A baby's 1st birthday is such a special milestone and you've planned a Cake Smash Session for your little one to capture the memories. I've put together a few tips to help you prepare for the session.
Tip #1 - Plan the outfit
Review the themes offered (list on the website) and decide which theme you want so that you can start looking for coordinating outfits ahead of time. It's also good to try the outfit at home in case you need to make any adjustments - suspenders are sometimes long on boys' outfits, hat straps may need tightening, etc. Shoes are optional but as a photographer, my personal preference is barefoot. Nothing like capturing photos of icing on those itty-bitty toes.
Tip #2 - Small snacks, as a backup
Sometimes it happens that baby is disinterested in the cake, especially if this is their first experience with cake or lots of sweetness. Bring along a few of your child’s favorite small snacks, such as cheerios, puffs, goldfish etc., that can be stuck in the icing (out of view of the camera). This may entice your little one to start sticking their hands in the cake just to get at the familiar snacks. That may be enough to get the (cake) ball rolling!
Tip #3 - Limit distractions
I know you may want family members there to witness the moment, however having too many people around (grandparents, siblings etc.) usually just causes a distraction and you'll end up with a bunch of photos of the baby looking at everyone and everywhere but the camera! Having the one person that usually gets baby to laugh interacting with the baby, while sitting next to the photographer is key. Also bringing along a favorite toy is helpful.
Tip #4 - Plan for a mess
Wipes, wipes and more wipes! :-) Icing is super sticky, and depending on the color, may even stain. You may also want to consider bringing a washcloth & baby soap to clean baby's skin easier after the cake. Also don't underestimate your role in the smash lol. Most parents end up with cake all over their clothes as well, so you might want to layer an old t-shirt over your clothes that you can just pull off after the shoot.
Tip #5 - Booked a bath splash?
If you have booked the "Gold" package, this includes a quick bath splash after the cake for more fun photos. Please remember to pack a towel for drying the baby at the end of the session.
Tip #6 - Go with the flow
I always start every session with portraits on the setup before putting out the cake because, as you may already know, with little one's things don't always go as planned :) That way if baby does not like the texture of the cake or starts to cry for any reason, at least we've already captured some great photos. And remember, they don't need to actually eat the cake - they just need to get messy.
Tip #7 - Let them figure it out on their own
Lastly, you may be tempted to push their hands into the cake or even spread icing on their face for the photos however this is always risky. For some it will help speed up the process of them smashing, for others it will make them feel forced and make them not want anything to do with the cake afterwards! So, I recommend just going with the flow and letting them explore on their own.
Hope you found these tips helpful. Look forward with working with your family to capture this moment that will be treasured for generations to come!
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