I absolutely adore this post that Kelly put together, especially with my own little one’s birthday only a few months away!  Here’s what she has to say:

My little guy recently turned one, and I couldn’t wait to take his birthday portraits, complete with a cake smash. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, you plunk the birthday boy or girl down for some instant photo fun — just add cake! The results are always messy and memorable once they dig in.

In addition to capturing my son covered in frosting, I also wanted some images of him outside — exploring, reacting to his surroundings for those natural expressions I know and love.

First birthdays are a major milestone and a popular reason for booking a portrait session. But rather than just picking outfits and props randomly, if you give it just a little extra thought, you can plan and style an amazing first birthday session so all of your images (although very different) are coordinated and look amazing when paired together for an album, wall display or however you choose to enjoy them. And because I just went through it myself, I have real examples to illustrate — which always helps, right?

Need another reason to read to the very end? I lined up some awesome deals for you from some very incredible vendors.

Okay, for Evan’s portraits I opted to go with the colors of his nursery because I know I’ll display some of the photos there. (For more on matching your outfits to a room in your home, see this Wardrobe Wednesday post.) Evan’s nursery is filled with light blue, navy and red, so I knew I’d have a ton of options. If you’re interested, check out his room here.

I did a little shopping and came up with a few great outfits and props for outdoor portraits as well as his cake smash in my chosen color palate.

Okay, so how awesome is that giant cupcake cake? Well guess what? I made it! That’s a photo I took in my studio. And you can make one too!

Wait. Just wait. Before you get all, “Yeah, but you’re super creative … I can’t do that” on me, I am the World’s Worst Baker. I ruin just-add-water brownies. (Just ask my family.) But I really, really, really wanted one for Evan’s cake smash photos, so I did a little research online and decided to give it a try.

Here’s what I purchased:

Yes, you could certainly use your own cake batter recipe, but being the World’s Worst Baker, I decided to keep it simple and leave it to the expert Duncan Heinz. You could keep it even simpler and apply the frosting with a spatula, but I was feeling adventurous, so I went for it. The decorating tools were fairly simple to use, and the little turntable was a minimal investment and really saved the day when it came time to add frosting. My 4-year-old spun it while I applied the vanilla.

In my research process, I checked out a lot of photos of other people’s cupcake cakes and decided I didn’t really care for the bottom half when it was unfrosted or frosted. I thought it either looked unfinished or weird. Then I found this incredible tutorial on how to make a giant cupcake liner using chocolate melts! Brilliant!

I followed the directions exactly and nailed it on the first try. It was super easy and slid right out of the pan. I didn’t even have to trim the sides of the cake for it to fit, just a little off the top. Easy, peasy.

The last tip I found that really made things simple was how much batter to put in each side of the pan. After you’ve coated both sides with cooking spray and lightly dusted them with flour, fill the portion that will become the top half of the cake with 2½ cups of batter. Fill the bottom half with 3½ cups of batter. No more, no less and both sides will bake evenly. Bake at 225 degrees for one hour.

Let your cake cool, trim, place inside your kickin’ chocolate liner and decorate!

* * * * *

And here are a few of the final results with my birthday boy. Even though the images are very different, they still coordinate! Can’t wait to design his mini albums to pass out to family.

Where to shop

OUTDOOR PORTRAITS

Tie: $17.95, Trendy Ties

White button down: $14.94, Old Navy

Jeans: $16.94, Old Navy

Plaid hat: $6.99 (on sale), Gymboree

Headphones T-shirt: $12.99, Old Navy

Navy pants: $14.94 Old Navy

INDOOR PORTRAITS

Pennant: $32, Blue Moon Studios on Etsy

Personalized name shirt: $18, Three Lulus on Etsy

Diaper cover: $5.99, Amazon

Tie and jeans (see above)

CAKE SMASH GOODIES*

Wilton cake pan: $22.94, Amazon

Jumbo confetti sprinkles: $0.99 per ounce (I purchased 2 ounces) Shop Bakers Nook

#1 candle: $1.29, Amazon

Two boxes of store-bought cake mix, two containers of store-bought vanilla frosting

