A few weeks ago I was at the first birthday party for my niece’s little boy, Bennett. The crowd was a little larger than I expected, but this was also the first gathering I’d been to in a year. Any gathering felt like a big deal.
I saw some important details unfolding and I had a camera and a couple of lenses. This had potential to be a nice gift for the family.
Find the VIPs
This was a full family gathering complete with cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and great grandparents. While it’s obvious that you want photos of the little one smooching cake, it’s probably going to be a while before all of these people are together again.
Somebody is going to really want that photo of the great grandparents. I decided to find the VIPs and treat this like an event. Also consider that aside from the one-year-old, nobody looks good chewing. Wait for folks to put down their food for a minute before making that picture. Unless it’s really funny.
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Look for those family VIPs! Capture them interacting and reacting. 
These outpourings of love are absolutely priceless. Be ready for them.
Get snapshots of those treasured family members interacting. 
Things move fast. Sometimes the content is more important than the composition. Images of senior members of the family interacting are more important that you realize.
A fraction of a second would have been a better photograph. Don’t stress, shoot it anyway.
Family interacting. Priceless moments. 
Expose for your subject and don’t worry so much about blowing out the background. It’s OK this time.
It’s a party
Events are a balance of being the life of the party and being invisible. There’s a time for sniping snapshots with a telephoto. There’s also a time to coax people together for a group snapshot. It’s a party so be part of it.
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The interactions between grandmother and her first grandson are priceless. 
Try to capture the little ones interacting with each other. Bonus points for getting the parents too. Keep the photos simple to tell the story.
Go light
A kit lens may be plenty. For this one I had my 24-105mm and a “Nifty Fifty.” Be more aware of your surroundings and improvise with the gear that’s ready to go.
Spot meter on a midtone in the typical light and adjust appropriately. This event was under an awning which provided a nice even light. Go light because you probably won’t have time to switch lenses around anyway.
The cake smash
One thing that you’ve just got to do as a one-year-old child is smash cake. I’m not sure exactly how all kids know this but they do.
I made the rounds. I got the groups. I got the candids with the great grandparents. Now the little guy is in his chair and the cake is being marched to its doom — I mean to its eternal cake smash glory.
Spot meter for your subject, choose a shutter speed that’s quick, get in front of the little guy and be ready. Be patient and kind when that well-meaning smartphone gets in the frame.
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Just a little blur tells a story about motion. 1/320s was just right
Bennett is pretty good at the cake smashing. He got 10’s from most of the judges. 
Not only is there cake smashing. There’s also cake dropping. 
Wait … I see something else in there that needs a closer look.
For a brief moment Bennett experimented with putting the cake back together. He rejected that idea quickly.
Not every picture is going to be in perfect focus. This may be the one time when that’s perfectly acceptable to me. 
Yes, there will be plenty when that sweet face is about to be covered in frosting. Capturing that tension is a ton of fun.
Zoom out occasionally!
That little face is going to get covered in frosting. Celebrate that moment!
I like a shutter speed that’s quick, but leaves a little blur. Bennett was smashing and flinging cake around while dunking his face into frosting. This was a fantastic mess of pure joy.
Things move fast at this point, so burst mode is your friend. If your camera has good eye detection then rely on it. Otherwise set a focus point between the corner of your subject’s eye and the bridge of his nose. Be patient. Shoot a lot of frames. Relax and be part of the fun!
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