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.

Atlanta First Birthday Photographer | Priyanka 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 | Sia is ONE!

I first worked with Deepa & Sumesh when they were expecting their daughter. You can view their maternity session images taken at the park location by clicking here. Deepa called the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for their little one, and I was so excited to see them again and meet their little girl!

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSIONS AREN’T ALL ABOUT CAKE

We LOVE First Birthday portrait sessions around here, and each one is tailored to each clients’ vision. We’ll start your baby’s session with photographs of just them that highlight their personalities and their skills. Some one year olds are crawling and pulling up, while others are walking confidently (or not so much) all over the place. Their First Birthday portraits are meant to capture exactly who they are at this special milestone. We STRONGLY encourage parents to also participate in these sessions too!

Maybe your vision for your baby’s first birthday photos includes a smash cake. Or maybe you want a platter of donuts or a pie instead. Or perhaps you don’t want to have cake be a part of the session at all. There is no right or wrong way to do it, it’s all about your personal preference.

FIRST BIRTHDAY SESSION FLOW

I don’t start every First Birthday session the same way - it comes down to your baby and their personality. Sia wasn’t a shy little girl, so I was able to start with solo portraits of just her. Deepa asked if she could try putting a hairbow on her head, and I replied, “You can try!” Some one year olds just won’t keep bows on their heads, and if yours is one of them - I suggest letting it go. It’s not a battle worth fighting and will lead to frustration on your part…and your baby will be gleefully gloating about it. If you have a bow-hater, your best chance is to try slipping it on during the fun and games portion of the whole family session or RIGHT before you present them with their cake. They’re often so distracted they forget about the bow (which you will see from the image gallery is exactly what happened with Sia during her session).

What you can’t see is her daddy hovering just out of the camera frame ready to catch her if she decided to try to crawl off the bed. I take baby safety very seriously and will always have a parent spotter at the ready during solo photos of babies. Sia was lots of fun and very curious. I photographed a wide range of expressions from her, and then had mom and dad jump in with her. It’s always so wonderful to see my previous maternity clients as parents - and it’s pretty clear that Deepa and Sumesh are loving their new roles as mom and dad!

After a few whole family images, I photographed Sia with just her mom and then with just her dad, and brought the whole family back together again. My sessions are very much baby led, and I roll with whatever baby is giving me. Babies are easily distracted and they also change their minds frequently during sessions. I see this most often in who they want to be held by! Mom! No, dad! No, mom! This leads to a game I like to call “pass the baby”, and I direct parents to keep looking at their baby and smiling, and this honestly creates the most genuine and loving images. My favorite images are almost always of things that you would naturally do with your baby at home as a family without a camera there. I love being able to give my families photographs to show them how they all love each other so well and how their baby or spouse really looks at them. (hint: it’s with pure adoration) I think we so often miss that in the busyness of our daily lives.

CAKE DETAILS

I won’t go into tons of detail here about cakes, but just know that if you’re choosing to include a cake with your session that we will send you a cake tips sheet! It outlines the best type of icing, best icing colors, the optimal size and height, and some other important things that come into play. We have a preferred baker that we exclusively (and highly!) recommend to all of our clients. You can also choose to order from your local grocer’s bakery department (Publix, Whole Foods, Kroger), or even make it yourself which I think is super meaningful and special. One of my favorite cake smashes to this day is the one where DAD made the cake, and you can see that session here. (Fun fact: this family is actually the one who referred Deepa & Sumesh to me for their maternity session!)

Parents incorporating a cake should also be sure to bring a towel and a dedicated pack of baby wipes to the session. We have a bathtub here in the studio if things get crazy messy, but usually your pack of baby wipes is more than sufficient to clean up your child afterwards. We’ll be working as a team for cake cleanup so you don't end up covered in icing too!

THE CAKE SMASH

Most parents bring a different outfit for their child to wear during the cake smash. Remember how babies tend to hate bows? This is also true for party hats and bowties - so keep that in mind if you’re hoping to incorporate these into the smash. Your baby may keep them on and be totally fine with it, or they may rip them off and fling them to the floor. No matter what they choose to do, I promise they will look absolutely adorable regardless, so don’t stress out about it too much!

