First Birthday Photos | Greigh

Milestone

Older babies in the house! I don’t often highlight my older baby sessions on this blog, but I do have babies over a few weeks old in the studio from time to time. First birthday photos often involve the ever-popular cake smash, and this baby’s first birthday photoshoot was no exception. Classic baby blues, suspenders, cute little teeth, and one smiley guy — his 1-year celebration has it all! Check it out.

A baby in blue jeans sits in front of a balloon backdrop and the letters "ONE". He is holding a light blue balloon and smiling.

Baby Greigh’s First Birthday Photos

Meet Mr. Greigh, a bundle of smiles and giggles. He was such a cutie, and so much fun to work with in the studio.

A one-year-old baby sits in front of a backdrop of blue and gray balloons and the letters "ONE". He is smiling and holding a light blue balloon while looking into the camera.

Greigh’s parents, Alexandra and Gregg, had been in the studio before. Back about a year before this photoshoot, I did their maternity session.

Close up of a baby in front of blue balloons. He is wearing blue jean overalls, smiling, and looking directly into the camera.

But this time? It was all about him! And what a personality he had.

A baby sits in a side profile in front of a ballon backdrop and prop letters that spell "One". He is smiling and holding a light blue balloon.

Newborn photoshoots and older baby photos take a lot of skill to master. For newborn sessions, it’s important to be versed in safety and to know the best ways to photograph them while they are sleeping.

A baby sits in front of a backdrop of blue and gray balloons and prop letters that spell out "One". He is looking directly at the camera and smiling.

For older babies, it’s all about engagement and keeping them happy. It helps that Greigh is a happy baby, to begin with. But we use objects like balloons not just for their whimsical nature, but because they are naturally fun for older babies (when they are being supervised)!

He got super into playing with that balloon, which made for some great photos.

One Dapper Little Dude

Now, we did a bunch of photos in that blue overall ensemble, and that was strategic (you’ll see why later!)

A black and white photo featuring a one-year-old baby at his first birthday photoshoot. He has his finger in his mouth and is looking straight into the camera.

But we started the day out with this dapper little suit. Now, this suit is both adorable and dressy, so I wanted to capture Greigh’s full range.

A baby in a button up, khakis, and suspenders sits in front of a blue and gray balloon garland and prop letters spelling the word "one". He is smiling.

So for black and white photos, I opted for some more serious looks. Whereas the full color photos were a little more jubilant and fun.

A baby boy sits in front of a blue and gray balloon garland and white prop letters spelling the word "one". He is wearing a white button-up, khakis, and suspenders and is smiling.

I just love this one above. He looks like the most fun professor you’d ever have in college.

A black and white first birthday photo featuring a baby on his hands and knees looking directly into the camera

And this black and white first birthday photo? Timeless!

Cake Smash First Birthday Photos

So, I mentioned earlier that the wardrobe change was strategic. Although I have been posting out of order, you might have noticed that Greigh went from dapper college professor to ready for a day at the state fair in his overalls…

First birthday photo featuring a baby with a face covered in cake and cake all over his hands. He is sitting in front of balloons and prop letters spelling out the word "one"

That’s because for Greigh’s first birthday photos, we did a cake smash!

A color first birthday cake smash photo featuring a baby sitting in front of a white birthday cake. He has dug into the cake with his hands and is putting a piece of it in his mouth.

Studio cake smashes are simple, but fun. I provide a white cake from HEB as well as a balloon garland in the color of the parent’s choice. I’ll put the cake on a stand and display O-N-E lettering in the background. If parents would like a more decorative cake, they are welcome to bring their own cake. But for all intents and purposes, a plain cake works just great.

A baby with cake on his face and hands sits in front of a blue and gray balloon garland. A destroyed white cake sits in the background.

After all, the whole point of cake smash is to destroy the cake. Which Greigh did a pretty good job of. And these pleased-as-punch photos definitely say that, in my opinion.

A black and white first birthday photo featuring a baby messily eating a cake.

Thanks so much to Alexandria and Greg for bringing in their little bundle of joy to celebrate his first birthday with cake smash photos! If you would like to work with me on your own first birthday photos — cake or no cake — I’m ready for the task. Let’s chat!

A smiling baby boy clapping his hands in front of a balloon garland.