Your baby’s first birthday is one of the most special family celebrations. This is a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that you must capture on film. Even though you may have a million photographs of your little one by now, you need something special for their first birthday. Every parent wants to do something unique for their child’s first trip around the sun. So, here are a few 1st birthday photoshoot ideas to inspire you.
11 Unique 1st Birthday Photoshoot Ideas
1. Smash the Cake
A cake is vital to birthday celebrations. They may not eat a lot of it, but it can still be the focal point of your baby’s photoshoot. Pick a cake with layers and lots of icing – the creamier, the better. Sit your baby down before the cake and start clicking. Take a few pictures of your baby and the iced cake, then keep clicking as your baby smashes the cake. Let them play with the cake, feed themselves, and smear chocolate all over – It may be messy, but the memories you make will be priceless!
2. My Number 1
‘1’ is a powerful number with the potential to make 1st birthday photoshoot ideas look special. This is a milestone photograph that completes the collage you would have started when you were looking for 1st month birthday photoshoot ideas. Frame a picture with your baby and a bold cutout of the number 1. Or, you could dress your baby in a sports jersey with the number 1. You could also experiment with creating the number ‘1’ with flowers, cupcakes or chocolates.
3. Let’s Make a Mess
Not all messes are bad. On a normal day, you might try to limit the mess your baby makes, but when it comes to 1st birthday photoshoot ideas at home, the bigger a mess your baby can make, the better. You can always clean up later. If you are shooting indoors, put your baby in the middle of a heap of flour. Dress them in brightly coloured clothes that will stand out amidst the flour. If you’re planning a 1st birthday photoshoot outdoors, dress your baby in an all-white outfit and let them play in a puddle.
4. The Real Gift
While there will be plenty of gifts for your baby on his birthday, he will always be the best gift for you. Celebrate this feeling in your birthday photoshoot. All you need is a big cardboard box, some colourful wrapping paper and maybe a few ribbons. Choose a box with a lid. Wrap the lid and the bottom half of the box independently and put your baby in the box. Not only does this pose make for a cute photograph, but the box keeps your baby from crawling away during the photoshoot.
5. The Hot Air Balloon
There’s something magical about balloons, and a hot air balloon theme takes the magic up a few notches. You’ll need a basket and a few helium-filled balloons for these photographs. Attach the balloons to the basket, but make sure it is weighed down. You could drape a blanket overflowing out of the basket and style the frame with a few props outside the basket. Then, let your baby stand in the basket and peer out over the brim. This is one of the cutest 1st birthday photoshoot ideas you can try at home.
6. Splish Splash
Babies love playing with water and bubbles. This makes ‘bath time’ one of the most popular 1st birthday photoshoot ideas. Let your baby sit in a tub of water topped with soap suds while she plays with a few bath toys. Just make sure you don’t leave your baby unsupervised for even a second. Alternatively, you could photograph your little one playing with bubbles while she sits in a tub. Frame the photograph in such a way that you cannot see what is in the tub and, hence, don’t need to worry about water.
7. The Tea Party
A tea party or a picnic can be great fun for 1st birthday photoshoot ideas at home. Take your baby outdoors for these photographs. Lay down a blanket on the lawn and put down a picnic basket with some treats and a mock tea set. You can have fun dressing your baby up with a bow tie or a tutu skirt for this photograph. A tea party needs friends, and there could be nothing cuter than having all your baby’s favourite teddy bears in attendance.
8. Out in the Wild
If you’re looking for fuss-free birthday photoshoot ideas, just head out to a picturesque location. It could be a park with plenty of flowers, a beach, a farm and so on. Dress your baby in a comfortable outfit, and make sure you put on some mosquito repellant before you start shooting. Scheduling these photographs around sunset will let you capture that beautiful glow and make your photograph stand out.
9. Monochrome Mood
If you enjoy keeping pace with trends, how about giving your baby a monochromatic fashionista look for their birthday portrait? All this means is that you dress your baby up in a monochromatic outfit and choose a background and props in shades of the same colour. Pastels work beautifully for these photographs.
10. Playtime
Playtime is vital to your baby’s growth and development. From blocks to stacking cups, your basket of toys is probably overflowing by now. You can use these as props for your baby’s birthday photoshoot. All you need to do is put your baby down on a mat and arrange their toys around them. You can jump into the frame, too, for a few photographs.
11. Family Portrait
Last but not least, make sure you take a few family photographs as part of the photoshoot. You can take these photographs in your pyjamas or get dressed up for them. Either way, look for colour-coordinated outfits. Take pictures of your immediate family as well as pictures of your baby with the grandparents, aunts, and uncles. You could even make this an annual birthday ritual!
Getting the Perfect Photograph
From 1st month birthday photoshoot ideas to photoshoot ideas marking your baby’s first year, there’s no end to how creative you can get. If you’re up for it, you could even design elaborate costumes and backdrops that make your baby a superhero or your favourite cartoon character. Whatever theme you choose, make sure your baby is comfortable in his outfits. Plan a shoot after meal times to lower the risk of crankiness, and make sure you work with a photographer who has experience in taking pictures of infants.