Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Benjamin is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Nikhil is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Carlisle is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Emey is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Maxwell is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Baby Aiden

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Baby Crew is ONE!

A SPUR OF THE MOMENT FIRST BIRTHDAY CLIENT

Karen contacted the studio at the VERY last minute to schedule a First Birthday session for her son, Crew. She and her husband Kirk have EIGHT children in their blended family, and Crew is their youngest. They were in the middle of getting their home listed, and things were crazy busy for them. Because of everything going on, Karen realized that she had neglected to schedule a session for him! She and her husband spent some time researching and visiting websites, and knew that I was the one for them as soon as they looked through my portfolio. Karen crossed her fingers and hoped we would be available for a last minute session. Much to her excitement - I was available that same week, and it was also my last availability in the next six weeks! (Pro tip: Don’t wait until the last minute if at all possible, because I can’t guarantee that it will work out for you in terms of my ability to fit you in!) Karen wasted no time securing the date with us. We sent along our style guide and cake tips sheet for her to look over, and let her know that we were available for any additional questions she had.

A couple of days later, Karen sent me an email letting me know she was feeling very overwhelmed due to the preparations for the move. Because of all the organizing and packing they were doing, she didn’t have access to a lot of her clothes, and she didn’t know where she was going to get a cake at the last minute!

I invited her to come to the studio the next day for a style consult, and she was thrilled to hear that she could borrow from the wardrobe and that I had plenty of options that would fit her 5’11” frame. I also asked her to bring along options for Crew from what she had and I would pull out what I had available as well. Crew was already in 18-24 month sizing at age 1, and I have a handful of neutral and timeless things that work really well for that. There’s no need to stress about what to wear - I will help you figure it out!

Karen loved so many of the options that I had available for her and we narrowed it down to two of her favorites. Since her session was in just a couple of days, I told her that we could decide when they arrived. We also looked through the options for Crew, and she fell in love with a unisex cream romper that I have in my studio. She had also brought along the most darling little three piece set for Crew as well, so he was all set!

As a mom of three myself, trust me…I know you’re busy! I have thoughtfully designed your entire session experience from start to finish to be as simplified as possible. You shouldn’t have to waste precious brainpower trying to figure everything out on your own. If you want or need more in-depth assistance with styling like Karen did, I’m available to schedule a complimentary visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe or exchange a few emails in advance of your session. Whatever you need, I’m here for you!

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS YOUR BABY FOR THEIR SESSION

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that oh-so-fun stage where a diaper or clothing change results in an epic flailing temper tantrum. You know your little one and their needs best, so I will always defer to your mama judgment on when to get them dressed!

If you choose to dress your baby before coming to the studio, please make sure they are wearing something that is wrinkle resistant! You will also want cover their clothing with a big bib to protect their outfit in case anything happens on the way. “What could possibly happen?”, I’m sure you’re thinking. Well….here’s some real life examples that have actually happened to some of my clients: carsickness, spilled bottle, spilled snack, really big sneeze….oh, and that time a baby found a chocolate m&m lodged in their carseat that an older sibling must have dropped. I’m not kidding! When your planned outfit can no longer be used, it can be stressful, so let’s do what we can to avoid it happening!

WHERE TO GET YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE IN ATLANTA

Karen was stressing about finding a bakery and ordering a cake, so I took that stress away from her. I checked with our preferred baker to see if she had availability (she did) and then gave Karen her contact information for Christina. Bonus: If your baby needs a vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free option, Christina can do that! A MAJOR plus to working with Christina is that she delivers your cake to the studio in advance of your session! This means that your cake is one less thing you need to worry about. There will be no prayers that you don’t trip while precariously balancing your cake. Not only are Christina’s cakes delicious (even the vegan ones!), her cakes are beautiful and photograph like an absolute dream.

I have personally worked with Christina over the last few years to develop the best buttercream consistency for our tiny clients. The icing texture is soft and malleable, so it’s perfect for smashing, but it’s not so sticky that it and won’t wipe off easily with some baby wipes. The majority of one year old babies DO NOT enjoy being wiped off afterwards because of being constrained! The less elbow grease needed from you to wipe the icing off their skin after their session, the better.

If you’re looking for a commercial options, Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options for your baby’s smash cake! Wherever you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you regardless. We’ll also warn you about a popular place in the Atlanta area….a popular bakery that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from! We don’t recommend this particular bakery because their cake icing is so sticky that it’s like GLUE, and extremely difficult to get off skin. Trust me: you do not want to have to use 10,000 baby wipes to get your baby cleaned up - and neither does your baby!

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE

• SIMPLE is the name of the game at the studio when it comes to smash cakes - the focus should be on your baby, not the cake. Don’t use fondant or tons of added objects for decor. Consider textured icing or an ombre, or watercolor design if you want visual interest. “Naked” cakes are also really beautiful too!

• Bigger is NOT better. Keep your baby’s cake to a max of 6 inches in diamete and to two shorter layers at the max. If height of your baby’s cake is too high, it will block their face and limit angles for their photos.

• Flowers as decor are so pretty on cakes, but are not practical for smash cakes. If you choose to include them anyway, plan to remove them after first few photographs, 9 times out of 10 they will end up on your baby’s mouth and you'll be dashing over to take it away… which can lead to an unhappy baby! This advice applies to everything that isn’t icing - candles, decor, etc. Added elements tend to be a distraction from actually exploring and eating their cake, and the biggest drawback is that they obscure adorable facial expressions and limit angles.

• Keep it neutral! Choose a neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best. Don’t choose neons, black, or super bright colors. These may permanently stain and ruin your baby’s clothing, and will cause unwanted color casts in your baby’s photos.

• Pass on using shaved coconut as a coating for your baby’s cake. While shaved coconut does add beautiful texture, there has not been a single baby in my studio that has liked it. As soon as they felt the texture in their mouth, it promptly ended exploration of the cake and they started crying and trying to get it out of their mouth. The exception to this guideline on coconut would be if you’ve given this to your baby before and know that they consistently enjoy it!

• Use buttercream icing only! AVOID whipped icing and fondant like the plague. Whipped icing is extremely sticky, greasy, and slippery. It is VERY resistant to being wiped off skin. Fondant is very thick, and frustrating for babies because it’s difficult for their tiny fingers to break through and eat. It’s also a choking hazard if they get a big piece of it in their mouth!

