Welcome to my little space where I love to share beautiful photos with you. I am here to answer common FAQs I get from parents about cake smash photography. Hopefully these will help you better prepare for your session.
When should I book the session?
I recommend booking the session 3 weeks prior to their birthday if you would like to receive images by their birthday to post on social media and 5 weeks prior if you plan to print for birthday party display or invitations.
What should I expect when arriving?
You can expect to arrive at my home studio. I have a converted garage that I made into a beautiful, comfortable space to welcome you and your family. It has a changing table with everything you will need such as wipes, towels and diapers. There is a seating area for parents with water, coffee, and snacks. If you are bringing your toddler for photos, once they are finished they are welcome to play in the playroom with a parent. This way your older children can play while we focus on photographing the little one.
What order do you take the photos and how long does it last?
I have a work flow that I use in order to get the beautiful images you will love without tiring out your baby. Most babies will tolerated 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Portraits of the baby alone in outfit 1
Portraits with siblings
Portraits with parents and siblings, similar to the image below where parents are sitting with baby in the same set up
Portraits of baby in outfit 2 (outfit you choose for cake smash)
Cake Smash- Baby will get messy
Clean up and wipe baby
Milk Bath
How do we choose the theme and colors?
We will work together to create a beautiful set up. I will ask you to tell me about your vision and from there I will give you some ideas of what we can create. If you need ideas, I have many favorites I can share. My style is more minimal, simple, elegant, and timeless. I tend to advise parents to go with softer colors that won’t be too distracting in the background. I prefer to stay away from too many props so that the focus is on your precious baby. Less props and more connection and personality in the photos is my goal.
What if my baby doesn’t eat the cake?
Sometimes babies don’t like the texture so they don’t want to eat it. I recommend giving your child a small cupcake a few days before to let them play with it to help prepare for the session. You may also bring your baby’s favorite snacks like cheerios to hide them behind the cake. For babies who don’t like the texture, I offer a small wooden spoon to help them dig in and participate more.
What if my child has a scratch on their face?
Small scratches and bumps can be fixed in the editing process. If your child has a big bruise, swollen eye or something more serious please send me a photo in case we need to reschedule.
What if my baby is sick?
Please reschedule as soon as possible within 24-48 hours if your child has any symptoms of being sick. I will send you available dates to reschedule shortly after.
May I invite family members to the session?
I prefer to have only parents and siblings that are in the photos to come. When siblings come, I advise one parent to go to the playroom with the siblings and one inside with the baby to minimize distractions. Too many people in the room trying to make the child smile is distracting and overwhelming. When this happens babies don’t end up looking at the camera and become fussy.
What should I wear?
I like to recommend light neutral colors. Try to stay away from super matchy outfits and wear colors that compliment each other. I love the example in this blog because dad’s shirt is light pink which compliments the theme and mom choose a neutral color dress. If you need help, I will be happy to share ideas with you.
What should I bring?
1 or 2 Outfits, 2 is recommend for more variety
Your baby’s favorites snacks, drink, and bottle if bottle fed
Clean outfit to go home in
I have everything else you may need
How should I prepare?
The best thing to do is to schedule in the morning while baby is happy before nap time. Make sure your children eat that will ensure they are full and happy. Bring snacks. A goodnight sleep will help as well. Relax and remember this is such an exciting milestone we are documenting! Most parents say they didn’t expect it to be fun but it really is. You will laugh and then remember it all again for years to come whenever you look through the photos.
I’m ready to book. What are the next steps?
Please fill out this contact form https://renatajcphotography.com/#contact and tell me about your vision, your favorite colors, tell me a little about your family and who will be included. We will schedule your date and work on all the details to bring your vision to life. I will require a signed contract and $100 non-refundable deposit to reserve your session date. The contract will be sent to you via email and can be signed digitally. The remaining balance of your contract will be due 2 days before your session. I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into my home as a friend!
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