One of the most common concerns parents have before booking a cake smash is surprisingly simple:
What if my baby does not like the cake?
Perhaps they are cautious around unfamiliar food. Perhaps they dislike getting messy. Perhaps they will take one look at the beautiful birthday cake and decide that the wooden spoon, the floor or the studio lights are far more interesting.
The reassuring answer is that none of this means the photoshoot has failed.
Your baby does not need to eat, squash or enthusiastically demolish the cake for us to create lovely photographs. A cake smash session is about recording their personality at this wonderful stage - whatever their reaction happens to be.
The phrase “cake smash” suggests a scene of joyful destruction, with handfuls of icing flying through the air.
Some babies do exactly that.
Others touch the icing with one finger and look deeply suspicious. Some carefully remove the decorations. Some prefer to use a spoon. Others crawl away almost immediately, apparently unimpressed by the entire concept.
Every response is normal.
At around one year old, babies already have very definite preferences. They may be adventurous with food at home but uncertain in a new environment. They might enjoy cake but dislike buttercream on their hands. They may simply need time to work out what has been placed in front of them.
I allow them to explore at their own pace rather than expecting a particular performance.
A cake smash session includes much more than photographs of your baby covered in icing.
We begin with some simple portraits before the cake appears. This gives us a chance to capture your baby clean, comfortable and looking like themselves at this particular age.
I also include the opportunity for family photographs at the beginning of the session. These often become some of the most meaningful images from the gallery, even if the parents were initially planning to remain safely behind the camera.
The session normally includes:
This means you will still receive a varied gallery even if your baby barely touches the cake.
A successful cake smash does not need to involve complete destruction.
A cautious finger in the icing, a puzzled expression or a look towards Mum and Dad for reassurance can be just as lovely to photograph as a baby diving straight into the cake.
These small reactions reveal your baby’s personality.
Perhaps they are thoughtful and careful. Perhaps they would rather investigate the cake stand. Perhaps they pull a wonderfully unimpressed face after their first taste of buttercream.
Those expressions are part of the story of who they were at one year old. They are often the photographs that make parents laugh most when they view their finished gallery.
If your baby is reluctant, we give them time.
I might offer them a little wooden spoon so they can explore without putting their hands directly into the icing. Sometimes seeing a parent touch or taste the cake helps them understand what it is. At other times, the best approach is simply to wait and let their curiosity take over.
I will never force their hands into the cake or expect them to continue if they are distressed.
Cake smash sessions are baby-led. If your baby needs a cuddle, a drink or a short pause, that is what we do.
If the cake remains largely intact, there is at least considerably less cleaning up to do afterwards.
Some babies love sensory play and will happily cover themselves from head to toe. Others notice one spot of icing on their hand and would like it removed immediately.
Both types of baby can have a cake smash.
If your baby dislikes sticky hands, the wooden spoon can help. We can also keep the cake exploration gentler and concentrate on their expressions and interaction rather than trying to create a large amount of mess.
The session is designed around your baby, rather than trying to make every gallery look the same.
Please tell me beforehand if your baby has strong sensory preferences or tends to become upset by particular textures. Knowing this helps me plan a relaxed approach from the beginning.
There is no need to rehearse a cake smash at home, although you may find it useful to let your baby experience a little icing or another soft texture before the session if they have never encountered anything similar.
Do not bring them extremely hungry in the hope that this will make them eat the cake. A hungry and overtired baby is generally interested in neither cake nor photography.
Let them follow their usual routine as closely as possible and offer their normal meals. Please also bring a familiar drink and snack in case they need a break.
If your baby has allergies or dietary requirements, let me know well in advance so that we can discuss a suitable cake.
You can find more practical advice in my guide to preparing for your cake smash photoshoot.
After the cake, we finish with a warm splash bath in my vintage-style tub.
For many babies, this is the moment they enjoy most. The cake is forgotten, the bubbles appear and suddenly the baby who regarded the icing with deep suspicion is splashing water across the studio.
The bath gives us another set of playful photographs and also means you leave with a much cleaner baby than you might expect.
Even if the cake section is brief, the portraits, family photographs and splash bath still create plenty of variety.
Babies are allowed to have feelings about their photoshoot.
If your baby becomes upset, we stop and give them time with you. We can offer a drink, have a cuddle or move on to another part of the session.
There is no pressure for them to smile throughout. Serious expressions, concentration and curiosity are all part of their personality too.
I have been photographing babies since 2017, and one thing they have taught me is that they rarely follow a script. Working with the baby in front of me will always produce more meaningful photographs than trying to force a particular reaction.
Your baby does not need to eat the cake. They do not need to destroy it. They do not even need to look particularly impressed by it.
The purpose of the session is to celebrate their first birthday and capture the little person they have become during an extraordinary first year.
Their cautious finger, cheeky grin, determined escape attempt or complete preference for the wooden spoon may end up being exactly what makes the photographs feel like them.
If you are considering a first birthday session, you can find full details about my natural, baby-led cake smash photography in Hampshire.
My garden studio is in Anna Valley, near Andover, and I welcome families from across Hampshire and the surrounding areas.
