Celebrate your first baby's birthday with a cake smash!

And your baby is one year already! Can you believe it?

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1 Why don’t you celebrate this big milestone with a cake smash?

1.1 What happened during a cake smash session?

1.2 When to book a cake smash?

1.3 What do you think? Are you ready to chat?

Why don’t you celebrate this big milestone with a cake smash?

Cake smash is messy, I know, but it’s so much fun and it’s getting quite popular.

Babies are allowed to do what they want. Playing with food, getting dirty, sinking their face in sugar 🙂

What happened during a cake smash session?

When you come in, the baby will have a mini session with normal clothes. Just a couple of nice images of your baby before the craziness starts!

cake smash

Then we will bring out the cake and let baby play with it. This is probably the very first time that your baby will eat sugar and have a whole cake in front of her. Some babies can be shy and scared and they need a little bit of encouragement, others cannot wait to dive into that cake.

At this moment we can have the most hilarious faces! Disgusted expressions or exciting smiles, it could go either way. We will capture all the little details, those smudged fingers, the crumbs in the face, those chubby dirty feet . . .

cake smash

Then we finish off with some splashes and bubbles, the favourite part of every baby 😉

cake smash

When to book a cake smash?

Cake smash should be done to celebrate your baby’s birthday, so I would suggest scheduling a session close to that date. Of course to guarantee a date around your baby’s birthday you need to book it ahead, possibly 1-2 months before. This way we will have time to organise it, talk a bit about styling and baby’s routine.

Like for my newborn photography, even the cake smash style is quite simple as you can see from the photos in this post. Once again I prefer the attention to be on the baby rather than big and distracting props.

What do you think? Are you ready to chat?

Email me for more information about packages and ideas or call me on 07577 978 246

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She didn’t come to this session unsure.

She already knew me—she’d trusted me with her maternity and newborn sessions. But this time was different.

This time was for her.

She came knowing who she is and ready to celebrate it.

In her 40s, she’s found more confidence, more clarity, and a deeper appreciation for what matters most.
 She spoke of embracing self-love, shedding insecurities, and living with humour and presence.

“I decided to do something for me… I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it this much.”

And that’s what this experience is really about. Not becoming someone else, but returning to yourself.
 Playful. Strong. Present. Real.

This is what it looks like to take up space.
 To honour your story.
 To say: “This is me. And I’m proud of her.”

What would a session just for you look like? What would it feel like to step in front of the lens, just as you are?

If you’ve been thinking about it…this is your sign to say yes to yourself. ✨

Empowering women, London portrait photographer for women, women over 40, confidence through photography, celebrate yourself, photography as healing #ResetWithReelsChallenge3

24 10

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She didn’t come to this session unsure.

She already knew me—she’d trusted me with her maternity and newborn sessions. But this time was different.

This time was for her.

She came knowing who she is and ready to celebrate it.

In her 40s, she’s found more confidence, more clarity, and a deeper appreciation for what matters most.
 She spoke of embracing self-love, shedding insecurities, and living with humour and presence.

“I decided to do something for me… I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it this much.”

And that’s what this experience is really about. Not becoming someone else, but returning to yourself.
 Playful. Strong. Present. Real.

This is what it looks like to take up space.
 To honour your story.
 To say: “This is me. And I’m proud of her.”

What would a session just for you look like? What would it feel like to step in front of the lens, just as you are?

If you’ve been thinking about it…this is your sign to say yes to yourself. ✨

Empowering women, London portrait photographer for women, women over 40, confidence through photography, celebrate yourself, photography as healing #ResetWithReelsChallenge3

You see the calm, the softness, the polished final photo.
 But behind it? There’s the mess. The cleaning.
The planning. The rescheduling.
The blogging.
The back and forth with clients. The endless emails, the tech glitches, the wobbles… And just enough espresso to hold it all together.

Running a heart-led business isn’t always picture-perfect.
 But it’s mine. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

It’s never just a click, is it?

What’s your behind-the-scenes really look like these days?

#BehindTheScenes #PhotographerLife #londonmaternityphotographer #londonnewbornphotographer#OneWomanBusiness #WomenInBusiness #POVReel #londonphotographer #ResetWithReelsChallenge3

39 5

Open post by by_valentina with ID 18051124562590029

You see the calm, the softness, the polished final photo.
 But behind it? There’s the mess. The cleaning.
The planning. The rescheduling.
The blogging.
The back and forth with clients. The endless emails, the tech glitches, the wobbles… And just enough espresso to hold it all together.

Running a heart-led business isn’t always picture-perfect.
 But it’s mine. And I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

It’s never just a click, is it?

What’s your behind-the-scenes really look like these days?

#BehindTheScenes #PhotographerLife #londonmaternityphotographer #londonnewbornphotographer#OneWomanBusiness #WomenInBusiness #POVReel #londonphotographer #ResetWithReelsChallenge3

We’re so quick to look at ourselves in photos and see the things we want to change.
 Especially after birth.
 The softness. The swelling. The “not quite back to myself” feeling.

But what if we stopped asking:

“Do I look okay?”

And started asking:

“Will this photo remind me of how strong I was? How much love was in that moment?”

Because your body isn’t the focus.
 Your connection is.
 And that’s what truly lasts.

What would happen if you gave yourself more kindness when you look back at photos?

Tag a mum who might need a softer lens on her story. 🤍

#londonphotographer
#PostpartumPerspective #PostpartumBodyLove #RealMotherhood #PhotographTheReal #londonmaternityphotographer #PhotographyAsHealing #ReflectionsBeyondTheFrame #resetwithreelschallenge3

10 0

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We’re so quick to look at ourselves in photos and see the things we want to change.
 Especially after birth.
 The softness. The swelling. The “not quite back to myself” feeling.

