Eugene, Oregon baby and child photographer: Outdoor cake smash with Addalynn!

I’m so excited to share the photos from this cake smash photography session with all of you! Jamie (mom) requested an outdoor cake smash for Addalynn’s birthday. Although I do lots of outdoor photography, an outdoor cake smash was a first for me. I’ve always wanted to try it though, so I was really looking forward to this session. It turned out great and we ended up having so much fun together!

Jamie, Darin, and their girls, Annabelle and Addalynn met me on a beautiful evening in late June at Hendricks Park. I love shooting here since it’s such a pretty spot, fairly quiet, and only a short drive from my Eugene, Oregon photography studio. Hendricks Park is particularly well-known for its rhododendrons, which are typically in full bloom in May—although depending on the weather we get they’ll sometimes bloom in mid-April or carry on into the middle of June. We were a bit late for the rhododendron window—many of the flowers had disappeared with the heat of summer—but it’s still a beautiful spot and we caught a lovely sunset. Plus, we brought our own flowers in the form of a bouquet and headbands for the girls.

Before things got messy with the cake smash, we spent some time getting a few casual shots of the whole family. Even though this photo session had been booked to record Addalynn’s one-year mark, we still wanted to include everybody. In fact, a full milestone baby and child photography session is a perfect time to take updated pictures of everyone in the family. Addalynn was a total ham for me, and big sister Annabelle just loves being with her. It was so fun to watch them play and interact together. Darin also got really involved and suggested lots of posing ideas, which is a rare treat from a dad.

After our family pictures, I unpacked the props I had brought from the studio and we presented Addalynn with her birthday cake. My baker made a beautiful naked cake that was perfect for our outdoor adventure. Addalynn dug right in with both hands. She gave me some great smiles, but mostly she was very intent on munching fistfuls of cake. Much as she was enjoying it though, she was generous enough to share, offering big sister a bite so she could enjoy the treat too. So cute!

As a Eugene, Oregon photographer I always love trying new things, so it was such a fun experience to try an outdoor cake smash photography session. Who knows? I might have to make that a regular thing in the warmer months. I’m glad Jamie asked me about combining an outdoor location with a cake smash setup—it’s great when parents have an idea in mind and I can help turn that vision into a reality. Loved spending the evening with this sweet and beautiful family, and I hope I will see them again—in the studio or another great outdoor location! Happy birthday, Addalynn!