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.

---

Loved this unique and classic milestone session? Pin this image or any from the post above!

An Ice Cream Cone Cake Smash for Ella's First Birthday

The first solid food Ella ever tried was ice cream, so naturally we chose an ice cream cone theme for her cake smash session! This sweet girl’s first birthday portraits were delayed due to covid closures, but we got her in the studio as soon as we could to celebrate the start of the toddler years. This little cutie pie LOVED the camera, and I can’t get over how adorable her little pigtails are!

Ella dug right into her cake, and kept looking at her big brother and sister to see if they were going to sneak in there for a bite! We let them join in at the end, and it was so cute watching the three of them together enjoying the birthday girl’s cake.

Her little dress was from our studio wardrobe. Isn’t it the perfect color on her?

All of our cake smash sessions begin with family portraits, and in the warmer months we’re lucky enough to head outside to nearby parks for family photos! We captured a good mix of portraits of the whole family, letting each child’s personality shine. These are going to look amazing on a new gallery wall above their sofa!

---

Inspired by this pastel ice cream cone cake smash? Pin this image or any from the post above!

A Summertime Family Portrait Session in Saratoga Springs with an Outdoor Cake Smash

What a cute family!  This mama was excited to capture some summertime portraits for a mommy & me session, and she dressed her little ones in coordinating nautical outfits to match the dress that she found for her daughter.  We had a blast running around Spa State Park for their portrait session, and the kids were all smiles.

I always love capturing a few extra special mom & baby portraits, and I love how cuddly Ronan was with his mama!  Just look at his adorable little smile, and those cute baby teeth!

We celebrated Ronan’s first birthday with an outdoor cake smash! We typically do our cake smash sessions in our Saratoga Springs studio, but due to the reopening restrictions after covid and the timeline of this session, we opted for an outdoor session for everyone’s health & safety. It did not disappoint! We did a fun little beachy theme for the birthday boy, and he loved digging into his cake!

---

Love this summertime portrait session? Pin this image or any from the post above to save the inspiration!

Family Portraits at SPAC and First Birthday Portraits

Ahhhh, it’s outdoor family portrait season again! I love our outdoor family sessions, and one of my favorite portrait locations in Saratoga Springs is in Spa State Park near SPAC and the Hall of Springs. There are so many gorgeous areas filled with beautiful greenery, pretty textures, and curvy pathways that photograph so beautifully.

I was excited to see this family of five for their portrait session. Their littlest, David, recently turned one and we did a cute little birthday setup at the end with a vintage wooden high chair and a mess-free wooden cake!

This family has been coming to me for years for their portrait sessions (ever since little miss Julia turned one!), and I love seeing how comfortable the kids are with me and the camera now. They had so much fun laughing and running around, and we captured some of their favorite-ever family portraits that I know they are going to enjoy for many, many years!

The wooden cake! How adorable is this?!?!

---

Inspired by this fun session? Pin this photo or any from the post above to save!

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 Rose Gold Cake Smash Session for Anastasia

It feels like summer wasn’t that long ago, and already I miss the warm days and gorgeous green leaves that made for such a beautiful backdrop for our family portrait sessions.

We celebrated Anastasia’s first birthday with family portraits at Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, followed by a rose gold cake smash here at the studio! This little miss was the star of the show, and she was all smiles for her family portraits.

Her cake smash decor was inspired by this beautiful tutu that her mother found on Etsy. Sometimes the outfit is what inspires an entire set-up! I had been eager to make a balloon garland so I pulled together some gorgeous rose gold balloons and confetti for the perfect birthday backdrop.

Anastasia loved it!

We finished up her session with a bathtub splash, and Anastasia had a blast playing with the rubber duckie. I love how she looks like she’s talking to it here!!

Product feature | Blake's First Birthday: Our Linen Storybook Album

If you haven't figured it out by now, our albums are my absolute FAVORITE keepsake to create from our portrait sessions.

Album details:
8x8 Storybook Album
Linen color: Tundra
Font color: Gold

Whether it's a first birthday,  a Fresh 48, a family session, or a newborn session, there is nothing sweeter than having all of your favorite memories woven across the pages of a beautiful album that you can hold in your hands, turning the pages and reliving a chapter of your family's story.

