Cake smash photoshoot

How Central PA Cake Smash Photos Can Complete Your Baby Album

Your little one’s first year is an experience like no other, and you deserve to capture the memories to look back on with professional baby photography. Portraits for the milestones of your baby’s first year are always precious, but a custom photo shoot for central PA cake smash photos is the perfect way to close out your little one’s baby album.

Baby's First Birthday Photos on winter white setup

Tell the Story of Your Baby’s First Year

As a photographer and a parent, I know that every photo shoot for a young family is special and one of a kind. But they take on such a new life when you can see portraits from several milestones one after the other. Suddenly you’re reliving those moments and the moments in between, watching your baby grow all over again.

That’s the beauty of finishing your baby’s photo album with cake smash portraits for their first birthday. When you put them together with your baby’s other portraits like their newborn photos and sitter session portraits, they tell the story of this magical first year of life and all of its new experiences and discoveries.

Central PA First Birthday Photography

Aligning with the Aesthetic of Your Baby’s Other Portraits

This is particularly the case if you hire the same professional baby photographer for all of your baby’s photo sessions. Not only do your cake smash photos and your baby’s other portraits come together to tell a story but they do it in a cohesive and beautifully coordinated way. Home snapshots will always have their place in your heart, but professional portraits have the quality and lighting to really bring their image to life.

A custom wall portrait grouping by full service portrait photographer, Karissa Zimmer.

Highlighting Your Baby’s Emerging Personality with Customized Central PA Cake Smash Photos

One of the reasons that cake smash photos are so beloved is because of where your little one’s development is at their first birthday. As your child turns one year old, they’re starting to be able to show you their preferences. That could be a particular color they seem to gravitate toward (like the lovely shades of green we used for this baby girl’s cake smash photo shoot) or a song that always makes them do that adorably wiggly baby dancing. A custom photo shoot for this occasion is the perfect way to complete their baby album because it shows how your little one has changed and grown in their first year and is starting to develop their own interests.

Cake Smash First Birthday Photography near me

If your baby has their first birthday coming up, I’d love to celebrate the occasion with you with a custom cake smash photo shoot. Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography in Harrisburg and let’s chat!

Central Baby Baby Cake Smash Photos by Karissa Zimmer Photography

Baby girl celebrates her first birthday with a cake smash studio photography session in Camp Hill PA

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Yes, a Color Can Be a Theme! Choosing a Theme for Mechanicsburg PA Cake Smash Photos

When I’m planning Mechanicsburg PA cake smash photos with any of the beautiful families I work with, we always talk about a photo shoot theme. Some parents immediately have a vision for their baby’s first birthday portraits: maybe a sports theme, or a certain movie or story that your family loves. But sometimes it’s a bit trickier, and sometimes the perfect theme isn’t a traditional theme at all - it’s a color!

In the case of the sweet baby girl featured in this blog, we went for an all-green theme. There are actually several reasons why a color could be the perfect theme for your cake smash photo session.

Best Cake Smash Photographer near Mechanicsburg PA photographs a baby girl on all green

You Can Coordinate with Your Decor

In any photo session, I make sure to talk to you about where and how you plan to display your portraits so we can make sure that they complement your decor in that room. After all, your baby’s portrait isn’t just a memorable photo, it’s a piece of custom artwork that will become a beloved part of your home. Going with a color theme for your cake smash photos is one way we can make sure your baby’s portraits will be perfect for your home.

One year old baby girl sits on a little green bed prop at her all green studio first birthday session with karissa zimmer photography

You Can Honor Your Baby’s Favorite Color in Their Mechanicsburg PA Cake Smash Photos

As our babies grow, it’s so fun to see them start to develop interests and preferences! Your little one probably can’t vocalize their favorite color yet, but you might notice that they gravitate toward certain colors in their toys, clothes, and picture books. Choosing your baby’s favorite color as a theme for their cake smash photos is a fantastic way to memorialize what makes them smile at this exciting time in their life.

All green theme baby girl cake smash photography in Mechanicsburg PA

We Can Get Creative!

A color theme can be so much fun to plan! We can pull together different props that are that color - for example, if the theme is yellow, we can use lemons, bananas, sunflowers, and so on. We can also use many different shades of your theme color to give the portraits some excellent dimension and versatility.