• Don’t bother with writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well and can be distracting. If you HAVE to have something written that’s fine - but just be aware you won’t see it well like you think you will.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are the ultimate 3 sessions -in-1. Your gallery will have solo portraits of your little one, family.parent portraits, AND cake smash photos (if you include a cake) to choose from. When Karen arrived, I had the two dresses she was considering ready to go. As soon as I saw what her husband was wearing, I knew that only one of the dresses would work for the overall tone - and she had been leaning towards it anyway, so she was happy for me to make the final call. I love when my clients trust my professional judgement when it comes to the best colors and tones! Trust me: I want you to look your very best, and choosing the right colors for everyone that all work together cohesively is a HUGE part of making that happen.

I started the session photographing Crew with his parents, and he was just the CUTEST little baby boy with the biggest blue eyes. He was a little bit shy at first, so photographing him with his parents helped him get used to me and accept that everything was okay and he was safe. I brought out our wooden stacking blocks for him to play with, which he absolutely loved. It didn’t take him long to warm up to me and his big, fun, and FEARLESS personality came out quickly! Karen changed him really quickly into the unisex cream romper for a few images since she loved it so much, and it looked absolutely perfect with the dress she had chosen.

Once we were done with the family and Crew’s solo portraits, it was time for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

Karen put Crew into one of the knit diaper covers that I have here in the studio. I set up one of our antique high chairs and we sat Crew in it. I then demonstrated exactly how Karen should present the cake to Crew (I know it sounds a little over-the-top, but how you do this actually does matter for the best pictures!). I constantly physically demonstrate what I need you to do throughout during my sessions, so you’re never left hanging and trying to figure it out yourself!

When Crew saw his cake, he LITERALLY grabbed it! I think this session might be my most favorite baby boy session ever when it comes to how much he loved his cake. His parents joined in on the fun too for a few images! A lot of parents worry that a smash cake will be a complete waste of time if their baby isn’t in to it. I can’t promise your baby will love their cake, but I CAN tell you that I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve to get them interested. These tricks involve YOU interacting with them, and they’re easy! Once they’ve become sufficiently interested, parents can exit out of the frame and I’ll capture those images of your little one enjoying their cake! In this case, we didn’t have to employ any of these tactics at all… but we did have to take Crew out of the high chair and put him on the floor when he kept trying to throw his cake off the tray. Have no fear: I disinfect and steam mop the floors before sessions, so your baby will be on a clean floor if we have to do that!

I don’t typically put babies on the floor for cake smash sessions because the high chair is better for containing the mess and making life easier for parents. In this case though, I’m so glad we tried it to see what he would do… because the resulting images are SO RIDICULOUSLY CUTE and show Crew’s seriously flexibility and dedication to getting some more of his cake in his mouth! Scroll through a few of my favorites below to see what I mean!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from sweet Crew’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Ben is ONE!

Carolyn contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her son, Ben with the whole family included as well. Carolyn was sent to us by her sister-in-law who has worked with us for multiple sessions over a year! Many of our clients are sent to us from existing clients, which we so love and appreciate.

After Carolyn chose an available date for their session, we sent her session agreement and invoice. We also sent her our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review! The sheets we send over are to the point and really easy to read through, so no need to feel overwhelmed. We know you’re busy, and we make your entire session experience as simplified as possible so you’re not wasting precious brainpower trying to figure things out. If you want more in-depth assistance with styling, I’m available to schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe or exchange a few emails in advance of your session.

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS YOUR BABY FOR THEIR SESSION

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that lovely stage of babyhood where a change instantly equals a temper tantrum. You know your baby best, so I will always defer to your judgment there!

If you choose to dress them before heading over, please make sure they are wearing something wrinkle resistant, and cover their clothing with a big bib. This will serve as insurance just in case anything happens on the way (ie: carsickness). You may scoff at this and think I’m exaggerating…but has actually happened to more than one client! When the outfit you were planning on your baby wearing can no longer be used, it can be upsetting, so let’s take every measure we can to avoid this in the first place.

WHERE SHOULD I GET MY BABY’S FIRST BIRTHDAY CAKE IN ATLANTA?

Carolyn brought along a simple white cake with buttercream icing from Publix that had the word “One” written in blue icing on top. If you’re looking for a commercial options, Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options for your baby’s smash cake!. If your baby needs a vegan, egg-free, or dairy-free option, we exclusively recommend She Takes the Cake. Christina is our preferred baker and we are happy to connect you with her! A major perk of working with Christina is that she offers a delivery service to the studio! She’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of. No balancing your cake precariously on the drive over or the walk up to the studio while praying you don’t trip. Not only are they delicious (even the vegan ones!), her cakes are GORGEOUS.

I have worked with Christina to develop the best buttercream consistency for our babies: soft and malleable for interacting with and smashing, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and doesn’t wipe off easily. Most babies don’t enjoy being wiped down because of being held still! The less elbow grease you have to apply to get the icing off their skin after their session, the better.

Wherever you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you regardless. We’ll also warn you against a popular place in the Atlanta area. The warning is that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from this particular bakery rom because of the icing’s incredible stickiness which is like GLUE.

Below is a list of our top tips for your baby’s cake!

• SIMPLE is the name of the game at the studio when it comes to smash cakes - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake. Avoid fondant or tons of added objects for decor. Consider textured icing or ombre if you want more visual interest.

• Don’t go crazy with the size. Keep your baby’s cake to a 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two shorter layers at the max. If height of the cake is too high, it will limit angles for photography since your baby’s face can be obscured.

• Real flowers are really pretty on cakes, but not practical for our purposes. If you choose to include them, you should plan to remove them after initial photographs because 9 times out of 10 they will end up on your baby’s mouth. This goes for anything other than icing on their cake - candles, decor, etc. Added elements often end up being a distraction from actually exploring and eating their cake, and most importantly: obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

• Choose a neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - AVOID neons, black, or super bright colors that may permanently stain and ruin your baby’s clothing, and cause unwanted color casts in their photos.

• Skip using shaved coconut as a topping - yes, it adds beautiful, texture, but there has not been a single baby here that has liked it. It usually promptly ends exploration of the cake as soon as they put it in their mouth and causes tears. The exception to this guidelines would be if you’ve given this to your baby before and know that they consistently enjoy it!

• Choose buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant. Whipped icing is greasy and very resistant to being wiped off skin. Fondant is very thick, and difficult for little baby fingers to break through and eat.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well and can be distracting. If you HAVE to have something written that’s fine - but just be aware you won’t see it well like you think you will.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are the ultimate 3 sessions -in-1. Your gallery will have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, AND cake smash photos to choose from. I started the session photographing Ben alone, and he was just the CUTEST little baby boy with the biggest blue eyes. He wasn’t shy at all, and gave me lots od sweet expressions and smiles. If your baby is on the shy side, I will start the session with them in your arms rather than alone. Starting this way will reassure them that they are safe and secure, and that everything is ok.

