let them get messy with it. Cheer them on so they know that it's encouraged to get messy. 

Pro tip: Bring puffs or yogurt melts incase they have no interest in the cake. You can stick them in the back of the cake to get baby's interest. 

3. If possible, avoid bringing anyone with you (siblings, grandparents, etc) unless you absolutely have to. Your baby probably smiles a lot at their siblings while at home in their normal envoirment, but in the studio they can be distracting while your photographer is trying to get your baby's attention. As a result of multiple people trying to get them to "smile" and "look this way" and "peek a boo!", baby can become over stimulated and cranky. Your photographer will let you know if they need your help.

4. Bring a favorite toy or a comfort item, but only use your phone or tablet as a last resort. You don't want your baby looking like a zombie while zoning out to Miss Rachel (no offense Miss Rachel!). If you are anxious about how they will do or stressed that things don't seem to be going as planned, sometimes even just stepping away to let your photographer connect with your baby is all that is needed.

 At the end of the day, expect that babies will be babies. There will be a wide range of emotions during this type of portrait session. Smiles, tears, shyness, silliness, literally no facial expression at all... be prepared for any and all of it. You will get photos of your baby that show who they really are and how they really were at this stage of their life and that's what you'll want to remember anyways. Finally, this isn't a tip for the session itself per se, but PRINT THE PHOTOS. That is my suggestion for everything from newborn photos through one year: print. the. photos. My clients have been loving albums and keepsake boxes for their cake smash sessions and I'm here for it. There is nothing better than having something tangible from the best year of your life ;)