Victory of the People. The name Cole means Victory of the People, of a triumphant people. I cannot help but think how appropriate it is that Cole’s cake smash was the first session I was able to do after the majority of the world spent a few months staying “safe at home,” trying to shelter ourselves and our families from a global pandemic.
Beth first contacted me a few months ago to talk about cake smash photos, because she’d seen photos I had taken of a mutual friend and she loved the feel of them. We scheduled a phone chat, and talked about what Beth and Shawn were looking for in photos, and what the experience of a session with me would be like. I was thrilled when she told me that they definitely wanted me to document this special occasion in Cole’s life. We made our plan to celebrate and document at Fort Smallwood Park, because it was close to their Pasadena, Maryland home and it was one of baby Cole’s first outings. But if 2020 is teaching us anything, it is that our plans must be flexible!
We were able to do Cole’s cake smash on the originally planned date, but not at the chosen location. We discussed options and eventually decided to move forward with his cake smash in Beth & Shawn’s backyard. Let’s be honest. At home cake smashes are the best. The family does not have to load everything in the car, cleanup is so much easier, it’s all just simpler.
I arrived at the Sabo house early on Saturday morning. Cole had woken up shortly before I arrived, and we all spent a little time chatting and easing into documenting some sweet family moments. I learned that Cole really enjoys having his toes nibbled on, warm hugs and Puppy Dog Pals.
Then we broke out a beautiful ombre blue cake from All in the Mix bakeshop (yum!) and got down to celebrating.
Beth and Shawn broke out their “mama” and “dada” established 2019 shirts and Cole’s outfit, very appropriately, read “Mr. One-derful”. And of course we had to include the family furbabies in some photos! (The ease of including these family members is another big perk of doing photos at home.) And then we took a moment to recreate a newborn photo of Cole laying on his Daddy’s forearm, which is a bit more of a challenge now that he’s one and wiggly!
We wrapped up our time together with Cole enjoying a little time on the slide and some portrait time, looking very handsome in a bowtie and suspenders.
I rarely actually put my camera away, instead it hangs over my shoulder as I pack up from a session. And as we were chatting and wrapping things up, Beth asked me if I would take a picture of her with her hair pulled up, simply because that was how she wore it every day, it was how she would normally look. I don’t know if she knew it, but asking this, Beth was speaking directly to my heart. I love nothing more than documenting moms, as they are, as they really are with their babies.
Thank you, Beth and Shawn, for inviting me into your lives and allowing me to document you as a family and this milestone for Cole. I look forward to watching him grow and truly enjoyed spending time with your family.