The party
Birthday Photography
First birthdays, cake smashes and full family celebrations.
Explore Birthday PhotographyCake Smash Photography in Kharadi, Pune
A one-year-old, a cake and no instructions — run by two adults who are usually already outnumbered.
The bit that needs a third pair of hands
There is nobody to hand the baby to while you clean up.
A cake smash is a job normally done by about five people. Most families here arrive with two.
One of you is meant to be encouraging the child, one holding the cake, one catching them when they lean, one wiping, one taking the photographs. In a household with grandparents nearby that happens without anyone planning it. Here it does not.
So we plan it. We handle the setup, the resets and the mess, and the two of you get to be in the photographs rather than crouched just outside the frame managing the operation. That is a bigger difference than it sounds.
Bring a change of clothes for the child and something to wrap them in afterwards, and let us worry about the rest. The aftermath is genuinely the part families underestimate.
The comparison worth making is with how this goes in a household full of relatives. There, five people share the job and the parents are free. Here, the two of you are the entire crew, and if the photographer is only holding a camera you will spend the session working rather than watching.
So the arrangement is different by design. We take on the parts that normally need extra hands, which is the difference between being present at your child's first birthday session and running it.
Worth saying plainly: with two adults and no help, doing this at a party is much harder than doing it separately. A dedicated session means the child has your full attention and nobody is managing guests at the same time.
The clean-up is a genuine part of the booking rather than an afterthought. We plan for it, which is why the session is not scheduled tight against anything else.
If grandparents are visiting, this is a good one to schedule inside their stay. It is short, it is funny, and it produces the photographs relatives ask for most.
Getting ready
The list, because there is nobody to send home for anything
Change of clothes, something to wrap them in, wipes, a towel for the car seat. With two adults and no backup, the thing you forgot stays forgotten.
Keep the outfit simple and bring a second if you want clean portraits first. Elaborate outfits photograph worse, clean up worse, and take time out of a window that is already short.
Order the cake for the session rather than reusing the party cake. A cake that has already been to a party and back is not what anyone wants in these frames.
Planning it
What we settle beforehand
What time of day your child is actually at their best, because a tired one-year-old does not perform and there is no second run at this.
Whether you want clean portraits before the cake. It changes the running order and it is the thing families most often wish they had asked for once the icing is everywhere.
And who is coming. With no relatives nearby, most of these are two parents — which is fine, and it means we handle the setup and the resets so both of you can be in the photographs rather than managing the operation from just outside the frame.
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Cake smash sessions in Kharadi
How the session itself works is covered in full on the main cake smash photography page.
- 1st Floor, Behind G S Mahanagar Co-op Bank Ltd, Sai Nagari, Mathura Nagar, Wadgaon Sheri, Pune, Maharashtra 411014
- +91 79032 43332
It is just the two of us. Is that enough people?
Yes. We handle the setup and the resets, which is the part that normally needs extra hands, so both of you can actually be present rather than managing logistics.
Do we bring the cake?
Tell us what you have in mind when you book and we will confirm what to bring. Simple cakes with soft icing both smash and photograph better than elaborate ones.
What if our child will not touch it?
Common, and not a failed session. Some demolish it in seconds, some inspect it suspiciously for ten minutes. We do not push a child who is not interested.
Can we get clean portraits before the cake?
That is the usual order, because there is no going back once it starts. Bring a second outfit if you want a clear before and after.
Which areas do families come from for a cake smash?
Mostly Kharadi itself and the towers around it, plus Wadgaon Sheri, Viman Nagar, Keshav Nagar, Mundhwa and Chandan Nagar. Anywhere in Pune is fine — the shorter journey just makes the trip home with a sticky one-year-old less of an event.
What if our child will not touch the cake?
Common and not a failure. Some demolish it, some inspect it suspiciously for ten minutes. We do not push a child who is not interested.
Should we do this before the party?
Usually, a week or two ahead. It keeps the party from carrying two jobs and gives you photographs in time if you want them for anything.
Can family watch on a video call?
If you want to set that up, we work around it. Plenty of families here do, and it is a truthful part of how the day actually happens.
How long does it take?
Less than families expect. The cake part is short; the rest is setup, clean portraits and clearing up.
Can we do this at home?
Ask us. Home has advantages for the clean-up but the mess travels further than anyone imagines.
Should we book a separate session or combine it with the party?
Separate, usually. A session with no guests and no schedule gives the child a full hour of attention.
What should the cake be like?
Simple, with soft icing. Elaborate cakes smash badly and photograph worse.
Do you photograph the family as well?
Yes, usually before the cake while everyone is still clean. Tell us if you want it and we will allow the time.
How much mess should we expect?
More than you are imagining. That is the point, and it is why the change of clothes matters more than the outfit.
Turning one soon?
Send us the birthday and we will suggest a week. Most families shoot this shortly before the party rather than on the day.