As a Quad Cities child photographer, I see so many different children at all different ages and milestones.  It’s so fun as each and every little one has different things that can really make them smile and show their individual personalities.  With some it’s the silly animal noises that I make to get that sweet giggle out of them, and with others it’s simply playing peek-a-boo behind my camera.  One thing holds true for me though, I absolutely love working with each and every single one of them!

This little girl holds a super special place in my heart, though, as I have been photographing her since she was around a week old for her newborn pictures, then her 6 month session, and now her one year.  She is the absolute perfect little girl for her pictures!  She always has the sweetest smile on her face.  I seriously wanted to keep her when we did this last session.  I couldn’t help but smile and laugh at all her adorable facial expressions!

I will say, one year sessions are probably one of the tougher sessions.  Most one year olds are typically on the move whether it be crawling or walking.  And once that mobility comes into play, freedom and independence comes right along with it.  So I pretty much look like I’m running around getting a full 45 minutes to an hour of cardio chasing after these little speed demons!

A few tricks that have come with experience in photographing these kiddos is that I like to bring props.  Props are a big distraction that can occupy them for all of a minute or two to capture those really genuine smiles and laughs.  For me, I personally love the really small chairs.  These act as something for them to climb on and have that moment of success when they reach the sitting position!  It’s so sweet to see the excitement in their faces!  The other prop I love is a really small rocking horse.  I’ve never seen one so small before, and it works perfect for one year olds.  They LOVE these!  This little miss was no exception to this.  She was pretty happy with my chair selection and the rocking horse.  We were able to get some really fun pictures of her on these couple of items.

We ended the session with the famous cake smash!  These are SO.MUCH.FUN!  I love how she got right into it!  The messier they get, the more fun they are I think.

With all of this being said, please take a look at some of my favorites from the session.  If you or someone you know is expecting, feel free to message me for more information about my Grow With Me package so we can capture your little one at each milestone just like we did with this precious little one!

Amanda Oakes Photography is a Quad Cities baby photographer who also specializes in newborn and family photography, engagement and wedding photography, and maternity photography.  This includes photography services in the Moline, IL, Rock Island, IL, Davenport, IA, Bettendorf, IA, Muscatine, IA and the greater Quad Cities area.