Cake Smash Session: 10 Sweet Tips

Now that I've photographed a few "cake smash" sessions (which seem to be all the rage these days) I feel slightly qualified to pass along a few tips of the trade. Initial questions you  may be asking: what in the world is a cake smash session and why are they necessary?

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.

Kathleen Moore Photography: cake smash portfolio

Cover shot & story for Points North magazine

Had the pleasure of writing April's feature story for Points North Atlanta magazine. An article covering Atlanta's varied horse country. I talked to people from show barns and horse rescue non-profits, and met lots of lovely horses along the way. Camera in-hand at every stop, I took all the shots to support the story, and you know I wanted that cover too!

The image PN's editor chose for the cover features a simple moment between a child and a horse. A sweet-natured equine named Lily and my son Hoffman.  Before this session, the two had never met. I had sent over many images for cover consideration, and the deadline was quickly approaching. She asked, "These are all great, but do you have anything with a child?" 

Well, I thought...I can get it.

I grabbed my camera and my kid.

How hard can it be to find a last-minute horse?

Forcing Hoffman to change out of his Under Armor shirt and into a grey sweater was the greatest struggle. We ran over to a neighbor's house that I had never met, but who had horses on her property. Coincidentally, she was headed to the barn. What timing! Generously, she let us tag along. For an hour Hoffman and Lily played around together inside the pasture. Guess it didn't hurt that we'd brought a bag of apples.

If Hoffman jogged, the horse trotted two steps behind him. Following at his heels like a puppy. I'd never seen anything like it. 

Hoffman stopped for a break. Lily stepped up beside him, and put her head down to his. A perfectly, wonderful moment between two soft-hearted souls. They connected as if they'd grown up together. Below are some photos that didn't make the cover. And I like them all. But can't disagree with the selected image. It's what horse love and connection is all about.

Shades of Grey (and purple)

No. 1 question clients ask: "What should we wear?"

It's a fine question. An important question.

No t-shirts, busy patterns or extra stripes. Stick to simple and solid.

Unless you're going for a bohemian, shabby-chic look, and then...

all those layers and flounce are faaaabulous!

This mom booked a family session for her brood of six, and flat-out told me,

 "We'll be in purple." 

An image of Barney flicked through my mind and I grew afriad.

Very afraid.

So, happy me when they tumbled out of their car looking amazing!

Jeans + various shades of lavender, with hits of grey = fab!

Though the name of the game is natural and candid, 

a few props and a solid game plan never hurt.

Love using an empty picture frame to highlight subjects.

First mom and dad (a little respect for how it all got started),

then switch to focus on the kids.

It was a little tough managing four faces of various heighth 

inside the frame, but we got it.

In this shot, I knew the background would turn out lovely.

But couldn't predict the flowered tree would appear quiet so fantastically drippy -

almost like a watercolor - love it!

I always like to include a head shot of mom and dad

during the session. Why not? Everyone looks so nice, and has made the

effort to dress up and get themselves all perfectly-perfect.

For the first 20 minutes of the session this little girl was so upset.

Bad day out of nowhere.

We can all relate.

Crying. Tears. Then worry about puffy eyes and embarrassment.

We all hugged her, and told her things were fine, fine, fine.

Because they were.

We got her calm and cleaned-up, and proceeded taking shots.

I wanted a nice portrait of each of the kids along with all

the family shots.

It's important to create motion.

Hate to see sessions where everyone is stationary in shot after shot.

Walking images can be a little tricky, especially the more people you add.

But if you take enough shots,

one or two are bound to turn out well.

I almost wanted to take the rake out of brother's hand (we used it

to create and jump in a leaf pile) but then, I had to admit

I couldn't carry everything. And he wanted to help.

Love it when kids start to find their own little places to nestle-down

for a shot. I've found it takes at least 30 minutes for them to get into

the groove and relax. This daughter really wasn't loving having her

picture taken until the very end of our session.

 Finally, I look over and see that

she's planted herself in the bottom of a tree. Like a swing.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

Perfect. Just perfect.

The oldest daughter is so glam gorgeous, I have no idea

why she's not modeling. I'll be circling back around with her

in the future, to take some other shots.

I will also admit: my hair never looked that good in high school.

Snow on a Stick

I'll never get used to it.

The cotton fields of south Georgia at harvest time.

Simplistic grandeur on display.

Fall melting into winter with acre after acre, mile after mile putting on an eye-stopping show.

Every year our family (like half of Georgia) barrel south on 1-75 heading to Florida for Thanksgiving break. Disney, beaches, grandma, etc...

