Swinging Into ONE...
I really love building relationships. I love meeting clients and working out details of a session, talking about life and such in between poses at the session, and catching up for future photo needs. I like getting to know names and making kids smile. This session had all of these things and more! When mom reached out about a birthday session for her soon-to-be one year old son, we ended up messaging back and forth many times in the weeks before we actually met - talking about backdrops, props, outfits and color choices (she did a GREAT job - these colors work so well together!), cake, posing, and such. This sort of prep is so helpful to me, allowing me to have a good idea of what the client wants and to flesh out expectations for both of us.
Little Kayden didn't know what to make of me when I first showed up, toting all of my photography equipment into the family's apartment (with furniture moved around to allow space for my backdrop and lights). He clung to mom, but slowly warmed up with some big smiles for the family photos! Big brother Kenji, on the other hand, was ready to go as soon as I walked in the door. All sorts of questions and antics came out as soon as the camera was ready - he was so excited about the lights and to see his picture!
We spent an hour together, taking some photos with the family, some with just mom, some with only dad, and some of the two boys together before Kayden got his solo shot. His cute outfit worked so well with the backdrops, and he managed to keep his hat on for a fair amount of time, too! And then it was time for cake. We gave him a break, a bit of milk, and an outfit change before the cake was set in place. A bit of plastic underneath, and we were set to go!
We set up everything for his safari-themed pose with the cake - some vines, a bit of natural "bunny tail" reeds, and the classic O-N-E letters. As we prepped to add the cake, Kayden enjoyed taking a few bites (or trying) of the letters, which turned out to make some great shots! Once we reached the end of the session (CAKE TIME), poor Kayden was just tired, and the new texture of the frosting was just too much. We cajoled, encouraged, and helped him taste a bit of that smash cake (which he seemed to like!), and eventually captured a few adorable images before any big meltdown.
This family welcomed me into their space with such grace, offering water, helping set up the backdrop and folding it up again at the end, cleaning up cake and frosting as I was putting other equipment away. Kenji's energy (and eventual refusal to take more pictures) was classic, and Kayden's spotlight photo session was full of fun, emotions, and memories. I'm so glad to have met you all, and can't wait to share more photos soon! Happy birthday, Kayden!
