Its time to capture and celebrate bub turning 1.

This session is all about capturing bub at their first birthday, your connection as a family and your joy for a major milestone.

This session can include the very popular cake smash or a fruit bath.

It is designed to showcase your little one’s personality and includes a few simple props to enhance the scene and provide whimsy. It includes a family portrait component, where I capture bub with mum, dad and siblings.

The true magic of this session happens when we put bub in a bath at the end of the session. What baby isn’t happy splashing about and popping bubbles!!

These sessions are held in the studio and we can also venture outdoors during the warmer months.

Most importantly, this session captures stunning images to print in a wall cluster and create a superb album that tells the story of bub turning 1.

WHEN SHOULD YOU BOOK YOUR SESSION FOR?

Please allow 8-10 weeks before bub turns one if you’d like the images to be ready for their birthday. I recommend booking in advance to ensure I can meet your deadline.

Talk to me about your bub’s sleep schedule. It’s best to schedule this session after bub’s first nap in the morning, or later in the day in the first or last hours before sunrise and sunset if we’re holding the session outdoors.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE SESSION?

I provide all outfits for bub, and styling elements needed for portraits of bub, the cake smash or fruit bath and a bath with lots of bubbles at the end.

In the studio, the backdrop will be very simple and timeless, to allow bub to shine.

Outdoors, bub will be centre stage in a natural background, with awesome natural light providing a pop to your images.

Please note that if you have booked a cake smash and are concerned about baby’s intake of sugar or have allergy concerns, I recommend a fruit bath instead.

WHAT TYPE OF IMAGES WILL BE CAPTURED AT YOUR SESSION?

An important component of the session is bub’s relationship with their family. Images with mum, dad and siblings form a standard part of your gallery. If you’d like to include grandparents, please bring them along. I’ll also capture beautiful individual portraits of bub, a cake smash or a fruit bath (if you would like to include) and a bath at the end of the session.

STYLING

I provide all the styling elements needed for your session, including outfits, headbands and bonnets, along with the cake or fruit. I include in season flowers and foliage to enhance the styling as well. I’ll consult you on your prefered colour to feature in your session.

The cake will be a white, soft iced sponge cake. This provides a very timeless style, along with allowing the cake to be nice and soft for your baby to break apart. It also minimises the choking hazards that fondant icing can introduce.  If you’d like a different look to your baby’s cake, I do ask that you provide this yourself.

I take time to carefully style your session beforehand, and every styling element has been carefully selected to match colours and tones.

This is a process that needs preparation beforehand, so if you’d like a particular setup from my work, please send me a screenshot before your session so I can make sure to include it. If there is an example of my work that you are particularly fond of, or if you have special ideas for your own session, please let me know with at least 24 hrs notice. Due to the nature of detailed preparation required for your session, I cannot accommodate out of the ordinary requests without prior notice.

Please feel free to include one or two items that have special meaning to you and your family such as family heirlooms, toys, monogrammed blankets, hats, etc.

I WANT A THEMED CAKE SMASH

My style for first birthday sessions is very timeless and themeless. This is a very deliberate choice. My style of cake smash sessions are designed to highlight baby and your love and connection as a family. The styling makes sure your baby is the star of the show! Your session is styled so that no matter what image you choose, they will look wonderful together printed in whatever format suits you best. If you would like a specific theme such as Cocomelon, cartoon characters etc, I’m not the photographer for you.

WHAT TO WEAR?

When choosing what to wear, keep in mind what your dream photos look like.

Are they are soft and elegant? Choose neutral colours with soft, flowing fabrics…. think creams, very soft pastels, cream, light browns, tans, grays, and slate blues.

Want to showcase the fun and spunky side of your family? Choose coordinating colours (but not matchy, matchy) with bold accent colours, such as hues of grey with yellow or bright red accents.

Adding fun accessories like scarves, headbands, hats, etc. can add a twist and flair to your images.

I also recommend that clothing choices do not feature licensed items (ie Disney, peppa pig ect) visible logos or writing, as this will distract from the subject’s faces. Avoid writing on clothing too, as there is nothing I can do to edit out such choices after the fact.

• The best colours for the environment we will be in are jewel tones for autumn and winter- so navy, mustards, greens, purples etc. Lighter tones for spring and summer – pinks, blush, creams. Solid, neutral colours are best for in the studio
• Avoid clothes that have writing, prints or logos on them. Your eyes will be drawn to your clothes instead of your beautiful faces.
• Avoid too many people wearing patterns. As a general rule, no more than one in three people should wear a patterned item.
• Avoid being matchy – matchy, instead use a complementing colour palette with a range of colours to coordinate.
• Add layers and texture, jewellery and items of interest.
• If you have long hair, wear it down but clipped away from your face, or pulled back loosely.
• Wear your make-up slightly heavier than you usually would.

