Natural First Birthday Photoshoots for those precious moments with the whole family

So you’ve made it through the first 12 months of being a parent and you cannot believe what your tiny little bundle of has turned into, long gone are the sleepy cuddles and feeding every 2 hours. Now you’re having to contend with a very opinionated little being who doesn’t understand danger, is into every single thing they can find, snacks are life and new skills happen on the daily!!

When I get to welcome families back to the studio for another session to celebrate the first birthday, I’m just as emotional as the parents. I LOVE seeing how much they’ve grown, what makes them tick and most importantly how you guys as parents are doing.

The life with a one year old is a world away from the life you had with a newborn baby. Stair gates and baby safe environments are what makes life work, nap schedules are very much imbedded in daily life and you can (fingers crossed) on some days actually get them to bed at 7pm and manage to get a few hours of peace before it starts all over again.

I have clients who book in for a 6 month session or they simply wait to get the first birthday session booked in, you can get a date in the diary around 6 months in advance. This is always a good idea if you’re after a Saturday as these get booked up very far in advance.

First Birthday photoshoot sessions are so much more than just your kid with a cake….if I’m honest the amount of times a 12 month old actually eats a vast amount of cake during a cake smash shoot are few and far between.

I take these shoots as a memento of a parent’s growth during the first year. You look back on yourself with a newborn and you can’t believe the character they have turned into.

These sessions are about embracing the chaos, their determination to get what they want, the little things that make them tick or laugh or obsess over and the amazing family you have all grown into. 

Every one year old is entirely different and I’m 100% led by them. We sing songs, we play games, I set up cruising or running stations and take their guidance into how the session runs, they definitely have a time limit so I’m more than happy to have a quick break mid-way through to have a quick snack.

No one year olds are the same, some are happy to sit and cuddle and others just want to charge around, showing off every new skill that they have. They’re not a restful session but you’ll get every facial expression going and a work out to boot!

What more could you want from special family time together, it’ll help you remember in years to come what you could do to make them laugh. What their favourite songs were? What their favourite toy was? Their best snack? 

The end photos aren’t just for you at this moment, they’re for all of you and the years to come that you will look back on and not believe they were ever that small.

The days are long but the years are short can never ring more true!

I want you to leave the studio session having basked in the glory of family time, away from the stress of day to day chores and household drama. The studio with its calm neutral space allows everyone to relax and just be, whether that’s playtime, cuddles or racing around.

The studios huge windows let in reams of natural light and the spacious contemporary flooring allows you to relax and spread out in what feels like an upmarket apartment.

Older siblings and fur babies are also very much welcome, they can join in on all the fun and games. So many variations of family shots can be taken to really show each connection exactly as it is.

I provide beautiful timeless first birthday props and include the setting up of a selection of balloons to add to the fun of the day. Your little one’s face lights up the most during these amazing family moments, when they hear the first beat of their favourite song or when they know you’re going to start their favourite little game.

Tickling and throwing in the air is always on the agenda and distraction is most definitely the key!

If you’re lucky enough to have a summer baby then we could work towards booking in an outdoor session, however one year olds can find the outdoors slightly tricky and hard to walk on so I tend to find they’re much happier in the studio with a flat surface and lots of lovely soft furnishings. Plus it can make life a lot easier with having to reschedule if the weather isn’t fully on side.