25 1st Birthday Photoshoot Ideas to Celebrate the Big Day

There are no better occasions for a photographer to capture incredible shots than birthdays! Birthdays are a beautiful and such special milestone of a person’s life… and the most important birthday is, without any doubt, the first one!

When babies officially turn 1, they sign the beginning of a new cycle of growth, as well as a lot of emotion and thrill for the parents who celebrate the first year of life of their child, and the first year of life of them as parents! It is, indeed, an emotional event that so many families crave to have endlessly captured in time.

So, if you are a parent willing to get inspired for your baby’s first year of life’s celebration; or you’re a professional photographer looking for inspiration to capture a memorable 1st birthday photoshoot… these words are for you!

Continue reading to find inspiration, ideas, and tools to make this special event memorable through some creative and significant shots!

1st birthday photoshoot ideas for both girl and boy

First-year-olds are just starting to develop their personality, so there won’t necessarily need to be so much difference between a boy's or girl’s shooting.

Here are some 1st birthday photoshoot ideas for both sexes.

1. A moment for the cake

Cakes are the most meaningful birthday symbols. A sweet and special shot idea includes a cozy at-home picture where the parents walk towards the celebrant with a lit birthday cake. It will resemble the sweetness of the family bond, together with the authenticity of a precious moment.

2. The celebration

A similar shot can be recreated, with the parents celebrating their child by singing a “Happy Birthday” song. This will be a special shot idea as it will allow you to capture the parents in their spontaneity while singing, together with the impulsive and unforced reaction of the 1st-year-old while listening to them and seeing their joyful expressions.

3. The number one

To make your shot extra artistic and with a hint of celebration, create a simple birthday set with the addition of a “one” symbol or writing, maybe some pillows, balloons, stuffed animals, or whatever you feel could make the set beautiful and appealing. Allow the little model to simply feel good in it and play with what’s around so you can capture him/her authentically.

Image from Pexels

4. The messy pose

The first-year-old would have recently started eating, so she/he will be able to also appreciate a little bit of the birthday cake… and it will be so fun to see! So shoot your model in a spontaneous moment of deep appreciation for the cake, and see how amusing, and messy, it will be! This shot will be great captured from the top, but also with a close-up of the messy hands and/or feet.

5. The themed shot

Another creative 1st birthday photoshoot idea includes a themed setting. What about having the celebrant dressed as a fairy? or an angel? or a little shark? It will add so much cuteness to the shot and personality to the photo.

6. The magic world

If you aim to give a touch of magic to your picture, then you can try placing fairy lights and all kinds of colorful lights all over the floor. Then get the baby to simply be on the floor or play around. The light will immediately enhance and the vibe will effortlessly transform into a magical one. You can also add some birthday elements like cake, candles, and balloons, to make the shot extra birthday-ish.

7. One with the fury friend

If the little birthday boy or girl happens to have a furry friend too, whether it’s a dog, a cat, or a hamster, a shot with it would be such a precious memory to carry forever. Babies and kids bond so deeply with their pets, and sadly pets live way less than humans do, so it will be such an unforgettable shot to always carry and relive in moments of happiness and sadness too. You can, of course, add some birthday elements to the shot as you please!

8. The balloon paradise

For babies, the funniest part of a birthday usually is balloons!! So, for this fun shot, be extremely wild and exaggerate with the presence of balloons. This will allow your little model to be surrounded by excitement and feel the joy, love, and comfort of being around them.

Image from Pexels

9. The Minimal

If you aim for a minimal shot, another variant could be to only have one balloon and get the 1st year old to hold on to it. This will give your picture a very simple vibe, with a touch of cuteness.

10. Unwrap it!!!

How can we not mention the presents? The most joyful moment of a 1st birthday photoshoot includes when the little celebrant gets to unwrap his/her presents and you get to capture that thrilling excitement: a must-do!

Image from Pexels

1st birthday photoshoot ideas for girl

Now, let’s get a bit more specific for a 1st birthday photoshoot idea for girls, so if you really want your shot to be a bit more personalized this can truly serve you.

11. Tiny model

Baby girls are usually associated with the color pink. So if you want a girly 1st birthday shoot use as much pink as possible! From the background to the cake to the birthday elements and additions, to the stuffed animals around! This will add such a girly feeling to the picture.

12. The little princess

If you’d like your shot to be a bit less eccentric and aim to add up fewer elements but still have it look feminine, then you can choose to dress up your 1st-year-old model with a cute pink dress, like a little princess, and maybe add up just one or two details like one balloon, a number 1 sign or a simple cake.

