Thank you for booking a First Birthday photo shoot – what a lovely way to celebrate your little one’s big milestone!

Whether you’re planning a cake smash, a tub splash, or a simple portrait session (or a combination of all three!), this page is here to guide you every step of the way. You don’t need to make any decisions just yet – we’ll go through your options nearer the time, and I’ll help you tailor the session to suit your baby’s personality and your preferences. For now, just pop your session date in your diary and know that I’ll be in touch with everything you need to know closer to the big day.    Of course if you have questions in the meantime, just get in touch and I’m happy to help.

If you want to take a peek at what’s to come though, just scroll down this page and of course, you’re welcome to Browse my Studio Collections at any time.

Your First Birthday photo shoot is nearly here, and this page will walk you through what to expect and how to prepare. You’ll receive an options form the day before your session so you can make your selections from my backdrop and prop collection, but here’s a little extra info to help you feel ready in advance.

You’re welcome to include family portraits, a cake smash, a tub splash, or just stick to clean, simple birthday portraits – it’s totally up to you and there’s time to do a mix of all of those things. Nothing needs to be decided yet, but this guide will help you think about what you’d like to include.

Cake Smash Tips

Any cake is great as long as it has soft buttercream-style icing rather than hard fondant – homemade, supermarket, or custom-made are all perfect. A six-inch cake is plenty, and it’s best to leave it out of the fridge for a few hours before your shoot so it’s easier for little hands to dive in.  You’ll want to bring wipes (I have them at the studio but if you have a brand preference then bring those), a towel (if you’re tub splashing), and maybe even a spare change of clothes for yourself if you are planning on going out anywhere after your visit – toddlers love icing-covered cuddles!  If you’re getting a cake professionally made, now’s a good time to lock in your choice of baker!

Balloons

Balloons are a popular addition but keep in mind how they’ll appear in the photos. Giant number 1 balloons tend to tower above your baby, so you only see a shiny column in the shots. Helium balloons should be tied close to the ground to show balloon rather than string. If you’re using air-filled balloons, consider taping them into a small arch or cluster so they stay in one place rather than floating out of frame (or tempting your baby to chase them!).

Tub Splash

Yes, it’s real water in the tub! A towel is essential, and you’re welcome to bring a little bubble bath to help with post-cake cleanup (it won’t be visible in the photos). Most babies go in the tub nude, but a swim nappy or costume is totally fine if you prefer.

Siblings

Siblings are very welcome to join in for clean family photos at the beginning. Once we start the cake smash, it’s usually best to have another adult on hand to keep them entertained – little ones often want to get involved, which can lead to some cake chaos!

Outfit Changes

There’s time for a clean outfit at the start and a change for the smash or splash if you’d like. Bare feet work best for the smash – it’s cute and keeps things simple.

There’s so many outfits on the market now that first birthday photo shoots are so popular but bear in mind that companies like Shein and Temu have some lovely options but they do take a while to arrive so probably best to have them ordered soon (if you haven’t already!).

You can order vest and topper sets directly from me and they’ll be waiting at the studio for you when you arrive from your session.  Here’s the link to the order page if you need it…

Cake Smash Outfit and Topper Sets

Got Questions?  Just get in touch and I’m happy to help!

Looking for ideas for your photo shoot?  Check out my First Birthday Gallery!

Looking for ideas for your photo shoot?  Check out my First Birthday Gallery!

Getting to the Studio

If it is your first time visiting me, then definitely take a look at the directions before you come. It’s not easy to find if you just head to Turners Hill Road and hope to come across it as the postcode will take you to a neighbouring farm (postcodes are very wide ranging here). The best thing to do is go to Google Maps and put in Sarah Fisher Photography but if you don’t use that, then like I say, just take a peek at the directions.  When you arrive, you’ll be parking on a driveway – there’s an A-Frame sign to show you the best place to put your car. You don’t need to go too close to the hedge though – leave yourself plenty of room to get out! The path to the studio includes a few small steps, so if you’re bringing a pushchair, it’s often easier to carry baby on their own or in a car seat instead

Starting your Session

When you arrive, I’ll come down to meet you on the driveway and I’ll take you straight up to the studio to get you settled in.  We’ll start with some clean portraits – family photos, parent and sibling shots, and of course some solo ones of your little one before we bring out the cake or the tub. You’ll have time for an outfit change or two if you want to switch up their look.

Then it’s time for the cake smash! We’ll set it up, get everything in place, and let your little one lead the way. Some dive in face first, some are more tentative – it’s all part of the fun. Honestly, you don’t need total cake devastation for great cake smash photos – the images you see on Pinterest always show children covered in icing from head to foot and, whilst I have had to clean icing off the walls on some occasions, it’s more often than not a more dignified affair than that.  The pictures are great either way.

If you’re including a tub splash, that comes after the cake – a perfect way to clean up and capture some splishy splashy smiles. I’ll have warm water in the tub, a towel to hand (if you forget yours), and a clean, cosy space to change afterwards.

Don’t worry about mess or meltdowns – the session is baby-led and relaxed, with plenty of time to pause, clean up, and enjoy the moment.

You might like to bring along some of the following to make sure your session goes without a hitch and you can get exactly the images you want.

• Cake if you’re cake smash (of course!)
• Outfits (for you and anyone else you’re including)
• Muslin or bib – one year olds are famously dribbly and we’ll want to keep them clean for at least part of the shoot
• Wipes if you have a brand preference (I have plenty at the studio otherwise)
• Plastic bag so you have something to wrap icing covered items in
• Towel if you’re tub splashing

Your gallery will normally be ready for you to view about two weeks after your session and so this is a great time to keep an eye on your email (or indeed your Spam folder!) to see I’ve sent you through the info.  When it turns up, it’s as simple as clicking on the link, popping in your password and you’ll be heading straight to your gallery. Of course, this information will only be coming to you at the email address that you booked with but you’re free to share it with friends and family if you’d like to.

First birthday sessions include your choice of your favourite three images from your gallery made available to you as print quality, digital downloads and the instructions on how to let me know your selections will be in the email with your image link and password but we can talk about it here as well – you simply add the images you’d like to your Favourites list (the website will just ask you to enter your email address to create it) and then when you’ve finalised your choice, click on the paper plane image and choose to ‘Share with Photographer’.  That sends them through to me and I will then get them ready for you to download.   When they’re online for you, you’ll get another email that looks just like your Gallery link except that this will allow you to download the images direct to your PC or device.

If you’d like to order more images from your session, all you need to do is click on the shopping bag in the corner of the image (or at the top right of the screen if you’re looking in thumbnail view) and you’ll bring up all the prices and packages so you can add whatever you’d like to your cart.  It should all feel pretty intuitive if you’re anything like me and shop online all the time but if you have any questions at all, I’m always here so you can just give me a shout. 

If you ever need to access your gallery directly, you can head to my gallery homepage at and enter your personal password.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to read more, then here’s a list of some of my main blog content that might be helpful to you when you’re looking ahead to your birthday photo shoot.

• Cake smash photography – celebrate in style
• Tub splash photography  – a fun way to celebrate
• How to choose the perfect cake for your cake smash

If you prefer your content in a video format, then check out my YouTube channel…

• First Birthday Shoots & Inspo
• First Birthday Shorts

Recent Blog Posts