1st Birthday Photo Sessions in Portland

Turning one is a major milestone in a baby’s journey; it is also one of my most frequently requested sessions. Some of the questions I receive from inquisitive parents about a 1st birthday photo session are: what do I need to supply in terms of props? Should I have a cake? Can we shoot outdoors? Do we need to purchase a backdrop? Allow me to answer those questions visually! For your ‘pinspiration’, scroll down for a handful of past session examples.

Book a 1st Birthday Session

Q: Do we need to purchase a backdrop? Nope! In this session, I used an empty wall in my client’s home. The props and cake were supplied by mom and dad. The fun was supplied by baby.  🙂

Q: can we shoot outdoors? Yes! 1st birthday setups don’t need to be elaborate. A blanket, a cake, and a bowtie clad puppy are the only elements needed for a successful session. 😉

For this little sweetie, we sat her down in front of a wall of balloons. I’d like to take a moment to point out that cake smashes don’t always go according to plan, and that’s ok! She didn’t love her cake. She didn’t love her foot *in* her cake. Personally, I will never understand this logic, but hey – it’s her birthday. She can cry if she wants to. 🙂

Just because your 1st birthday setup doesn’t *need* to be elaborate, doesn’t mean it can’t be. For this session, mom and dad went all out. Balloons and bubbles really make it pop! (Pun intended…)

Let’s not forget about the little cowboys! Wanting to embrace the country aesthetic, I photographed the birthday boy outside with his loving horse, a bale of hay, and his very own off road vehicle. 😉 Then we moved inside for a Finding Nemo themed cake smash (supplied by mom and grandma)!

Don’t forget – the whole family is invited to participate! Mom, dad, the dubious sister cats – there is no rule about who should or should not be in the photos. The more the merrier!