August 16, 2024
10 Creative Cake Smash Alternatives
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- Children
Chattanooga Children's Photographer
Milestone Photo Session Information
Why choose a Chattanooga Children's Photographer for your baby's milestone session?
Your child’s milestone moments deserve to be captured by someone who truly understands kids—someone who can create an environment where they feel comfortable, safe, and free to be themselves. Just like you’d choose a pediatrician, pediatric dentist, or a kid-friendly hair salon, selecting a children's photographer ensures your child’s session is designed perfectly with them in mind.
Photographing children takes energy, patience, and the ability to connect with them on their level. With experience as both a mom and a photographer, I specialize in creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere that brings out your child’s natural smiles and unique personality. Games, silly sounds and faces, and lighthearted prompts make each session interactive and enjoyable—no need to stress about perfection or forced smiles! As an experienced Chattanooga children's photographer, I keep the session fun and flexible so your little one stays engaged and happy. The result? A gallery of milestone photos that genuinely and perfectly capture each stage of childhood.
Chattanooga Children's Photographer Portfolio
A small collection of some of my favorite children's milestone images.
What is a milestone session?
Milestone sessions are a beautiful way to celebrate and document the unique stages of your child’s life. Your child changes so quickly and capturing those transformations with professional photos allows you to preserve these fleeting moments forever. While quick snapshots on a milestone blanket are adorable for social media, milestone sessions with a Chattanooga children's photographer create timeless images you’ll treasure for years.
Many families plan milestone sessions during a baby’s first year, often at 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months, and then again for the first birthday. Outside the first year, milestone moments can include anything special in your child’s life: the first day of school, losing their first tooth, braces on or off, dances, sports achievements, and class graduations. As a mom, yearly birthday photos are one of my favorite milestone traditions and I love looking back at how my girl has grown through the years with regular, intentional milestone sessions.
Whether it’s a big accomplishment or simply celebrating another year of growth, milestone sessions capture these moments in a way that’s authentic and meaningful to your family. Every milestone, big or small, deserves to be remembered with professional photography!
Christian Michelle PHotography is featured in
Client Testimonials
Katie Cordell
“Wow! That is the best way to describe my experience with Christian! She was so patient and kind during our sessions. It’s always difficult to get my one and two-year-olds to cooperate when taking photos, but she made sure we were able to capture the sweetest photos and memories of our girls. I cannot recommend her enough!!”
What to Expect During a Milestone Session
Milestone sessions are all about celebrating your child’s growth and capturing the joy and curiosity they bring to every stage of life. Whether it’s sitting up for the first time, taking those early wobbly steps, or simply showing off their adorable new teeth, these sessions are designed to highlight your child’s developmental milestones. Along the way, we’ll also capture their personality, sweet expressions, and the wonder of exploring their world!
You’ll have the option to choose between an outdoor session surrounded by natural beauty or an indoor session in my cozy home studio. Whichever you prefer, I’ll make sure everything is tailored to your child. From perfectly sized chairs, stools, and baskets to props that match the milestone we’re celebrating, every detail is thoughtfully prepared. While these sessions are intentionally short and sweet to keep little ones happy, we can also include an outfit change or a few family photos as well.
Milestone sessions can be themed, (typically cake smashes), or kept minimal with a simple setup and natural props - the possibilities are endless! You're encouraged to incorporate your child’s current interests, like a favorite book or stuffed animal, to make the session even more personal! Colors and themes from your nursery can also be used as inspiration and provide an easy way to decorate your home with beautifully printed photos that seamlessly tie into your family’s style.
Every milestone is worth remembering, and I’m here to help you preserve these precious moments with professional images you’ll cherish forever.
What does it cost?
The milestone session fee starts at $250 and image collections start at $750. Your image collection is selected after you see your fully edited photos in an online gallery. My clients plan to spend a minimum of $1000+ on their photo session after the final images are selected.
“Christian did such a good job with our photos! She knew exactly what to do so our baby would smile.”
Looking for a cake smash session?
The 1st birthday cake smash is a popular milestone session and I’ve seen cake smashes for the 2nd and 3rd birthdays becoming more popular as well! Honestly, if you ask me, anytime is a great time to smash cake and take photos. That's why I've dedicated a whole section of my website to cake smash sessions!
Keep reading about Children's Photography on the blog!
Milestone Photo Session FAQ
When should we schedule milestone photos?
The further ahead the better! Because it’s a milestone, you generally know when to expect it. Also, if you want the photos ready by a certain date, let me know so that we can schedule your session 3-4 weeks beforehand to ensure your photos are ready when you need them!
Do milestone sessions include siblings or family?
Generally, no. However, if you would like to include a family photo or sibling photos as part of the milestone, let me know and we can plan to include whatever you need!
What if my child won't cooperate?
No worries! We all have bad days sometimes. I'm a mom to a 3-year-old and I have tricks to get kids’ attention and trust and will do everything I can to make your child comfortable and smile. I’m very patient with kids and we will be able to take the time we need to work through any issues. If you have specific concerns about your child, please feel free to let me know ahead of time and we can discuss all the options.
Do themed milestone sessions cost more?
It depends on the theme! If it is something simple, then no. If you want something more elaborate, I’m more than willing to create a custom scene or purchase a backdrop. We will discuss your style and what you like during the planning call and I will provide a custom quote if necessary.
How many outfits can I bring?
The short answer is as many as you want! But keep in mind that more outfits mean more photos to choose from in your gallery. In my experience, children tend to get bored or overstimulated if we try to do more than 2-3 outfits. If you have questions about which outfits to choose, I’m happy to help! I also have a Client Closet full of options you can use to make your session extra special.
I still have questions.
No worries! Message me your question and I’ll get right back to you.
Let's Connect!
Our entire lives are made up of many milestones! The older I get, the more important I believe these milestones are because they give us a moment to look back on afterward and remember more clearly. Would you like a free consultation to discuss a milestone photo session?
Message me now to get started!