Once I was finished with those, we moved on to the family photos! I photographed a variety of family images: Ben with big brother, each of his parents, the whole family together, etc. Then it was time for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

Carolyn put Ben into a white cloth diaper cover that we have here in the studio. She put over his regular diaper - which don’t photograph well. I also have other knit bottoms as options for baby boys here! I set up one of our antique high chairs and we put Ben inside. I then demonstrated exactly how Carolyn should present the cake to Ben (sounds silly, but how parents do it does matter for the best pictures!). I physically model what I need clients throughout during my sessions as needed, so you will never have to worry about what to do, how to do it, or when.

When Ben saw his cake, he grabbed it the rest of the family joined in on the fun with big brother helping out! A lot of parents worry that a smash cake will be a waste of time if their baby doesn’t like it. While I can’t promise your baby will love their cake, I have lots of trips and tricks up my sleeve to get them interested that involve you interacting with them. Once they’ve become sufficiently interested, parents can exit out of the frame and I’ll capture those images of your little one enjoying their cake!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from adorable blue-eyed Ben’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Lucia is ONE!

I first worked with Saidie for her maternity session, and photographed her daughter’s newborn and six month milestone session as well. Shecontacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Lucia with the whole family included and asked for it to be OUTDOORS! Because Lucia’s birthday was in late summer, I suggested that we schedule the session to take place at sunrise. Sunrise sessions are only available at one of my park locations during late summer. If you have early risers who are happiest at that time and also want to avoid the heat, a sunrise session might be the perfect option for you! In Atlanta, you’re looking the temperature of about 25 degrees COOLER than sunset. While there might still be humidity and mosquitoes, it’s definitely an improvement. If you don’t want to deal with the outdoor elements at all, the studio is the perfect place to have your session.

We sent Saidie our studio style guide, Pinterest style inspiration boards, and our cake tips sheet for best practices. The information we send over are is super easy to read and implement. Our style guide is applicable to every session we offer, and I’m here to help you however I can! Some mamas want to run their choices by me for input, and it’s all part of the service. I can schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe (whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or we exchange a few emails in advance of your session with photos! I’ve even been known to provide specific shopping links for those who ask! I understand you may be a busy mom who doesn’t have the time to come in, so that’s why I offer virtual options as well. Please note that if you want to borrow from the client wardrobe you will need to some in so you can physically try on options beforehand.

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS FOR YOUR SESSION AND WHY

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that fun (ha!) stage where a change instantly equals a temper tantrum, and it’s just not worth the hassle. You know your little one best, so I’ll yield to your judgment in that department! If you choose to dress your child(ren) before heading over, please put a bib on them to protect their clothing. You want this insurance just in case unexpected carsickness occurs, or they manage to find an old piece of candy lodged somewhere in the car seat. You may roll your eyes and think that’s ridiculous overthinking…but that actually happened to one of my clients with an old m&m. The mess that ONE melted m&m can make is almost unbelievable! Fortunately, they had NOT dressed their baby beforehand so the outfit was fortunately spared!

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE IF YOU’RE INCLUDING ONE

Not everyone chooses to include a smash cake, so don’t feel pressured to do that if that’s not your style. You don’t HAVE to choose a cake for your baby’s birthday treat: I’ve seen a plate of donuts, cupcakes, pie, macaroons, and even cookies used instead!

Saidie brought along a simple white cake with buttercream icing from Publix. Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options for your baby’s smash cake or cupcake. If your baby has egg/dairy allergies or you need a vegan option, I highly recommend She Takes the Cake! Christina is our preferred baker that we exclusively refer to our clients! If you don’t want to worry about picking up your cake on the day of the session, she offers a delivery service to the studio! It will be in perfect condition and waiting for you to arrive. Such a great way to take that extra unnecessary stress off your plate so you can truly enjoy your session day.

Over the past several years, I have personally worked with Christina to develop the perfect buttercream consistency for our babies. It’s soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere which makes cleanup a nightmare for parents. Most babies do not enjoy being wiped down since it requires sitting still. The less elbow grease needed to get icing off their skin, the better.

Regardless of where you choose to source your baby’s smash cake, we’ll send our cake tips to you. We also list a popular place in the Atlanta area that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s stickiness, I’m not kidding when I tell you that it is so sticky it’s like GLUE and is so awful! Below is a list of my top tips!

• SIMPLE - the focus should always be on your baby, not the cake. Don’t decorate with fondant or tons of added objects for decor.

• SMALL - your baby’s cake should be a 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers at the max. If it’s too high, their face can be obscured in photos, which is not what you want.

• SKIP PROPS - Real flowers are so pretty on cakes, but don’t work for long. You should plan to remove them after the first few photographs. Flowers will usually end up on your baby’s mouth! This goes for anything added to your cake - candles, decor, etc. Added elements become a distraction from the cake and can also obscure your baby’s adorable facial expressions during their session.

• COLOR - Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - steer clear of neons or super bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• NO COCUNUT - Don’t put shaved coconut on your cake - it’s has a gorgeous texture, but there there has not been a single baby in my studio that has liked it. It usually ends their exploration of the cake as soon as they put it in their mouth and feel the texture of the flakes.

• BUTTERCREAM ICING ONLY - AVOID whipped icing and fondant like the plague. Whipped icing is slippery and greasy. It is resistant to being wiped off skin and results in a messy screaming baby . You will be on your fiftieth baby wipe and muttering under your breath, “For the love of all things, why won’t this stuff WIPE OFF?!?!?!.” Fondant is impossible for tiny fingers to break through with their fingers and eat and frustrates babies. How do I know this? Past experience with these situation!

• NO WRITING - Skip a message on top of the cake (save it for their party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well at all, and you don’t need writing to know that it was their first birthday when you look at the photos.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are the ultimate 3-in-1. You will have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, and cake smash portraits all in one session gallery! I started the session photographing Lucia with her parents and sister, and she is just the CUTEST little baby girl. After we finished with those images, we moved on to photographing Lucia alone. Saidie had brought along a sweet little flower crown for Lucia which she shockingly kept on her head! Once we were done with this portion, we moved on to the cake smash! Outdoor cake smashes require a little more advance planning. You’ll need to bring a LOT of baby wipes, a trash bag, a few bottles of water, and a washcloth just to be prepared for the cleanup if babies get super messy since you won’t have access to running water like you would here in the studio.

