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Creative First Birthday Photoshoot Ideas You’ll Adore

If you’re planning your baby’s first birthday you probably are looking for some creative first birthday photoshoot ideas to commemorate the event. Whether you plan on hiring a photographer, going to a photo studio, or setting up a photoshoot with your iPhone, these 20 ideas are sure to help you create the perfect memorable photos that you will look back on fondly forever.

 Creative First Birthday Photoshoot Ideas

 

Where To Do a First Birthday Photoshoot

To get the best first birthday photos it’s always a great idea to have a professional photographer do them if you have that ability. While you can get some really high quality photos with your phone and proper lighting if you have a good one, they never seem to turn out quite as good as they do with a DSLR camera and some know-how.

Now if you DO have a DSLR camera and knowledge of the settings, you can probably pull off a pretty great photo yourself and it’s worth a try to do yourself.

Another benefit to hiring someone is that it is less stressful. Setting up the props, getting the lighting right, getting your baby to smile, adjusting the camera settings, AND snapping the perfect shot can be a lot to do simultaneously. If you have someone else handling most of those things you can focus on helping position your one-year-old and getting them to smile instead.

 

Should First Birthday Photoshoots Be Done Indoors or Outdoors?

Both indoor and outdoor photoshoots can turn out beautifully, but there is something about outdoor lighting that helps photos turn out even more crisp and clear. If you are doing your own photoshoot, outdoor lighting will give you the best results.

Weather is a great determining factor as to where your baby’s first birthday photoshoot should take place. If their birthday is not in summer, depending on where you live, it might be a better idea to have the photo shoot indoors in a studio.

It can be hard to get a toothy grin when your baby is cold or wet and also the weather might not be fitting for whichever adorable outfit you really want them to wear for this memorable event.

REALTED: Fun and Memorable Birthday Traditions to Start at One

 

Tips for Getting the Best First Birthday Photos

  • Bring baby’s favorite toys to make them smile.
  • Dress weather-appropriate if outdoors.
  • Bring a change of clothes. You might end up liking a second outfit even more, OR your baby could have a blowout or any number of messy things happen. It’s best to be prepared.
  • Remember good lighting is key to taking a clear photo if you plan on doing them yourself. Outside is always best for lighting but if you need to be indoors try to get it as bright as possible. Open blinds and curtains and bring lots of lamps to the studio you set up at home.
  • Props can make a photo even more cute or help give baby support if they aren’t too stable yet. If they are quite mobile already, plopping them on something fun like a rocking horse can help to keep them in one place.
  • Consider the holidays near your baby’s birthday. Sometimes a holiday theme can be absolutely adorable. Plus you can get double use of the photos if you use them for holiday cards.
  • Keep in mind the time of day for outdoor photo shoots. Late morning and early evening provide the best lighting, when the sun is directly overhead you get weird shadows.
  • Have fun! Don’t be afraid to be super silly (even around a photographer) to evoke the perfect baby smile.
  • More first birthday photoshoot tips from a professional photographer.

RELATED: 40 Fantastic First Birthday Theme Ideas

 

List of 20 Creative First Birthday Photoshoot Ideas That are Gender Neutral

Cake Smash

first birthday photoshoot ideas

This is probably the most common first birthday photoshoot theme. If you aren’t familiar, basically you set up a photoshoot area and give your baby a birthday cake. Then photograph as they do as they please with cake and the mess it creates.

Though this is hugely popular, it’s not for everyone. For some of us the mess, the sugar, the destroying a perfectly good cake, it’s all too much! But it can be pretty fun sensory play for your little one and create some memorable photos as well.

 

Balloons

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Balloon art is becoming quite popular for birthday parties and baby showers. You can blow up balloons with air and scatter them around your baby, place a bouquet of balloons behind them in the photos, or have a fancy balloon arch behind them. Balloons make a fun and festive photoshoot theme that can be adapted to any color scheme or theme.

 

Bath Time

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Picture a bubble bath teaming with bubbles, some bubbles in baby’s hair, and them smiling holding a cute rubber ducky or other bath toy. This can be completed in your own bathtub but it’s cuter in a tin bucket for a farmhouse style photoshoot.

Another take on this is a milk bath photoshoot. You can prepare a milk bath at home with a gallon or two of milk in a bathtub which you float flowers and leaves in. The bright white backdrop of the milky water makes great photos and their clothing flows on the milk magically.

 

Bubbles

first birthday photoshoot ideas

There’s no doubt babies love bubbles, and since capturing the perfect smile is the goal of a first birthday photoshoot, why not make bubbles the theme? Use a bubble machine for the best effect. You can do this outside if there isn’t too much wind or inside. If doing it indoors be sure there is something soft on the ground like carpet or a blanket to absorb the bubbles so no one slips.