One package of chocolate melts, $2.99 at craft stores

Cake decorating turntable: $14.99, Shop Bakers Nook

18-inch decorating bag: $8.14, Amazon

Large cake decorating tip coupler: $4.56, Amazon

Large decorating tip: $3, Amazon 

* If you’d prefer to avoid shipping fees, I purchased all of the cake-decorating items — including the pan — at Michael’s Craft Store

What’s that? You need one more great reason to shop? Done. Here is a discount code from a few vendors featured in this post exclusively for my clients and Wardrobe Wednesday fans! Enjoy!

Oh baby Everett, what a sweet little angel.  I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to photograph this cute little guy just before Christmas.  He was so wonderful - although I must admit that holding and snuggling a cuddly little one week old baby made me a little sad that my own little one is growing up so fast!  Mr. Everett stayed nice and sleepy most of the time and allowed us to get through some fun set-ups.  I love working with this family because Mom is an artist and always brings her own props and ideas to the table (check out their maternity portraits!), she had bought him the cute little aviator and owl hats! LOVE!  I think it’s a wonderful idea to have something of your own for newborn portraits.  While I have great props and headbands/hats, I do have to take them back with me, and I think it’s special that he will have those as a cute little keepsake.  Thanks for letting me come over and “play,” I had such a blast! 

This week’s awesome Wardrobe Wednesday is brought to us by Shannon of Shannon J. Dodge Photography. Check it out!

“Happy 2012 to everybody! The new year will bring fun and exciting things to Wardrobe Wednesday and we can’t wait to share them with you!

Not to rush things, but I’ve noticed a lot of photographers booking Valentine’s Day shoots.  And guess what? It’s really not that far away!  So when planning this week’s installment, I figured what the heck, why not compile some ideas for styling a cute Valentine’s session? And so I did.

Really popular and CUTE right now are ties and tie shirts for boys. LOVE LOVE them. You can find them a lot of different places, but I found the most variety on Etsy. Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy? It’s such a great one stop shopping place online, so you can shop in the comfort of your own home. Bonus. I actually found everything you see in this post on Etsy, so I could stick with my one stop shopping theme! You can thank me later.   Also somewhat popular for boys right now are suspenders. They are SO cute on little guys and add such an adorable touch to photos. LOVE THEM. Throw in a fedora, and you’ve got your look for your little guy.”

Tutus and petti skirts have been pretty fashionable for girls for a few years. They are just too cute, especially for a Valentine’s shoot. Again, very easy to find on Etsy. I found the “rag tutu” skirt and fell in love w/ it! I’ll be purchasing one of these for my little girl. I love the look of it! Throw in some cute hair accessories and/or some leg warmers, and there is your girl’s look.

The following are a few of my own photos I took almost three years ago when I was first starting out in photography, I had this vision to dress my little girl up, along with her little friend, and just snap away. They are still some of my favorite images today! I ran to Target, and picked up an adorable t shirt and some woman’s knee socks. I cut the knee socks off at the ankle to make some cute leg warmers for the girls! I special ordered my daughter’s shirt and tutu, and I had the other tutu as a photo prop. I found an adorable knit hat and bow and there you have it. One cute session!

There are SO many darling clothes out there for you to dress your kids in for a fun Valentine’s Day shoot…head on over to Etsy…I dare you not to get sucked in!

SHOPPING LIST – (all items found on ETSY.COM)

BOY

Petite Peanut on Etsy: Little Guy Necktie Tie-Heart Throb Valentine’s Collection (4-6 years) $15.95

Antsy Pants on Etsy: Valentine’s Day Boys Grey and Red Tie Onesie or Shirt with Suspenders (size NB to 12 years) $18.00

My sweet Finley is the luckiest gal ever because her cousin Cadence was born just 5 weeks after her and lives only 10 minutes away!  My sister and I were so excited to find out we were both having girls only a few weeks apart.  Since we were still in newborn chaos ourselves when Cadence arrived, we split up her newborn session into two days.  That ended up working out well, because she was kinda being a diva on day one.  ;P  Check out sweet baby Cadence and her adoring parents!

