A) Cake smash sessions are usually held to celebrate baby's first birthday. A little photo session which takes place not at the party, but in some other time and space. A cute little cake or even a suped-up cupcake is procured, and instead of "No, no no..." the idea is "Yes, yes, yes!" B) Why are we doing this? For fun I guess. The utter cuteness factor of the thing? To some people the entire idea would fly in the face of reason and sensibility. I see their point. But once you get a look at those cake smeared faces with an expression of "what the what?" you get it.
1) It doesn't last long.
Fifteen minutes max. Photogs, lock down your settings, and be ready to roll.
Once cake and frosting is liberally smeared all over, little Jr. is going to tire of the ordeal quickly. Instead of smiles, that lower lip starts a-tremblin'.
2) Take some nice pictures first.
For little girls maybe princess pictures in a fancy dress. For boys nice portraits sitting on a toy truck, blowing bubbles or use falling confetti. Whatever you do, make sure to include those clean, classic 1-year old shots that mom and dad will appreciate for years to come.
3) Where will baby be?
You can set the cake right on a blanket or on a clean floor, but talk to mom first about her expectations. Some parents are cool with the floor, others aghast. Ask if baby is walking yet. As in, are they going to just sit there or want to move around? Vintage wooden high chairs painted in a sweet color makes a good place to set baby and hold the session. Or set the cake on a low table. This worked well for one session I had where the baby loved to stand. We took several shots this way, then ended up plopping baby on the (very low) table with the cake in front of him. Don't forget close-up detail shots. However you set-up the shot, make sure you can get in there and get those bellies and frosting-smeared toes, etc...
4) Bring a ladder or step-stool.
Prepare thyself to quickly step up on something high to grab a few above shots. Always nice to vary up the angle mix.
5) No chocolate cake.
Chocolate cake smeared to bits looks like other brown stuff.
Not what you're going for. Whether the mom prepares the cake or leaves it up to a bakery, ask for a white cake or maybe strawberry. A pastel frosting will lend a lite and airy look to the scene, while primary colors are fun too - almost like a finger paint effect when smeared all over the place. Have a dialog with the mom about this. Make sure everyone is on board with the look you're going for.
6) Be prepared to prompt.
They don't exactly dive in. After 12 months of no-no-no, most babies will simply stare at the delightful confectionary plopped down in front of them. What do you want me to do with this? Parents stand around beaming, just waiting for automatic smiles and laughs and giggles to unleash. Actually, not so much. Baby will look up at mom questioningly. She in turn, will need to get the party started by reaching in and feeding baby some frosting. Once little darling gets the gist, you'll have just a few minutes to snap away. Be ready. Babies love to inspect that candle. They are both fascinated and deeply concerned over the concept of dyed molded-wax. As we all should be.
7) Background.
It can be super simple, but introducing a few celebratory items isn't a bad idea. Balloons or festive pendants are good options. With a low aperture they may blur out anyway, simply lending form and fun color pop.
8) Wardrobe:
Jeans and bare chest for baby boys. A tutu (mom has to be okay to trash it afterwards) or fancy diaper cover for girls. Shirts may be worn of course. But that gooey, edible cake smear against smooth baby skin is pretty good stuff.
9) Just say yes to sibs.
Once you've gotten all the baby solo pics you can handle, let siblings get in on the fun. These are some of the best shots. Babies start feeding frosting to older sibs, and even putting frosting on each other's noses. That being said, make sure sibs are dressed in something that's going to look good in the pics.
9 3/4) Be ready with clean-up.
Wipes, towels and/or a galvanized tub of warm soap water. Have some sort of clean-up plan ready to go. Clean-up pics can be a cute part of the story too. Especially if you're in the back yard on a warm day with buckets and hose, etc...
10) What to do with the pics?
One word: Photobook. Cake smash pics are great as a collage on the wall, or blown up big for the playroom. But in reality, it's not like the parents are going to grace the living room walls with a bevy of cake smash images. I love to make smaller photo books out of my photo sessions. I use a few of the before pics, then let the action shots rip. Even the shots that no one planned for (wiping frosting from their faces or wondering what's sticky in their hair) lends to the story. I like to see those silly shots right alongside the smiles.
