preparing for your one year session
Hello!
We are delighted to welcome you to our studio for your big one year milestone photoshoot. Our studio has many different sets and props that we change out seasonally. We are also happy to create custom sets for your little one. Although we love shooting families outside whenever possible, our studio provides a great space for your little one - who is the star of the show!
Please schedule your session at a time that is optimal for your little one(s) in terms of mood (your child's natural naps and meal times are typically when the crank factor is high - and not recommended times for photoshoots).
If we are planning to do some shots outside our studio and also some inside, we'll need to consider the position of the sun as well. We try to avoid outdoor pictures between 10a-3p.
Our studio palette is natural colors, wood tones, neutrals, and muted tones. That color scheme tends to work really well with our sets, but we are flexible and our sets can be modified for brighter colors if that is your preference.
We strongly encourage the use of ROMPERS on babies. Yes, rompers! On girls and boys! Rompers work so much better than dresses. Dresses can be very challenging for babies and they don't photograph as well. Of course, there are instances where we photograph babies in special or heirloom dresses, which is no problem at all. But if you're out shopping for the perfect photoshoot outfit, our recommendation would be to look at rompers! We also love a good baby in a onesie shot. Those little thighs!
What to bring: your normal diaper bag with spare diapers, clothing, snacks - whatever you normally pack. Also a few clothing changes for your little one.
The cake. We love Sweetened Memories & Aubrey's Cafe - and they offer discounts to our clients on smash cakes. You can also bring donuts (or any other food item) to smash.
A snack & water. Here's a secret: most babies aren't interested in cake - UNTIL we plant some of their favorite snacks on them, so bring those puffs, cheerios, or whatever your little one loves.
Decorations for your cake smash theme (you can find inspiration here)
A towel (for clean up) & favorite toy or lovie.
We typically create three unique sets to photograph babies on. Please let us know in advance if you have any preferences. Also, if you can email us photos of your baby's outfits, that's always helpful. Likewise, if you have any specific themes or prop ideas, sending those along in advance is also helpful.
If you arrive and do not like one of the sets we've prepared, please tell us. I promise it won't hurt our feelings. These are YOUR pictures, we want you to love them. That being said, sometimes your baby "makes" the set - so if you're iffy about how the set might look, you might love it once you see your baby on it.
We encourage parents to hop into a picture if they're up for it. If you don't feel "photo-ready" we can always create an image without getting your face in the picture. We won't pressure you though. Just let us know your preferences.
Typically we will take the family photo first, so baby should arrive in the family photo outfit. Then we transition to the baby only photos. Then about halfway through, we do the cake. The session (and the baby) is typically "done" after about 40-45 minutes.
A few tips to help things go smoothly:
Stand behind the photographer when trying to get baby's attention, if you're off to the side, they'll be looking off to the side. This includes during the cake smash.
Try clothing on beforehand. You may need to cinch, sew or pin things so they fit right. You won't know unless you try them on before and you don't want to find out during the shoot.
Prepare decorations beforehand (blow up balloons, floof those little tissue paper fluff things, we don't have time to do all that during the shoot, so you'll want to come with those things prepared.
Feed/nurse your baby before the session. A full tummy means a happy baby. Don't try to starve your baby in hopes that they'll devour the cake. That won't work out well at all.
After your session we typically post a "sneak peek" on Facebook (unless you specify that you don't want one), within 24 hours. Feel free to tag yourself in your picture or share it to your profile. You'll receive a link to your gallery of images within 14 days.
Full sessions: Your gallery will contain 30+ edited images, which you can purchase as prints or digital images. Our digital packages start at $399.
Galleries expire in 5 days. There is a $25 administrative fee to re-load galleries.