THE CAKE SMASH

Saidie kept Lucia in the same outfit for the family photos and the cake smash. I had brought along one of our studio high chairs to use for her outdoor session. I demonstrate exactly how to present the cake to your baby (sounds silly, but how you do it does matter!) I physically model what I need clients throughout during my sessions as needed, so you never have to worry about what to do or how.

When Lucia saw her cake, she immediately dove right into it, and the rest of the family joined in on the fun too. If your baby isn’t super interested in their cake, parents getting into the photographs can help a lot. A lot of babies love to play the game of “feeding” their parents. When you model feeding each other cake, your little one will pick up on it quickly! Once they’ve become interested, parents can slowly back out of the frame and I’ll get those solo images of them enjoying their cake!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Lucia’s First Birthday session! My clients receive their selected images in both color and black and white versions, and I’m sharing the black and white in this blog post just to change it up a little!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | A is ONE!

A’s mom contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter with the whole family included. We sent her our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review as well! The style guide is a quick read and simple to implement! Our style guide is relevant to any type of session you schedule with us. I love helping people with their styling! I'm here to support you, so don't hesitate to ask if there's anything in particular you want help on. We can schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe options(whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or conduct it virtually with a few email exchanges in advance of your session.

PRO TIP: DON’T DRESS YOUR BABY UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE STUDIO!

If there’s one thing that’s true in life, it’s that lots of curveballs get thrown our way. Here’s a few examples of incidents that could happen on the way to your baby’s First Birthday session: a random bout of carsickness, a REALLY messy sneeze, a spilled bottle or snack cup….or perhaps your baby will manage to find a chocolate m&m buried in in the depths of their car seat….. You may laugh at this and think there’s no way these situations would occur…but these examples have actually happened to my clients. Fortunately, they had followed me instructions not to dress their baby until arrival, so the clothes were safe! If your best intentions go awry and your baby’s outfit isn’t usable (or you forget it!) don’t stress too much. I do have a limited baby wardrobe here that is very classic and timeless and that some of our moms choose to use. We can dress your baby in a pinch!

WHERE YOU SHOULD GET YOUR SMASH CAKE

A’s brought along a pink and white smash cake with buttercream icing from a local bakery up in Alpharetta where she lives. Unfortunately, the bakery had a MASSIVE amount of icing on the cake, and when we opened the box, we discovered that the icing had literally melted off and was a giant pool at the bottom of the box.

After the initial shock of seeing the cake, I reassured her that it would be ok because after all…the cakes do get smashed up anyway! I keep cake tools in the studio exactly for this purpose (this isn’t the first time this has happened!) I have found that bakeries are not in the business of designing cakes for the specific purpose of photos, and tend to overdo it with too much icing or icing that is too heavy - so when the cake is transported, it sometimes turns into a cake fail.

So how do you avoid this!? Don’t work with a bakery that doesn’t have a proven track record with smash cakes for PHOTOGRAPHY purposes. There is a big difference!

Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all easy and convienent choices to get a simple smash cake or even a cupcake. They will not overdecorate your cake with their standard icing.

If you’re looking for a custom and personalized experience with your baby’s smash cake, or if your baby has egg allergies/ needs a vegan option, we have the perfect solution for you!

We highly recommend Christina with She Takes the Cake. Christina is our preferred and our ONLY recommend baker here in Atlanta. We are happy to connect you with her! She offers a delivery service where she’ll bring your baby’s smash cake to the studio in advance of your session. When you arrive, it will be here in pristine condition and waiting for you. Clients love this option because it’s one less thing they have to worry about the day of their session, and there’s not sweating and praying while transporting the cake. Not only are Christina’s cakes gorgeous, they are absolutely delicious - even her vegan ones!

Over the past five years, I have worked with Christina to develop the perfect buttercream consistency for our babies. It’s soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it turns cleaning up your baby afterwards into a nightmare.. If you want to be 100% sure that you won’t have a cake disaster with icing melting off your cake or accidentally dropping it on your way up to the studio, working with She Takes The Cake is 100% the way to go!

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE

• Keep the cake simple! Don’t use fondant or add tons of distracting objects to the cake for decor.

• Your cake should be a 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers maximum. If you have a taller cake, it usually limits angles for photography since your baby’s face will be partially hidden behind it.

• Real flowers are beautiful on cakes, but are not recommended. If you just HAVE to have some flowers, you should plan to remove them after the first few photographs. Why? Because they will most likely end up right in your baby’s mouth. This guideline applies to anything on your cake that is not icing- candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

• Choose a neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels). Avoid neons or super bright colors that may stain skin and clothing, and will cause unwanted color casts in your pictures.

• Don’t cover your baby’scake with shaved coconut. Yes, the textured aesthetic is gorgeous, but in my experience, most babies don’t like it. When coconut has been used, it ended exploration of the cake as soon as the baby felt the texture of it in their mouth and was followed with lots of crying and spitting it out.

• Use buttercream icing only. DO NOT CHOOSE to use whipped icing, swiss buttercream, or fondant. Whipped and swiss buttercream icing is slippery, greasy, and horrifyingly MESSY. These icings are resistant to being wiped off your baby’s skin. If you use it, you will be wrestling your screaming baby while struggling for control and muttering under your breath, “For the love of Cheez-It’s, why won’t this stuff COME OFF?!?!?!.” As for fondant, it is very thick, and difficult for babies to get through to the actual cake with their fingers and eat so they lose interest quickly.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph like you’re thinking it will.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

I refer to First Birthday sessions as my 3-in-1 sessions. I photograph solo portraits of your little one, family & parent portraits, and cake smash photos throughout. I started the session photographing A alone since she was a friendly and curious little girl. If your baby is on the shy side, I’ll start the session with them in your arms for family and parent images so they feel safe. Once I finished A’s solo portraits, I moved on to the family images. A’s aunt and cousin had come along too, and they stepped in for a couple of photographs as well!

THE CAKE SMASH

After we finished up A’s solo portraits and all the family images, it was time for the cake!

I demonstrate how you should present the cake to your baby before you actually do it (I know this sounds silly, but it really does matter!) You will never be left wondering about what you should be doing throughout your time with me because I’ll guide you through your session with verbal prompts and demonstration as needed!

When A saw her cake, she dove right in! A lot of parents wonder about what we do if their baby doesn’t like their cake. There is no guarantee that they will, because every baby is different with this! I’ve found that the majority of babies do enjoy it, especially if it’s presented with no pressure from anyone and kept fun for them.

If your baby isn’t really interested in touching their cake at first, you can help by getting into the photographs! Most babies love to “feed” their parents or to be fed by them. Make eating the cake a fun game for them but modeling feeding each other bites. Once your baby becomes interested, you can slowly back out of the frame and I’ll get those solo images of them covered in cake and icing while you watch and enjoy the cuteness!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from A’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Charity is ONE!

