Eugene, Oregon baby photographer: Happy Birthday Matthew!

I got to see Matthew in the studio again last month for a baby photography session—his one year birthday cake smash. His parents, Ashley and Daniel, brought him in, and we had a great time together. Since I photographed Matthew as a newborn it was fun for me to see how much he had grown. 

This cake smash was a mini session, which is only available to clients who did a full newborn session with me. It’s a great way to capture a handful of images at a milestone event. I often think of mini sessions like this one as encapsulating a particular moment. In this case, the moment was a one-year-old boy enjoying all the glories of sugar!

Matthew is such a cute kiddo, and he gave me some of the most amazing facial expressions, from wide-eyed innocence to peek-a-boo surprised, all the way to open-mouthed ecstasy as he smeared blue and green frosting all over his little round face. I had to keep my camera going nonstop to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and it was tough to choose which photographs to keep! Since we were doing a mini session and only using one backdrop and set of props, Matthew’s many lively expressions really set off the session and make it not just interesting, but downright entertaining. 

It was pretty hilarious to watch this little guy demolish his cake. I always suggest to clients that they give their baby a few tastes of this delicious dessert two or three times before a cake smash photography session, because many babies don’t like cake (or any new food, for that matter) the first time they try it. It usually takes them some time to warm up to the idea of all that sugar and stickiness. (If only that was a quality that stayed with us through our adult lives, right?) I don’t know how many times Matthew had tried it previously, but his parents told me he had cake at his party, and if his reaction in the studio is anything to go by, I think he probably loved it. 

We did blue, gray and green for this baby photography session, and while I don’t know if this was the intention or not, I think it gives the photos a somewhat nautical feel. I don’t know, those colors just always remind me of the ocean. I also loved Matthew’s outfit—especially that little bow tie. Babies and bow ties were made for each other, don’t you think?

It was fantastic to have this family in my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon again and to catch up with them for a few minutes. They are great folks and clearly a very happy family—as Matthew’s cheery personality and ready smile attest. I was glad to hear that they are doing well, and very pleased that they decided to take up the option of this mini birthday session. I hope the coming year of Matthew’s life is every bit as wonderful and fun-filled as his first!