I first worked with Haylen's mom and dad for their maternity session when they were pregnant with her, which can be viewed by clicking here. I saw them again when Haylen was six months old, but that session has yet to be blogged. The majority of our sessions aren't blogged for a while after they take place because we shoot so many sessions and just don't have enough time to keep up with blogging!
Sindi contacted me to schedule Haylen's First Birthday session. She wanted it to take place before her actual birthday so that she could use images from the session for the birthday party. Many of our clients do this for the exact same reason. About 10% of clients like to schedule their session to take place on baby's actual birthday, and the rest plan it sometime before their baby turns 13 months old.
This session didn't quite go how Sindi had hoped it would. Her cake didn't work out, and Sindi came down with a cold so wasn't feeling up to being in the photos. She was in a little bit of a tiff when she arrived at the studio as she'd just discovered the cake problem and also wasn't feeling well, but I called a time out to go over the options and what we could do.
Sindi had ordered a character cake from Publix for Haylen's First Birthday but unfortunately the cake was not at all what Sindi had envisioned. I gave Sindi the option to send Errol to grab a cake or cupcake, but she made the decision to just skip the cake. I highly recommend keeping smash cakes small (4-6 inches) and simple with beautiful textured icing. We have a baker that we work with who can deliver the cake to the studio in advance of your session so it's one less thing for you to worry about. Otherwise, if you keep your cake order with your local bakery simple - it's very hard for them to mess that up! I also suggest to moms who are planning on baking their own cake for their child that they do a trial run before the session day. We've had a couple of cake catastrophes in the studio with cakes that were made with alternative ingredients crumbled before our eyes or just didn't bake well.
Sindi had brought some beautiful outfits for Haylen and some of her favorite loveys too. I adore when parents choose for their child's favorite stuffed animals or doll to be included in the session. It's such a precious part of childhood that deserves to be remembered. The second outfit that Haylen is wearing is one that I actually have in the studio wardrobe. Sindi and I had a good laugh about that.
Even though the session didn't happen the way that Sindi had envisioned it, she let me know after she viewed her images that she absolutely loved them. She printed several large wall portraits for her home and for Haylen's upcoming First Birthday party!
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 birth photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.