Parents love to capture every moment of their baby’s first year, and there’s no better way to celebrate your baby’s first birthday than with a smash cake photo shoot. These pictures, also known as first birthday cake smash photos, are super cute and will be one of the most adorable keepsakes you have from your little one in her first year. Taking these pictures can be very rewarding, but planning and preparation might take time before the big day arrives. So here are some tips and tricks for awesome smash cake photos.
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What Is Cake Smash Photography?
Indeed, it is an achievement photoshoot that regularly happens when the kid turns one year old, where they are given a cake to eat, crush, or neither. Cake smash meetings are a pleasant method for praising the achievement of your little child turning one.
Preparation and Equipment Requirements
You’ll need to ensure that your equipment is up-to-date to get excellent cake smash photos. A DSLR camera with a lens that can zoom in is ideal, as well as a tripod. If you’re photographing outside, pack sunscreen, water, snacks, and anything else you might need in an emergency (i.e., tissues or baby wipes). Your little one will likely get messy, so it’s best to be prepared! One thing I’ve learned through experience: there’s no such thing as too many blankets. Be sure to bring them all. And finally, remember an essential piece of equipment: you! You make the difference between good and excellent pictures, so have fun and enjoy this time with your family.
Pick the Cake with Care
You might think about whether you or the guardians should pick or buy the cake. A few picture takers incorporate the cake as a feature of the cake crush administration; however, for security reasons, guardians request the simple cake. The child might have sensitivities (wheat, egg, and so forth), and it’s ideal to allow the guardians to figure that out. You can be that as it may, give the guardians ideas concerning the plan of the cake.
Make Time for Cake Smash Photos
One of the greatest missteps with any shoot, including little kids, is setting unreasonable assumptions about how long the shoot might last. By and large, plan close to 2 hours for the shoot. While the real shooting piece will be considerably less, no one can tell how the child will feel or act. Take into consideration an opportunity to take care of the child, change the child, or engage the child if the person in question isn’t giving the camera the articulations you’re searching for. Cake smash photo sessions have been popular for years, but they seem more popular nowadays. That’s because it’s a charming way to document your child’s first year of life and can make for some adorable photos.
Go Easy on the Lighting
It can be hard to decide what type of lighting will work best for a photo shoot – especially if you’re new to photography. So we’ve got some tips on going easy on the lighting, so your photos turn out light and clean. Avoid using fluorescent lights and, instead, use natural light or any other bulbs that emit yellow tones when shooting indoors. If shooting outside, use many different types of lighting – because it’ll depend on where the sun is about your subject.
If conceivable, pick regular lighting while shooting a cake crush. Normal light will limit cruel and frequently surprising shadows and permit you to keep the meeting splendid and breezy. Likewise, a few kids can become irritated or occupied by streaks, which we must avoid. Your capacity to shoot a characteristic light cake crush will rely upon the accessible light, obviously, yet the less complicated, the better for these meetings. If you want to add light to the scene, keep it basic with a solitary outside camera streak through an umbrella or softbox put out of the way.
Keep the Cake Safe & Sturdy
Keeping the cake safe and sturdy is one of the essential things when photographing a smash cake. I recommend placing the cake on a giant round cardboard cake board with a hole in it. The board should be at least 3-4 inches smaller than the diameter of your cake so that there will be enough space for your hands to hold it while you’re photographing. Safe is consistently the most noteworthy need while capturing kids, and similar turns out as expected for cake-crush photography meetings.
It starts with guaranteeing the child isn’t oversensitive to fixings in the cake, and it proceeds when we choose where to put the child in the scene and how we present the cake. Assuming you intend to utilize a cake holder, attempt to employ one that won’t fall over too effectively or harm the child if it falls. You should seriously mull over taping it to anything that surface it’s put on (table, floor, and so forth.).
For children put on the ground (rather than a high seat), ensure they’re addressed with any dangerous obstacles if they choose to get a move on, which occurs. In these cases, provide their clothes are securely fitted and don’t have creases where the area can brush against them since this will cause them to topple over. With all these points in mind, it’s possible to photograph a smash cake session that goes off without a hitch!
