I’ve always loved babies and kids. I’ve felt that love for as long as I can remember. So when I picked up a camera and started getting serious about photography, it felt natural to focus on children. It just made sense.
Around the same time my passion for photography grew, I met Trish Baker. She had just become a mom for the second time after giving birth to her baby girl, Lauren. Trish reached out and asked me to take Lauren’s newborn photos. Since then, I’ve had the joy of capturing so many special moments for her and her beautiful family. A year passed quickly, and something really special happened.
Trish had joined a mom group, a group of fifteen women, each with a baby around six months to one year old. She told me how different they all were, in age, in careers, in life experiences. But what brought them together was the love they had for their babies. They started out just meeting weekly, but over time, they became close friends, more like family. They supported each other, laughed, cried, and celebrated each little milestone together.
About a month ago, Trish messaged me with a wild idea, a group cake smash with all the babies. I had never done anything like that before and honestly, I was super nervous. But I said yes. On Sunday, August 12, we met at my parents’ front yard, where the magic (and madness) began.
We laid out blankets, lined up the little cakes, and the babies started to arrive one by one. Seeing them all together, smiling and babbling, was the sweetest thing. You could tell they had already formed their own little friendships.
Then came the big moment. All the moms lined up with their babies. On the count of three, they gently sat them down in front of the cakes and ran behind me so I could take the shots. I clicked as fast as I could because within seconds, it all fell apart! Babies were crying, frosting was flying, and everyone wanted their moms back.
It was chaos, but the cutest kind. Most babies didn’t care about the cake, they just wanted cuddles or to get the sticky frosting off their tiny hands. Clean-up went smoothly, and soon the families were on their way.
The photo has since been shared so many times, and the feedback has been heartwarming. I’m so thankful I got to be part of such a sweet, funny, and unforgettable moment. These babies are all so special, and I can’t wait to see the big things they’ll do someday.
