Cake smash...

[SleepingStandingUp]

I know I am. But if people can convince me I'm not I'll be much happier 😁😁

When DS was 1 I was opposed to cake smash photoshoots because it was a waste of cake. And he was tube fed all wouldn't have touched it and was actually in the middle of a 4 month awful hospitalisation for his birthday and when he came out he ate even less than when he went in and he had/has sensory issues that just would have made it not viable.

Now I have twins who would devour a cake shop between them, who don't seem to have any issues touching messy stuff or eating ANYTHING and I really want one.

But I know they're terrible.

Would I be unreasonable to bury my principles for some cute photos of fat babies covering in icing and cream?

@Ihopeyourcakeisshit

Haven't rtft but, I got great photos of my dc being cute and covered in food just from ordinary meal times when first exploring different solid foods. Do you really have to do a cake smash for that?

Babies covered in food aren't cute IMO.

I'm happy to be told us bit for all those who don't understand the staging aspect, would you be equally critical of a newborn shoot, a family shoot, a superhero or fairies about, posed wedding photos?
I don't see the point in most staged photography.

Wedding photos I can get on board with, but personally chose to have most of our wedding photos done like photojournalism. The thing I dislike about wedding photos is they're almost always done in the middle of the day when the couple go off to pose for an hour or more, leaving the guests with nothing more than a small glass of fizz and usually nowhere to sit.

I find the newborn shoot, endless themed baby shoots by season, engagement photos, save the date photos, pregnancy announcement shoots, maternity shoots, breastfeeding shoots, anniversary photoshoots, gender reveal shoots to be part of quite a self-absorbed culture. It seems an explosion in events requiring a photoshoot goes hand in hand with a rise in social media and celeb/influencer culture.

I don't see the appeal in getting dolled up and the DC dolled up to take a bunch of posed photographs, usually done to show how happy everyone is 'making memories', when I could spend my time actually making memories and capturing the fun things we do for family and friends.

On social media I love seeing people share cute snaps of their DC when they've been to the zoo, or gone for a walk and find the staged 'look at the kids dolled up in coordinating outfits to jump in puddles and leaves which have clearly been staged and edited' to lack the same cheer. It seems to be quite an artificial version of what would have otherwise been a nice family walk.

They’re a waste of food, but tonnes of food is chucked away every day - at least yours will be eaten!

I've worked a lot with photographers. I've been the model for some shoots (I am not a professional model and definitely look nothing like one, but I've been the subject of photographs with some photographers, for reasons that aren't relevant here). There is nothing at all strange or fake about a photoshoot, unless you're planning to create false blackmail pictures or something. They're held because someone - either the photographer, the person commissioning them, or both of them - want to get certain kinds of images. You can't always get the shot you want without setting it up. That's just how some branches of this art form work.

In the case of a cake smash, you could do it at home yourself, or if you want professional level images which do objectively look better (that's the point of them), then you could commission a photographer and might use a studio. There's no moral difference between them. Unless maybe you'd be helping to support someone in business, since most photographers are self-employed and many of the family focused ones are women.

I just don't understand why. I get having beautiful photos of events but why do we celebrate smashing a cake?

@HollyBollyBooBoo

I just don't understand why. I get having beautiful photos of events but why do we celebrate smashing a cake?

I'm celebrating them being one, home, and eating.

I'm celebrating them being one, home, and eating.

Well give them something to eat then, not smash!

I don't understand this, you let the child do this, will you do the same the next day with their roast dinner or spaghetti bolognese?

Ridiculous thing to do.

will you do the same the next day with their roast dinner or spaghetti bolognese?

I don’t see an enormous difference between cake smashes and BLW myself.

One embraced by the middle classes, the other not.

@Corono

I'm celebrating them being one, home, and eating.

Well give them something to eat then, not smash!

I don't understand this, you let the child do this, will you do the same the next day with their roast dinner or spaghetti bolognese?

Ridiculous thing to do.

Well I wouldn't let them roll around in paint at home but I would at a craft studio to make a picture. I let them pee in the bath but wouldn't put them naked on the living room floor and let them.

I don’t see an enormous difference between cake smashes and BLW myself.

So you stand and laugh and cheer your child as it puts gravy over its head?

Or just try and encourage them to eat it!

@TheKeatingFive

will you do the same the next day with their roast dinner or spaghetti bolognese?

I don’t see an enormous difference between cake smashes and BLW myself.

One embraced by the middle classes, the other not.

But I'm doing blw and a cake smash so how will I ever know what class belong to??

So you stand and laugh and cheer your child as it puts gravy over its head?

There would be a certain amount of laughing, yes.

Or just try and encourage them to eat it!

I’m pretty sure eating the cake is encouraged.