Well, I do realize that this post is approximately three months overdue, but cut me some slack!  Doubling your kids is kind of crazy!   We welcomed our precious Finley Rose into our lives on June 28th.  After trying and trying to join us a little too early over the prior 6 weeks, she thankfully made it to 37 weeks and had a well-earned quick and easy entrance into this world.  She is an absolute angel, and we can’t imagine what our lives would be like without her.  She smiles …. oh does this girl smile ALL the time.  She has to be the happiest baby on the planet.  Her big sis Emory already loves her so much, and the feeling is mutual – if Emory let her, Finley would just sit and watch her all day long. Emory is already waiting for the day when Finley “gets bigger and bigger and bigger, and then she play with me!”   There’s nothing that warms my heart more right now than watching the two of them interact.  We are slowly but surely getting a handle on our new lives as parents of two, so thanks for your patience with my long silences and delayed replies to emails.  Here are Miss Finley’s newborn pictures, some of them with the help of my pal and very talented photographer Erica.

I love how Shannon of Shannon J. Dodge Photography gets back to the basics for this week’s stripped down theme.  Sometimes less IS more!

I am all about color or props in photographs. Bright colorful patterns on children OR coordinating with bright and colorful props can be wonderful. But sometimes I like things toned down a tad. It may boil down to preference or a matter of taste, but sometimes…less is more. As a lifestyle portrait photographer, I tend not to use too many props. I like to focus on the soul and emotion/interaction between my clients, rather than force a situation. Which brings me to this week’s post: whether you are photographing a baby, child or family, sometimes it’s best to leave most of the props behind, tone down the clothing, and focus on the individuals instead.

Some of my most favorite sessions recently have been those where the individuals i’ve photographed were just being themselves. I recently had the privilege of photographing the SUPER talented Jean and Travis Smith and their GORGEOUS boys. Jean told me ahead of time the vision she had for her session. She wanted lots of warm evening light, and photos of her family just being together. She decided she’d like some images in a grassy area with everybody dressed and then some by the water with her boys shirtless. All of her boys wore khakis and were barefoot. Jean wore a neutral colored maxi dress. The result? Pure joy and delightful images. Her boys were naturally comfortable and more likely to relax around me as a result.

Pssst…let me tell you a little secret. Sometimes the little ones need their comfort items with them–blanket, stuffed animal, doll. And you know what? Capturing them with their “lovies” is PRICELSS and clients LOVE IT!

I photographed this beautiful little guy last year. His mom wanted some of him tastefully naked. I love the result with this adorable crocheted hat!

His bedroom had the perfect white room with just the right amount of light. We placed him in his crib and voila. With gorgeous blue eyes like that, who needs anything else?

Here’s another example. Just a few weekends ago, I went to a client’s home to do a photoshoot with her children. I told her with the heat, humidity and bugs, that her children would most likely be most comfortable in their own home. I was in heaven when I arrived to their large and open home FULL of natural light. The kids were naturally active, as one and three year olds are, but I was able to relax them and get natural expressions by letting them do the things they like to do. The little girl wanted to read and hang out in her bedroom, so we did just that. I brought along some inexpensive blocks for the baby to play with, and he was very happy! It’s amazing what a book and some blocks can do. Keep that in mind when using props. In this case, less was more!

And one last example. This little girl loves dress up, so I knew this beautiful flower wreath would work perfectly for her. I was able to focus on JUST her and add a little bit of color and whimsy.

These are just some subtle ways to have fun and focus on the inner soul and personality of your clients. The compilation I put together is very simple and easy. All of the clothing items are from the Gap (keeping in line with my usual “one stop shopping”!). I am picturing the Dad’s jeans rolled up and everybody barefoot. Of course this would have to be a session shot in a warm climate, so it’s perfect for summertime! The props do not go along with the outfits I put together. They are just some ideas to add something a little extra special to your photoshoots. Take some time to relax and relax your client’s by letting them play and just “be”. You might be surprised at the results!

