Annabelle Smith Photography

Here we are! Less than a month before small retail stores are allowed to reopen which includes my studio!

I am looking forward to being back in my Walton on Thames studio with all my beautiful clients in a safe environment, capturing the moments you have desired for so many months now.

I have so many beautiful cake smashes booked in to celebrate lockdown birthdays, current Birthdays and future Birthdays.

Here is the details for ‘The First Year’s cake smash’:

The First Years Cake Smash
£295
-A choice of cake from my collaborative gallery from Cakes by Bells in dairy or free from
(Naked cake, fully covered drip cake, giant cupcake, marble cake or ombre cake)
-1hr-1.5hr session
-20 complimentary digital downloads of your choice
-Wooden age prop in numbers and letters
-Wooden spoon
-Paper honeycomb pom poms in a colour of your choice
-Choice of 10 backdrops suitable for a cake smash along with a theme of your choice
-Outfits to choose from
-Non messy photographs at the start of the session including time in my bespoke toddler swing, capturing gorgeous smiles as they get used to the studio environment.
-Warm water and bubbles for photographs and cleaning at the end in a vintage bath tub with a tap, with Johnson’s baby bubble bath

A walk through your First Years Cake Smash Session:

A cake smash, its a modern photoshoot that encourages sensory play whilst capturing an age that like to be on the move and learning day by day.

For most parents this is a new concept and it can be a difficult concept for you to understand as there are so many choices. 

Here at Annabelle Smith Photography I like to make everything easy to understand along with helping you to create the artwork you desire.

When booking your session you receive digital leaflets- one containing a variety of backdrops all number listed so you can tell me the exact number you like. Another digital leaflet with outfits again listed with numbers for you to select or you can bring your own.

You also receive an image with different cakes and information on how to choose the perfect cake for your little one, I will always recommend that your child has tried cake and you prepare them for their session rather than turning up and them learning a new food during a photoshoot.

Here is my recommendations on cakes:

-The Naked cake- not too messy and perfect for exploring. 

-The iced drip cake- perfect for babies with delicate hands who like to stay clean, they can play with all aspects of the cake the drip, the white icing and small layers of the frosting without getting messy hands.

-The giant cupcake- for those babies who love messy play- be prepared for us all to get messy.

-The combination drip and naked cake- not too messy and perfect for exploring the drip adds another layer of fun.

-The blended ombre cake- not too messy and perfect for exploring.

To book your cake smash we discuss your session- I help you decide on a concept that matches your theme or home interior if you wish for more of a timeless artwork session. You then complete a booking form with the date and time we have agreed on. Here you can pick your backdrop, cake and outfit along with any prop upgrades.

During your session:

When you arrive for your session the studio is through the side gate and will take place in the log cabin at the back of the property. I will greet you at the gate and show you to the studio, please park fully on the parking space out the front or on the driveway.

We will firstly get your little one familiar with the environment then get your baby changed if he/she isn’t already in their cake smash outfit. 

Firstly they can play with yourself in the swing and together we capture some gorgeous smiling photographs with natural smilies and in doing so we get them used to the environment.

Secondly start with the non messy photographs with the ‘1’ and ‘ONE’ props capturing some timeless artwork before the messy play begins. 

After 10-20 minutes I will bring their cake over and we can watch how your little one explores their cake. 

Each baby is different some like to have a look around the cake first, some take small pieces and enjoy the taste, some like to use the spoon to tap the cake and others like to use their mouth to take some yummy bites. Please do not worry about how your child responds to the cake every baby is different and no matter what I will always capture some beautiful milestone photographs.

after spending 20-30 minutes with the cake (sometimes less each child is different) I will clean up the area ready for splash time.

Splash time is a fantastic way to capture your little one splashing and smiling for the camera- most babies at this age enjoy a bath and this is a perfect way to create some bath images that parents love to look back on. This lasts for 5 minutes then you have time to finish cleaning them up and getting them ready to go home.

After the session you will receive a digital gallery five working days after your session which will contain 30 images. Here you can select your chosen digital downloads along with selecting your products for your home. I will always recommend a canvas this is a timeless piece that can be wiped down, in years to come it can be taken to a framer and tightened if need, products should never be faced in direct sunlight.

1. Make it your own!
I have a fantastic imagination and I bet you do also! If there is something special you would like your session based around feel free to ask, I love creating something new I just need a bit of extra notice.

2. We are all going to get messy! There is no getting out of it, yes even you Daddy no hiding.
 So your little one is going to be covered in cake and is most likely going to want to give you some cake and even a cake covered hug (trust me they all love to share there cake with mummy, daddy and even their big siblings) This is unavoidable and very funny I always end up getting cake on me during the sessions, you will need to prepare for this so please keep your dry clean only Sunday best clothes at home! 

3. Some little ones need help understanding their cake.
You have booked them in for an exciting cake smash! You expect them to dive in and throw it everywhere! This is the case for most little ones however, if they have never eaten cake before this is a new experience and sometimes they need us to give them a helping hand. No mater what I am able to capture there experience and get some cute images of them inspecting the cake and delicately taking the cake apart. A favourite song or toy always helps if your little one is shy.

*Our standard cakes are ‘naked cakes’ made by http://www.cakesbybells.com this can be in any colour of your choice. Please note they contain dairy, soya and possibly gluten but you can opt for a free from cake.
The freestanding letters are not something that can be taken home they remain in the studio.