Ben’s Milestone Moment: One Year, One Cake, and So Much Cuteness

There’s something so magical about a first birthday session. It’s not just about the balloons or the cake (though, let’s be honest — frosting-covered fingers are the best). It’s about celebrating the journey from baby to toddler. All the little moments that brought a family to this big one.

And sweet Ben? He made it pure joy.

For Ben’s session, we kept things simple and soft — the perfect setup to let his personality shine. Natural light, neutral tones, and a cozy backdrop let every giggle and curious glance take center stage. He was calm, curious, and completely adorable from the moment he arrived.

We started with a few clean portraits — those timeless shots that parents and grandparents will treasure forever. Ben gave us his best "serious face" for a while (classic one-year-old energy!), and then, slowly, those beautiful smiles started to peek through.

Let There Be Cake!

Then came the best part: the cake smash.

With a soft white cake in front of him and a sparkle in his eye, Ben wasted no time digging in. At first, he was gentle — a little poke here, a little taste there — but once he realized what was in front of him? Pure frosting joy.

Sticky hands. Frosted toes. That one glorious moment where he clapped with cake still in both hands? Priceless.

Cake smashes are always unpredictable, but they’re always so real. That’s what I love most about them — they’re messy, hilarious, and full of honest toddler energy.

Why First Birthday Sessions Matter

It’s wild how fast the first year goes. You blink, and suddenly, they’re standing, clapping, babbling — little people with big hearts. First birthday sessions are a way to freeze this beautiful, chaotic, joy-filled chapter before it changes again.

They’re not just about the photos.
They’re about the feeling.
And Ben’s session was full of it.

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Thank you to Ben and his sweet family for trusting me to capture this milestone. It was an honor to document your little guy’s first birthday celebration. I hope these photos bring smiles for years to come.

And let me just say — Ben looked stinking cute covered in cake and frosting. His little hands were coated, his cheeks had smudges of vanilla, and somehow even his toes got involved. Every time he squished another handful of cake or gave me a frosting-covered grin, we were all laughing. He had so much fun exploring every part of that cake — from the first curious poke to the full-on smash. It was pure, joyful chaos in the very best way.

Milestone sessions have a way of sneaking up on me. One minute, I’m photographing a baby barely sitting up — and then somehow, I’m capturing their first birthday with frosting on their cheeks and sparkles in their eyes.

These sessions always feel a little extra special. Maybe it’s because I know how quickly time passes — how those tiny details we think we’ll remember forever can start to blur.

The gap-toothed smile. The way their curls fall just so. The way they run straight into your arms without thinking twice.

I love being able to press pause on those little moments before they slip quietly into the next season. Not because we’re trying to hold on too tightly, but because these ages — these in between stages — deserve to be celebrated too.

Milestones aren’t always the big, showy kind. Sometimes they’re quiet and soft and real. And those are the ones I treasure most.

It’s such a joy for me to be able to create that for parents — to give them something tangible to hold onto when the days feel like a blur. Watching their faces light up when they see their child’s personality shining through in a photo? That never, ever gets old. It’s fun, it’s emotional, and honestly… it’s one of the biggest honors of this work.