SHOPPING LIST

Dad:

Men’s Jeans–The Gap $59.95

Men’s Shirt–The Gap $39.95

Mom:

Women’s Dress–The Gap $59.95

Boy:

Boy’s Shirt–The Gap $12.99

Boy’s Shorts–The Gap $24.99

Girl:

Girls Dress–The Gap $29.95

Props and Accorsories:

Crocheted Hat-Etsy–Modiste Bee

Blocks–Wal Mart $23.99

Orange Blossom Wreath-Bloom Design Studio- Etsy $20.00

Somehow I totally missed this post from Jenn at Minor Impressions Photography.  I’m so bummed because it’s all about the boys and was nicely timed for Father’s Day.  Oops!  Be sure to scroll down and see the adorable photos of little (and big) guys in the cutest ties by Trendy Ties!

“Father’s Day is this coming Sunday, so there’s no better time for us to focus on all of the men (and boys) in our lives! When giving advice on wardrobe compilations, we usually start out by having the outfits revolve around the little gals or moms. So, when there’s not a female involved in the session, it can be difficult for the guys to plan what to wear.

It’s best to keep it simple and introduce just a couple of basic coordinating colors. An easy way to do this is with plaid shirts or shorts. Be sure not to involve too many different plaids, otherwise it becomes too busy. With button-up shirts, you can roll up the sleeves, and leave it untucked to have it on the casual side, or tuck it in and add some accessories to dress it up.

One of the simplest ways to add a little class to your outfit without putting too much effort is by including a tie.  Who can resist a bare-bellied baby with some adorable polka dots, a handsome father with his precious newborn son, or a young man dressed to impress? Just add a tie to the basics you already own, and people will think you spent hours putting the outfits together! A great place I’ve found to purchase these ties with style is Trendy Ties. Not only do they have modern neckties and bowties, but they can also create hair flowers and brooches for sister and mom. You can check them out on Facebook or Etsy! She just completed a crazy sale, so she’s taking a short vacation, but be sure to visit her starting June 20!

SHOPPING LIST

Boy’s Outfit
Shirt
Pants
Shorts
Polo
Shoes

Dad’s Outfit
Shirt
Pants
Shorts
Straw Fedora
Sandals

Teenager’s Outfit
Shirt
Shorts
Shoes
Jeans

Well, this post has been a LONG time coming.  Back in the fall we did a big giveaway and feature with the fine folks at Tea Collection over on our Wardrobe Wednesday page.  This was my first introduction to this company, and after hearing and reading so many wonderful things about the company and their products, I picked up a couple of outfits (I love their girl’s dresses) for Emory’s two-year old birthday portraits.  Now THAT was a saga in itself (her portraits), and I will save that for another post all about my girl (consider this your sneak peek).  To make a long story short, we received the clothes, they are FABULOUS, we eventually got the portraits done, and now I wanted to share a little review with you.  It’s something I hope to be doing every now and again … as a photographer I may be looking for different things in the clothing I choose for myself and my family, and who knows, maybe that information will be useful for someone!   

The first thing I noticed when checking out Tea Collection’s adorable children’s clothing (and particularly their girl’s clothing) is the color palette.  It is so frustrating for me to go and purchase clothes for Emory only to find hot pink and flourescent purple EVERYTHING.  That’s all well and good for play clothes, but when I want something for portraits, I’m generally looking for deep rich colors or something that is vibrant without verging on tacky.  Believe it or not, that can be hard to find for little girls, especially if you don’t want to break the bank.  So when I first laid my eyes on the Tea Collection website, I had that “Ahhhhhhhh” singing moment in my head.  Seriously.  Their colors are all so rich and yummy, they are colors that I would want to wear.  I was hooked! 

Upon receiving the items I selected, I was blown away by how well-made they were.  Anyone who knows Emory knows that she is ROUGH on her clothes, far more little boy-like than lady-like let’s just say.  She’s barely two and I’ve thrown out countless pairs of pants and tops due to holes, stains, etc.  It is obvious that these clothes are very well-made, and so far they’ve survived a lot – spaghettios, grass/mud, our “dog” phase where Emory crawls on her knees all the time, and so on.  They’ve probably been washed dozens of times but they look as good as the day I opened the package.  That gets two big gold stars on my list! 

