Almost nothing cuter is a 12-month-old being allowed to attack a birthday cake. From frosting-covered hands to sprinkles in thigh wrinkles or trying to shove an entire fistful of cake into a tiny mouth – it’s become a one-year-old’s rite of passage.
If you aren’t willing or able to spend the money to have a professional photographer do your session, here are a few tips for attempting a DIY cake smash session!
1. Timing
Generally, the best time frame is when the baby is awake enough (not right after getting up from a nap) and hungry enough (actually to eat the cake!) but not overtired or ravenous. Additionally, morning light is usually the easiest to work with. The most successful cake smashes have been mid-morning. Have a bottle on hand if they get thirsty.
2. Location
Pick an open space facing a window if you shoot a cake smash indoors. Stand at an angle so you don’t cast a shadow on the area. Set up a large blanket if you are adventurous enough to venture outdoors. No one wants leaves or grass stuck to anything – frosting or hands! Also, remember to ensure that the baby will be warm enough. I love the look of natural wood floors, and it’s easy enough to conquer with a mop or a hungry pooch.
3. The Gear
You don’t need a fancy camera. I bought my Nikon DSLR from Costco! I highly suggest picking a wider-angle lens – you can always crop in later. Shoot in the RAW format for more editing options if you butcher a shot you want. I have a flash kit and diffuser that I love for dimly lit indoor spaces. You’ll need to play around with settings before the big day. Finally, ensure your battery is charged and you have a clean memory card – I usually have extras of both on hand.
4. The Team
I suggest enlisting the help of another family member or friend to distract the baby when they want to run away or when they are heading towards you – and your camera! An ‘assistant’ can also get a baby’s attention, make them giggle, and man the bells/whistles/maracas. What do they get out of it? A sneak peek into your awesome photoshoot and a good story to tell!
5. The Cake
Number one tip: stay away from red. Whether it’s frosting or the cake inside, red can look terrifying in photos—pink, purple, blue, and green all work. Rainbow sprinkles are super fun, too. Take the cake out a few hours ahead to get to room temperature. Kids do NOT like touching or eating cold cake. Think about a large cupcake instead of a layer cake. Take a few photos of the cake alone before you put the baby into the scene for the cake smash. If they are not into tearing it apart, have a knife handy to cut into it. Sometimes, they don’t know it’s edible until you (or your helper) show them they can eat it!
6. The Accessories
Peruse shops on Etsy for adorable pennant-style banners, cute headbands, necklaces, diapers, and bow ties, or keep it simple with a white onesie or a “birthday boy” shirt. Christmas lights, wrapping paper, or solid-colored butcher paper makes a great (and cheap!) backdrop. Try to set up the cake a foot or so (possibly 2-3′ if you have the room) away from the background to achieve a bokeh or blurred background effect, and use a lower f-stop. Don’t go over the top with accessories, though – sometimes too many can distract the event itself. For the cake, a stand (or even a box covered in wrapping paper) can help put everything you want into one scene.
7. The Expectations
Have none. None whatsoever. Just keep snapping. Sometimes, my favorite photos are the ones I least expect. While pinning hundreds of photo sessions onto Pinterest can inspire you, they are the best and funniest the internet offers. Some kids don’t like frosting. If they just REALLY don’t come out the way you wanted – try again. No one (other than you) will know it wasn’t on their actual birthday.
8. The Photos
Play around with editing software to achieve the look you want. I love using adjustment layers and touching-up tools in Photoshop and Lightroom. Finally, I order my prints and admire my work.
I did my baby’s cake smahs myself and loved it.