LaTonya contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Charity with the whole family included. We sent LaTonya our style guide, Pinterest board, and our cake tips sheet to review as well! The style guide is a quick read and very easy to implement! The guide is relevant to any type of session you schedule with us. If you want more hands-on assistance from me in your styling, I’m here to support you! We can schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe options(whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or do it virtual with a few exchanged emails in advance of your session.

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T DRESS YOUR BABY UNTIL YOU ARRIVE AT THE STUDIO

If there’s one thing that’s true in life, it’s that things rarely go exactly the way we plan. Here’s a short list of things that can happen on the way to your session: random carsickness, a REALLY big sneeze, a bottle spill, your baby manages to find a chocolate m&m buried in their car seat….. You may scoff at this and think there’s no way…but these scenarios have actually happened to my clients. Fortunately, they had NOT yet dressed their child, so after a quick cleanup in the studio they were all ready to go!

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE

LaTonya brought along a pink and white smash cake with buttercream icing from a local bakery. Unfortunately, the bakery had put WAY too much icing on the cake, and it was sliding off the sides. After the initial shock of seeing the cake and wondering what she could do, I reassured LaTony that it would be ok! I handed her a butter knife that I keep in the studio, and we performed some smash cake icing surgery. This is not the first time that this has happened with a client bringing in a cake from a bakery, so that’s why I keep repair tools on hand. Most busy bakeries are not in the business of designing cakes for the specific purpose of photos, and often completely overdo it with too much icing or icing that is too heavy.

Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great commercial options to pick up a simple smash cake or cupcake and will not overdecorate your cake with their standard icing.

If you’re looking for a more custom and personalized experience with your baby’s smash cake, or if your baby has egg allergies/ needs a vegan option, we have the perfect solution! We highly recommend Christina with She Takes the Cake. Christina is our preferred and our ONLY recommend baker here in Atlanta. We are happy to connect you with her! She offers a delivery service where she’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of, and her cakes are GORGEOUS.

Over the past four years, I have worked closely with Christina to develop the perfect buttercream consistency: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it turns cleanup into a nightmare for all involved. If you want to ensure that you don’t have a cake disaster with icing falling off the cake or dropping it on your way up to the studio, Christina is 100% the way to go!

TOP TIPS FOR YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE

• Keep it simple! The focus should be on your baby, not their cake. Don’t choose fondant or add tons of objects to the cake for decor.

• 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers maximum. If you have a really tall cake, it limits angles for photography since their face will be partially hidden behind it.

• Real flowers are gorgeous on cakes. If you want to have some flowers, plan to remove them after the first few initial photographs - because they will most likely end up right in your baby’s mouth. This applies to anything on your cake that is not icing- candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

  Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - steer clear of neons or super bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Do NOT decorate your cake with shaved coconut. Yes, the texture aesthetic is beautiful, but babies don’t like it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake as soon as they feel it in their mouth.

• Buttercream icing only. DO NOT USE whipped icing, swiss buttercream, or fondant. Whipped icing (and swiss buttercream) is a slippery greasy horrific MESS. It is resistant to being wiped off skin and will result in wrestling your screaming baby while you struggle for control and mutter under your breath, “For the love of all that is holy, why won’t this stuff WIPE OFF?!?!?!.” Fondant is very thick, and difficult for babies to get through to the actual cake with their fingers and eat.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well.

  How do I know the aforementioned tips? Years and years of experience and more cake smash sessions than I can count!

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are what I lovingly refer to as my 3-in-1 session. You’ll have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, and cake smash photos all in one session. I started the session photographing Charity alone since she was a friendly and happy baby. If your baby is on the shy side, I’ll start with them in your arms for family and parent images so they feel safe and secure.

A NOTE ABOUT FIRST BIRTHDAY ONESIES

I love personalized onesies and think they are a great option for babies. There is something you need to know about onesies though, before you go order one from Etsy.

You cannot see the onesie when baby has the cake in front of them. Sometimes babies aren’t cooperative enough to allow an image with the onesie in full view before we get started. I always try to get at least one image where you CAN see it before we start with the cake. At this point a lot of babies are over being photographed and really need the distraction of a cake being put in front of them to continue on. After Charity’s solo images, we seamlessly transitioned to parent and family, and then LaTonya changed Charity into her outfit for the cake smashing fun!

THE CAKE SMASH

I took a few quick solo photos of Charity in our Eames chair to show off her long sleeved “One” onesie and pink tutu and she flashed the sweetest grins! After I finished up, I pulled out one of our antique high chairs (we have 3) and got her all settled.

I demonstrate exactly how you should present the cake to your baby before you actually do it(sounds silly, but it does matter!) I will physically show you what I need you to do throughout during my sessions, so you will never be left wondering about what you should be doing.

When Chairty saw her cake, she grabbed it and went to town and decimated it down to the base! If your baby isn’t super interested in their cake, parents getting into the photographs can help a lot. A lot of babies love to “feed” their parents. If you model feeding each other cake for your little one, they’ll see it as a fun game to play. Once they become interested and start exploring their cake, parents can slowly back out of the frame and I’ll get those solo images of them covered in cake and icing!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Charity’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Malcolm is ONE!

After working with me for her maternity and newborn portraits, Kayla reached out to schedule her son’s First Birthday portraits in the studio. She let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion because she wanted the session to focus solely on Malcolm. I gave her some suggestions for what he could wear for his session, and she was all set! While most clients do choose to incorporate a smash cake in their First Birthday sessions, it’s totally fine not to! Your session will be tailored to your vision and will capture your one year old just as they are.

Want to see the other sessions? You can view Kayla’s studio maternity session images by clicking here, and Malcom’s newborn session by clicking here. As a fun little note, Kayla’s maternity session was at our old Grant Park studio, and Malcolm was one of the first babies to be photographed in our current location!

THE SESSION PLANNING PROCESS

We discuss your vision for your session at length with you. This looks different for each client! While most ask for their session to be equally focused on whole family and solo baby photos, some request the focus to be entirely on their baby. My session flow is carefully designed with your requested outcome in mind..

I HIGHLY recommend at least one parent be ready to step into the photos, JUST IN CASE. There are times that I will need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to win them over. If you show up wearing yoga pants and hair stuffed under a ball cap because you weren’t prepared to step into the photos, this won’t be possible. If your baby refuses to be put down, it becomes a problem.

