The first year of your baby’s life flies by—packed with excitement, emotion, and plenty of sleepless nights. As your baby’s first birthday approaches, take a moment to feel proud: you made it. Your baby is one! As a Los Angeles baby photographer, I believe there’s no better way to celebrate this milestone than with a photo session. Capturing your baby right on the edge of toddlerhood creates images you’ll treasure forever.
Whether you’re planning a First Birthday Session by itself, or finishing a year of portraits with The First Year Collective, I’ll help you celebrate baby’s first year with a timeless, natural baby milestone session in LA.
I don’t photograph cake smashes or birthday parties—instead, I focus on timeless, natural portraits. Whether we’re outdoors or in the soft, neutral-toned comfort of my Northeast Los Angeles studio, the goal is the same: to capture your one-year-old with honesty, beauty, and heart.
Los Angeles First Birthday Photography Sessions
If you want to capture all your baby’s milestones during the first year, I recommend the First Year Collective (FYC), which culminates with your baby’s First Birthday Session!
The First Year Collective (FYC) – a collection of milestone sessions throughout your baby’s first year in Los Angeles – includes:
- 3-4 sessions throughout your baby’s first year – an optional maternity session, newborn, sitter session at 6-8 months and, finally, a one-year session at 12-15 months
- Portraits with the whole family at every session
- Session payments spread evenly throughout the year
- Access to the studio wardrobe for mom and baby at every session
- Styling help for the rest of the family
- A collection of retouched digital images and credit to purchase prints
for each session - An heirloom album with all your favorite images from every single session at the end of our year together
If your baby is already approaching the one-year mark, a stand-alone First Birthday Session is a beautiful way to celebrate your baby at one year old and reflect on all the joy and growth of that first year. These sessions include:
- A relaxed session (usually 1-1.5 hours)
- Parent and sibling portraits
- Access to the studio wardrobe
- Styling help for the rest of your family
- A collection of retouched digital images
- A credit to purchase prints
What to Expect During Your Baby’s Milestone Session
While the offers vary in terms of inclusions, here’s what you can expect from either option:
- Three fail-safe location options: garden, beach (if it’s between May and November) or my Northeast LA studio. I encourage outdoor sessions for this one year marker so that baby can explore, but having a climate controlled, well-lit studio space is always an option.
- Parent and sibling photos included because family is everything and you deserve photos of your baby with the whole crew. Especially photos that will stand the test of time.
- Styling assistance for the whole family, and access to my studio wardrobe for mom and baby
- A baby on the move! This age and stage is one of constant movement, and you can expect a fair amount of movement and mayhem during the session. Not only is this okay, but it’s encouraged! We’ll get a great mix of shots and you can leave the wrangling to me.
- Emotions aplenty. One year olds can go from happy to furious and back again within minutes. Expect that your baby may show a range of emotions during their session and that, too, is okay! If you roll with it and smile, you’re already ahead.
- What to bring: lots of snacks, especially snacks that won’t make a mess of anyone’s face, hands and outfits, are a great option to keep your baby engaged and energetic throughout the session. And while my style is natural and understated (ahem, no babies in baskets!) bringing along a small item that has big meaning in your baby’s life – think of a favorite toy or other sentimental item – is a great addition to the session.
- A 60-90 minute session from which you’ll have a variety of photos of your baby by themselves and with parents and siblings, inclusive of both posed and candid, interactive moments.
Getting to your baby’s first birthday is a special occasion, for you and your baby. If you’re realizing how fast time flies and want to capture the moments along the way, let’s chat. Please reach out here and we’ll start the conversation.
