First birthday cake-smash photography has caught on in Singapore.
First birthday cake-smash photography has caught on in Singapore.
What’s a birthday without cake? And who says that the pretty confection is meant to be eaten?
A long-standing tradition that may have originated from the US, first birthday cake smashes have gained a following in Singapore over the past three years, largely due to social media. It gets messy, but the photos are priceless.
At least five photography studios in Singapore are cashing in on this celebratory trend.
While most are done as a fun way to commemorate a baby’s first birthday, studios tell Young Parents that they have seen older kids coming in for a smashing good time, too.
“We’ve even had adults doing a cake smash for their 40th birthday,” says Maryann Koh, head photographer at The Studio Loft.
Bambini Photography introduced the service last year after parents repeatedly requested for it. Previously, the team was worried about the culture of being wasteful, and disrespectful to the bakeries.
These concerns, they realised, were unfounded after a chat with cake-makers, who were more than pleased to offer people happiness through their creations.
“We decided to give it a go and soon realised that it is nothing more than capturing the curiosity of babies with the fanciful cakes that their parents prepared for them with love,” the Bambini team wrote on its blog.
It now partners with Creme Maison Bakery, which supplies the confections for the birthday shoots. The Studio Loft works exclusively with Little House of Dreams and Littleones Photography gets its cakes from Temptations. White Room Studio and Firefly Photography provide parents with recommended bakeries.
Every baby reacts differently
Photographing babies is challenging enough, but when you throw a cake into the mix, you never know what to expect.
“We’ve found that those shoots when the baby tries the cake for the first time are more limited,” say Littleones’ managing director Emily Newell and creative director Kate Griffiths.
Photographer Tay Yong En from Bambini agrees, adding that during the shoot, the child might not know what to do.
From Maryann’s experience, almost all cake smashes end up with the birthday stars crying “because they don’t like the mess”.
Even though you may end up with a teary baby, those cute crying shots hold great memories of that age, Yong En adds.
She recalls having a baby boy who was so fascinated by the party setup, he grabbed the props, instead of the cake, and tried putting them in his mouth.
If you want your child to be this excited during the shoot, it’s best to plan it around his schedule. Most shoots take between an hour and 1½ hours, so it’s important that he has been fed and is well-rested.
“The out fit will get covered in cake, so don’t choose one that you don’t want to get stained,” Emily and Kate remind, adding that if you decide to go with only a diaper, consider using a diaper cover.
Remember that some babies will dig right into the cake, while others will be more apprehensive. “It’s all about having fun, so just go with the ow,” advises Elaine Lim, the creative director at White Room Studio.