If your baby is shy, I patiently work towards getting them comfortable enough with me that they are willing to be out of your arms for solo portraits. I don’t put any of the images taken during the trust-winning period (unless we have some amazing ones with big smiles or too-good-to-pass-up images ) in your proof gallery. If we can’t accomplish solo portraits because your baby isn’t ok with leaving your arms, then you will have images of them in your arms that will be just as gorgeous as the ones of them alone.

WHAT SHOULD MY BABY WEAR?

When you book a session with me, we’ll send you our studio style guide! It’s an easy read, and goes over best practices. I also have a list of great resources to shop at, and I gave Kayla a few suggestions of where to look! We do hav a limited baby wardrobe that can work in a pinch, but because most of our mamas prefer to dress their little ones on their own, it is not an extensive wardrobe. Our wardrobe for mamas is quite hefty (100+ pieces and counting as of this blog post), and you are more than welcome to borrow for yourself if you’re participating in the session!

SESSION FLOW

Malcolm was NOT a shy baby, so there was no need at all for Kayla to hold him while he got used to me. Kayla had dressed him in the most ADORABLE outfit complete with suspenders. If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ll know how much I love baby boys in suspenders.

He was all about exploring the studio and super interested in what I was doing. We used a few of our studio chairs, and he showed off his super fast crawling skills! I asked Kayla if he was walking yet, and she told me he wasn’t quite there. MOST of our one year olds are NOT walking at the First Birthday session, so don’t feel like your baby is behind if that’s the case! I asked Kayla to step into one photo to assist Malcolm with taking a few steps, and she was happy to do so. It’s such a beautiful memory for mamas to have… you work so hard to take care of your little one and help them reach their milestones, and we have all had those chubby baby fingers earnestly gripping ours as they learn to walk. Your baby will never be this little again, and they will grow up entirely too fast right in front of your eyes. While I can’t freeze time, I can preserve these memories for you and it’s the greatest joy of my job.

Baby safety is the #1 consideration for me during sessions at the studio. I always have a parent to the side of baby acting as a spotter while I’m photographing your baby alone. Malcolm was what I call a “diver” and immediately tried to get down from the chair, but Kayla was right there to catch him! :)

One year olds don’t have a long attention span, and will tire out pretty quickly, so I keep my First Birthday moving efficiently and I change things up constantly to keep your baby engaged.

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Malcolm’s First Birthday portraits! I love his big brown eyes and curly hair, and can’t wait to see him again as he grows!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will treasure for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Harper is ONE!

Allison contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Harper with the whole family included as well. I first worked with this family for their daughter’s newborn session at our old Grant Park studio. I love to see my tiny newborn clients again and see how much they’ve changed. While some babies don’t look anything like they did as tiny ones, some retain all their features and look exactly the same. In this case, Harper looks SO much like she did as a newborn! You can see for yourself by checking out her newborn session images here.

Allison chose her date and sent over our simple and easy to read style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet for her to have handy in the planning process.

OUR STYLE GUIDE: MAKING YOUR LIFE EASIER SINCE 2013

Our style guide is applicable to pretty much any type of session you book with us. If you find that you need or want more hands on assistance, I’m here for you! We can schedule a consult here in the studio to go through your wardrobe options (whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or we can do this virtually and exchange emails before your session. We believe that your portrait session should be enjoyable and as stress free of possible, and have thoughtfully designed our entire client experience on that foundation!

WHERE TO GET YOUR BABY’S SMASH CAKE IN ATLANTA

We highly recommend She Takes the Cake as our ONLY recommended baker and are happy to connect you with her! She can accommodate vegan requests as well for those who have a little one with dairy or egg allergies or just don’t want to introduce those foods to their baby just yet. I have worked closely with Christina with feedback over the years to create the optimal buttercream consistency for smash cakes: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not sticky like glue which makes cleanup a total nightmare. Pro tip: most babies don’t enjoy being wiped down, so the less elbow grease you have to apply to get icing off their skin, the better.

Allison had seen Christina’s work on IG and noticed how many of our clients work with her. She knew she didn’t want the hassle of coordinating pickup and transporting the cake to the studio beforehand, so it was a no brainer for her. She worked closely with Christina to coordinate the color of the cake to match Harper’s adorable embroidered romper.

Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options to pick up a simple smash cake or cupcake.

Regardless of where you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you (We also a popular place in the Atlanta area that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s incredibly sticky like tacky glue - it was absolutely horrible).

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR BABY’S FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION

First Birthday sessions are what I the ultimate 3-in-1 session. I photograph solo portraits of your newly minted one year old, each parent with baby, whole family portraits, AND cake smash photos during our time together. Because babies are unpredictable and have short attention span, I move very quickly and efficiently, adapting to the personality and needs of your little one. If your baby has big energy, I’ll be more peppy. If they’re shy and quiet, I’ll match them in tone and be more reserved. If they need a break, they’ll get one. Your baby ultimately runs the show, and I roll with it however needed to get what we need.

HOW HARPER’S SESSION WENT

I started the session photographing Harper with her parents, and she was just the CUTEST little baby girl. I loved her bright yellow onesie that Allison had made especially for the photos. She was a tiny bit shy at first (not for long!) and gave me LOTS of smiles. Once she was comfortable with me, we moved to solo portraits of Harper using a variety of different things in the studio: the bed, the floor, chairs, etc. Then we pulled Dequan in for some daddy and daughter shots, and then the entire family together.

While many mamas choose to bring a separate outfit for the cake smash, Allison wanted Harper in the same outfit for all of it. So all we had to do was pull out the high chair that best worked with their color scheme (we have three in the studio!) and present Harper with her cake.

Allison had requested a yellow ombre rosette cake that was stunningly beautiful and matched Harper’s romper perfectly. I seriously don’t know how Christina does it, but she nails it every time!

Harper dove right into her cake and had lots of fun sharing with her daddy, ha! Some babies aren’t as interested in their cakes, and if that’s your baby - don’t worry! I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to get them there - and one of the most effective is for parents to join in on the fun and get in the photos. You can play games with your child and model feeding each other icing, asking your baby for a bite, and so on. Once your baby has become sufficiently interested, you can slowly exit out of the frame and I’ll get those images of them exploring their cake!

Enjoy a handful of my favorites from Harper’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Vivian is ONE!

After working with me for an earlier milestone session, Vivian’s mom reached out to schedule her First Birthday portraits. She let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion because she wanted the session to focus on Vivian with a few of the two of them together. While most clients do choose to end their First Birthday sessions with a smash cake, it’s totally fine not to! Your session will be tailored to your preferences and will still beautifully capture your newly minted one year old!

