When most people think of first birthday photos, the first thing that comes to mind is an elaborate set and a cake smash. I enjoy those studio sessions very much. In fact, I capture many first birthday portraits in my Long Beach photography studio. I love the creative side of planning, designing and building a set. I also love to photograph a baby on these sets, gleefully making a mess with cake. The photos always make me smile and I know that families cherish those type of images.

With that being said, I know that a propped studio birthday session is not for everyone. Some clients do not want a heavily propped set or the mess of a cake smash. For those clients, I offer a simple and timeless portrait session package that can be scheduled at home, outdoors or at other indoor locations.

Being that it is the dead of winter here on Long Island, portrait sessions for children should be scheduled indoors. There are lots of creative options for this type of session, but a favorite option of mine is at a local greenhouse or nursery. This location allows for a natural backdrop and beautiful light.

I photographed these sweet twin girls just a year ago for their in home newborn session, which was one of my favorite sessions to date. When my client contacted me to schedule their first birthday milestone session, I was elated. I always love to see how much my newborn clients have grown and developed over the year.

Mom wanted a natural and relaxed first birthday photo session and did not want to do a cake smash or props. I suggested a local flower house and she loved the idea. I was so excited because I always love photographing in greenhouses. They have such gorgeous light and allow for natural and timeless images. I kept my props to a minimum and used props that were aligned with the look of a greenhouse. Mom dressed the girls in simple tulle pink dresses from Hanna Anderson that were the perfect soft pop of color against the green plants in the nursery.

The twins were eager to explore the nursery and were very busy during the hour long portrait session. Despite their exploration, these twin girls were superstars because they sat and posed for an array of portaits. These were the best behaved one year old twins I have ever met. I just love the natural look to this collection of images. Here are a few of my favorites from the day.