10 Tips for getting Perfect One Year Old Photos

mint bowtie
My top 10 tips for getting perfect one year photos

My baby turned one last week (sob)! We got some pictures of him and I am SO happy with how they turned, I thought I would pass on some tips that worked for getting some cute photos. I have a lot of experience with doing photo shoots professionally too, so I used some things I have learned at work that I would love to pass on to you!

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Find a Photographer with pictures you love for a price you can afford– I had a photographer I really wanted to use so I contacted her and she took a few weeks to get back and then she was $200 for a 30 minute session with 10 edited images. Um, no thanks. Isn’t that price a little ridiculous?! It is for me so I actually ended up using a photographer I follow on Instagram who was $75 for a 30 minute session. Her company name is Alexandria Cherie Photography for any SLC locals who want a fantastic photographer (no longer available). She was amazing to work with- her photos were gorgeous, she was quick to respond and her pricing was reasonable. If you want to find a photographer on Instagram, try searching the hashtags for your city and then photographer- #saltlakephotographer or #utahphotographer and you will get a ton of options. Find a photographer who’s pictures you love and then check out their website to see if their pricing fits your budget.
Choose a short session. I think 30-45 minutes for a one year is ideal. One hour maximum. They will get unhappy of having to pose and sit still after awhile, so shorter is better.
Choose the date. We had the photos taken on a Tuesday with his birthday that Friday and the party on Saturday. I was too slow to get the photos for his party invitations, so if you want this, you probably need them taken two weeks before the party. This date was perfect for us because I got edited images on Thursday, just in time so I could get some printed for party decor.
Get Inspired and Share with your Photographer. I went on Pinterest and looked at other one year photo shoots. I kept notes of what I liked- things like a cake smash, outfits, backgrounds, props. I pinned my favorite photos on one board that I shared with my photographer. I wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I emailed her with a list of the photos that were most important to me so she could make sure to get them. I was totally open to the photographer’s ideas, but I also wanted to be organized since we were shooting in such a tight time frame. (Below is the board for reference)
Pick a Theme or Color Scheme. Don’s birthday party theme is football with mint accents. So I choose everything to revolve around the color mint. I liked the continuity in the photos and the photos made for the cutest party decor.
Choose an Outfit for Baby. This is fun because the outfit can double for what they wear to the party and is a chance to do something outside of your norm (if you want). I bought a bowtie off Etsy, a button up shirt and suspenders from H&M and paired them with jeans he already owned.
Prepare your Props. I choose props that would be cute for photos and that could (mostly) be reused for the party. I made a party hat, bunting garland with his name on it, a smash cake, a number 1 candle that I glittered, I put up a background of paper fans, bought a chair and put balloons in his crib. Everything (except the cake) was used at the party and it was nice to have those elements ready ahead of time. I will post birthday party photos next week with some tutorials for how to make these items.
Choose a Location. We decided to take the photos at home where our baby would be most comfortable and happy. It was convenient to not have to transport all of our items and the dogs were there for a few cute photos. I also considered a photo studio. If you are taking pictures in better weather, a park would be fun!
Choose a Time when your Baby will be happy. We took pictures at 1pm. Right after Don’s longest nap because we knew he would be happiest then and the light would be good in our condo.
Pick poses that work with your Baby. Most one year old’s are moving around like crazy. The photos that worked best were ones where he was restrained (haha)- like in his crib, on my lap, in the high chair, or being held by his dad. It was hard to get him to sit on that little chair because he wanted to be crawling around. You might get a few pictures of your baby sitting still looking cute, but expect to have to do some baby wrangling.