Oh The Places You'll Go First Birthday Cake Smash | Happy Birthday, Mallika!

One of my favorite things about being a cake smash photographer is when I get to work with clients who are just as excited about planning their baby's birthday photo session as I am!  

When Mallika's mom first contacted me about her daughter's cake smash, I instantly knew that we would be a great fit.  She had so many beautiful ideas for her daughter's birthday session, and it was really important to her that we create just the right look & style for her cake smash set up.  After many conversations, we decided that what she really wanted was a simple, classic, and minimalist look with a focus on the baby.  That is just my style!  :o)  Bring on the pure white seamless paper!  She also wanted to incorporate the soft colors and a quote from her favorite book, Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go".  

After I saw a picture of her beautiful little romper from The Stag and the Swan, the whole set came together in my mind and I loved bringing it to life!  I've been dabbling in calligraphy ever since attending a hand-lettering workshop with Sip & Script Boston (check out their page for a fun ladies' night out, and a new alternative to a paint night!).  Creating this calligraphy backdrop was my largest project to date, and I couldn't be more pleased with how it all came together for this charming little girl's birthday.

The little birthday girl, Mals, sure looks like she loved it too, doesn't she?  

One of my tried & true tricks for engaging one year olds during their photo session is to hide puffs in the frosting or on my white flokati rug.  If you are around any babies at all, you know that puffs are everyone's favorite snack and they are always a huge hit with these little ones.  Plus, they blend into the carpet or frosting, are small enough to fit into their tiny hands, and they do not leave a trace of crumbs on their teeth.  They are the perfect photo shoot snack!  

Mallika loved her puffs, and they kept her quite entertained while sitting on my curved bench prop.  I just love that in this photo, she has everything she could ever need -- a helping hand from her mom, and a snack within reaching distance.  Full bellies make for happy babies!  

This is the face of a girl who LOVES her puffs:

In typical one-year old fashion, it's not uncommon for our cake smash sessions to end with a couple of tears.  After all, if someone gave you an entire cake and let you go to town on it, and then took it away from you just when it was starting to get really fun, wouldn't  you want to cry, too?  I think that these moments are just as cute & frame-worthy as the happy clapping, the bubbly laughter, and the sparkling eyes.  I always make sure to keep shooting when the tears start to come out, and it definitely makes for some fun memories!

Finally, a couple of family photos to celebrate surviving (and thriving in!) their first year of parenthood.  Congratulations, P. family!  Your family is absolutely beautiful, and I am so thankful that you invited me into your lives to capture this milestone for you to enjoy.

A Sesame Street Cake Smash for Aiden's First Birthday!

One of the things that I love the most about our studio cake smash sessions is planning a unique theme and set up for each baby.  From the outfit, to the cake, to the custom decor and backdrop, every little step along the way comes together to create the perfect session for celebrating this little one's birthday. 

For Aiden's Sesame Street session, we used bright primary colors, simple shapes, and a delicious Cookie Monster cake to pull it all together, with a little nod to the classic television show with a green & yellow street sign like those you might see on Sesame Street.  This cake was especially fun to make, and I love that it is covered in lots of ooey-gooey frosting perfect for smashing!

Aiden, however, was not a huge fan of cake or frosting.  He was much more interested in the cookies than in the cake, and thankfully the baby-sized cookies kept this little baby happy during his session!  

I just love the big smile that he showed us here!  Happy birthday, baby boy!

On a sidenote, we are in the process of moving to Saratoga Springs, NY (did you miss our moving announcement?).  I spent all day painting our Saratoga Springs photography studio today, and I cannot wait to welcome some birthday babies in for cake smashes starting in July!  Is your little one turning 1 this summer or fall?  Use the contact tab above to get in touch!

A Rock & Roll Cake Smash with Twins!

It all started with a KISS onesie...