With this particular session, one of my favorite memories from this family was when they were telling me that their baby girl is obsessed with babies.  She loves all things baby.  They have an album from her newborn session with me, and she likes to start every day flipping through the pages of the book and looking at all of the baby pictures.   Of course, she doesn't realize that she's looking at Baby Blake on the pages of the album, but it's her favorite book and one that I'm sure she's going to have many memories of looking through as she gets older.

That's what our keepsakes are all about.  Creating memories with your family and enjoying them every single day. 

The storybook albums are petite, 8x8 albums with a gorgeous linen cover.  The pages are printed on press paper, and they are so beautiful in person!  Each book is custom designed to hold your favorite images from your portrait session.

---

Our beautiful storybook albums have 5 beautiful linen cover options to choose from, so you'll be able to find the perfect shade to suit your style.  A few of the most classic ones are Tundra (this dark gray shown here), Sand (a beachy beige), and Tusk (a creamy white).   

Plus we can write your baby's name & birthdate on the cover, or your family name & the year if it's a family session.  These can be debossed in gold, silver, or rose gold font.
 

Curious about our other keepsake products?  We truly believe that you'll enjoy your memories more when they are printed -- check out a few of our options here!

The Wooden Keepsake Box
Heirloom Wooden Wall Art
Accordion Albums
Birth Announcements
Thank You Cards
The Storybook Album

A Bathtub Splash after the Cake Smash - Saratoga Springs NY Baby Photographer

We have the most adorable new prop in the studio, and I think you're going to LOVE it!  It is simple, classic, and just perfect for our littlest clients! 

Just look at this adorable baby-sized bathtub.  Riley LOVED using it after her cake smash session for a little SPLASH (with a rubber ducky, of course)!

At this age, I love capturing all of the little details that make your baby so beautiful and unique.  Thick eyelashes.  Beautiful curls that are just starting to take shape.  Perfect little lips.  Finger dimples.  And those adorable leg rolls that you just want to squish and cuddle.

Many babies spend the happiest part of their day splishing & splashing in the bathtub.  For them, it's a playground filled with so many giggles and the biggest smiles.  Riley, of course, adored her bath time and she made the biggest splash!  

Huge smiles.  Lots of happy squeals.  And non-stop laughter as she played with her rubber duckies.  

Are you ready to book your SMASH & SPLASH?  What about a petite session with just a baby bath?  Email me and let's chat to plan your baby's perfect session together!
 

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 Chevron and Teal Cake Smash in Boston, MA {Josslyn's 1st Birthday}

I adore cake smash sessions, and I am loving them even more now that the studio allows me full creative license to make my own backdrops, design the most gorgeous cakes, and even provide the perfect little outfits for our birthday babies!  When I set up our studio I knew that it would allow me so much more creative freedom, but what I am surprised by is that I am now taking DIY to a whole new level as we explore unique backdrops, sets, and props for our sessions.  I get to combine all of my passions -- photography, babies, DIY, and baking -- in each and every cake smash session.  What a perfect job!

Josslyn's mom told me that she wanted her baby girl's cake smash to go along with the chevron, teal, and gray that they had used throughout her first year.  Always looking to present my photography in a simple, clean way that is unique from the work of my other fellow photographers, I sought to do a clean chevron design for her shoot.  Hand painting the backdrop was an exercise in precise measurement, but it was worth it to create this simple and beautiful backdrop.

Josslyn even signed "All done!" to let us know she had had enough of her birthday cake.  So adorable!

All birthday sessions also include family photos, and in the warm weather I prefer to head outside to a little park close to the studio that has the perfect light.  Isn't it magical how the light just sparkles through the trees?  What a gorgeous family!

This little girl was right on the verge of walking at her first birthday session!  When we got together to view her photos two weeks later, she was already taking her first confident steps across the floor to see her mama.  I am so glad we captured this moment on camera, just as she was on the brink of her next milestone.

Happy birthday, baby girl!