Home Girl Hailey Means Business | Best Cake Smash Smack Down

Hailey is Baby Plan Client of the month! Check out her late September natural light, outdoor cake smash and splash!

Let’s keep things sweet over here at the blog! Each month there is a featured session on my blog; sometimes it’s a family, other times a belly! You’ll also find precious newborns and their parents. However, let’s be honest here: a cake smash smack down is something we can all appreciate!

At my portrait studio, for instance, there is a popular baby plan membership that includes a posed in studio newborn session, 7 month sitter session, and finally a cake smash and splash session. My one year old birthday sessions reflect all things timeless & classic, though also are super fun as we allow baby to be who they are!

This also adds an affordable savings to new parents who are considering first year of life.

Where did we photograph the photos?

For Hailey’s one year portraits, her parents requested a natural light & outdoor setting. At SBP, on location portraiture sessions take place 7 days per week specifically at the hours of sunrise or sunset; in Houston, this does vary depending on the time of the year, however, for the month of September, specifically in the later half, we were beginning at 7:10 AM. A stunning and curated location list is given to clients so they may select their favorite look. We chose location 6 for it’s swoon worthy, soft light and gorgeous atmosphere.

What’s included in a cake smash & splash?

A cake smash & splash prep guide is provided for each and every client. These sessions are typically around 45 minutes long and include (3) set ups. (1) set up showcases baby in an adorable, classic outfit, provided by me (see an updated client closet I have on hand for you!), followed by the actual smash, and then a precious bubble bath in a farmhouse vintage tub.

What to wear for one year old birthday photos?

During Hailey’s sessions, I provided the outfits for her so that the styling reflects my timeless, classic, and dreamy brand. I provide all accessories and props, with the exception of the cake, for allergy purposes, but your prep guide will tell you where to purchase the cake. :-)

Simply bring your little one, diaper bag, and cake to me as I design a lovely session to honor and preserve this precious baby milestone in your life!

I am always updating and adding new items to my client closet, too!

Personality & Perseverance

Once Mom and Dad placed the cake in front of Hailey, she knew exactly what to do! Her parents and I had a great time watching her smash the cake. She took her job super seriously and did not hold back!

The Splash | Vintage Farmhouse Bowl for Timeless Vibe

For each of my Houston Baby Milestone Photography sessions, I provide lovely floor props that reflect all things vintage, classic, rustic, timeless and evoke the dreamiest baby photography! The farmhouse bowl is one of my favorite pieces because it reflects the quintessential baby portraits: precious little one splashing in the tub! I provide warm water and nice smelling bubble bath, too, (though you’re free to bring your own if you’d like!) so baby is nice and clean once we’re done with our session. This is a great idea for one year old baby portraits because it’s fun, laid back, something familiar to little one so it eases uncertainty for them, while also reflecting the adorable chubbiness of a growing baby. Happy Birthday, Hailey!

Quick Tips for One Year old Photoshoots:

When booking your baby’s one year old or birthday images, it’s always best to select a time in which little one will be happy and well rested. I offer both studio and outdoor sessions for this reason. If your little one is not happy earlier in the morning, such as sunrise, it’s best to schedule a studio appointment so we may showcase all that is giggly, sweet, and precious about the light of your life, your child!

Right after nap is a great time to bring little one in! I also recommend having a snack, too, on hand and even a favorite toy or stuffed animal that will delight your sweet baby girl.

Thank you, friends, for visiting so you may see highlights from Hailey’s one year old birthday images! Her smash and splash truly made my day and I cannot express how much I’ve enjoyed working with her parents over the first year of her life. Keep on scrolling to see the full gallery via a slideshow + helpful topics you may enjoy perusing! Happy Sunday, friends!