But somewhere north of Valdosta, we always get off the highway. Give the pavement a break; drive a stretch down the back roads.

See what we can see. 

This year we exited the highway at Ashburn. And were highly reward.

Both sides of the main street running into town littered with lite banks of cotton.

Thousands of puff balls blown off the tops of work trucks making tracks to the local cotton gin.

"Mommy," asked five year old Gibson, "Is that snow?"

I answered, "No honey, that's cotton. It's what you're wearing." Pointing to his t-shirt.

Proof positive any old road trip can be turned into a teaching moment at the drop of a hat.

South of Ashburn we came to a tucked-away rural community called Sycamore.

An old railroad line ran to the right of the road. Homesteads, turn-of-the century farms and barns rolling by languidly. Surrounded on all sides by a dreamy landscape of creamy-white puffy cotton. Snow on a stick. But millions of them. One field was particularly gorgeous. 

We had to stop.

Us parents, instructed they the children, to take care.

After all, this is not our property. Just a few pictures.

The sun was going down, and the lighting pure heaven. The entire field was bathed in an other-worldly golden glow. I didn't want to leave. But now came an old, beat-up truck, rolling off the gravel, who might be telling us to do just that. 

Ah, yes. The farmer.

We greeted him warmly, hoping he wouldn't mind or shoot us. Explaining that we were just taking pictures. Hoped it was okay.

"Ah well," he drawled. "I jest come down to see if y'all were broke down or something, needin' help." 

Clearly, our Forsyth county licence plates (a.k.a. big city suburbia) a dead give away. Plus the fact, we gawked and played on the front lines of his field like we'd never seen the stuff before.

Not to mention the big old camera round my neck.

Definitely not locals.

On top of being uber friendly, the farmer had brought a bag.

"Pick all yer like," he said, handing the plastic Wal-Mart baggie out his rolled down window to our waiting hands. "Too much of it anyway."

Bam. Instant show-and-tell for all three kids. 

Though I'm much more familiar with North Georgia and her mountains, it's little side trips like this which remind me of all the varietal beauty residing here.
North. South. East. West.
Next year we'll get off the beaten path again on our annual trip down to the sunshine state.
I look forward to being rewarded with more fantastical views of a culturally rich land where cotton is king.
And hopefully, forever will be.

Artful Arrangement: within my walls

A MENAGERIE OF STYLES SLEEPING TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF. 

There are little spaces all over my home which make me smile. A mish-mash of eclectic, funky, shabby chic and feminine. Dabs of industrial thrown in so scalloped edges don't get too out of line.

The original enamel on our 1954 Wedgewood gas stove was plain-Jane white.

I asked the appliance refurbisher if its new coating could be chocolate brown. More modern, less expected. In this world of double ovens and gigantic sub z's, its solo petite baking compartment seems downright quaint. But its chunky chrome and retro knobs made my heart melt, and I had to have it.

A possible case of form over function.

However, the tiny oven does fit a Thanksgiving turkey - barely - and that's all I ask.

In any case, I love walking into my kitchen every morning because of its presence.

Wine-crate panels are fantastic to decorate with even if you don't own a fancy wine cellar.

Various type treatments and graphics are intriguing placed side by side. It's a practical treatment for a kitchen counter area where scuffs accumulate at alarming rates. These textured panels are made to take a beating; dings just sorta blend together. Industrial bar stools are stamped with the label: Property of Indiana University. Numerical stencils on the seats were applied with a steady hand - my own.

MASCULINE PINSTRIPE curtains never hurt anyone.
Plus, they keep rooms room from leaning too girly. 
You'd almost expect them in a bedroom, or more private quarters. I hung them in the wide
open instead - our busy kitchen area.

My screened-in porch is truly a second living space for our busy family of five.

Al fresco dinners and games of chess take place around this old table I painted a glossy ebony. Ghost chairs and a modern-esque painting feauturing the kids' footprints keep things lively. Silver corrugated metal ceiling reflects natural light, keeping the space from getting gloomy. An oversized bread board holds my centerpiece menagerie: candles and found objects and plants stuffed into silver serving pieces. A formal water pitcher now holds a vertically-minded plant.

All set among chunky, rusted railroad nails.

Piano room features framed sheet music belonging to my grandmother and mother. An instant gallery of playful vintage graphic design. A set of old walnut shutters flank the patchwork seating arrangement. Nestled on top of the baby grand: a collection of books, Bach and ivory piano keys stuffed into an oversized mason jar.

Vintage gas cans gather round a little old red wagon that's seen better days. My version of yard art for a previously unadorned corner of the backyard.

All images taken by...
www.kathleenmoorephotography.com