celebrate with cake

As the first photographer in Sydney (and beyond) to offer outdoor cake smash sessions to my clients, I pride myself in offering this unique session. These are available at no extra cost to your session, but you do however provide the cake for health and safety reasons.

Once upon a time I offered studio cake smash sessions but ceased these after noticing time and time again these little people were incredibly overwhelmed in this setting. With an abundance of decorations and balloons, that many considered as a must for their little ones celebration, these tiny little faces would find it all too much adding in lighting and a big camera in their face let alone a huge cake plopped in front of them to smash and perform. It felt it too deep within me to continue and started taking them outdoors in 2013 and never looked back.

location

I use the same location now as I did back then, although a lot more flooded with photographers now, it has the most consistent and beautiful lighting which is something you need with a lot more photo shoot elements going on.

Working with children between 11-12 months for photos you need to be well equipped with capturing fast moving little people - know your settings, light placement and have a strong workflow set. This is why I shoot where I do. And this is shared with booked clients only, but don’t worry it is local to me so that can give you a general idea.

Logistics

Don’t worry, it isn’t as hard as it seems. I know many photographers who stay clear of cake smash sessions as they are very well known as ‘difficult’ in the industry. But with experience and confidence I don’t feel that way.

I provide the cake stump, the bath tub for cleaning baby afterwards (it gets messy) and the warm water.

You simply bring baby in your chosen outfit (or one from my client closet) and your cake. Leave the rest up to me and let baby have some fun.

what if my baby doesn’t smash the cake?

Don’t let it stress you. The whole purpose of offering outdoor cake smashes is that it’s relaxed and carefree. If you want your baby to perform and have an elaborate setup then my sessions are definitely not for you.

I ask my clients to leave baby to do what they please. It isn’t about the award winning cake smash shot, it’s about your baby.

Some babies smash the cake, tip the stand and stomp on it. Others gently poke it with their fingers, cry about the icing feeling on their hands or run away from it. Every baby is unique and so are their galleries. If we push babies too far it takes back to that overwhelming studio style cake smashes that babies aren’t too fond of. You can gently encourage baby by breaking off some cake for them to try but otherwise it will naturally unfold itself.

I can almost guarantee that every baby loves the bubble bath at the end. Apart from strangely having a bath in the middle of a field at sunset in a vintage looking plastic baby bath tub, it is familiar to them, the bath & bubbles part that is. The splashing shots are what every parent loves and this time the baby is allowed to make a mess and get water everywhere.