Clare Long Photography
Cake Smash Session
Preparation Guide
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"Clare took the most beautiful photographs and captured the most precious memories in our babies’s lives...we trust her implicitly" Jenny E
Hi ther e! Clare here!
here o t o h Your p
Thank you for choosing Clare Long Photography to capture this massive milestone for your little one! I am so happy you're here and I hope to photograph your family's journey for years to come. You may be wondering how to prepare for your baby's milestone session and what to expect. I hope this guide gets you excited about the shoot and gives you a glimpse into my icing-filled world!
You survived the first year! That's not a small feat! Every day brings a new milestone that we notice through our sleepdeprived eyes. This is why I created this guide, so that all the prep information is in one place, together with some tips and tricks for a great, stress-free and fun photoshoot! I hope this makes it easier for you and gets you excited for your session!
What to expect Your baby's first birthday photoshoot is a big deal! I want you to walk away having the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together. Through the consultation, I get to know you and your family a bit more, find out what your goal is for the session, what styling you would like, what colours dominate in your home. I want to know as much about you as I can: what makes you and your baby smile, how would you like for them to be photographed, where you are planning on displaying your images. There is a lot of planning that goes into your cake smash session, but I can assure you, it will all be worthwhile, because the images we create together will not only document this moment in time. They will make you smile for years to come.
What to wear
Parents
A cake smash photoshoot is an important milestone in your baby's biography, and you are a huge part of it! Before the smashing begins, I will capture a few family images for you and your family. I want you to walk away having the absolute best experience, so we plan as much as we can together.
Clothes are an extension of our personality and our views on the world in some cases, so I will never be one to tell you to wear something that doesn't represent you. If, however, you feel absolutely stuck and would like your images to stay timeless for years to come, follow my tips on what to wear to your baby's cake smash! In terms of outfits, I believe that beige, tan, grey, blush and even blacks work best for family portraits. Please avoid vivid colours, logos and patterns to make sure your images stand the test of time. I usually recommend avoiding dark clothing as you may be a lucky recipient of a hug from a model covered head to toe in cream icing. This is disguised best when wearing lighter clothing and doesn't show much in the photos.
What to wear
Baby edition
You don't need to bring anything for your baby to wear, unless there is anything unique and meaningful you would like your little one to have on for some of the photos. If that's the case, please let me know what colours and style you would like to incorporate with the outfit, or send me a photo of what you are bringing and I will make sure to plan the set around it. I can provide some the outfits for your baby at the studio. From bloomers, shorts, dresses, headbands and hats. On the day of the session, please dress your baby in loose clothing and fabrics that are simple to take off. Please avoid tight socks or vests to prevent marks on their skin.
Examples of the outfits we provide
I mentioned earlier that Clare Long Photography can provide outfits for our smashers. To give you an idea about the styles we have available, have a glimpse at some examples on the next couple of pages.
Fancy a themed smash? Not all cake smashes are born equal, so if you always wanted to see your baby dressed like a character from their favourite cartoon, please don't be shy and let us know. We can't promise to be able to fulfil all the requests, but we will certainly consider all of them. We may even have some of the props already!
Bubbles galore The splash
After your family portraits, and the wild smash part, it's time to wash it all off. Splash part of the day is just as important as the smash bit, as this is when babies' personalities come to life. They recognise the familiar warmth, the bubbles, the process, and it gives them a boost of energy, if for any reason they felt quite shy and timid during their smash. The Splash part usually takes around 15 minutes, during which we give our models the opportunity to play with the bubbles and finish off any remaining cake they were secretly holding in their hands. We then let you dry them off and get our star dressed, usually they are ready for a nap at this point!
During the session Studio temperature Our studio is heated to 23 degrees during a cake smash, to make sure the dinkiest amongst us are as comfortable and warm as possible. With that in mind, please avoid warm clothing or bring a t-shirt to change into, unless you enjoy tropical temperatures, which we can guarantee at our studio all year around.
DoI need to bring a cake or a towel? We will have your cake ready for you, matching your set-up and prepared adhering to any dietary requirements. If however you would like to supply your own cake, please let us know and we will plan accordingly. We will have fresh towels available for your smasher at the studio, so please don't worry about bringing those.
Siblings A cake smash session is a family affair! It may feel like a lot to include older siblings in your cake smash session, but you will never regret it. We want to meet all of your children! Whether our model has siblings that are 3, 5 or even teenagers, everyone is welcome to join us! I will do my best to provide you with some stunning images of all children together and a family photo of everyone as well. Everyone is welcome to stay throughout the duration of the session, and even join in on the smashing fun, but if you believe your older children would become restless, overwhelmed or simply bored (remember, we are looking at between 1-1.5 hours), Dad or any member of your family can bring them just for the first 30 minutes. Once the family and sibling images are finished, they would be free to leave.