The majority of our babies sit in our studio high chair for their sessions, but some babies just won’t have it. Don’t worry if your baby isn’t feeling the high chair, because we have other options. We’ll try the floor, or pulled to a stand with the cake on a crate. As a last resort, we’ll have one parent hold the cake and the other parent hold baby while standing up. Whatever your baby is most comfortable with is what we’ll do - and it will be totally unique to them.

My clients report that their favorite part of the whole experience was being able to truly watch their child explore their cake and not worry about the reactions of guests or trying to videotape it or take photos of it because I’m handling that for them! I know there have been so many times with my own children where I’m frantically trying to document it so their grandparents can enjoy seeing a video of it that I realize I wasn’t fully present and actually ended up missing out on TRULY enjoying those moments as a parent.

Some parents aren’t sure that they want to do a cake because their baby didn’t have a great reaction at their party. I’ve found that at first birthday parties, a lot of babies are so overstimulated and tired by the time the cake rolls around that they want nothing to do with it and melt down instead. In the studio, it’s a low pressure environment with zero expectations and plenty of time to warm up if they’re unsure about it at first. No matter how your child reacts, it will be an organic process of them seeing their cake, and then deciding what to do with it. If your baby isn’t sure about it, get in on the fun WITH them! That’s what Deepa and Sumesh did, and they all had a blast. I love that Sia will always be able to look at these images to see her parents’ love for her and how much fun they had with her at her First Birthday session!

Enjoy a few of my favorites!

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 | Catherine is ONE!

Dani contacted the studio to schedule a First Birthday session for her daughter, Catherine with the whole family included as well. I last worked with her for her son’s First Birthday Session (click here to see those images), so was really excited to see them all again! We sent Dani our style guide, Pinterest inspiration board, and our cake tips sheet to review just in case she needed it. We’ve found that our repeat clients don’t really need these again, but we send them anyway just in case! Veteran moms know “mom brain” is a very real thing. ;) The resources that we send over are so easy to read through and implement, and the style guide is applicable to pretty much any kind of photography session you ever have with us.

WHEN TO GET DRESSED FOR YOUR SESSION AND WHY

The day of their session, the family arrived at my studio and proceeded to get the kids dressed. I always recommend waiting to dress your children until you arrive at your session. If you want to dress them beforehand, please make sure that they are not wearing something that will wrinkle in a car seat. Some moms so prefer to dress their child beforehand because they’re in a stage where changing them makes them throw a temper tantrum and it’s just not worth it. You know your child best, so I will always defer to your judgment! If having them dressed before you head over to me is the best plan of action for your family, I STRONGLY recommend 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 a client. Fortunately, they had NOT dressed their child in their planned outfit for the drive over.

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

Dani brought along an ombre pink rosette cake with buttercream icing from Publix, which is a great option to pick up a basic smash cake. Kroger and Whole Foods are other great options as well! We 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. I personally worked with Christina to develop the best kind of buttercream consistency for our little clients over several cakes - and she’s perfected it: soft enough to interact with and smash, but not so sticky that it gets everywhere and makes cleanup a total nightmare. Pro tip: babies don’t enjoy being wiped down, so the less force you have to apply to get icing off their skin, the better.

Regardless of where you choose to source your cake from, we will send cake tips over to you (we share a place in the Atlanta area that is actually pretty popular, but that we do NOT recommend getting your baby’s smash cake from because of the icing’s incredibly gluey stickiness), but I’ll reference the most helpful below.

• SIMPLE is the name of the game - the focus should always be on your baby, not their cake

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

• Real flowers are beautiful on cakes, but 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 block their facial expressions during.

• Neutral icing color (off white, cream, or pastels) - avoid neons or overly bright colors that may permanently stain clothing and cause color casts in your photos

• Avoid shaved coconut as a topping - there has not been a single baby that has liked it, and it usually ends exploration of the cake immediately once they put it in their mouth

• Use buttercream icing. AVOID whipped icing and fondant LIKE THE PLAGUE. Whipped icing is a slippery nightmarish mess that is resistant to being wiped off skin and results in a screaming baby while desperate parents on their eleventeenth baby wipe mutter under their breath, “For the love of all things, why is this stuff NOT COMING OFF?!?!?!.”, and fondant is very hard for babies to break through with their fingers and eat. How do I know this? Because I’ve witnessed sessions with them and the above scenarios have actually happened.

