One of the most rewarding things about being a photographer is making priceless memories for clients and families to cherish forever, a cake smash session is such a great way to do this. It’s not exactly known how this trend really started but, for the last ten years, it has not stopped rising in popularity. Lots of people would question putting a cake in front of a one-year-old and saying “go wild” however, truthfully it is a really memorable way to mark a big milestone.

Most cake smash sessions take place in a photography studio. It’s definitely a way to make the child feel more comfortable and means parents can get involved too. It usually starts with a few shots in some outfits chosen by either parents or the photographer, the cake smashing comes next and some adorable decorations to go with it, then moves on to a mini-bubble bath. I usually tend to let the baby get comfortable around me and the studio before we start shooting. I’ll initially take a couple of mess-free shots, then when baby gets comfortable the cake is introduced. Lots of babies are a little bit wary of the cake at first but they usually start smashing away after a few minutes.

Lots of things play into making a cake smash session great. First thing to think about is choosing the right props, it’s important for parents to have a say in the theme they want, after all these photos are for them to keep. Props can be purchased or made, it’s really easy to find or make in-expensive props to suit the clients chosen theme, the photographer will usually provide these and I have a huge range of props at my studio. The next big thing is choosing the right cake, soft cakes are better for smashing, especially iced with buttercream rather than fondant or marzipan. Chocolate cakes do work but it’s probably better to have a more neutral colour, the camera loves pastels like yellow, pink and green. Sprinkles and small decorations are usually a no, these can be a choking hazard so it’s best to steer clear. One major tip for clients is to see if your baby likes cake first, if they’re not into the cake you can ask the photographer to mask something they do like within the cake, just to get them a bit more interested.

What if my baby doesn’t like cake?

Also, if your baby doesn’t like cake, then we can do doughnut smashes, jelly smashes, strawberry smashes, pretty much anything you like!

Cake smashes don’t just have to be for baby, the whole family can get involved. Some families like to bring the dog along, as you can imagine these shoots are a little bit crazier, but always super fun. It’s not just dogs that get involved, siblings do, parents, grandparents, there are no rules to a cake smash so if as a client you want to do things a bit differently, that’s more than okay. For returning customers you can really begin to tell a story with your photos, for example, if you had a maternity shoot which had a theme you can carry that theme along throughout your newborn and cake smash sessions, if you decide to go ahead. On the other hand whatever theme you choose for your cake smash you can go on to carry that theme through family shoots. It’s always a great idea for clients to bring items or props from home that mean something to them, then they can return with the props for future shoots which gives them a more personal touch to their photos.

It is so crazy to me as a photographer when I’ve done a newborn session then a year flies by and they’re back for a cake smash before I even know it. It’s a rewarding part of the job for me to watch babies grow and see how much they’ve changed in a year. It adds a more personal touch to my work which I’ve really grown a love for.

Want to find out more about my cake smash sessions? Take a look here.

Here are some pics from recent sessions.