Have Your Fundamental Chances First
Take a couple of pictures before the cake smash since no one can really tell what your little one could do after they feel that sweet taste of frosting. Likewise, the cake will make the outfit and props muddled, so the time before the cake crushing is the main chance for clean pictures of the family. The best way to get a perfect photo is by taking lots of them. For example, when you’re photographing a cake smash, you’ll want to take pictures from different angles; this will help show off the details in the cake and give an overall sense of what the party was like.
Capture Close-up images
While capturing the cake, make close-up efforts of the cake subtleties and different things or props on the set. This is as well as catching more extensive shots of the scene also. Utilize a large-scale focal point if you have one. You can utilize the large scale later for drawing near-ups of the child in real life, so keep this focal point helpful. Throughout the session, maintain an eye out for special moments, such as when the one-year-old grimaces while bashing the cake. Get photographs of those two-minute moments while they’re still fresh in your mind and store them in separate files.
Don’t Force It – Let the Baby Have Fun!
If your child is testy or crying, please remember that you can give him or her a break. Likewise, crying pictures are many times adorable and fun too. The primary concern is not having explicit assumptions since children are eccentric. The most effective way to make cake crush photography work is by being adaptable and pondering, making the most out of existing apart from everything else.
Dial In Your Camera Settings
The first thing you should do when you’re about to shoot a cake smash photo is dial in your camera settings. First, make sure your exposure is set correctly. If the room is dark, increase the direction by using the exposure slider on your camera; if it is too bright, decrease it by using the same slider. Next, ensure your focus is set where you want it to be. As I referenced above, kids (particularly one-year-olds) can demonstrate exceptionally capriciousness. The last thing you believe you should do while shooting a cake crush is bobble with your camera settings to miss outline commendable minutes. To help, here’s a fundamental beginning stage for dialling in your openness so you can zero in on shooting:
- Shutter Speed:
To stay aware of a possibly quick young person, utilize an instantaneous shade speed. Keep your screen speed at over 1/200 to limit movement obscure and keep your photographs tack-sharp.
- Shutter Speed:
To stay aware of a possibly quick young person, utilize an instantaneous shade speed. Keep your screen speed at over 1/200 to limit movement obscure and keep your photographs tack-sharp.
- Aperture:
The odds are good that much thought went out of the spotlight and encompassing props, so you will need to keep the vast majority of the edge in the centre. Contingent upon the accessible light, attempt to keep your gap range between f/2.8 to f/5.6.
- ISO:
Of the many settings, I will generally focus on keeping a low ISO to limit clamour in the photographs. Your precise ISO setting will differ; however, assuming it goes to a level that compromises picture quality, attempt to change different settings above or consider adding light to the scene. We’ll discuss this underneath.
Stylize the Cake Smash Photos with Accessories
To add a touch of character to the meeting, why not adopt it? Topical props and adornments can add character to a generally conventional (but courageous) photoshoot. The guardians will, by and large, start to lead the pack here and select subjects that mirror their #1 side interests, motion pictures, sports groups, and shows or characters that the youngster appreciates. Things to remember while arranging an adapted shoot incorporate what the shades of the extras will mean for the shoot and how can set the props in the scene.
- Adding thematic props and accessories (list some accessories)
Themed props can be a fun way to add personality to your cake smash shoot. If you’re having a party, think about the event’s theme and try to incorporate that into your shot.
- A baby girl’s birthday crown
- First birthday celebration headband
- One-year-old crown Material
- The material felt and other Orientation
- Headbands Event: first birthday celebration photoshoot, second birthday celebration,
- Colours Plans: Naval force blue with burgundy, Peach and dim, and so on. Pick
For example, if you’re shooting a pirate birthday party, you could use an old sea chest, or if it’s a sports-themed party, you could use some sports balls or small figurines. You could also take pictures in their room with their favourite toys or stuffed animals as props.
In many types of photography, consistency is critical. Similarly, as you ought to catch photographs in a steady style during a photo session (brilliant and breezy versus emotional or publication), it would be a good idea to alter with consistency. You might have to put these representations close to each other in a collection spread or a wall craftsmanship bunch.
