Being Mrs. Bailey: First Birthday Photo Shoot

I'm a SO excited to reveal Adam's Easter and First Birthday photoshoot pictures! Because these two events happened a week apart, Katie Cooper Photography was able to give me both at the same time!

Tips for getting the most out of your photoshoot:

Choose a photographer who has the style you're looking for
Schedule it with nap time in mind
Have bright or noisy toys available
Keep all props close to switch out quickly
Offer treats, like a blueberry or puff
Let the child lead
Just roll with it and have fun

We were able to start shooting almost as soon as breakfast was over. Adam was well rested, full, and ready to look good. While he ate breakfast, the photographer and I were setting up the backyard with props. She was also choosing the best angles and areas for lighting.

The photographer brought a train whistle as well as a singing card to get Adam's attention. I also had ready his Mario stuffed toy and Kirby, our dog, to keep his attention.

All the props I wanted to use were within arms reach. The props included:

Picnic blanket
Red wagon
Letters with his name
Birthday hat
Smash cake
Rusty (we were going to get some family photos in)
Bubble gun with bubbles

This photo shoot is a little different from those in the past (or future) because a smash cake was involved. Because of that, I cleaned our bathtub beforehand so that the photographer could continue shooting as we got Adam clean.

I got somewhat frustrated throughout the photo shoot because I felt like Adam wasn't smiling and he is typically a very smiley baby. I wanted his personality captured and I felt like that included smiling. It turns out, she was able to capture all of his little personality, even without his smiling much. All of the non-smiling pictures are so cute that it doesn't even matter. She was able to capture the moments he DID smile, so I was concerned for nothing.