Session planning and the parent involvement “insurance policy”

We discuss the vision for your session with you. This looks different for every client! While the majority want the session to be equally focused on family and their baby, some prefer for the focus to be mainly on their baby with just a handful of family images. I design my session flow around those expressed desires.

I do STRONGLY recommend at least one parent be ready to step into the photos, especially if your session is for a young baby or shy child. There are times that I need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to establish and win their trust. If you show up wearing yoga pants and hair stuffed under a ball cap because you weren’t prepared to step into the photos if needed, this will be a problem if your baby refuses to be put down. Being ready to step in serves as an insurance policy! Sometimes the biggest grins and cutest expressions have been captured while a baby is being held by their parent.

With that being said, I always work towards getting your baby comfortable enough to be put down for solo portraits. If we get them to that place, I just don’t put any of the images taken during the trust-winning period (unless we have some amazing ones with big smiles or too-good-to-pass-up images ) in your proof gallery. If we can’t accomplish solo portraits because your baby absolutely refuses, then we’ll have images of them in your arms that will be just as beautiful as the ones of them alone.

SESSION FLOW FOR SHY BABIES

Because I had worked with Vivian just a few months prior, I knew that she was on the shy and quiet side. Her mom dressed her in the most beautiful blue swiss dot dress with white detailing, and I couldn’t get over how sweet she looked!

I started out with her on the floor by her mom since she was NOT interested in her mama being far away at this point. After lots of snuggles and kisses, (and some comfort from her bunny rabbit), I handed Vivian one of our studio stacking toys (thoroughly sanitized after any child touches them!) and that was enough of a distraction for Candace to step out of the frame.

Safety is the top priority at the studio. I always have a parent act as spotter while I’m photographing baby alone. Vivian was comfortable at this point, and I pulled out lots of things for her to sit on to to create variety in her gallery! After we finished with seated photos, I had Vivian show off her standing skills by holding on to a stool that she showed interest in. One year olds do not stay engaged with anything for very long, so First Birthday sessions move quickly and change up constantly to keep my tiny clients interested and engaged!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from Vivian’s First Birthday portraits! I love her big blue eyes and the many expressions she showed throughout our time together, and look forward to photographing her as she grows!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Sophia is ONE!

Amanda contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Sophia with the whole family included as well. We sent Amanda our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review as well! The sheets we send over are super easy to read through. Our style guide is applicable to pretty much any type of session you have with us. If you need more assistance, we’re here for you! We can schedule a visit in the studio to go over your wardrobe (whether you are borrowing from the studio wardrobe or wearing your own) or exchange a few emails in advance of your session.

THE BEST TIME TO DRESS FOR YOUR SESSION AND WHY

Some moms find it it easier dress their child beforehand because they’re in that fun (ha!) stage where a change instantly equals a temper tantrum, and it’s just not worth the hassle. You know your little one best, so I defer to your judgment in that department! If you choose to dress them before heading over, I STRONGLY suggest having your child in a bib or something to protect their clothing just in case a random bout of carsickness occurs, or they manage to find a chocolate m&m lodged somewhere in the car seat. You may scoff at this and think it’s ridiculous overthinking…but this actually happened to one of my clients. Fortunately, they had NOT dressed their child in their planned outfit for the drive over so a few baby wipes later, and they were good!

WHERE TO GET YOUR SMASH CAKE IF YOU’RE INCLUDING ONE

Amanda brought along a simple white cake with buttercream icing that had a pink border. She made it herself! I love when mamas make their baby’s first cake, but if you don’t want to do that, there are plenty of other options available to you. Publix, Kroger, and Whole Foods are all great options to pick up a simple smash cake or cupcake. If your baby has egg allergies or needs a vegan option, we highly recommend She Takes the Cake as our preferred baker and are happy to connect you with her! She offers a delivery service where she’ll drop your cake off at the studio in advance of your session so it’s one less thing you need to worry about the day of, and her cakes are GORGEOUS. Over the past four years, I have worked with Christina to develop the optimal buttercream consistency: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and makes cleanup a nightmare for parents. Pro tip: most babies don’t enjoy being wiped down, so the less elbow grease you have to apply to get icing off their skin, the better.

Regardless of where you choose to get your baby’s smash cake from, we’ll send our cake tips to you. We also list a popular place in the Atlanta area that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s incredible stickiness reminiscent of GLUE. Below is a list of our top tips!

• SIMPLE is the name of the game - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake. Avoid fondant or tons of added objects for decor.

• 6 inch diameter size or less and no more than two layers at the max. If it’s too high, it limits angles for photography since their face can be obscured.

• Real flowers are beautiful on cakes, but you should plan to remove them after initial photographs - they will most likely end up on your baby’s mouth. This goes for anything on your cake - candles, decor, etc. It ends up being a distraction from the task at hand and can also obscure adorable facial expressions during their session.

  Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) is best - steer clear of neons or super bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Don’t use shaved coconut as a topping - it’s beautiful, but there there has not been a single baby that has liked it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake as soon as they put it in their mouth.

• Use buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant. Whipped icing is a slippery greasy mess that is resistant to being wiped off skin and results in a screaming baby while desperate parents on the eleventeenth baby wipe mutter under their breath, “For the love of all things, why won’t this stuff COME OFF?!?!?!.” Fondant is very thick, and difficult for babies to break through with their fingers and eat. How do I know this? Because I’ve had sessions where parents brought cakes like this watched the mentioned scenarios unfold.

• Skip writing a message on top of the cake (save it for the party cake instead) - it doesn’t photograph well.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

First Birthday sessions are what I call my 3-in-1. We have solo portraits of your little one, family portraits, and cake smash portraits all in one session. I started the session photographing Sophia with her parents, and she was just the CUTEST little baby girl. She was a little bit shy at first but gave me lots of smiles. When I have a baby that is on the shy side, I always start the session with them in your arms because this helps them know they are safe and secure, and that everything is ok. Once she was comfortable with me, we moved to solo portraits of Sophia. Sophia doesn’t mind being changed in the least bit (a rarity!) so she wore two dresses throughout her session, and mom changed her into a sweet little First Birthday onesie for the cake smash.

A NOTE ABOUT FIRST BIRTHDAY ONESIES

I love personalized onesies and think they are a great option for babies, but there is a major caveat to be mindful of before you go all out! You cannot see the onesie when baby has the cake in front of them and sometimes they aren’t cooperative to allow for us to get an image with the onesie in full view before we get started. I always try to get at least one image where you CAN see the onesie before we start with the cake, but at this point most babies are over being photographed and need the distraction of a cake being put in front of them to continue.

