cake smash + Bath
Messy Minishoots
20 MINUTES AT HOME
get messy, take a bath minishoots at your house
My Answer to the Cake Smash Phenomenon
I’m sure you’ve heard of it. You’ve seen the sweet studio photos lots of photographers like to do — adorable backdrops, messy babies enjoying and destroying their first birthday cake — just an insanely fun mess. The classic “cake smash” photoshoot. Well, I’m not into studio stuff, so this is my way of doing it.
I designed these especially for babies 9-18 months old, but I'm happy to do them for any kiddos who are still into eating messy food and taking baths.
Messy Minishoots Intro Video
The trick with these sessions is that they're SUPER fast. It's just 10 minutes of getting messy and then just 10 minutes of washing it off. What's more fun than that?
the first ten minutes
When I get there, let's eat!
Let's get messy right away. Lots of times I find people like to do these kind of photoshoots sometime between the ages of 9 months and 18 months, when their babies are still enjoying their high chair but are sturdy enough to sit up unaided in a tub. That being said, I am happy to do these minishoots with any age child.
But there will be no dressing up, ok? No nice clothes at all. And no posing for the camera. Faces will be smeared with mess, and we'll like it.
And then, after about 10 minutes of eating something messy (cake, spaghetti with red sauce... anything...), let's get cleaned up.
the second 10 minutes
Then it's tub time!
Because tubs are the best place ever. We'll put a little bit of water in the bottom of the tub, toss some tub toys (or just kitchen spoons and measuring cups, whatever's fun) in there too, and get cleaned up. We can also do this in the kitchen sink - those kind of photos are fantastic as well, and what's more fun than playing in the sink?
Because I wouldn't want you to say I left you with a messy baby.
Bath pictures are just divine. But I have to leave after just ten more minutes of those, because even though I could take pictures of your children in the bath all day, I've found after years of doing this that 10 minutes is a magical amount of time for our wet/splashy fun.
the fine print
Rules for my "Get Messy + Take a Bath" Minishoots
1) No fancy clothes. You're getting messy. Clothes are extraneous. Bare bellies or clothes you don't mind getting covered in food are best.
2) No posing. Nobody looking at the camera, k?
3) The first 10 minutes we'll be eating something messy (provided by you - whatever you think your little person will enjoy - doesn't need to be a cake to smash, could be avocado and blueberries, could be a drippy popsicle) and getting completely covered in it.
4) The second 10 minutes will be our getting clean pictures. Usually in the tub, but sometimes in the sink. Also could be with a hose in the backyard, whatever's fun.
And that's it!
So how much?
20 minute minishoot at home = $275
This $275 rate is a session fee, which includes my travel time to your home (I travel anywhere within an hour's drive from Boston) and a gallery of 25-40 watermarked photos posted online 1-2 weeks after your session for your review.
If you're thinking you'll likely want to own all the high res JPGs after the session, that's $500 more, or you can cherrypick your favorites at a rate of $75 each JPG if you just want to pick a few favorites. Or you can buy individual prints & products at the rates you can find on my products page here.
That's me, and I just adore my job.
I'm Jess McDaniel. I'm a baby photographer, and because I've been doing it so long I've naturally become a family photographer, too. (My first babies from the early days of Boston Baby Photos are booking their senior photoshoots this year, and nothing makes me happier.)
I travel anywhere within an hour of Boston for photoshoots. Outside of photography, I truly love The Container Store, salty food and my husband and daughters. And not necessarily in that order.