Whether or not you have a color scheme or a theme in mind for your baby’s cake smash portraits, I can’t wait to help you put together the photo shoot of your dreams! Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s chat!

One year old baby girl all green first birthday session near Mechanicsburg PA One year girl old smashes her birthday cake during her first birthday cake smash photography session with Karissa Zimmer Photography

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How to Pick a Theme for Your Camp Hill PA Cake Smash Photo Shoot

If you’re getting ready to celebrate your baby’s first birthday - first of all, congratulations! This is an exciting milestone and your family should cherish it for the beautiful moment that it is. For many families, that means commemorating the occasion with a fun tradition: cake smash photos. If you’re making plans for a Camp Hill PA cake smash photo shoot, here are a few tips for deciding on a theme.

Baby girl smiles on little bed prop surrounded by purple balloons at her first birthday cake smash photoshoot in Camp Hill PA Cute baby girl poses on her all purple set during her studio cake smash photo session with Karissa Zimmer Photography

Think About What Your Baby Loves

At almost one year old, your baby is, of course, a little young to express genuine interest in specific topics. Still, you’ve probably noticed if there are certain things that make your baby’s eyes light up like certain toys that fascinate them or songs that bring a smile to their face. If so, any of your baby’s favorites could make a perfect theme for their cake smash photos. This can be an extra special reminder of what brought your baby joy (and brought you joy too, because who doesn’t adore those baby giggles?) at this moment.

adorable baby girl in purple at her custom first birthday cake smash photoshoot with best baby photographer near Camp Hill PA

Consider Your Decor and Aesthetics for Your Camp Hill PA Cake Smash Photo Shoot

Another great way to come up with your theme for cake smash photos - or for any photo shoot, for that matter - is to think about where you want to display the portraits. What type of decor and colors are in that room and what types of themes will complement that decor?

The adorable baby girl’s cake smash photos featured in this blog, for example, have a cute strawberry theme. They’ll look amazing in a room that has pinks or reds in its color scheme, or colors and decor that align with this look.

One year old baby girl smashes her first birthday during her photo session with Camp Hill Photographer, Karissa Zimmer

Don’t Overthink it

Your cake smash photo theme doesn’t have to be something elaborate, specific, or meaningful. Photos are meant to be aesthetic, after all, so your theme could just be something you think is cute! Or it could be something you enjoy that you’re excited to share with your child someday, like baseball or cooking.

In fact, you don’t even have to have a theme, per se. You can just choose a color scheme you love that will look wonderful in the room where you plan to display your baby’s photos.

Best baby photographer in Camp hill PA cake smash photography first birthday photography near camp Hill PA

 

Let’s Plan Your Camp Hill PA Cake Smash Photo Shoot!

Already have some exciting ideas in mind for your baby’s cake smash photos? I can’t wait to hear them! Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s book your session and start planning your baby’s once-in-a-lifetime cake smash photos.

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Should You Have Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos for Your Baby’s First Birthday?

If your baby’s first birthday is coming up, a custom first birthday photo session is the perfect way to mark the occasion in a fun way that also creates sentimental portraits your family will love. It’s become a popular tradition to have Mechanicsburg cake smash photos as part of your baby’s first birthday photos. Should you have a cake smash photo session for your little one like the little guy in these photos? What are the pros and cons, and some fun alternatives if you decide to go a different way?

Best First Birthday Photos in Mechanicsburg PA Photography studio
First Birthday Photographer near Mechanicsburg PA

Why is Cake Smash Photography a First Birthday Tradition?

Why do we take cake smash photos as a first birthday tradition, anyway? It’s become popular in the US in the last decade or so. No one’s quite sure where the tradition started - it may be an homage to a Mexican first birthday tradition, or a callback to the tradition of brides and grooms smashing cake in each other’s faces at their wedding. Or maybe it’s just because when you give a baby a cake or cupcake to celebrate their birthday, they mostly just smash it between their fingers and play around with it, and cake smash photos capture that cuteness in a more aesthetic way than taking snapshots during their birthday party.

Regardless of where it started, cake smash photography can be a cute and fun way to celebrate your little one’s first birthday!

Baby boy gets ready to smash his first cake at his first birthday photo session near Mechanicsburg
Best Cake Smash Photography near 17055

Are Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos the Best Option for Your Baby’s First Birthday?

