A baby sits on a wooden floor in Arlington Heights, playfully covered in purple and white icing, with a partially smashed cake in front. The baby wears a purple tutu and headband, smiling. Purple flower decorations hang in the background.

WHAT IS A 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSION?

A 1st birthday session is the milestone when your little one is celebrating their 1st birthday. It's a great time to capture them standing the first time, laughing and smashing their first cake (if you choose to add that to the session). 

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME FOR A 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSION?

I recommend that we schedule their 1st birthday session for about two weeks before their birthday. That way I have time to edit and get you your files in time for the little one's big day.

HOW LONG DOES A 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSION LAST?

1st birthday sessions are 1 hour in length.

A baby dressed in a turtle costume smiles amid pizza boxes in Lake in the Hills, IL. Holding a slice of pepperoni pizza, the child sits beside a plush turtle toy. A brick wall with a cityscape motif provides an urban backdrop to this charming scene. A baby celebrating their birthday sits beside a cake, wearing a red headband and eating with their hand. Surrounding are strawberry decor, baskets, red ONE letters, and a vintage berry stand backdrop adorned with festive signs featuring strawberries. A baby wearing a white outfit and floral headband stands against a small wooden ladder on the grassy terrain of Crystal Lake, Illinois, looking towards the camera. A joyful twelve-month-old baby with brown hair is wearing a pink dress and a floral headband. With an open mouth, the baby radiates happiness. The background is adorned with hay bales and pink flowers. A toddler celebrates their 1st birthday, holding a yellow balloon in front of a ONE themed backdrop adorned with colorful decorations, polka dot balloons, and plush toys. The child sports overalls featuring cartoon characters and a floral headband. A toddler in a pink dress with lace details smiles while holding a wooden step ladder, captured perfectly by Elgin, Illinois photography. She wears a floral headband adorned with pink and white flowers in the lush green outdoor setting. A baby in a pink outfit leans forward on a wooden floor for an exciting 1st birthday cake smash, taking a bite of white frosted cake. The backdrop is adorned with lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and large decorative mushrooms. A child with large eyes is wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a white shirt with green suspenders. Their gentle expression gazes upwards, reminiscent of the serene landscapes of Schaumburg, Illinois, set against a dark background. A joyful toddler celebrating a baby birthday, wearing brown overalls, sits in a tire surrounded by vintage garage items. The child is holding a wrench. In the background, stacked tires and a GARAGE sign set the scene for this milestone moment. In Arlington Heights, a baby in a pink dress leans forward to take a bite of a small, decorative cake with a 1 topper. The cake is adorned with roses, while colorful balloons and flowers set the scene for this joyful Illinois birthday celebration. A toddler with dark hair wearing a red outfit adorned with white hearts is eagerly biting into a tall, white cake covered in red heart-shaped sprinkles. Against the backdrop of Chicagolands signature wooden textures and faint heart-shaped decorations A baby in a light pink outfit with a floral headband stands beside a small wooden ladder in a lush, green field just outside of Chicago. Smiling amid the tall grass and trees, the scene captures a serene setting reminiscent of an urban escape. a couple lovingly kisses their baby on the cheeks, capturing a perfect family photo. The man wears a white shirt, while the green outfits that blend harmoniously with nature. The babys flower headband against the backdrop of tall trees.

DO YOU TAKE PICTURES OF THE FAMILY DURING 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSIONS?

I do love including family in photos – the love and connection you and your family feels towards your little one tells an amazing story, and you’ll want to remember it.

WHERE WILL THE 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSION TAKE PLACE?

1st Birthday Sessions can take place in my studio located in Lake in the Hills, IL anytime of the year or outside at one of the local parks from (mid-May through mid-September). If you are planning on doing a cake smash as part of the session, you would need to schedule an in studio session. 

IN STUDIO SESSION INFORMATION!

If you choose to do a session inside my studio in Lake in the Hills, IL, I have over 100 different backdrops you can choose from prior to your session. During your session there is enough times to use 2-3 backdrops. 

Here's a link to my backdrop collection:

https://image127photography.pixieset.com/backdrops/ 

DO YOU USE PROPS?

Yes, I love props! Once you know your theme or color theme, please let me know. Sometimes I already have props for those themes. If I don't, I will ask you to supply them (the only prop I won't use outside my collection is backdrops because in order to get a good quality photography, those have to be high quality). I do have ONE letters and cake stands in many colors.  I do not supply floating balloons (but have some we can blow up and put on the floor). If you choose to have balloons in your set up, please make sure they are round balloons. If you choose balloons that have to face a certain direction they never end up facing that direction during the session and I miss out on sweet little smiles. I want to be able to concentrate on your little one and not on the balloons.

CAN WE DO A CAKE SMASH?

Of course!! I do the smash as the last set up of the session. I do these in my studio where we can easily clean up the little one and the studio area. I don't do cake smashes outside because there is no way to properly clean it up and we can't leave cake frosting/crumbs behind. I do not provide the cake due to allergies.

WHAT ARE YOUR PRICES FOR A 1ST BIRTHDAY SESSION?

Please click on the link below to see my full list of packages you can choose from:

https://www.image127photography.com/milestone

Contact Image 1:27 Photography HERE!