Phone Consultation
£499
up to 4 hour session 25+ high-resolution images 25+ 15 5x7" fine art prints in a keepsake box Mobile app of you gallery £50 off your next session
£399
Phone Consultation
£299
Basic
Standard
Complete
Image Packages
Up to 4-hour session 15 high-resolution images 15 5x7" fine art prints in a keepsake box
Phone Consultation Up to 4-hour session 10 high-resolution images
Clare Long Photography 2023
5 Tips for a great
Cake Smash Session
1. Prepare your outfits the day before We don't want you to rush on the day, so anything that could potentially cause you any stress needs to be dealt with beforehand. Make sure your outfits are ready and ironed the night before. If you are worried about getting anything creased in transit, or children spilling juice all over their new shirt, bring those with you separately. You can always get changed at the studio. We will have plenty of time.
2. Make sure the siblings are rested and fed On the day of the session, you may wake up a bit more anxious than usual, because you want everything to go smoothly. In the chaos of the day, you may not have the time for a sit-down meal prior to leaving the house with not just your baby but also the older siblings. If they are anything like my daughter, hungry almost always means angry, and we most definitely do not want to have them angry on the day, if as little as a sandwich would have solved that. If you are strapped for time, bring some snacks with you.
We also don't want them falling asleep in our arms, so please try and have an early night prior to the session day, to make sure everyone is at their top form.
3. Prepare your children and tell them what to expect When it comes to preparing our main model, allowing for a nap prior to the session is the key. We want them to be ready for their nap upon arrival, but what's the best way to prepare your older children? Depending on their age, it may be good to sit down with your children and tell them a bit more about what will happen on the day of their session. If they are around 5-8 years old, they will most likely be really excited for the day ahead. If you can bring them to the consultation, it's even better as they can familiarise themselves with the environment. This will give them a confidence boost on the day, especially if they are shy. If they are teenagers, they may be more excited if you tell them the session won't take long and they are free to go home when their part of the shoot is over (the same sometimes applies to dads).
4. Bring an activity / toys your children enjoy We want your children to feel relaxed and forget about the camera, and toys are great for that. They also direct focus, so if we need your little one to look directly into the camera, I can always place their favourite teddy bear on top of it!
5. Enjoy it I know it's easy to say, but this is the time when we will be capturing you and your love as a family. Those will be the memories your children will pull out of the dusty box 20-30 years from now, at a Christmas table. Whatever is on your mind, put it aside for this hour and try as much as you can to enjoy this time. Maybe your little ones will need more cuddles on the day, maybe they will be boisterous. Maybe they will crawl around for 20 minutes before they are out of steam. Please don't stress about it. I am here to document it all. This is life happening around us. Those are the memories we want to look back on.
Frequently asked questions How much time do I need on the day?
Our cake smash sessions take between 1 and 1.5 hours, depending on our model's mood on the day. Twin sessions take around two hours.
Can me, my partner and my parents join in? Absolutely! It's a family affair. Siblings, Mums and Dads are strongly encouraged to join in.
What if my toddler doesn't behave on the day? We cannot plan for our model's mood on the day. Just like adults, they may have a good or a bad day. If the session doesn't go according to plan, we reserve the right to postpone it to another day.
How do we view the photos after the session? After your session, we will schedule a date for your viewing at our studio. It's at this appointment where you will choose your favourite images and it's also then that we decide on what to do with them! For a beautiful wall art collection to fill your walls, please measure the space available prior to the appointment.
My baby has some allergies. Could we have a "freefrom" cake? Of course! We provide cakes with a variety of ingredients eliminated: egg-free, dairyfree, gluten-free, upon request. All our cakes are nut-free. Please keep in mind that due to the nature of the business, although we consciously work with our bakers to provide the items free from certain ingredients, all cakes are made in an environment where those ingredients get used.
What about chemical allergies? What solution do you use for the bubble bath?
As standard we use Child's Farm products, but we can offer a bubble-free bath as well, or you are welcome to bring your own bath solution.
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clare@clarelongphotography.com clare@clarelongphotography.com clare@clarelongphotography.com
... and now: relax It may sound cheesy, but those first few months, even years, will go in a flash and the photos you take now will be the best reminder of the days that blend into the nights that made you so very tired, yet you'd still not swap them for anything! We want our photoshoot to be the most amazing experience for your family, so if there is anything else we can help with, or if you have any last minute ideas, please email us and we will be happy to assist.
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