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

SESSION FLOW WHEN YOUR BABY IS SHY

Catherine was very shy and clingy, so we started the session with the whole family. Big brother Tommy was interested at first, but once the family was finished being photographed, he ran off to play with some of our studio toys.

I moved on to photographing Catherine with her parents, and she made it very clear that she did not want to be put down. I reassured Dani and Mark that we would still get beautiful images of just her while being held by them, and they told me they weren’t too worried. What you can’t see from this gallery is all the crying that happened throughout. I wasn’t so sure that I would be able to get Catherine away from either of her parents for solo portraits, but I took my time and introduced some of our studio toys to her. She was definitely interested in those, so I placed them on the floor for her. She was distracted by them and forgot that she wanted to be held, and crawled right over to them. I was then able to photograph her alone, showing off all her crawling and pulling to a stand skills with a few smiles too! Alas, she remembered that she didn’t want to be alone and started crying again - but at that point I had what I needed, so it was all good.

THE CAKE SMASH

Dani changed Catherine into her outfit for the cake smash, and I pulled out our antique high chair. I walk parents through exactly how to present the cake to their child with a quick demonstration (sounds silly, but how you do it does matter!) for 100% understanding. I demo a lot during my sessions for clients, so they never have to worry about what to do or how to do it for the best photographs. Why shy babies, I’ve been known to demonstrate how I want parents to hold their one year old using a pillow as a model rather than touch their baby. I’ll work around anything that may arise in a creative way that keeps your baby comfortable! :)

When Dani and Mark placed Catherine into the high chair, she was NOT a happy camper and immediately started to cry. I asked them to quickly present the cake and gather around her so she didn’t feel alone, and that did the trick. Once her family was there right next to her, she started playing with her cake, and the whole family got in on the fun. Tommy was ESPECIALLY excited to “help”, and some of my favorite images are of just the two of them eating the cake together. The session ended with a very happy little girl (and her big brother) covered with icing! Cleaning up took just a few minutes, and the family headed home.

DO YOU THINK WE GOT ANY GOOD ONES?

Before leaving, Dani asked if I thought that the session images would be ok since Catherine had been so clingy, and I told her that I did - and that she would probably be surprised when she saw her gallery. It’s so easy to feel like your session is complete chaos when things aren’t going how you envisioned - but trust me, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Come to your session flexible and willing to try out of the box ideas that I give you when it comes to engaging your shy child, and we’ll figure out what works for them and their personality. Some babies are more naturally “stoic” than others, and that's okay!

So, did it work out? Did we have enough? When Dani saw the gallery, she emailed me back:

Lauren you are magical!  I don't know how you were able to get such beautiful photos with such grumpy kids.  These are amazing.  Thank you so much!

See for yourself - I’ve shared a few of my favorites from Catherine’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 | Sophia is ONE!

I first photographed Sophia when she came in for her newborn session, which you can see by clicking here. After that, I photographed her sitting milestone at 9 months old which you can see by clicking here.

Her mom reached out to schedule her First Birthday portraits and let me know that she was opting to skip the cake smash portion. She wanted the session to focus on Sophia and have a few images of her big brother incorporated as well. I asked if she’d like to use our studio bathtub prop for a bubble bath in the studio since they weren’t doing the cake smash portion, and she absolutely loved the idea. Most babies love baths! We sanitize our tub prop well, and mamas bring their own bubble bath soap. Our studio kitchen has a huge sink with a pull down faucet, so it makes filling up the tub with mama’s preferred temperature for their little one a breeze! The tub can be incorporated in milestone sessions for sitters that are sitting very well (closer to the 8 month mark) or for First Birthday instead of a cake smash. If you know you want a cake smash as part of your baby’s First Birthday session, we recommend incorporating the splish splash option into your baby’s sitting milestone session.

a little bit about Session planning and our parent involvement “insurance policy”

We talk to every client at length and discuss their vision for their session. Every family is totally different - while most 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 craft my session flow around those expressed desires, and we go from there. I do STRONGLY encourage at least one parent to be photo ready with young babies or shy kids though, because there are times that I need to start out photographing your child in your arms in order to build trust. If you show up wearing yoga pants and a messy bun and don’t want to be in the photos, this will be problematic if your baby refuses to be put down. It serves as an insurance policy of sorts! 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 to a place where your baby feels comfortable being put down to be photographed alone. If we get to that place, I simply don’t put any of those images (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 just won’t have it, then we’ll have images of them in your arms that will be just as beautiful as the ones of them by themselves.