13. The floral diva

An unmissable feminine accessory, if you’d like your 1st birthday photoshoot to look as girly as ever, is the addition of a floral crown, together with some pink balloons all around! Such simple touches will automatically change your picture’s energy.

1st birthday photoshoot ideas for boy

What about 1st birthday photoshoot ideas for boys?

Let’s dive in!

14. The little prince

Just like a girl can transform into a little princess, your little 1st-year-old model can transform into a little prince! Have him wear a cute crown and adorn the setting with some light blue balloons. The scenery will immediately change and give a male, celebration, vibe.

15. The superhero

If you want your pictures to immediately take more personality, get your model to dress like a superhero: superman, batman, Iron Man, spiderman… there are so many to choose from! He will love to look back at it one day and think “I was born to be a superhero!”

16. The elegant

If you want more of an elegant, smart, look for your shots then have your first-year-old model dressed up like a businessman. Get him a shirt, suit and tie, a cute hat! It will end up being the cutest, yet funniest, shot!

1st birthday photoshoot ideas for twins

So many times you might be reading insightful tips about baby photoshoots that might forget to include a section on twins… But this is not our case!

If you’re a twin parent or a lucky photographer who will have to capture the 1st birthday photoshoot of twins: we got you! Keep on reading to get some specific tips.

17. The party close-up

A twin 1st birthday photoshoot idea includes a close-up of their baby faces while both wear a birthday cap, a symbol of celebration and capture of their sweet features. If they are boy and girl twins, you can consider having them wear a pink and blue cap!

Image from Vecteezy

18. The smart twinnies

This shot idea is especially great if you get to shoot identical twins! Get them to wear the same, elegant, smart outfit, and then have them sit together to capture their identical beauty and both of their first-year milestone! You can also add some birthday elements all around to make the shot look extra celebrative.

19. The double cake

Of course, a birthday cake capture cannot be missed for the Twinnies! So take a fun shot of them looking at, playing, eating their birthday cake, and of course, getting them one each! It will be especially great if you give them both the same cake, but with different colors like a chocolate one and a vanilla one, or a blue one and a pink one if they’re a boy and a girl. If you don’t have this option you could also give them an identical one but with different color candles.

20. One each

A variant is to have a shot with each of the parents giving them the cake, it will be a sweet memory to have the parents captured too!

5 Best Backdrops for a 1st birthday photoshoot 

Let’s be honest, backdrops make any photo enhanced, and a photographer’s job way easier, as they add professionalism, class, and effortlessly beauty to any shot.

Especially when talking about baby shots and a 1st birthday photoshoot, backdrops will make the shooting way easier!

Here are our top 5 backdrop ideas to enhance your 1st birthday photoshoot!

1. The elegant retro

If you’d like your pictures to have a more elegant, retro, and vintage look - a backdrop can indeed help you out! A retro wall backdrop with the addition of balloons and some birthday elements will allow your picture to enhance its professionalism while gaining so much character with a touch of elegance.

2. The unicorn world

This is such a precious photo idea, especially for 1st year old girls: the unicorn world! Most little girls love a good unicorn/mermaid/princess world and this backdrop will absolutely make her dreams come true while adding up to your photoshoot!

3. The dream world

A great idea for birthday boys, is the addition of a backdrop that includes his favorite character or favorite game - airplanes, a sport, cars… what does he like to play with? Allow the backdrop to showcase the birthday boy’s personality so that the picture can gain character while also being professional.

4. The show must go on

For a high-personality result, you can pick a backdrop that will allow your 1st birthday photoshoot to turn into a real-life theatre show feeling! Whether you aim to make it feel more like a circus, a theater, or a fun setting that’s up to you! But this backdrop will allow your model to feel like a movie star and your photo to be absolutely unique.

5. The underwater world

There’s no better way to escape from the normal world than with a themed photoshoot that will allow you to feel like you belong somewhere else for a little while! What about creating an underwater world of mermaids and aqua men with a cool backdrop? Definitely one of the cutest, unmissable 1st birthday photoshoot ideas!

We hope your 1st birthday photoshoot will enhance after reading these words and getting inspired by these photo poses and tips!

Don’t forget to put the first-year-old at ease during the whole shoot to make him, or her, feel comfortable, happy, and joyful so that the pictures will turn out happy and natural spreading a feeling of authentic joy.