Have you ever had one of those days where you look in your closet and you have nothing to wear?  Who am I kidding, of course you have!  We all have!  Now, has that ever happened to you when planning outfits for your family's portrait session?  It's not easy figuring our what to wear and how to coordinate outfits for 2, 3, 4, 5, or even 10 people!  That's why I always tell families that when inspiration strikes, you go with it!

(Or you can check out our helpful What to Wear blog post here!) 

When the twins' mom was trying to come up with outfits for her babies for their cake smash, she was also trying to come up with a theme.  After going back and forth a few times, she finally told me that she had a KISS onesie in the basement that she had given to her husband when they were expecting their first baby.  KISS is her husband's favorite band, he has been to hundreds of their concerts, and all three of her children LOVE rock music.

The answer was clear... yes, yes, YES!  Let's do a rock & roll themed cake smash!

I'm a little bit vintage.  They're a little bit rock & roll.  Everything came together perfectly for Emily & Nicholas's first birthday celebration from the handmade backdrop to the individual cakes.  Plus, getting to watch these babies play with their cakes for their first taste of sugar?  So adorable!

I've captured the sweetest moments of Emily and Nicholas together since they were newborns, and I've absolutely loved watching them grow.  Getting to celebrate their first birthday with them was the icing on the cake!   ;o)  

A Cute Baby & A Pretty Hat: Eliana's 7 Month Milestone Session (Upstate New York Baby Photographer)

Every now & then there is a knock on the door and a family walks in carrying the cutest baby I've ever seen... actually, "every now and then" feels more like "every couple of days" when your job is a baby photographer.  I feel so lucky to be able to cuddle with so many adorable babies every day, and when the next potential Gerber baby model comes into my studio for a session, I absolutely love it!  Sessions like this one remind me that I truly do enjoy the best job ever.  :) 

Eliana came to the studio for her 7 month milestone session.  This is such a beautiful age that I love capturing on camera.  Babies are sitting more comfortably, they are smiling and engaged with the camera, they love playing with their toes, and they enjoy being the center of attention for being so adorable.  Babies this age are champs at tummy time, have the best giggles, and have so many sweet expressions to add variety to your photographs.  

We did a little photo series of Eliana wearing the sweetest cream-colored bonnet that I have in the studio.  I just love the way it framed her face and made those blue eyes sparkle!  

I love our Petite Milestone sessions because the focus is all about your baby.  We keep it simple with neutral backdrops, natural colors, and minimal props to focus on your little one, their personality, their developing milestones, and their innocence.  We capture natural moments that are so precious in this fleeting stage of infancy, and I can guarantee that these classic images will hang in your home for many, many years without ever looking dated.

Want to learn more about our Petite Milestone sessions?  Read about them here, and then contact me today and let's plan the perfect session to celebrate your baby's budding milestones this spring!

A Superhero Cake Smash: Saratoga Springs & Albany, NY Baby Photographer

It's a bird...

It's a plane...

It's... SUPERBABY ANTHONY!

I have been having so much fun designing our cake smashes lately!  It helps that the families are coming up with the most amazing themes.  (Did you see our "Where the Wild Things Are" smash?  So adorable!)  When Anthony's parents told me that they were planning a superhero bash for his first birthday party, I knew that I wanted to do an airy cityscape for his set.  That combined with his vibrant cake and the smiliest baby I've ever seen, and this is certainly topping the charts as one of my favorite cake smash sessions so far!

One of my favorite parts of Anthony's cake smash session actually happened AFTER the cake smash.  We got together at his family's home for their reveal session, and his parents fell in love with every single photo in their slideshow.  When they showed the baby the photos of himself, Anthony put on the biggest smile and erupted into the most adorable giggle.  This baby LOVES seeing photos of himself, and he stared and stared at them, taking in every detail.  Such a sweet moment, and I was so happy to be there in person to witness that!

For me, first birthdays are about more than just the baby.  They are about celebrating as a family -- you have survived your first year of parenthood, and that is a major accomplishment!  I always love capturing the love, the joy, and the celebration of parents with their babies just as their little one is about to become a toddler.  Enjoy a few sweet moments of Anthony with his parents...