Sophia was not a shy baby and was very interested in me. Her mom dressed her in the most gorgeous blue velvet dress with crochet lace detailing, and I couldn’t get over how adorable she looked! I started out with her seated in a chair - and her mom hovered right next to it just in case Sophia decided to try to get off. Baby safety is a big deal around here, and I always have a parent act as spotter while I’m photographing baby alone. After we finished with seated photos, I had Sophia show off her standing skills by holding on to the chair and an ottoman that we have in the studio. I have a collection of natural wooden toys (thoroughly sanitized after any child touches them!) that photograph beautifully, and handed one to Sophia since she was starting to lose interest. One year olds don’t stay interested in anything for very long, so my sessions with them move quickly and change up constantly to keep them engaged!

Sophia LOVES her big brother Tommy (look how she grabbed his hand to hold it!), so we finished up portraits in her velvet dress with some sibling images. He can make her laugh almost on command, and it’s so adorable to watch. I’ve loved watching him grow into being a big brother since his newborn session, and he’s just one of the best kids ever.

Sophia was getting a little fussy at this point, so Melissa gave her a bottle and a little bit of a snack before changing her into the second outfit for the session, which had the cutest equestrian theme. The family has several horses on a farm and dad plays polo, so it was perfectly fitting. I can’t wait to go out to the farm and photograph them there for a family session sometime later this year! After just a few shots in this outfit, Melissa and I started working on filling up the bathtub!

I have mamas decide on the best temperature of the water, and then we fill up the tub together. Mamas also bring their own bubble bath soap as well. Be sure that the soap you bring is NOT new to your baby’s skin. We don't want any unexpected skin reactions!

an Important Note About Advance Preparation for Baby Bubble Bath sessions:

If your baby has never had a bubble bath before, I strongly suggest introducing them to one in ADVANCE! Sophia was very concerned and started to get upset when she touched the bubbles, and we weren’t sure if she would warm up to them or not! Fortunately, she did - and we were able to finish up the session. If she had not, this wouldn’t have worked out as the bubble bath is always done at the very end, when your child will most likely be totally out of patience and getting tired.

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 | Aadya is ONE!

Anitha contacted us when her daughter was only six months old because she knew she wanted to schedule a First Birthday session with us. She was in love with our videos that she had seen and knew she wanted to book a video add on as well. Videos are offered for Fresh 48 and First Birthday sessions as an add on, and I really love them! While still photographs are gorgeous and freeze memories, there is nothing quite like video for remembering how your child moved, their funny expressions, and the connection between you and your baby. I know I’m not alone in going down the rabbit hole of watching my iPhone videos of when my children were tiny. I can’t believe how fast the time flies, and I’m so thankful that we have photographs and videos these days so we never forget all those little things that we love about them.

Anitha asked to book add on hair and makeup services for herself, and chose to use our preferred baker. Our baker makes CORGEOUS cakes and works with many of our clients to create something beautiful. She also offers the option of adding on delivery service to the studio so your cake is here waiting for you and it’s one less thing you have to worry about. We’ll provide you with a cake tips sheet that goes over best practices for the icing type and color, as well as a place in the area that we DON’T recommend using. While they’re delicious, their cakes have horribly sticky icing that most of our babies hate and makes cleaning it off of their skin absolutely awful. Our mamas have used Whole Foods, Publix, or bake and decorate the cake themselves! And don’t think you have to use cake - we’ve seen pie, donuts, and strawberries & whipped cream here too.

When Anitha arrived to the studio, Margaret was there waiting for her to apply her makeup and style her hair. When clients have their hair and makeup done at the studio in advance, I am sometimes there for part of it, or I’ll arrive right beforehand. In this case, I was working around the studio on other things, so we were all there together. Anitha and I chatted and got to know each other, and she showed me what she had brought along for herself and Aadya to wear. There were several options for Aadya, so I pulled what was the best with Anitha’s outfit and had everything all ready for her arrival.