Cake smash photography is entirely a question of personal preference. I love working with families to honor their baby’s landmark first birthday, whether they choose a cake smash or not!

There are, of course, pros and cons. A lot of parents love cake smash photos as a fun and lighthearted tradition. It can be so cute to watch your little one playing in the cake and exploring something new, getting adorably messy in the process.

Some parents just aren’t fans, though. You might not like the messy aesthetic. Some parents feel that a cake smash encourages their kids to eat sugar or exposes their kids to sugar before they’d like to, or that it encourages their baby to be messy with food.

It all comes down to your vision for your baby’s first birthday photos - there’s no right or wrong here.

On year old baby boy photographed in Mechanicsburg PA studio at his first birthday cake smash photoshoot
Baby boy first birthday studio photoshoot

Ideas for First Birthday Photos Without a Cake Smash

If you don’t want cake smash photos, you can still get a fabulous first birthday photo shoot for your baby! In fact, my first birthday photography sessions include many different portraits and sets, and for parents who want cake smash photos, this is just one part of the session.

Some parents like to split the difference and still have a “smash,” but with something besides cake. These can be a fun way to do a twist on the tradition! For example, instead of cake you could use:

  • Watermelon or other fruits
  • Donuts or other pastries
  • Pasta
  • Pancakes
  • Pie
Best First Birthday Cake Smash photographer 17050 17055
Cake Smash Photoshoot Mechanicsburg PA

Booking Your Mechanicsburg Cake Smash Photos or First Birthday Photos

First birthday photography is a beautiful way to celebrate a milestone for your family, and whether or not you want a cake smash, I’ll create fun and sentimental portraits you’ll be able to cherish. Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and let’s start planning your baby’s session!

Expressive baby boy at his First Birthday Cake smash photoshoot
First birthday studio Photography near 17055

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When to Book First Birthday Photos in Hershey PA

Your little one’s first birthday is an occasion you start dreaming about as soon as your child is born. It marks the end of what might be the most life-changing year for your family, and a year of amazing growth and change for your little one. What better way to celebrate than with first birthday photos in Hershey PA?

If you’re looking ahead to your child’s first birthday cake smash photos, how soon should you book your session and start planning? As a baby photographer, I’m happy to share my advice.

Baby Girl is dressed in blue and wearing a flower crown, smiles during her first birthday photography cake smash photos with Karissa Zimmer Photography
Custom First Birthday Cake Smash Photography Sessions near Hershey PA

The Short Answer: Book a Couple Months Ahead

I accept a limited number of photo sessions each month to make sure that I can give every client my undivided attention to make their portraits special. That means my schedule tends to book up a few months in advance. If you want your baby’s photo session to be right around their first birthday, I recommend that you contact me 1-4 months in advance to schedule your session.

Baby girl gets ready to smash her cake during her Hershey PA first birthday photoshoot with Karissa Zimmer Photography
Hershey PA First Birthday Cake Smash Photoshoot

The Longer Answer: Taking Other Factors Into Account

Booking a couple of months before your child’s birthday is great if you don’t have a particular date you want their portraits to arrive. But if you do have specific plans for your photos, you’ll want to plan ahead further.

For example, some parents want to unveil the portraits at their baby’s first birthday party. In this case, you’ll need to plan the photo session far enough in advance to allow time for editing and for ordering your wall art or any other display you choose. How far in advance you book can vary because some displays and prints may take longer to arrive than others, and we can discuss your specific plans when you book your session.

Ultimately, if you do have a specific date when you want to have your child’s cake smash portraits or one year portraits, reach out to my studio as early as possible. That way, we can talk it through and I’ll give you a recommendation on when we should schedule your session.

Baby girl First Birthday cake smash session near Hershey PA was created with a custom, pastel balloon garland by Karissa Zimmer Photogrphy
Cake Smash Photography Session

Planning Your Baby’s First Birthday Photos in Hershey PA

Let’s chat about your vision for your baby’s one year portraits! Contact Karissa Zimmer Photography and we’ll start planning the fun.

One year old baby girl smiles with cake on her face at her Hershey Pa first birthday cake smash photoshoot
First Birthday Photographer near Hershey PA
Hershey PA First Birthday Cake Smash Photography baby girl balloon garland
First Birthday Cake Smash Photoshoot

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