And when I say let's I mean o don't drag them out and empty it and refill it

@TheKeatingFive

So you stand and laugh and cheer your child as it puts gravy over its head?

There would be a certain amount of laughing, yes.

Or just try and encourage them to eat it!

I’m pretty sure eating the cake is encouraged.

I have twins, I'd probably laugh of they did it to each other

But I'm doing blw and a cake smash so how will I ever know what class belong to??

Yeah you’re an unclassifiable hot mess.

But you knew that!

Just do it, it's fun. And not a waste of cake as most kids don't have the dexterity or strength to actually demolish a cake. At worst, they will smush the equivalent of a slice. Most cakes are then boxed up and taken home for the family to eat at the end of the photo session in my experience. And some celebration cakes are a waste of cake anyway - birthday cakes get put in party bags to take home and are usually left to go mouldy in the kids room, wedding cake is put out with the buffet after a massive meal and a lot of it is left uneaten or ground into the dancefloor. Put some juicy fruit on top of the cake, like strawberries or raspberries and the baby will play with and eat these instead, leaving the cake practically untouched. If you want to do it, do it!

@TheKeatingFive

But I'm doing blw and a cake smash so how will I ever know what class belong to??

Yeah you’re an unclassifiable hot mess.

But you knew that!

It's becoming evident 😂😂

I have twins, I'd probably laugh of they did it to each other

Ok laughing, but cheering and encouraging....

Do it OP.

I was pretty snooty about newborn baby photo shoots with teeny tiny headbands and all the props before and immediately after having DD.

As soon as she was too old to have those sleepy pics I regretted not doing it. 12 months later I had DS and did the cute wee photo shoot. DD was included as a toddler and wore a huge tutu and pearl necklaces! 😂

I know some people look at my photos and think they’re tacky, I would have felt the same previously so I know what they’re thinking. But I’d don’t care, I love the photos and I’m so pleased I got the chance to do it.

Don’t miss your chance!

There is nothing at all strange or fake about a photoshoot, unless you're planning to create false blackmail pictures or something. They're held because someone - either the photographer, the person commissioning them, or both of them - want to get certain kinds of images. You can't always get the shot you want without setting it up. That's just how some branches of this art form work.
So they're not fake, but they often have to be staged to get the right look?

That sums up exactly why I feel as I do about photoshoot culture.

There's a difference between:
A) Family go for a walk and take some photos of their day. When on the walk, the kids run around and play. There's a few family photos of their day out.

And

B) Family book a photoshoot to capture the moment of going for a walk, but they don't really go for the walk, they hire a photographer, pick a setting, get everyone dolled up and carefully stage photos of walking down a lane in suitably coordinated outfits / spend half an hour having the children throw leaves in the air to get the right angle and right lighting (a moment that would really be 2 mins of play), spend more time getting the children to jump in a puddle at the right time to capture the splashes.

B is a fake walk and it's done so that the family commissioning it can have nice photos of them all 'making memories', which can then be displayed for all to admire but the whole thing is fake and set up, and then the images are photoshopped further. Inevitably the photos appear on social media gushing about how beautiful autumn days are #blessed #makingmemories.

I once saw a fight on here over fruit bowls being a class signifier and where the truly genteel keep them. In the blue corner, Team Kitchen, in the red corner, Team Living Room/Sitting Room/Drawing Room/Whatever But Definitely Not The Lounge, You Peasant.

@Corono

I have twins, I'd probably laugh of they did it to each other

Ok laughing, but cheering and encouraging....

But I wouldn't cheer and encourage rolling in paint at home, but I'll take them to the craft session to do it.

I once saw a fight on here over fruit bowls being a class signifier and where the truly genteel keep them. In the blue corner, Team Kitchen, in the red corner, Team Living Room/Sitting Room/Drawing Room/Whatever But Definitely Not The Lounge, You Peasant.

God yeah I remember that.

I didn’t dare contribute. Posters were getting mauled for being the ‘wrong sort’ 😳

So they're not fake, but they often have to be staged to get the right look?

Yes. That is how a lot of photography works. They usually have to take loads of shots to get the right one too.

I somehow don't believe that this really is a new concept for most people.

@TheKeatingFive

I once saw a fight on here over fruit bowls being a class signifier and where the truly genteel keep them. In the blue corner, Team Kitchen, in the red corner, Team Living Room/Sitting Room/Drawing Room/Whatever But Definitely Not The Lounge, You Peasant.

God yeah I remember that.

I didn’t dare contribute. Posters were getting mauled for being the ‘wrong sort’ 😳

The correct answer was: "Woss this fruit stuff when it's at 'ome, then? I get all me vits and stuff from Jaffa Cakes and Ferraro Whatchacallems, they're well posh in gold foil like."