Edit Cake Smash Photos with Consistency
Assuming that you change with an intense, contrasty style, qualify that way for the entire assortment. Or on the other hand, assuming you decide to change a picture clearly, consider altering different images in high contrast that could fit close by the main photo in a collection spread. Regarding editing images, I recommend utilizing expertly planned presets to accelerate your after-creation work process and accomplish proficient outcomes in a couple of snaps, as you could expect.
Ditch the High Chair
Highchairs are made for babies to eat off of with minimal mess. The messier, the better, though! Forget about highchairs, and you’ll be able to take perfect shots because your baby will now have cake in their toes too. A flat surface will give them space to get messy – after all, it is what cake smash shots are meant for anyway! There’s only one exception, though; I’ve seen a few great ones done with a painted wooden high chair before. They look good, but they’re still just props and offer something different than standard messy photos that come from using conventional chairs.
Colour Coordinate
Before going into your child’s DIY cake smash photography session, I wanted a low-key background with pops of colour. To start, choose one item you want to incorporate into the shoot. Add colours that go well with or complement this item. Pay special attention to the colour of the frosting; if it is white, then make sure there isn’t anything else around it that is also white otherwise, it will become an overexposed highlight. Since pink icing stains less than other colours, we went with blue icing instead and got really good pictures too.
Encourage Shy Babies
Getting a shy baby to engage with the camera can be challenging. Remember to create a comfortable space for them, free from distractions. Sit down on the ground, introduce yourself, and give the baby something they are interested in, like a toy or their favorite stuffed animal. Once they are engaged, start talking to them about what you are doing- I’m taking pictures of you, or I’m going to see how big your eyes have grown. Finally, ask them if they want their cake! Let them play for a few minutes before putting away all their toys so that they can enjoy their cake without distraction. Your patience will pay off with photos that capture your true personality.
Keep Clean-Up in Mind
Remember to clean up the mess from the cake smash after taking pictures. It’s a good idea to have a couple of extra outfits ready in case it gets messy. If your child has a favorite toy, bring that along, too, because it will encourage them to smile and get excited about the photos. When shooting on a high chair or stool, use an unobstructed background so that all the focus is on your baby.
Keep Edits to a Minimum
We all love to see our kids become more independent, but sometimes it’s hard to let go. That’s why photographing a cake smash is such a great idea! What better way to celebrate a birthday than smashing the cake all over their faces? Cake smashes are not only fun for the birthday boy or girl but also provide you with some adorable photos that will last forever. However, keep edits to a minimum if possible. Pictures with too many filters can look like they’re from the 90s and out of style these days.
Choose the Theme
A smash cake can be a beautiful way to celebrate your child’s first birthday, but it can also be a lot of work. When pondering cake smash thoughts for a photograph shoot, get information about the child’s toy or an animated character. Considering this idea, you can concoct an intriguing subject for the shooting and pick a comparing cake crush background, props and outfit. You could extraordinarily improve a cake. When a child sees his toy or a person on a cake, they will reimburse you with numerous earnest feelings and grins. You’ll want to plan to get the best results, and here are some tips for taking those adorable photos.
Remember about Posing
To create good quality smash cake photos, one needs not just an expressive cake but also gratifying baby poses. One of the parents can place their child behind the cupcake. The most important thing is to have enough time to take a photo before a toddler has already smeared the confectionery delight.
If one photographs a youngster close to the desert, capture how clumsily they grab it with their little hands and then everything gets messy. It’s additionally potential to take a couple of pictures when both of those mum or dad are looking contentedly at their infant; this pic will be great for inclusion within somebody’s cherished family archive!
Take a Group Shot
If a cake is the central element of the event, then it’s crucial to include additional sweets and goodies – for example, macarons, hand-made chocolates, jams and marshmallows, cupcakes, and biscuits covered in icing – as well as dried fruit, cookies iced with sugar paste (Japanese pastille), fruits, and berries. Once everything has been assembled into one elaborate structure, it’ll look fabulous! Also, don’t forget to take a photo not only of the birthday boy or girl but also of his/her friends. This will help them feel confident about themselves when they are older because they get to interact with food while having fun.
We hope that these tips will help you to take some pretty cake smash photos and if you have any excellent ideas, please let us know in the comment below.
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