First birthdays are a huge milestone and you might even a feel a bit emotional as you think back to how things were a year ago and how far you’ve come in 12 months.

Definitely something to celebrate!

If you’re celebrating with a cake smash and tub splash photo shoot then here’s some things to know in advance to help you plan.

Cake smashes can be scary. Not to most grownups but to a one year old.  Despite the fact that you’d l think all babies would love to get messy and enjoy all that sugary goodness, sometimes they just don’t.  It’s worth giving them a cupcake or two to practice on in the weeks prior to your shoot. If you’ve been doing baby led weaning then your baby might be more confident in handling food but it’s still worth a test out.

Sneaky Tactics

It’s been know for us to hide familiar snacks such as breadsticks and raisins in a section cut out from the back of the cake so, if they’re not that struck with the cake itself, then you still get photos of them diving in and eating.   So bring along a little pot of whatever really floats your baby’s boat snack-wise.

I’ve always maintained that you don’t need total cake devastation in order to create great cake smash images but interaction with it is good.  So banding and digging with one of my miniature wooden spoons or retrieving familiar treats from inside it, can help us to create that if it doesn’t happen naturally.

NOTE: some babies dive right into the cake and get as much in their faces as fast as they can.  These are just some ideas in case they aren’t feeling the cake love on the day.

Pick your Moment

Obviously it’s quite a stimulating session for a young mind in a reasonably unfamiliar environment with some new experiences.  So it’s a good idea if you can bring them when they’re at their best – for example, not just before nap time or after their jabs.  We’ll take some time with a clean photo shoot to get them settled but your role as a parent is key.

Babies can be keen on moving around (did you notice?) so it will be your job to reset them and encourage them back to the cake.  This can involve a degree of getting messy yourself if they’re covered in icing and so it’s a good idea to bring along a change of top for you if you’re planning to go out straight afterwards.

Also, I’ll be encouraging you to sit next to me to get your little one looking at the camera so get ready to snuggle in close!  It can help to bring along some music that your baby likes to help relax them by offering something families but I don’t recommend cartoons or other shows as they tend to fix on the screen and it’s difficult to direct them back to the cake or tub.

Tub Splash Time

When it comes to the bath, if your baby enjoys bath time then it’s a lot less work (and definitely a lot less sticky).  We just let them splash and have fun while we get photos.  I do have bath toys they can play with if they need settling or you can bring your own but they can be difficult to get out of shot and invariably end up in the mouth so they’re probably best kept ‘in case of emergency’.

So there you go.  Lots of tips and info on getting ready for a cake smash and tub splash photo shoot to make sure you have as much as fun as possible and create some wonderful images.

Cake Smash & Tub Splash Photo Shoots

A cake smash and tub splash photo shoot is the perfect way to celebrate and commemorate that extra special first birthday.   We start with a clean shoot and mum, dad and siblings are welcome to get involved here as well for family pictures if you’d like to.  Then it’s time to get out the cake for some smashing fun!  After that, it’s time to fill your choice of tub with warm and bubbly water for more great pictures and a good old icing removal clean up.  Each session includes your three favourite digital images (chosen from your online gallery, there’s no sales session) and costs £95.

Cake smash and tub splash sessions are also included in my baby photography club – the Joey Club so if you have a little one (under four months) take a look at that to find out more about capturing your first year together.