1st Birthday Photoshoot | Outdoor cake smash photoshoot with Reading, uk Photographer
The first year goes by fast and nobody warns you about it. And then, one birthday in, you are already looking at a small person who has replaced the tiny bundle you brought home. That is exactly why this milestone is worth photographing.
A few weeks ago I spent an afternoon with a family at the University of Reading gardens for baby Mayansh's first birthday session. I witnessed a perfect team of mum-dad that day, supporting each other with so much love, respect, and faith in each other. I kept watching them catch each other's eye over his head, just happy. I was over the moon, because, Baby Mayansh loved me and my camera very much :) He was taking his very first wobbly steps and he also learned to say “tickle tickle“ and laugh out loud himself after that. He made us laugh until our bellies hurt and then a little bit more.
That is what a first birthday shoot is actually about. Not a perfectly posed toddler with a cake, but just your family, together, in this specific moment you will never get back. I try to keep it simple when it comes to props, because, the photoshoot is still more about the baby and your journey with him. It shows how much the life of a whole family revolves around your little precious bundle the whole time in those early days. So lots of cuddles and smiles and tickles are all you got to prepare for.
Can you take a one-year-old outdoors, or does it have to be a studio?
Outdoors works beautifully at this age, and often better. One-year-olds are curious, mobile, and easily distracted, all of which are assets in a garden or park. Give them grass to touch, flowers to inspect and you get real expressions you want to treasure. The University of Reading grounds (the Harris Garden specifically) gave us tall trees, open lawns, and warm afternoon light.
Early morning or late afternoon works perfectly for these photoshoots, because that tends to be when they are freshest after a nap: alert, curious, and in a good mood. For location, anywhere with large mature trees gives you natural shade if the sun is strong, and on a cloudy day you do not have to worry about the light at all. Overcast skies give you soft, even, flattering light across the whole session.
Do you need a cake smash?
No. It is a lovely option but it is not compulsory, and outdoors it can get complicated fast. For an outdoor first birthday session I usually suggest keeping props minimal: a balloon or two, some bunting, a personalised "1" if you want to mark the number and even a tiny 6 inch cake, thats easy to carry. The baby and the family are the real story. A big prop setup tends to become something you are managing rather than enjoying. That said, if you have a specific idea you love, bring it. I am always open to that.
Get yourself in the pictures
This is the one thing I say every time, and I mean it. You need to be in these photographs. Your child will grow up and want to see what your family looked like at this stage of their life. They will want evidence of how you looked at them. So please do not spend the session managing the buggy from a safe distance. Get in there. Cuddles, tickles, nose-to-nose, silly faces: that is the real fun you would want to remember.
Mayansh's parents did this instinctively, and it shows in every frame. The best images from that afternoon are not the ones where he is smiling at the camera. They are the ones where he is smiling at them. :)
What to wear
You do not need to match exactly. Natural, muted tones work well outdoors: navy, forest green, cream, warm grey, dusty pink. Avoid large logos or busy patterns that compete with the setting. Dress the baby in something comfortable they can actually move in, because at this age they are crawling, pulling up, and possibly walking, and you want them to be able to do all of that freely. You will receive a short guide to choosing your outfits once we have your session in my calender so you don’t have to worry about it.
Practical things that make a real difference on the day
Bring snacks. A hungry one-year-old will not cooperate with anyone, no matter how good the light is.
Pack a spare outfit for the baby, and one for yourself if possible. Grass stains happen. Drool is inevitable. Having a change ready means you are not anxious about it.
Try to time the session around their nap schedule: about 45 minutes to an hour after they wake up is usually the sweet spot. Well-rested and recently fed is ideal. Overtired and overdue is the hardest.
Expect the session to take about 60-90 minutes. We will not rush. If we need to stop, chase a pigeon, sit on the grass, or just watch them figure out how a flower works, we do that. Some of the best images come from those unplanned pauses.
Adding a family film to your session
Alongside the photographs, I also created a short film for Mayansh's family. About two to three minutes long, no script, no direction, Just them. Him playing with toys on the grass, pulling at flowers, taking those first unsteady steps, being picked up and hugged and kissed. His parents laughing. The three of them simply being together.
A film does something photographs cannot. It catches the movement, the small unrepeatable things, the exact wobble of a first step, and much more. Whenever you You watch it, you are right there again, in that moment. :)
If you would like a film alongside your session, just let me know when you get in touch. It fits into the same session.
FAMILY FILM - first birthday photoshoot
It does not have to be the first birthday
Worth saying: this kind of milestone session works at any age. Six months sitting up for the first time, nine months starting to crawl, eighteen months properly walking and chatting. Every stage has its own energy, and every stage passes before you have had time to absorb it properly.
If you are planning a session around a birthday or milestone in Reading, Caversham, Earley, anywhere across West Berkshire or london, I would love to hear from you. You can explore more about family photoshoots here.
