First Birthday Photo Shoot

Luckily, I have the best clients in Chicago! I love them dearly, and appreciate their confidence in me! But, I love when people use me for newborn photo shoots, of course. And, I also love when I get to see babies celebrate their first birthday! Adorable, sweet baby Liv came to me in early spring for a first birthday photo shoot, and she brought along a cake to smash!

Enjoy some of the photos from Liv’s first birthday session!

first birthday photo shoot

Some of Liv’s first birthday session photos

Seriously, have you ever seen such an adorable little girl in a birthday crown? Here, Liv is sitting in one of my favorite props! I typically use this for a newborn photo shoot, but Liv loved it. And, she looked adorable in the bed! Added a little flokati to soften it up for her, and I love how it turned out!

black and white one year old

Classic, simple black and white photos are something I really love! Also, with every photo session, I send my clients the black and white option of each image. This way, it’s their choice how they choose to print or post their images. Here, I am not sure what I love more-Liv’s adorable smile, her cute bow, those tiny one year old hands, or the shoes!

baby girl at birthday session

Liv, how old are you? You’re 1!!! Here, sweet, beautiful Liv is holding up one finger! My goodness, she is such a smart girl! And, I am obsessed with her outfit! Great choice by Mom! Of course, I love the color for a spring birthday!

one year old standing up

Now, one of the many reasons I love a first birthday session is that I love when babies show off their skills. Here, Liv was showing me what a big girl she is by standing. Now, typically that can be risky at a photo shoot! It makes my job easier when they sit still for me! But, I love showing their skills. And, I love the action shots. I was quick on my toes, just like Liv, to be able to catch her in the act of standing by herself, and look how happy she is! And, there’s that #1 finger again 🙂

adorable one year old in boho photo studio

Boho bed set up in studio

First of all, I love these images of Liv in my new boho bed set up in my studio. Like I mentioned, I love this dress, but I really love how the color pops with the white bedding. Second, I love that truthfully any outfit on any baby or family session would look great with the neutral colors of my boho set up. Third, I am lucky that my studio is large enough that this vintage set up is always available, for any session.

happy baby in boutique photography studio

Now, I loved Liv’s little shoes with the bows, but I also love getting photos of baby feet! Whether it’s a newborn, or a 3 year old, I love baby feet. Of course, those adorable feet don’t stay cute and little for long. So, I try and get photos of baby feet at every baby session I have. Plus, the shoeless photo looks natural on my bed set up!

baby in vintage chair

Usually, I like to feature this chair. As you know, it is my favorite chair I own! And, again, I wanted to show off Liv’s talents. She is a big girl now that she’s 1, and can sit in the big girl chair by herself! Here, the outfit Liv is wearing is mine, and available to use at any milestone session at my studio. And, I have many other choices, including headbands, as well. Also, we wanted to get a few photos in a different outfit before we moved on to the cake smash.

cake smash for first birthday

Cake smash time!!

And, time for the cake! Again, we had to bring out the birthday crown! And, Mom wanted a simple cake smash, which I prefer. Here, we made it about Liv and her cake! Luckily, I had a wrap that matched the color of the cake perfect (I MAY have an obsession with wraps, too, and possibly have a LOT of color choices-just saying)!

details of the cake at birthday cake smash

Here,I focused on Liv’s hands grabbing that cake.And, we get a peek at those adorable feet again! Of course, I love the simple candle, too, that Mom brought, which matched everything perfect. My style is simple, classic, vintage. This cake smash is right up my alley!

black and white cake smash

Truthfully, I almost have no words for this photo. Honesty, it brings a tear to my eye! Of course, this adorable baby girl melted my heart, and this image shows why she would melt anyone’s heart! Those big, gorgeous eyes! And, her lips grabbing as much sugar as possible. It was a great way to end an awesome first birthday session!

I hope these photos brought you some joy! Stay safe. Stay healthy.

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Bethany Hope Photography is a photography studio specializing in Chicago newborn & family photography. Truthfully, I absolutely love what I do! I love all things rustic and vintage and I try to incorporate that into my photography. My studio is located in Six Corners Chicago. I’ve been a photographer for about 8+ years and have specialized in newborn photography for about 5. I mainly shoot newborn, baby, maternity & family photos and would LOVE to be apart of telling your story. My clients come from all around the Chicagoland area! Serving, but not limited to: Chicago, Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Barrington, Elgin, Glenview, Schaumburg, Elmhurst, Evanston, Naperville, Oak Park, Skokie, Wilmette, Northbrook, Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Wooddale, Addison, Norridge, Lincolnwood, and all surrounding Chicago suburbs.