Baby’s first birthday is a huge deal! You have survived your first year as a parent! First year pictures are so much fun as babies have so much personality at this age. However it is not always easy to capture it in pictures. Below are some tips and tricks to make your 1^st birthday photos shine.

Step 1 – Pick a  theme. Look up PINTEREST for ideas. Search for “first-year birthday photoshoot”, “turning one photos” etc and pin the ideas you love and share the board with your photographer.

Step 2 – Pick a location and time. Decide on if you would like to have the session indoors or  outdoors. I personally think it’s best to pick a time in the day that works perfectly for your toddler. Schedule to take them out right after their nap and when they’re fully fed! This will result in a much happier toddler for his first-year shoot! For an outdoor location, the best lighting is about an hour before sunset, so plan to arrive about 1.5-2 hours before sunset for the start of the photoshoot. However this might be past your little one’s bedtime, and might not be the happiest time of the day.

Step 3 – time to Shop.

Here are a few inexpensive items that I recommend my clients get:

Please make sure to try wearing the outfit at home first! Some outfits are cute but uncomfortable for kids and it’s best not to discover that during the shoot. Keep in mind that solid colors tend to photograph best. Try to avoid busy patterns and logos, as these can distract from the main subject.

Step 4 – during the photoshoot. Have some puffs, cheerios or your baby’s favorite dry finger food on hand to stuff into the cake/prop in case they need help being a little more interested in it. Also have a sippy cup within arms reach in case your baby gets thirsty.

Also, these type of sessions do take a lot of energy. Due to the nature of the age, it’s usually best to plan to have at least two adults at the session. Bring someone who can be really silly to help get those adorable smiles, and someone to help with logistics.

Finally, have fun!

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