 

Under the Sea

Taking a spin off of the bubbles theme you can even adapt a bubble photoshoot to being an “under the sea” theme! Use an ocean backdrop and dress your little one up as a mermaid, fish, or just in a cute outfit. They could hold a sealife stuffed animal and be surrounded by bubbles.

 

Sports

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Are you a sports loving family? Or maybe there is a single sport that your husband or you both adore. Dress baby up in a jersey from your favorite team and give them props like a basketball, baseball bat, or tennis racket for a unique photoshoot idea.

 

Floral

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Take this idea outdoors for the easiest photoshoot or set up a bunch of floral arrangements in a photo studio. If you have a beautiful garden at home or locally in bloom, it can make a magical backdrop for beautiful photos. Indoor floral themes are also beautiful but a bit more costly and tedious to set up, unless you are aiming for headshots.

 

Anne Geddes

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Do you remember the adorable Anne Geddes photos that were so popular in the 90’s? The Austrailian photographer would dress newborn babies up as bugs like ladybugs or bumblebees, furry animals, or sometimes inside of a flower for a precious and unique photo. Though your rambunctious soon-to-be one-year-old is a bit bigger now, you can still use inspiration from this style of photo to capture something immensely creative.

 

Boat Theme

Either take this photoshoot to a beach or set up an ocean backdrop indoors and find a boat that you can put your little one in. Dress them in nautical clothes perhaps with a cute captain hat to pull off this theme.

 

Some Bunny is One

first birthday photoshoot ideas

This play on words works great as a first birthday theme as well as for a first birthday photoshoot. There are so many angles to take on this. You can dress your baby up as a bunny, allow them to hold a real bunny, or have them snuggling their favorite bunny stuffed animal.

 

Farm Theme

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Once again this theme is easy to do outdoors at an actual farm or easy to set up at home or in a studio. You will need some hay bales and a cute farm outfit like overalls or a cowboy hat. You could have your little one riding a rocking horse, holding a stuffed farm animal, or even leaning on a barrel of apples.

 

Sweet One

This sweet theme should be candy-centered. You could make it look like Candyland with giant lollipops and peppermints for baby to hold onto. Or you could decorate with flowers and candy and balloons. Bright rainbow colors, red and white holiday colors, or pastels each can look fabulous with this theme.

 

Camping Theme

first birthday photoshoot ideas

If your family loves the outdoors consider setting up a camping themed photoshoot. This can be a tent setup (whether a fullsized tent or a small boho child’s tent for a more whimsicle look) with a fake fire and marshmallows, a fishing theme, or a hiking theme. Dress your little one in cute fishing or hiking clothes and give them some cute props like a mini fishing pole, hiking stick, or binoculars.

 

The Woods

first birthday photoshoot ideas

You can either take a trip to the woods or use a forest backdrop for this theme. There are so many angles to take with this creative first birthday photoshoot idea! You can just use the pretty forest backdrop or take a hiking angle with outdoor clothes. You can also turn the idea into a magical forest and dress your little one as a fairy.

Fairytale

first birthday photoshoot ideas

You can easily extend the fairy idea from above if you like it and set up a photoshoot featuring any fairytale creatures. Your baby could be a dragon, you could have a castle background while they hold a stuffed dragon, they could be a prince or princess, or more!

 

Holiday Themed

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Whether your baby’s birthday is near Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Valentine’s Day, you can use that holiday to design an adorable photoshoot. Seasonal photos make it very simple to find props because all the decor in stores will match your theme. You can also utilize the season like spring flowers, fall leaves, or a Christmas tree farm.

 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

This photoshoot idea will be individualized to your little one. Their interests are so fleeting at this age and they (while wonderful) are so exhausting you can quickly forget the way things were at each phase of their life. Unless it’s your first baby and you actually have the time to keep a baby book.

Pick all of your child’s favorite things: their favorite toys, their favorite color, their favorite outfit, etc., and feature them all in the photo. Then you’ll never forget all those little pieces of this precious phase in their life.

 

Letterboard or Letters/Numbers

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Use a letterboard to say “I am one” or “I’m one and I love (insert their favorite thing here).” Have your little one hold it, set it in front of them, or incorporate it some way into the photo.

 

With the Family Pet

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Your first baby may have been your furry one. Perhaps you even included your pet in your pregnancy announcements. Include your furry friend in your baby’s photoshoot, especially if they already have a close bond. Bring a bunny to the studio, have them walk the dog, or get photos of them snuggling their kitty on the couch.

 

Family Photoshoot

first birthday photoshoot ideas

Though photos of just your one-year-old are great, sometimes it’s fun to include the entire family. Whole family photos are special, and most of us don’t take too many of them. Commemorate your little one’s first birthday with those who love them most, their family! Capture this phase of all of your lives together.

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