Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Cake Smash with White and Gold Backdrop

Sofia is one! We celebrated this sweet girl’s first birthday with a gorgeous cake smash in my Saratoga Springs studio this year. I’ve done Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star setups before but they’re always fun to create and I love to find new ways to make them unique to each baby in the studio. For Sofia’s session, we focused on a light and airy feeling in her setup. I’m a huge sucker for any setup with gold stars, and that was a great place to start for her backdrop! The end results are so timeless and just perfect for this little birthday star! 

Before we dove into her cake though, Sofia and her family met with me in Congress Park – one of my favorite Saratoga Springs parks. We managed to find the last flowering bush in the park. It wound up being the perfect spot for their new family portraits! Sofia and her big sister Ella were fantastic for me. We had a blast! Mom and dad played along with the girls, and everyone looked absolutely amazing. It was the best way to kick off their session. 

When the portraits were done, we headed to the studio and Sofia got to get into her cake. She looked adorable with a simple headband and ivory outfit for the smash. This little girl loved when she got to play with the wooden spoon and cake. It was adorable! Our session ended with her little bubble bath – a favorite among the babies in the studio. She was so cute and happy the entire time for us. It was truly a dream cake smash session!

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Classic First Birthday Portraits with a Year of Baby Photos

Now this was a fun session! Baby Ari’s mama reached out and wanted to plan an extra special portrait session to celebrate her baby boy’s first birthday, and she was really excited about creating some truly classic and timeless portraits of her little guy. With all of the beautiful neutrals in my Saratoga Springs portrait studio, it’s easy to pull together simple setups that let your baby shine, and we did just that with Ari’s first birthday portraits!

You see the cute little stool he’s sitting on? It’s actually a custom cake stand his mama ordered for his birthday party, and it worked perfectly as a toddler bench!

Instead of a cake smash we compiled a collection of their favorite portraits from the past year and turned them into a truly one-of-a-kind backdrop to celebrate their birthday boy’s first year. I love how he pops against the black & white photographs!

No first birthday portrait session is complete without family portraits! We went to the nearby Saratoga Spa State Park for family portraits, and this little man was on the go! He was just at the brink of walking when we did his session, and it was so much fun to capture on camera!

Of course, it wouldn’t be 2020 without documenting the reality of our year: masks. For Ari and many babies, masks are just part of their version of “normal” and this will definitely get noted in their baby book. We’re all looking forward to the day when we can see everyone’s WHOLE face when out in public while still feeling safe.

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A Pastel Woodland Birthday Session for Karsyn

Karsyn joined me at our Saratoga Springs portrait studio for a magical first birthday session. Her mama asked me to create a floral and rustic woodland scene for the birthday girl, so we used the Lavender Fields backdrop by Heidi Hope Backdrops, along with some birch trees, hanging flowers, and twinkle lights for the perfect scene.

Like most one-year olds, Karsyn was very interested in playing with the pearl beads that we keep in the studio to keep tiny hands busy!

We finished with a bathtub splash, and this sweet birthday girl loved the water! She started splishing and splashing all over the place, and she was especially fascinated in the soap bubbles.

Thinking of a birthday session for your baby? Let’s chat!

A Donut Smash for Dylan's First Birthday with Union Square Donuts | Boston Baby Photographer

Who said cake smashes can only include cake?  Dylan celebrated her first birthday with donuts from Union Square Donuts in Somerville, and I'm in love!!

This donut smash was such a fun way to celebrate Dylan's first birthday, and I love that her mom came to me with a totally unique idea, inspired to try something new and give her daughter a birthday experience that was extra special to their family -- they are regular Sunday morning customers at their local donut shop, of course!

Of course, dad couldn't resist jumping in for a bite!  I always love it when babies get to happy to share their birthday smash food with family, and this is definitely a favorite moment captured from Dylan's session!

All of our birthday sessions include family portraits, and one-year olds are so much fun to play with!  Dylan's mom and dad enjoyed cuddles, tickles, and so many sweet little giggles from their birthday girl!  She was just learning to walk at the time of her session, and I am obsessed with the images of her walking with her daddy.  Her expressions are priceless!

Did you love this session?  Looking for inspiration for your cake smash?  Check out our blog post with 70+ theme ideas (including food alternatives!) for your baby's cake smash session.

A Butterfly Cake Smash with Saratoga Springs Baby Photographer

With all of the snow outside, I am more than ready for a little bit of spring here in our Saratoga Springs portrait studio.  When Victoria's mom told me that she was thinking of a butterfly cake smash for her daughter, I knew that we had to plan the most magical & whimsical session for this baby girl.  After all, this sweet little girl has spent her entire first year growing up inside of a favorite local toy store, and her hashtag on Instagram is #toystorebaby.  So of course, I was very excited to create some magic for her first birthday portraits!  

Plus, she was my very first cake smash baby to come celebrate with me at the studio on the very same day that she turned one!

I just love how she's lounging here with her purple birthday cake!

Every first birthday session at the studio also includes some classic baby photos on a simple cream backdrop.  These are always some of my favorites!  I have a collection of adorable little outfits and headbands, and here Victoria is using our studio wardrobe.  I love that it just adds to her sparkling personality!

Remember my famous paper flower backdrop?  It's back in action, this time on the floor rather that on the wall!  What do you think of this new angle?  (P.S.  You can purchase this backdrop from Baby Dream Backdrops to use in your own photo sessions, too!)

And of course, our family photos are always some of the most treasured memories that our families enjoy after their sessions.  One day these two will show these portraits to their baby girl and tell her about the day she turned one, and they celebrated with lots of cuddles, tickles, and laughter before bringing out a very special birthday cake for their daughter.

Happy birthday, baby girl!  You light up so many lives.  Keep on shining!