Simple Sophistication
Newport Beach, CA & Gilbert, AZ • Sessions by appointment only
Southern California & Arizona
Orange County ● PHOENIX
Baby’s first year is a blur of excitement and milestones. Now that you’ve reached the end of it, it’s time to party! A cake smash portrait session is the perfect celebration to capture all the joy of the last twelve months, to send out to family and friends or on a birthday announcement, and images you’ll cherish forever.
The point of the cake smash session is just that—the SMASH! The messier, the better! We start with the non-cake smash outfit and do a nice one-year-old portrait. Then we will have an outfit change and dig into the cake smash portion of the session.
We’ll talk with you ahead of time and decide on the theme (you can do a color scheme, a sports or hobby theme, favorite toy, book, simple, etc.) you’d like for your photos. Some sets take longer to prepare (depending on if it is custom) so please book 4-6 weeks prior.
We work with our local bakery to create the perfect (and perfectly yummy!) cake. The naked design is included in our session fee, but you are welcome to upgrade to a custom cake.
Our studio is full of a huge assortment of backdrops and props and is usually the best place to photograph a cake smash. We have sets you can choose from that we have already designed or you can have us come up with a custom set to match your one-year-old’s birthday theme.
Browse our wide variety of cake smash studio sets ready for your Southern California or Arizona cake smash session.
If you'd like a custom set design it is a additional upgrade.
Cake Smashes are the best way to celebrate your baby's first year. Simply pick your set design and reserve your date, Gilmore Studios will take care of the rest.
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*Add additional milestone sessions for $ during the 1st year. Digital files & photo products sold separately.
Photography products, digital files, and wall collections are purchased separately from your session fee. Please see our product guide for photo product collections & pricing.
We suggest scheduling 4-6 weeks in advance so we will have time to gather the props for your theme, the backdrop, and get the custom cake ordered.
No, we work with a local bakery for your session. Each cake included is naked. You are welcome to upgrade to a custom cake for the baker's additional fee. We will even box it up for you to take home afterward if it doesn’t get completely smashed. If your child has allergies - please bring your own cake.
We recommend bringing two outfits for the cake smash that coordinate with your chosen backdrop and theme, plus something clean for the baby to wear home. We can supplement with our huge assortment of hats, headbands, and tutus if needed. We also recommend an outfit change for the parent. Sometimes you can get messy with little hands on you.
All cake smash sessions are done in our studio, typically in the early morning or lunchtime.
Your images will be available online 7-10 business days after your session. You will be able to download the digital images you purchased as well as order prints, albums, canvases and more. If you would like to do an online ordering session with Gilmore Studios, that works great too.
Don’t worry! This is very common at this age. We have a few tricks for these kids and we will still get plenty of great shots, even if they refuse to touch the cake. We do recommend practicing at home incase that is the situation.
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If younger me could see the amount of emails, sessions, editing, timelines, client calls, blogs, courses, and random to-do lists now… she’d be SHOCKED. 😅
I started Gilmore Studios in 2002 with no roadmap. Just a camera, a love for photography, and honestly… a huge love for the business side of it too.
Since then, I’ve photographed so many stages of life:
weddings, newborns, seniors, cake smashes, families, commercial shoots, events… and somehow many of those clients became lifelong friends along the way. 🤍
What started as “I think I want to do photography” turned into over two decades of documenting people’s biggest moments and helping other photographers grow businesses of their own.
And honestly?
I still love it just as much.
Hi, I’m Jennifer Gilmore — photographer, business owner, and mentor for photographers ready to grow ✨
Comment LEARN if you want to grow as a photographer
Senior year is better with your best friend. 🎉🎓
Class of 2026
📸 by Cody - Gilmore Studios
Top locations in Arizona for a senior session 👀
And each one gives you a completely different look.
Riparian Preserve
Greenery, paths, variety, and softer natural tones.
Queen Creek Fields
Open space, warm light, and that dreamy golden hour look everybody loves.
Queen Creek Wash
More texture, desert tones, and a slightly edgier feel.
Here’s how I help seniors choose:
We don’t just pick a location because it’s pretty. We pick one that fits your outfits, personality, and the overall vibe you want your photos to have.
Because location changes EVERYTHING.
Save this for your senior photo inspo later
Which one would you choose?
Do you have a personality portrait hanging in your home? 🤍
It’s not about perfect smiles or matching outfits.
It’s about capturing who your child actually IS right now.
Their expressions.
The way they laugh.
Their personality in this exact season of life.
I started doing these with my own kids and honestly… they’ve become some of my favorite things hanging in our home.
I update them yearly and one day, my plan is to have their future family personality photo hanging on the wall.
These aren’t just photos for now.
They become part of your family story.
Personality Portrait Sessions are available May 12th through June.
Comment PERSONALITY and I’ll send you all the information, available dates, and booking link directly in your DMs.
Newport Beach, CA & Gilbert, AZ
Session by appointment only