You May Also Enjoy Reading:

•          In Studio Portion of Bubble Bath

•         In Studio One Year Old Portraits & Cake Smash

•         In Studio Sitter Session Prop Styles

•         Outdoor Cake Smash at Telge Park

•          Adorable & Classic Baby Boy Cake Sunset Cake Smash

•          Cherry Pie Smash at Sunset

•          Pumpkin Pie Fall Cake Smash

•          Baby Girl Cake Smash in Historic Setting at Sunrise

•        Sunrise Watermelon Session with Super Cute Little Girl

See the whole gallery! The best is yet to come.

Sarah Borchgrevink Photography is a Houston Newborn Photographer specializing in gorgeous posed newborn sessions. Her studio is located in Northwest Harris County. In addition to breathtaking baby portraiture, Sarah also offers stylish natural light family photography as well as dynamic outdoor maternity sessions for expecting mothers and couples. Sarah joyfully serves the entire Harris and Montgomery county areas including Houston, Cypress, Tomball, Spring, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Memorial & West Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, Richmond, West University and Rice Village.

Newborn Girl Photography | Ideas for a Chic & Precious Portrait Session

Sarah Borchgrevink, a baby photographer based in Houston TX, shares how she designs dainty and girly newborn sessions for her most petite, precious clients.

“Sarah is amazing! She took photos of our daughter at 6 days old and was everything we could’ve hoped for and more! She was so gentle with her and handled her as if she were her own! Being able to select colors and themes for our session was so special and the pictures are just stunning. We will cherish these forever and are so happy we made the investment into Sarah Borchgrevink Photography!”

— Lindsey

 Pink, Grey, Tan, Cream & Ivory for Timeless & Classic Baby Portraiture

When I think of a newborn girl session and the styling behind your timeless newborn portraiture, the first thing that comes to mind is dainty, classic, chic, and feminine. While I am a professional Houston newborn photographer, I also have three little girls of myself and I love all things sweet and simple! When designing baby's first portrait session for my clients, I like the session to be soft and pretty, particularly for little girls.

For instance, neutrals with one pop of color can be a truly stunning final gallery! Grey, to elaborate, is one of the most perfect neutral colors because it can be light or dark, warm or cool. This is perfect because baby's have a variety of different skin tones. Grey is a lovely accent color, too, because it's forever in style and timeless. In this case, I sent over my styling questionnaire to this sweet baby girl's parents, and they requested pink or peach be used in their session. They're totally in luck because my studio has every color you could possibly want, ha! 

Let's get started on some fun inspiration for your own baby's session! I am super excited to preview this darling little one to you and hope you feel inspired!

Rustic Wooden Bowl with Grey Tones and Ivory Lace

This is a new rustic bowl you'll find in my huge prop collection. It's a great choice for a newborn girl session because it can be styled with either neutrals or color, depending on your preferences. In this particular case, however, Sadie's sweet mom requested grey to match their home and nursery. In order to create a unique set up for her baby girl session, I used several layers such as antique lace, chunky knit layer, hand dyed cheese cloth and an organic, custom made tie back to adorn baby's beautiful forehead. Vintage meets classic timeless results is my newborn motto: it means that through this type of styling and design, you create stunning newborn portraiture that will forever be beautiful. Why be trendy when you can be timeless? :-) These newborn images will be passed down to your child and their own children will view them - they'll be displayed at weddings and beyond. Investing in a photographer who provides gorgeous styling and all props is something you'll never regret.

Antique Farmhouse Metal Bucket with Cream & Tan Textured Layers

The distressed metal bucket or pail is a staple in my photography sessions. It fits most babies who are 10 pounds or less; it has a ton of character and also is just super cute, ha! The baby in the bucket image is one of the most requested photos by parents. To make this set up incredibly chic and precious, I pulled an ivory antique lace layer, and also a tan + taupe chunky knit layer so they contrast with the barnwood distressed floors. I paired Sadie's set up with a soft, muted blush pink headband, too, with the most girly hand sewn bead work, simply adorable! 

