Ultimate Guide to Cake Smash Photos

Sharing 1 Year Old Photoshoot Tips through an Ultimate Guide to Cake Smash Photos.  Learn Cake Smash photography camera settings along with my cake smash setup. 

Ultimate Guide to Cake Smash Photos

One of my absolute favorite things to do is plan and shoot for a one year old cake smash photos. Babies, decorating, and cake, what could be better!?! Okay, so we all know you’ve been planning this day since the day you found out what your wee little one was inside your womb, right ( oh no,  just me? hahaha)?

The First Birthday is such an enormous occasion to celebrate! I know we all do things a little different for the party, some of us go HUGE and others celebrate in a smaller fashion, but one thing we can all get on board with is capturing precious memories of our sweet One year olds with a SMASH photoshoot! Let’s get on with our Ultimate Guide to Cake Smash Photos!

Now days there are tons of varieties of things to smash!  Cake obviously is still number one, but a few other options are:

• cookies and milk
• avacodo
• ice cream
• donuts
• hamburgers and fries
• tacos
• fruit
• BBQ
• mac-n-cheese
• and so much more.

1 Year Old Photography Tips

Really the possibilities are endless!  To start your planning…

1. Pick a food your little one LOVES and go with it!
2. You can center the decorating around your choice of food or the party theme!

Here are a few suggestions and tips for you to do your own DIY cake smash photos.  

1. Don’t get too much stuff! Yes, many of the professionals have tons of “stuff” in the background, well those pros also have pro lighting equipment OR it’s a backdrop they’ve purchased. As for much in life I suggest keeping with the “KISS” method. If you’re not familiar with that please look it up! haha. Balloons, pompoms, and a banner go A LONG way!
2. Time of Day: I suggest doing it fairly early in the day or just after a good nap.

Empty Bellies: Also don’t get them full from a meal or snack pre cake Smash, they need to be somewhat hungry, but also not an empty stomach if doing cake because of all the sugar!

Indoor Cake Smash Setup

If you are doing a cake smash indoors…

• Find a good window with a lot of light coming in to set up beside!
• Try to place the cake and child about 4-5 foot away from your background. You can find good inexpensive background (Backdrop photography hack here!) and floor paper from Hobby Lobby or Michael’s! Be sure to use the coupon! You can tape this to a wall and to the floor and it’s much easier to clean up than if you just set up on your floor!

• Also, remember to keep your decorations (banners, balloons, etc.) fairly low or else you won’t be able to get them in the shot!

Cake Smash Photos Outside

If you are doing a cake smash outdoors…

• Find the –> Best time of Day to Take Outdoor Pictures
• I suggest finding a good open shade!
• I like to use a blanket or something under the cake or food to catch it so It doesn’t get dirty, because MOST of the time the cake does fall OR the child eats the crumbs that fall.  I’m ALL good with a little dirt don’t hurt, BUT… Let’s just put something under the food.
• Also, if you want to include one of those GINORMOUS number 1 balloons ( I suggest just not, LOL) but if you MUST, put it about 4-5 foot in the background to either side of your child, not directly behind or else you’ll just be looking at the strings. As for how to keep the thing from turning backwards, I hope you have some suggestions for me, because I’m at a loss! The only thing I can think of is to tape it to a stick and maybe put a bunch of curling ribbon strings around it.

1 Year Old Photoshoot Tips

1. If you’re doing a cake smash and the child does not want to SMASH their cake, you can sneak a few small snack items that they like into the icing on the backside of the cake or just hand them a small food you know they’ll eat and this way it looks as if they are actually eating the cake.
2. Be prepared with a spoon! Often times the child does not like the feel of cake or food on their hands, so they won’t  have anything to do with it, but more often than not they will start eating it when offered a spoon!
3. Have a sippy-cup or something for them to drink. Sometimes the icing can be a little much and they will be thirsty!

Cake Smash Photo Shoot

So say you’ve spent all this money and time on this super cute setup, outfit, and cake and the child does not want anything to do with this, will not eat the cake, and will not even sit still in front of your set up to get a couple pictures.

What do you do?

• Well first let’s try MUSIC, have a couple favorite songs ready just incase.
• Maybe try BUBBLES, have a cheap bubble wand on stand by!
• Take a little break if needed and come back to it later! 
• You can  try a bath instead (also cute for after the Smash).  
• A small tub, bowl, bucket, or whatever you have that can hold a little water, set it right where you would set the cake and let them play!

I promise it will be worth the mess. Just make sure to have a few towels ready! haha!

MOST IMPORTANTLY to wrap up our Ultimate Guide to Cake Smash Photos is to remember they are your beautiful and unique ONE year olds and they don’t always live up to the expectations Pinterest has set, keep it simple! So, just let them be little and have fun!

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Hello, I am Carmen Reid from Moselle, MS. I am the daughter of the One True King, God! A wife to an amazing husband of 12 years and mother to 4 Awesome Kids! 3 Beautiful and talented girls and 1 Spoiled Rotten Sweet baby boy! I have been a full time professional photographer for a little over a year. I specialize in First birthday, Seniors, and Family photography. I truly enjoy getting creative! Before I finish up my little into I would like to tell you all that without God I would not be here today! Last April I fell from the top of a section of Red Bluff in Columbia, MS. I fell between 60 and 100 foot down the side of the cliff breaking my neck. Not only did I survive but I can walk and talk and do everything the same as I always could! My God totally saved me and allowed me to continue a wonderful beautiful life with my family. I am so very thankful. If you do not know God, I ask you to please get with me and you can get to know Him! He loves you!