you & your babe
Congratulations!! This is such an exciting time!
Whether you’ve just had a baby or have a cheeky near-one year old, you may be looking to hire a professional photographer to capture some beautiful photos of your precious bub for their first birthday... BUT you have nooo idea where to start or who to choose!
I know it can be completely overwhelming trying to find the perfect photographer amongst the sea of ‘professional’ photographers that flood the internet and social media these days, and your baby is only turning ONE once, so choosing the right photographer to capture this ever so fleeting time in your child’s life will be a decision that you won’t want to make lightly.
Below I have some must-haves and tips on choosing the right photographer for you and your babe.
The most important thing is to find a photographer whose style you LOVE, one who is EXPERIENCED in photographing little ones and one who also fits YOUR needs. Easier said than done, right? I’ve put together some helpful tips and important information to take into consideration when deciding on the photographer who is right for YOU!
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Choose an experienced childhood photographer. How many years have they been in business? What training have they invested in? Remember you are trusting them to not only take photographs, but also interact and connect with your babe. Your baby’s safety must be the first priority! Your little one will be eating food (sometimes cake for the very first time) and will be in water. So experience is so important!!
Kirra Photography has been photographing babies for over 9 years. Mikaela has been trained by the best photographers in Australia and overseas, as well as completed specific baby and child first aid training and all training is updated annually.
Choose a cake smash photographer who’s photographs you love and connect with. Have a good look through their instagram, facebook and website? Do their photographs connect with? Do you feel the emotion when you look at them? Do they make you smile?
Kirra Photography is dedicated to providing natural, authentic photographs with a beautiful range documented…Those true moments and connection is captured, you can feel the love and wonder, you can see your little ones personality shining through, all their quirks and expressions, all their milestones and achievements, even their cheeky laugh when you look back on these photographs.
Choose a cake smash photographer that is insured and registered. Many claim to be an ‘experienced’ business, however are running a hobby or have just started out. Everyone starts somewhere, but remember this is your precious bub and their once in a lifetime photos you are trusting the photographer with. Kirra Photography holds comprehensive insurance as well as professional organization registrations, business registration, up to date vaccinations (including Whooping Cough and COVID) and a Working with Children Check. Kirra Photography is a sustainable business with practices in place to ensure we are here for generations to come!
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Choose a cake smash photographer who will edit all of your beautiful photographs so they are the best quality for you! Kirra Photography individually edits each photograph in your gallery. If there are bruises or scratches, blemishes or red marks, I will remove them from the photos. Lint on clothing, hair a little frizzy, a stain on a top... none of these need to be worried about! Small details on your little babe such as eyelashes and little fingers and toes are defined so they don't get lost in the photograph. There are also some special photos where we may need some photoshop magic to ensure your babe is safe at all times - like a photo on a rocking horse & mums hands are on babes back but that's removed in the photos! Your final images will be absolutely divine!
Choose a cake smash photographer that will offer you a full and flexible session. Kirra Photography only schedules limited sessions per day and all sessions are untimed - we never ever want to rush anyone, especially a babe on their birthday! There will be plenty of time for feeding and cuddles. Everything you need is provided, including the cake, bath, decorations and outfits.
Intolerances and allergies can be catered for and we can swap the cake for another yummy food!
I will assist you in choosing the perfect theme for your little one and designing a set that is equally beautiful and doesn't distract from your babe's face and excitement.
The studio is comfy and relaxing with refreshments and snacks, a couch to rest on and a
TV to watch.
Choose a high quality photographer. Are the photographer’s images on their website of good quality? Or are they badly lit, out of focus, ‘over-edited’ or not edited at all? Are they consistent in style – or do they seem to be all over the place? Do their cake smash galleries show a diverse portfolio with lots of different faces – or are you seeing the same baby and family repeatedly – evidence that they may not have done many photo shoots, perhaps an amateur who is portfolio building? Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with amateurs as, again, we all start somewhere – but it’s those beginners who falsely advertise as ‘professionals’ (offering cheap prices yet delivering sub-par service and photographs) – that are a real concern.
What goes into your photography package price?
- time, talent and experience of your photographer
- the studio including everything in it and all the costs to run that studio like heating, electricity, insurance, etc. as well as the decorations, outfits & cake!
- the equipment needed to document the photos... a professional camera, lens, batteries, SD cards, computer, hard drives/cloud storage, beanbag, lighting, props, outfits, and so much more.
- business costs to make sure the business is registered and sustainable including insurance, business registration and legal
- and so much more!
Maybe even car running costs for travel and definitely laundry and cleaning costs.
- AND of course your finished photographs like a USB, prints and a keepsake box.
“Sooo how much is it going to cost me?!” I hear you ask! Whilst price will be a factor, it shouldn’t be the first or only thing to consider when making such an important decision (as we’ve just covered in the important tips above!).
Ever heard of the saying “you get what you pay for”? Choosing and entrusting the right photographer for your baby’s first birthday photo session (or even wedding or family photos for that matter) is no different.
Photography is an investment and the experience & photographs will last a lifetime.
Remember to book your Cake Smash photos as early as possible. I have clients who contact me when they are pregnant! This is great, they know their session is secured and it is one less thing to worry about later on when all you want to do is soak up every moment of the first year! Even if your bub is nearly one, please still contact your photographer, as some, like Kirra Photography, do have a cancellations list and may be able to fit you… but if possible, we still suggest booking early to avoid missing out.
A first year collection is also a fantastic way to secure your session & not miss out!
Don't forget! You can ask questions of the photographers you are looking at. Ask them for their experience and training, their business registration status, do they have insurance and how do they run their sessions?
You can also find out more about Kirra Photography's sessions, go behind the scenes and ask questions by exploring our "Experiences" on the website.
Want to know more about Mikaela? Visit here.