Soft Ivory Backdrop with Matching Wrap & Dainty Handmade Tie Back

Ivory is a color I much prefer to white, mostly because there is a little more warmth to this color than white. It also looks better against the skin of newborns. White, you see, contrasts so much with newborn skin that it often highlights redness, jaundice, or purple and blue undertones. When styling for the newborn, their skin tone needs to be kept in mind. Sadie looks sensational here, wrapped artistically in a womb style. I adore when little one's hands and feet are curled perfectly, reflecting how they grow in the womb, and also when you can see their face perfectly. Remember: when posing a newborn you should always be able to see each characteristic on their face. It should never be hidden. You can achieve a chic and precious portrait session for a newborn baby girl by adding fun elements to the session such as the feminine tie back, seen below, that has a small hint of peach. :-) 

Muted Blush Pink Cheesecloth Wrap & Sweet Bean Bag Posing

Naked bean bag posing is truly beautiful. We can see all baby's precious details while still keeping the neat and modest. Their chubby cheeks, little rolls, feet, and belly are truly adorable! To make Sadie's session very girly, without using too many props, I pulled a very light blush pink cheese cloth wrap for her bean bag portion. It's a nice layer that suggests gender but also is soft, sweet, simple, timeless and dainty - just like a beautiful newborn baby girl!

Warm Pink and Chunky Knit Layer for Potato Sack Flokati Pose

This flokati rug and wrap are both new to my studio. :-) It's a rose colored rug, perfect for a little baby girl! It is everything that showcases a little girl. I prefer the chunky knit layer, shown below, because it makes baby more round. When posing baby in the popular potato sack pose, you don't want any lumps to be seen. 

Cream Vintage Egg Basket + Quilted Pillow & White Flokati Rug

This was my favorite set up mostly because how fresh, clean and simple it is. Sadie's hands are gently folded beneath her precious chin, a little white bonnet frames her face beautifully, and this pillow is just lovely underneath her sweet little head. I bought this flokati rug in December and now it's a favorite of mine for newborn girl photography! I love how fluffy it is. This vintage egg basket is also the perfect oval prop for a new baby and fits literally every newborn I've used with it! Score! Styling for chic newborn sessions that are super girly has a lot to do with the props; in this case, the lacy detail on the bonnet and the pink hue of the pillow suggest baby's gender. 

Neutral Inspired Tootsie Wrap Set Up with Girly Beaded Headband

Again, I used the white flokati rug when styling this super girly newborn session since Mom and Dad like neutrals a lot. The neutral cream looks perfect against her skin, adding a soft creaminess and luminescence to little one. Sometimes parents ask me if the baby's skin is altered in Photoshop; I actually don't do a lot of retouching on little ones. I do clean them up and adjust skin tone as needed but most of the work is done via lighting. If your lighting set up is correct, then baby's skin will have contours, shadows and highlights. Think of it like this: as women, we contour our face via make up in order to sculpt our features. Professional lighting during a newborn session is key: the portrait session for a newborn will fall flat if your lighting is poor. This wrap is also a favorite of mine since baby's sweet little toes poke out in such a cute manner! Finally, to add the feminine and chic detail to this darling newborn girl's session, I added a beaded headband filled with different hues such as pink, blush, rose, quartz, cream and white so that it fits the theme of her dainty session while also showing baby is a girl. :-) 

Precious Macro Details | Baby's Unique Characteristics 

I love macro details! Parents ask me frequently what these are and the answer is simple: they're the unique details that make your baby who she is. It's her lips, button nose, dimpled chin, chubby cheeks, cupids bow, sweet little ears, tootsie toes, fingers, profile, hands, etc. I photograph these throughout all of my sessions at different points; some images are done during bean bag, some during floor props. Either way, these are details you will treasure forever! Right now baby is brand new but I cannot tell you how fast little one changes. Before you know it, baby will be a month old; you'll blink and then she'll be 6 months old. 

All newborn sessions should contain macro images because they add much soul and depth to your final galleries.