But what if we stopped asking:

“Do I look okay?”

And started asking:

“Will this photo remind me of how strong I was? How much love was in that moment?”

Because your body isn’t the focus.
 Your connection is.
 And that’s what truly lasts.

What would happen if you gave yourself more kindness when you look back at photos?

Tag a mum who might need a softer lens on her story. 🤍

#londonphotographer
#PostpartumPerspective #PostpartumBodyLove #RealMotherhood #PhotographTheReal #londonmaternityphotographer #PhotographyAsHealing #ReflectionsBeyondTheFrame #resetwithreelschallenge3

I didn’t have it all figured out when I started.
 I didn’t have a studio.
 Or a business plan.
 Or even much confidence, to be honest.

But I had a deep love for photography.
 And I kept showing up, learning by doing, failing, adjusting, growing.

15 years later, I get to do work that feels like home.
 I get to empower others through my lens.
 To help women feel seen, held, and remembered.

And that’s something I’ll never take for granted.

#londonportraitphotographer #londonphotographer
#ResetWithReelsChallenge3 #womeninbusiness #empoweredthroughphotography #thisiswhyidoit

23 2

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I didn’t have it all figured out when I started.
 I didn’t have a studio.
 Or a business plan.
 Or even much confidence, to be honest.

But I had a deep love for photography.
 And I kept showing up, learning by doing, failing, adjusting, growing.

15 years later, I get to do work that feels like home.
 I get to empower others through my lens.
 To help women feel seen, held, and remembered.

And that’s something I’ll never take for granted.

#londonportraitphotographer #londonphotographer
#ResetWithReelsChallenge3 #womeninbusiness #empoweredthroughphotography #thisiswhyidoit

This is part of Reflections Beyond the Frame, a personal series about slowing down, looking inward, and seeing ourselves without the need for polish or perfection.

Today’s reflection: Letting go.

Perfection has held me back for years, since school, in motherhood, and through the slow unfolding of my business.
 I thought striving for it meant reaching for something better. But lately, I’ve been asking: what is perfection, really?

It’s not real. It’s not shared. It only exists in my mind—and even there, it shifts constantly.
It often disguises itself as fear: Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being judged. Fear of being truly seen.

So if perfection is born from fear… What are we really striving for?

What looks “perfect” to me might mean nothing to someone else.
 So why chase something that holds me back more than it helps me move forward?

This photo is part of that question. A self-portrait. An exercise in showing up blurry, unfinished, imperfect—real.
Letting go isn’t always graceful. Sometimes it’s quiet. A small shift. A decision to be soft where I used to hold tension. To show up as I am. To be seen anyway.

Progression is now my mantra.
 Not perfection. Just movement. Just honesty. Just me.

What have you been holding onto that no longer serves you? Maybe today’s the day to let it go.

#reflectionsbeyondtheframe #LettingGoOfPerfection #progressnotperfection #selfportrait #photographyashealing #CreativeProcess #SlowContent #ImperfectlyHuman

28 4

Open post by by_valentina with ID 17961151094786680

This is part of Reflections Beyond the Frame, a personal series about slowing down, looking inward, and seeing ourselves without the need for polish or perfection.

Today’s reflection: Letting go.

Perfection has held me back for years, since school, in motherhood, and through the slow unfolding of my business.
 I thought striving for it meant reaching for something better. But lately, I’ve been asking: what is perfection, really?

It’s not real. It’s not shared. It only exists in my mind—and even there, it shifts constantly.
It often disguises itself as fear: Fear of not being good enough. Fear of being judged. Fear of being truly seen.

So if perfection is born from fear… What are we really striving for?

What looks “perfect” to me might mean nothing to someone else.
 So why chase something that holds me back more than it helps me move forward?

This photo is part of that question. A self-portrait. An exercise in showing up blurry, unfinished, imperfect—real.
Letting go isn’t always graceful. Sometimes it’s quiet. A small shift. A decision to be soft where I used to hold tension. To show up as I am. To be seen anyway.

Progression is now my mantra.
 Not perfection. Just movement. Just honesty. Just me.

What have you been holding onto that no longer serves you? Maybe today’s the day to let it go.

#reflectionsbeyondtheframe #LettingGoOfPerfection #progressnotperfection #selfportrait #photographyashealing #CreativeProcess #SlowContent #ImperfectlyHuman

Post-pregnancy body changes are real and it’s okay if you’re not feeling like yourself right away.

Your body has done something incredible. It’s carried life, endured change, and deserves so much more than criticism. It deserves care. Patience. Kindness.

The stretch marks. The softness. The shifts in shape. They’re not flaws, they’re part of your story.

Let this be your reminder: You don’t need to bounce back. You don’t need to be “done” healing. You just need to meet yourself with compassion.
Tag a fellow mum who might need to hear this today. 🤍

#postpartumbody #realmotherhood #motherhoodphotography #empoweredmotherhood #bodyafterbaby #bekindtoyou #londonphotographer

34 0

Open post by by_valentina with ID 17955046298805946

Post-pregnancy body changes are real and it’s okay if you’re not feeling like yourself right away.

Your body has done something incredible. It’s carried life, endured change, and deserves so much more than criticism. It deserves care. Patience. Kindness.

The stretch marks. The softness. The shifts in shape. They’re not flaws, they’re part of your story.

Let this be your reminder: You don’t need to bounce back. You don’t need to be “done” healing. You just need to meet yourself with compassion.
Tag a fellow mum who might need to hear this today. 🤍

#postpartumbody #realmotherhood #motherhoodphotography #empoweredmotherhood #bodyafterbaby #bekindtoyou #londonphotographer

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