THE CAKE SMASH

Amanda changed Sophia into her onesie for the cake smash, and as mentioned, I took a few quick photos of her in our Eames chair to fully show it off. After we finished with that, I pulled out one of our antique high chairs (we have three in the studio!). I demonstrate exactly how to present the cake to your baby (sounds silly, but how you do it does matter!) I physically model what I need clients throughout during my sessions as needed, so you never have to worry about what to do or how.

When Sophia saw her cake, she immediately dove right into it, and mom and dad joined in on the fun too. If your baby isn’t super interested in their cake, parents getting into the photographs can help a lot. Babies love to “feed” their parents, and modeling feeding each other cake for your little one goes a long way. Once they’ve become sufficiently interested, parents can slowly back out of the frame and I’ll get those solo images of them enjoying their cake!

Enjoy a few of my favorites from sweet Sophia’s First Birthday session!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Analeigh is ONE!

Vanessa contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday portrait session for her daughter, Analeigh.  She also asked to schedule an appointment to look through out studio wardrobe for herself.. We scheduled a time for that, and sent over our easy to follow style guide and cake tips sheet for her to look through beforehand.

Our style consults are complimentary to our booked clients, and we offer virtual appointments for clients who just need help dressing from their own closets. (more on that in a bit!) For in person styling consults, clients can bring clothing from home that they’re considering wearing and we’ll look through studio pieces too. Some clients end up wearing studio clothing, while others wear their own or a mix of the two. Vanessa tried on a few dresses but ultimately fell in love with a simple white lace embroidered dress, and we discussed what her husband and Analeigh should wear as well!

Planning a portrait session for your family can definitely feel overwhelming, and I’m here to take that AWAY by providing assistance to you and holding your hand as much as you need me to. If coming into the studio isn’t an option for your schedule (we completely understand busy lives!) that’s not a problem! Many of our clients choose to coordinate over emails instead. It’s really as simple as taking a phone snap of your outfit considerations and sending them over. I’ll use markup to circle things and respond with detailed feedback and suggestions!

On the morning of their session, when the family arrived, Analeigh was very curious and smiley! Not every baby is as outgoing as Analeigh is, but we structure our portrait sessions to allow extra time for your baby to warm up and feel secure if that’s needed!

We started the session with Analeigh alone for solo portraits since she wasn’t shy, and eventually moved to parent and entire family images. I asked her parents to snuggle her, and play with her, because that’s really all we need to do to capture beautiful images of your family. We will definitely get that “everyone looking” photo, but it’s all the in between moments that are special and pull at the heartstrings when looking back at them. Once we were totally finished with the solo and family portraits, Vanessa changed Analeigh into one of our studio camisoles and pulled out the high chair for the cake smash! This particular cake was from Publix, which is a great option here in Atlanta. If you want to save yourself the hassle of having to pick up and transport a cake before your session, you can choose to work with our exclusive studio baker! We only refer our clients to her for the most beautiful (and delicious!) cakes, and she works with SO many of our clients. She’ll drop off your cake right before your session and it will be here waiting for you. One less thing to stress about and wrangle into the studio the day of your session. Bonus: our baker can accommodate vegan requests for those who have egg or dairy allergies!

Analeigh LOVED her cake, and promptly bent over to lick it. Smart girl - maximum icing for minimum effort. ;)

When Vanessa viewed her proof gallery, she just couldn’t narrow down the ones she loved the most, because she loved them all. She ended up choosing to keep the entire gallery with a gorgeous framed and matted print of their family in black and white. (Yep - you’ll get color AND black and white versions of your selected images!) After she chose her print for the frame, we had a virtual appointment to decide on the perfect frame moulding for it. We have a large offering right there in the studio to choose from, and I absolutely love our framing line offerings. Your custom artwork is matted and framed with love by ME right here in the studio!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Analeigh’s session! She was just the cutest little girl with the biggest eyes and most joyful smile, and I so loved working with her family!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Brock & Hendrix are ONE!

Dad contacted the studio to inquire about scheduling a First Birthday session for his twin boys, and told us that it would be the family’s first professional portrait session as well. He’s a professional filmmaker here in the Atlanta area, and I love working with others in the imaging industry. He connected us with his wife from there to handle all of the little details (what to wear, cake tips, etc), and we were all set for their session!

When the family arrived, I immediately noticed how different the twins’ personalities were. Hendrick was more outgoing, with Brock being on the quieter side. I approach all shy babies the same way: with very quiet and slow movements. Little ones have every right to feel safe and secure, and I am not going to frighten them by trying to amp up a situation and jump around being loud. I meet your baby exactly where they’re at and we go from there. I have worked with every personality type that I can think of, as well as special needs kids, and treating them with loving respect goes a long, long way. Because the boys were a little unsure, we started the session with family images so they would be in the arms of their parents and see that I was nothing to worry about. After that, I pulled out some of our wooden blocks (sanitized!) for the boys to play with, and they warmed up from there.

Parents are often surprised by how short our First Birthday sessions are and at how quickly their babies tire out. The majority of our babies last 45 minutes at the max, and I move very quickly to keep them interested and engaged. I work efficiently so that I can create all the images needed before moving on to the cake smashing fun. As a note: we have many families opt to skip the cake part, so if you're considering first year portraits, please don’t feel like it's a requirement to have a cake. This family had picked up their smash cakes from Publix - which is a great option here in the Atlanta area. If you want something more custom and don’t want to have to worry about transporting your cake(s) to the studio, we have the perfect baker to refer you to! We exclusively refer her to all our First Birthday portrait clients, and she delivers the cake straight to the studio so it’s waiting here for your session. Her cakes are gorgeous, taste delicious, and she can accommodate vegan cake requests as well!

We moved on to the cake smashing fun and set up some fun balloons that the family had brought along. Mama was hoping they would wear their special birthday hats that she had ordered for them - and she followed my special “trick” to have a better chance of that…. as you can see, it worked! The twins were immediately interested in their cakes and enjoyed exploring and tasting the icing. After they were finished with their cakes, their parents cleaned them up while I took care of cleaning up the studio. We always recommend bringing a couple packs of baby wipes from home (the wipes cut through the buttercream perfectly) as well as some towels and washcloths if your baby requires some more heavy duty cleanup as we have a full bathtub right here in the studio if required!

Enjoy the images from this fun twin birthday session! It’s NEVER too early to get on the books for your baby’s First Birthday - we book up several months in advance, and currently only shoot ONE studio session per day. We highly recommend contacting us as soon as possible ESPECIALLY if you want to schedule for a weekend day!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Willow is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Ava is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Brynn is ONE!

If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!

Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.