You might love the idea of First Birthday portraits but wonder what will happen if your baby cries, crawls away from the cake or decides the bath is absolutely not for them.

The answer is that we respond to your baby. We can pause, change what we’re doing or leave something out. There is no reaction they have to give me, and nothing they need to get right.

After more than 25 years photographing children and families, I don’t expect a one-year-old to follow a plan simply because the adults have made one. I create the photograph around your child.

What happens if my baby cries?

We stop and give them what they need; that might mean being back with you, having a cuddle or taking a little time before deciding what to do next.

You don’t need to apologise, your baby hasn’t spoiled anything.

In my experience, babies are quick to pick up tension in the room. If everyone becomes anxious about getting the photograph, there is suddenly a great deal riding on something the baby knows nothing about. Part of my job is to keep the experience fun, including reassuring you that we can change the plan.

There is also a difference between a baby expressing an opinion and a baby who is genuinely distressed. I’m interested in their character, but distress is a reason to stop. The photograph is never more important than your baby.

What if they won’t sit still?

Honestly, if every one-year-old sat still, I would be baffled!

Crawling, standing and walking are part of who they are at this age. A baby who has just discovered that they can get somewhere under their own steam has a very good reason to explore.

If your baby is already walking, that is a milestone to photograph, rather than a difficulty to solve. Crawlers can be remarkably quick too;  I work with who your baby is in front of me instead of expecting them to stay in the position I had imagined.

Your job is to be with your baby – their job is to be themselves and my job is to recognise the photographs as they happen.

What if my baby won’t touch the cake?

When was the last time someone gave you a cake the size of your head and said, “Yay, eat it all”?

It’s quite an invitation when you look at it that way.

Some babies are keen to investigate while others will take a more considered approach. Being presented with a cake doesn’t mean they will immediately want to put their hands into it, and we don’t need to turn that hesitation into a task they must complete.

Their reaction is part of their personality and I’m there to photograph who they are, including the curious, cautious or very definite little person you recognise at home.

The experience also includes classic portraits before the cake appears. The cake is one part of the celebration; it doesn’t carry the whole responsibility for your First Birthday photographs.

Do they have to go in the Splash bath?

No. The bath is a real bath, with a practical purpose as well as the possibility of lovely portraits after the cake.

Some babies love it a few may be unsure. It is guided by you, and we see what happens on the day; if your baby doesn’t want to take part, we leave that part out.

There is no need to complete every element for the experience to count.

Tell me about your baby before you arrive

This is one reason the Discovery Call matters. We can talk about your baby, what they enjoy and anything you’re wondering about, including how they feel about baths or unfamiliar people.

You don’t need to practise sitting still or rehearse a smile. Knowing who I’m photographing is far more useful than asking a baby to prepare a performance.

At Woodland Hill Photography, my studio in East Grinstead, your First Birthday experience is shaped around your child. We can have a plan and still be guided by what they need when they arrive.

If you’re considering a First Birthday Cake Smash & Splash, a Discovery Call is the place to begin. Tell me about the little person you’d love to remember at this age. We’ll take it from there.