To ensure that the children are happy and at ease during photos, let them pick their own clothing. They’ll pick something that shows off what their preferences and interests are.

If you are worried about what they’ll choose, try selecting three or four main outfits that you would be happy with your child wearing for a photo. Let them choose from the outfits you’ve selected; they’ll still feel like they got to make the decision.

Footwear is a really important consideration. Photography sessions and high heels don’t mix well. I want you to feel very comfortable. Sessions are full of movement, often on uneven ground and grass. I want you to feel free to move, to run, to chase after your family and give them tickles. Choose footwear that you’re comfortable moving freely and running around in!

Watches these days are amazing. They’re smart, and they keep track of your life. The trend these days is large watches, with large faces. These can become very distracting in a timeless portrait. Please leave these at home, as they can’t be edited out after the fact.

Please leave your phones in the car. Phone Photography is not permitted during your session, as it can be very distracting for everyone involved, particularly if I’m trying to photograph your family, and they’re distracted by the person using the phone to photograph at the same time.

This is your time to be present with your family. It’s your time to take a step back from the whole world and to be present with your family.

Guys, this one is for you in particular. Phones in pockets, particularly in front pockets, can look like other things!!! Unfortunately, isn’t easy to edit these choices out after the fact.

HOW CAN YOU GET THE BEST FROM YOUR SESSION?
Leave plenty of time on the day to prepare for your session. Have your clothing chosen WAY in advance and make sure that your outfit choices are comfortable and attractive. Feel free to send me a picture of what you have chosen for me to make suggestions.

I recommend bringing snacks or drinks, and be sure any little ones have a nap before you come instead of expecting they’ll sleep in the car. It can take longer to warm kids up if they have to be woken. If you have small children, try to avoid too many things happening in the day as this will tire them out.

There are some things that that you can do to help ensure a successful session:

• Try and book the session time for right after bub’s nap.
• Before leaving home, dress bub in clothing that does not have to be taken off over their head.
• Try and ensure baby is fed before their session. Also, bring a snack or two.
• Introduce your baby to touching squishy, soft, sticky things to help them get used to the texture of icing on the cake.

DURING YOUR SESSION

These are active sessions. Bub’s need for mum, dad, and familiar things, is high during their first year, and they may not be happy if you’re not close by. Be prepared to sit on the edge of the set to be close to bub and provide comfort.

Typical sessions run for 30-40 minutes. I work very quickly to capture what I need, as there is usually a 30-minute window in which a baby of this age is happy to do what I need them to do.

It is important to note that not all bubs like the cake smash or fruit bath, or not being held. Be prepared for this.

If you’ve booked a cake smash, introduce your baby to touching squishy, soft, sticky things to help them get used to the texture of icing on the cake. 80% of babies are not familiar with these textures, and it’s a very rare occasion where the baby is happy to “smash” their cake.

However, bubs typically love the bath portion, and this usually captures amazing, happy images.

I will take your bub’s lead and allow them to be the focus of the cake smash photo shoot. I will not force the baby to do anything they don’t wish to do. It could be that your session consists of family photos only, as this age is around about when stranger danger sets in.

Please do not schedule other commitments after your session, as I cannot guarantee that I will have captured what I need to for a full gallery if you need to leave early.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I’M UNWELL?

Babies have little immunity during their first year. I take their health and safety very seriously, and your session will not take place if I’m unwell. If this is the case, I will let you know at the soonest opportunity and will reschedule your session when I am  better. Your baby’s safety is my first priority. Particularly important is that my whooping cough, COVID and flu vaccinations are up to date.

WHEN WILL I GET TO PURCHASE THE IMAGES FROM MY SESSION?

I’ll schedule your ordering session at the end of your session. It is usually within 1-4 weeks of your session that I’ll be able to get you in the diary, depending on your availability aligning with mine.

Please note that ordering sessions are held during the week, as weekends are held for photography sessions.

Your ordering session is where you will view amazing images I’ve captured for you for the first time. These will have been narrowed down to show you the best of the best from your session.

I will help you shortlist your favourite images, discuss your requirements and use visualisation software to show you how your images will look best on your walls.

You’ll choose a variety of heirloom quality products including albums, folio boxes and wall pieces. I’ll expertly guide you through the best products for your lifestyle. Your ordering session is where you will choose your printed products and digital images; and make payment for your purchases.

This is not a hard process! Time and time again, clients have told me how easy I’ve made this process for them. The only hard part will be choosing your favourite images.

I realise that it can be difficult visualising the size of your products in relation to where you’d like to display them in your home. I use software that makes this a breeze, simply take a photo of an A4 size piece of paper against the wall you’d like to use, and send a photo to me. The software will do the rest for us!