Aadya and her daddy arrived just as Anitha was finishing up. Aadya was a bit shy at first, but I spent a few minutes playing peek-a-boo with her, and one I had her laughing, she was good to go! While Anitha was getting dressed, I started with solo portraits and video of just Aadya, and then moved on to family images. I use two separate cameras when I am incorporating video into First Birthday sessions because time is of the essence. Most one year olds will not last longer than 30-45 minutes and I want to make sure I’m maximizing the time they’re giving me in order to get the photographs and video footage that I need before they’re totally OVER it. While we are moving at a quick pace, you won’t feel rushed. After we finished up with the family images, Anitha changed Aadya’s outfit to her cake smash one which was a simple white camisole that she borrowed from our studio wardrobe! We brought out the cake, set it in front of Aadya, and she went to town! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a baby decide they were going to try sucking the icing off the side of the cake. SO adorable! I absolutely love watching how each individual one year old in my studio interacts with and conquers their cake. It’s always so funny and unique to each baby. Mom and dad jumped in for a few cake images too - which I welcome and encourage.

Enjoy a few of my favorite images from Aadya’s First Birthday session, and the video at the end of this post!

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 | Veda is ONE!

I first worked with Nick and Nutan for their maternity session in the gardens location when they were expecting their daughter! You can view those images by clicking here.

Nutan contacted the studio a few of months before Veda’s first birthday to book a First Birthday session and wanted it to be outdoors at our park location. She also asked to work with Margaret again for add on hair and makeup services as she’d loved it so much with her maternity session. Because it was during our peak fall season, she knew our availability would be limited or completely gone if she delayed booking. We recommend booking at least 3-4 months or so in advance for a fall session as our fall calendar is usually fully booked by end of July/early August. Some of our clients just go ahead and grab their fall date in January each year so they can set it and forget it. While we can (and do) fit last minute inquiries in sometimes, there are also times that we just cannot. We hate for anyone wanting to work with us to be disappointed, so if you’re able to, it’s best to reserve a spot on our calendar as soon as you know you want a session in the future especially if there is a specific date you’re hoping for.

We sent over our studio style guide to Nutan along with our cake tips sheet. Our guides are simple, straightforward, and really easy to read! Clients find them helpful, and we are here for any additional questions you may have. Should you want to utilize the studio wardrobe or input on what you’re thinking of wearing from home, that’s what we are here for! We are always available to our clients to assist however they may need.

The afternoon of their session, the family of three arrived at the park. I loved what they were all wearing! Nick is a sharp dresser who enjoys wearing suits. I always tell my mamas that their partner should dress how they love and feel comfortable. Whether that’s a suit or jeans and a casual t-shirt - if your guy is comfortable and happy, the session will be enjoyable for him!

I typically begin with family images to let babies warm up if needed, but Veda wasn’t a shy baby at all. I loved her big brown eyes and sweet smile. We started with family and parent images with Veda in their arms. She was an early walker, and as soon as her toes touched the ground she was off to a running start! If you’ve never had a professional photography experience for your family, you should know that family sessions with me are not difficult. I promise to guide you on exactly what to do. All you need to do is be the mom and dad that your baby adores…. and the rest will naturally into place. After we finished with those, Nutan changed Veda into her second outfit and brought out the cake!

Nutan had been a little iffy about doing a smash cake because of the sugar involved but eventually decided that she would cover it with strawberries and just cut Veda off if she started eating too much icing. Her plan worked out… because Veda was ALL about the strawberries and not a big fan of the rest.

You may be wondering if you have to include a cake in your First Birthday session. Answer: Nope! Not every First Birthday session includes a cake! It’s completely up to YOU. There is no right or wrong way to do one, because ultimately, First Birthday sessions are about celebrating your baby and their first year. While a cake is often lots of fun and results in some super adorable images, it’s not a necessity. You decide what best fits your vision and we’ll make it happen!

Here’s a few of my favorites from Veda’s 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 | Parker is ONE!

I first photographed Parker when he was a tiny little newborn, and was so excited for him to come to studio to for his First Birthday. I had last seen them for an in-home lifestyle session a few months prior, and was looking forward to catching up.

While most of our families choose to make a First Birthday session a family affair complete with a cake, Madeleine and Tyson wanted birthday portraits of just Parker at one year old. I so love getting to watch my clients grow and photograph them throughout! The first year of a baby’s life is absolutely astounding when you think of just how much they grow and develop. I see it all the time multiple times per week in my studio with our repeat clients and it still never fails to amaze me every time!

