I love when last-minute sessions come together perfectly! Amara’s mom reached out to me a few days before her daughter’s first birthday, hoping to squeeze in a cake smash before their upcoming celebration. As a cake smash photographer in Richmond, I was excited to make it happen for them.
Finding the Perfect Spot at Bryan Park
We met at Bryan Park since that’s where they’re having Amara’s birthday party in a few weeks. The park was showing off its spring colors, and we hiked around until we found exactly what we were looking for – a pretty patch with purple wildflowers in the grass and some cherry blossoms in the background. The spot basically picked itself!
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Amara wore the cutest pink flowered dress that worked perfectly with our natural setting. Her mom went all out with a custom cake decorated with matching flowers. The coordination was spot-on but still felt relaxed and not overly staged. This is exactly the balance I aim for in outdoor cake smash sessions.
Amara’s Unique Cake Smash Photography Experience
I’ve seen all kinds of reactions to cake smashes, and Amara’s was definitely memorable! She was a bit unsure about digging into her cake at first – totally normal for many one-year-olds. She eventually found her own way to enjoy it… mostly with her foot! We couldn’t stop laughing when she decided her toes were the perfect utensil for cake eating.
Beyond Just Cake Smash Photos
We started with some sweet portraits of Amara playing among the flowers before bringing out the cake. Some of my favorite shots are of her just exploring, checking out the grass and flowers with that serious concentration only toddlers have. These natural moments often end up being parents’ favorite images.
The lighting that day was really working in our favor – late afternoon sun filtering through the trees gave everything a warm glow. Between the light, the flowers, and Amara’s expressions, we captured exactly what a first birthday should feel like – fun, a little messy, and totally authentic.
I love that these photos will match where they’re celebrating her actual birthday. When they look back at both sets of images years from now, they’ll have this cool connection between her professional photos and their family celebration. Last-minute requests don’t always work out with my schedule, but I’m so glad this one did. First birthdays don’t wait for anyone!
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Looking for more birthday photo inspiration? Check out my first birthday photo ideas for your little one’s milestone session!
Looking for a studio in the Richmond area for your newborn, family, maternity or other type of session? Check out The Studio on Broad!