Dinosaur Smash & Splash with Mr. Killian/ Tips & Tricks
Smash & Splash Sessions are so much fun!
Cake Smashes are one of my favorite type of sessions. I recently started to refer to them as Smash & Splash sessions because the bath portion of the session I always find to be just as fun as the cake smashing portion! We always have LOTS of bubbles and the babies smile sooooo big for bubbles!! Another reason I love cake smash sessions is because in the end we really are just celebrating and capturing your little prince or princess turning ONE! I know how fast that first year goes, and I know how important it is to capture this amazing milestone.
You may have never thought about doing a session like this with your baby, or maybe you have but have thought that it would be too much work to get it to happen. As a parent I know how hard it is when you go into a session not quite knowing what to expect, to put it simply, its stressful. That is why I am going to give you some easy steps to take, so when your baby turns one you will know what to expect and it won’t be stressful at all!
The Smash & Splash I am showing you today was done for a sweet friend of mine. Her baby boy Killian is the absolute cutest with his little mohawk, isn’t he?! This little man was not super into the cake which definitely happens sometimes! He still gave the most amazing smiles though! We may have sung “The Ants Go Marching” 100 times to get them but that’s not important ;-).
Before I get into the tips and tricks here are some adorable photos I captured during the session. Killian still had fun with his cake, he took a few tastes, but he mostly smashed it because, well, wouldn’t you!?
BOOKING THE SESSION
It is so important to book the session well in advance. When they hit that 6-9 month mark is when I recommend booking with your photographer. I always tell my clients the sooner the better! It takes a lot of preparation on my end, a little on yours, and I could end up not having a date available near your baby’s birthday.
I provide the setup. Depending on what theme you go with I may have everything, or I may have to order special things for the setup. We all know ordering things last minute can be a pain, especially if things don’t come the way they should or on time. I also hire someone to make a cake and they book up fast, so the sooner I get that order in the better!
If we are not prepared it ends up being that stressful situation that none of us want. I want these sessions to be fun and very little stress, and to make that happen we have to start at the right time.
BEFORE THE SESSION
If you have a specific theme, make sure you get online and order a cute outfit for them to wear during the session. I highly recommend Etsy! Trust me you won’t regret it!
Another important tip is to have your baby try some cake before the session. Start getting them used to the taste a few weeks before. I am not saying give your baby cake every night but give it to them here and there, so they know what to expect with the texture and the sweetness.
Make sure you bring a change of clothes for the baby. The clothes for the shoot will be covered in cake. ALSO, parents need to wear something they do not care about getting cake on. If you are going somewhere after, make sure you have extra clothes as well. You WILL get cake on your clothes. It is a task to keep the baby on set. Sometimes they just want to get up and touch everything because usually the theme is around something they are totally into.
DURING THE SESSION
- I start with your baby sitting in a chair or bench in front of the setup. The reason I do this is because it gets them used to me and the flashes before they get put in front of a cake. I also just love their cute little outfits and like to get photos of it before it gets covered in cake!
- Then we move onto the cake portion. Sometimes they need a little help figuring out what to do. So, we can just give them a little taste. Usually after the taste they are ready to dig in. Some babies are delicate with the cake and some smash right into it. Both ways are adorable! Cakes are sweet and the texture is weird to a baby, and sometimes they just are not about it. I still always capture the way they feel about it because even if they are smiling, scowling, or are just plain curious, the faces they make are still adorable and it will still be fun to look back on!
- Do not stress if your baby is not into the cake! I have tricks! I usually have spoons if the baby does not like the feeling of the cake. I also recommend that you bring a small snack that they love, such as cheerios, gummies, M&Ms. Something small enough to go behind or into the cake that will make the baby want to reach into it. I will still capture their adorable personalities and that is really what matters!
- The bubble bath is usually where the babies shine (no pun intended haha). They love the bubbles, they love the water, and they can splash as much as they want. I always get the sweetest smiles from this portion of the shoot.
I seriously adore Smash & Splash sessions! Your baby gets to be the center of attention and at this age you really start to see their personalities shine (happy, shy, spirited) no matter what it is, we get to enjoy seeing them be themselves at this age.
Reach out if you have been thinking about doing a Smash & Splash Session! I would love to talk to you about your little one and how we could capture a moment in time that won’t happen again. My cake smashes are typically pretty simple so we can really help your baby be the center of attention. My studio located in the heart of Grants Pass, OR.