The one thing I remember about Richard and Beth’s wedding was how much fun it was – it’s hard to believe it’s already been almost 6 years since I first met them! It really does make my heart so happy to see past couples come back to me for their children’s photos year after year, so when Beth contacted me to photograph Clara’s one year session – I couldn’t wait to see them and to meet Clara! I got to photograph big brother Griffin’s one year session about two years ago, so I couldn’t wait to meet Clara! The other thing that I really enjoy is when client’s have ideas and work with me in planning the session. Beth knew what she wanted and the look she was going for. She had a specific vision in mind for both Clara’s cake smash and her fruit bath and we worked together to bring that to life. The balloon banner was created by Beth and I’m obsessed – I’ve got it on my list to learn how to do so I can make them myself for future sessions!
Clara took a little while to warm up, but that’s completely normal for this age. One of the things I hear all the time is, “But they are so happy and smiley at home!” I know that sometimes parents start to get nervous when their babies don’t seem thrilled about taking photos but just put yourself in their little shoes. They are often in an environment that they aren’t used to, with a stranger right in front of them and they aren’t familiar with the huge camera that the stranger is holding. There’s a giant light shining on them and they are sitting or standing alone while their parents just look at them, trying to get them to smile. It’s understandable that babies are often just in shock and very serious at first. But trust me, with a little patience and a few tricks I have up my sleeve, babies almost always warm up.
I’m pretty sure Clara was the daintiest cake smasher I’ve ever photographed. She loved her cake, but she ate it one tiny finger-full at a time! Mom had to get in there and grab a piece of the cake for her (this is also something I often get parents to do, babies don’t tend to dig under the icing to reach the cake.) Clara also loved her splash bath after and I loved the lemon and orange theme! Beth said that big brother Griffin has always called her “Cutie” so that’s why we went with the orange them. I think it turned out so cute!
Do you have any unique ideas for your baby’s session? Please don’t hesitate to contact me to discuss it, I’d love to create the perfect session for you!