The day of his session, Madeleine, Tyson, and Parker arrived and I just died over the adorable outfit that Madeleine had brought for him to wear.

Parker has the most beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest expressions. He was a friendly and curious little guy, and I knew right off the bat that he wouldn’t need much of a warm up to me. Portrait sessions of just babies and children without their parents are typically pretty abbreviated (20 minutes or so) because I’m only photographing one subject. However, we allot up to an 45 minutes because sometimes your little one will need a break for a snack or snuggles.

I pulled out our Eames modern chair and captured one of my favorite images ever - Parker was about to try and take his hat off. What you can’t see is dad hovering just out of sight of the frame to catch Parker if he decided to try and dive off of his chair.

I then pulled out the high chair, and it was smash cake time! Madeleine and Tyson LOVED being able to stand there and watch and just soak in those moments without needing to worry about documenting it. As you can see, Parker was a big fan of his cake!

Enjoy this little sweetie’s handful of birthday pictures! If you’re looking for a photographer to photograph your baby or older child for a milestone or birthday, or want some updated portraits, we’d love to have you in our studio! Contact us today to discuss the different options we have available.

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 | Emily is ONE!

Hitomi contacted the studio to schedule up a First Birthday portrait session for her daughter, Emily. She asked to come by the studio to look through dresses we had. We scheduled a time for that, and sent over our easy to follow style guide for her to look through beforehand.

Our style consults are complimentary to our booked clients, and scheduled for 20-30 minutes. 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. Hitomi brought along a gorgeous pastel peachy skirt with an off white shirt, and a dress for Emily for me to look at. We talked about what her husband could wear from his own wardrobe as well. They asked if they could bring along a flower crown for Emily to wear and if they could incorporate balloons into the session. I’m always up for this, but just know going in that your baby might not want to keep anything on their head - so don’t get married to the idea that they’ll wear it for the entire session. Hitomi left the studio that day feeling confident in her choices for wardrobe, which is the whole point! Planning a session for your family can be overwhelming, and I’m here to take that away by providing assistance to you. If coming into the studio isn’t an option for your schedule (we completely understand busy lives!) that’s not a problem! Plenty of our mamas choose to coordinate over emails instead. It’s 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.

On the morning of their session, when the family arrived, Emily was very, very shy. She had been bubbly and outgoing at the style consult, but on this day was not. I could see that her parents were concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get any photos from our time together, and reassured her that we would take our time. This is the primary reason that our portrait sessions are structured the way that they are. Sometimes your baby needs extra time to warm up and feel secure!

We started the session with Emily in her parents’ arms, and I asked them to just love and snuggle her, and play with her. As predicted, Emily wanted nothing to do with her flower crown so it didn’t stay on for very long! Hitomi attempted to put it back on her head but after the tenth time of Emily flinging it to the floor, she gave up. Pro tip: if you want your child to wear something on their head for part of their session, definitely plan to incorporate a cake smash. As we present the cake to your baby, we’ll slip whatever you’ve brought onto their head and they’re usually so distracted by their cake that they keep it on for a little while or for the entire time! Every baby is different. ;)

As you look through these gallery images, you’ll probably notice that a cake smash didn’t happen! First Birthday sessions can incorporate a cake (or an alternative like donuts if that’s more your style!) or just be focused on your baby. There is no right or wrong way to do it - it truly is whatever your preference is!

Emily started warming up and having fun, and we played some of her favorite music over our studio bluetooth speaker. We suggest that parents have something on their phones and connect to the speaker since singing and dancing around with your baby can loosen even the toughest little client up. Baby Shark and Frozen songs are big winners around here!

As Emily became more and more comfortable, we moved on to solo portraits and some of those showcased her walking and standing skills and some BIG smiles, much to the delight of her parents (and me!). Only about half of my one year old clients are walking at the First Birthday session, so don’t worry if your baby isn’t! The goal of photographing your baby for their First Birthday session is to document them exactly as they were at that milestone. Pictures of your baby crawling are JUST as cute walking ones - and I promise that soon you will miss the days when they crawled over to you on the floor.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from Emily’s session! She was just the cutest little girl with the biggest eyes and smile. She has an affinity for her mama’s shoes, and I love that she grabbed one and wouldn’t let go of it.

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 | Amelia 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 | Hank 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 | Grace 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.