Another very cool thing I love about this company is that each collection they design is inspired by a different part of the world.  Their tag line is “for little citizens of the world.”  How neat is that!  Emory’s outfits shown here from the fall collection were inspired by Old World Hungary.  They really incorporate a sense of art into the design, and perhaps that’s why they appeal to me so much as a photographer.  It also means that each new collection will be fresh and different, although you will still get the same great quality, color, and artistic design that makes them so unique! 

While these, particular clothes are no longer available for purchase (shame on me for waiting so long to blog, I know!), I just got the catalog today for the newest collection, and let me tell you, it is to die for!  It was inspired by Catalonia – it just sounds gorgeous doesn’t it.   Here are some of my favorites from the early spring collection, chosen with an eye specifically for what might look good for your next portrait session:

Plumas Scalloped Dress - Gorgeous colors, and just enough fun design to make for easy accesorizing and interesting portraits

Jardin Ruffle Top with  Barcelona Bermuda Shorts - Great spring feel to this outfit, and something to run around and have fun in too!

La Musica 5-Piece Set – Another great thing about Tea is they offer mix and match sets at a discount!  This one is my favorite, pick any outfit, you can’t go wrong!

Words can not express how very excited I was to get the opportunity to photograph baby Lerin for our dear friends.  Her journey into the arms of her sweet family was far longer and much more difficult than anyone could have ever imagined, but you can’t spend more than a couple of minutes with them to see that it was all worth it … as Mom said, every tear, heartache, and trial they have been through brought little Lerin into their arms.  God is indeed so good.  Lerin was a little older than most of the babies I photographed, so she wasn’t quite ready to konk out and sleep for us on this morning. :)  I’m kind of glad she didn’t, rarely do I get to photograph babies who watch me so intently, and look at those eyes!  She also had quite an opinion – she was not a fan of hats!  It was almost funny, she could be half asleep, but she fought those hats tooth and nail.    She did allow us to use some cute headbands though, so it all worked out.  She finally dozed off towards the end of the session long enough for us to get some beautiful shots of her in front of a lovely hand-painted mural in her room.  I think this is one of my new favorites!  Thank you for letting me spend the morning with you Mom and Dad, and enjoy your sneak peek! 

Oooh, I love these super-sweet ideas from Jennifer of Minor Impressions Photography!  If you weren’t planning on Valentine’s Day themed photots yet, you certainly will now.  Make sure to check out our snazzy new image design too!  Here’s what Jennifer has to say:

“Ok, I admit, I haven’t even taken down my Christmas tree yet! I know, I need to get with it because before I know it, I’m going to get a note in my daughter’s folder giving me all the fun info for her class Valentine’s Day party. It’s hard to believe it’s only a month away.

 If you’re a little more prepared than I am, you still have time to plan an adorably unique photo shoot to make some cards that all of your kiddo’s friends will be excited to show off. The great thing about Valentine pictures is that they can get away with being very casual. Since these are cards that will be given to their friends, let them show their personality. You can make a simple t-shirt dressier with a  tulle skirt or a little more casual with a jean skirt and leggings. Let your son show his wild side for all the girls, or how tamed and put-together he is.

 This is also the perfect time to find some adorable props to add. Instead of buying real roses with the thorns, you can find a bouquet of fake roses at a craft store, and all of the other items are easily found at Wal-mart or your local grocery store. Most kids will love the opportunity to eat chocolate or lick lollipops while being photographed, and the younger kiddos will find it hard to resist squeezing a new teddy bear!”

Shopping:

 Girl Outfit & Accessories – Gap
 Boy Outfit – The Children’s Place

 All props can be found at Wal-Mart, but these were found on the web. 

Lollipops – Melville Store
Teddy Bear – Target
Chocolates – Sees
Rose Bouquet – Wal-Mart