Our tiny, squishy baby turned one last week and almost instantly transformed into a semi-independent toddler who is always on the move. To celebrate his first birthday, I staged a cake smash photoshoot at home to the theme of our favorite family read, “Where The Wild Things Are.”

Spoiler alert! I used my iPhone to capture the photos. Here’s how I did it.

I love having professional photos for our family to treasure and have often spoken about the benefits of the investment. I plan and budget for at least one photoshoot each year with a local photographer. And while I would have loved to hire out for Jack’s first birthday cake smash photos, between COVID, us preparing to move, and general life craziness, that wasn’t in the cards for these particular photos. Plus, I really enjoy photography and staging and wanted to see if this idea I had was something I could pull off independently.

Personally, I think I knocked it out of the park! Especially considering I used my busted iPhone to take the photos. Are they the best quality images? No. But are they photos I will frame and cherish forever as a reminder of how small my baby was on his first birthday? Absolutely.

Taking good photos and staging fun photoshoots like this “Where The Wild Things Are” one we did for Jack’s first birthday is easier than you might think.

To help you, I’ve compiled my best tips for iPhone photo success.

SET THE SCENE

Plan a theme for your photoshoot and find props to stage it accordingly. If you don’t know where to start when picking a theme, Pinterest is a great resource. That’s where I got the idea for Jack’s “Where The Wild Things Are” / wild one / wild first year pictures.

To stage our photos, I ordered a tent, a “Wild One” cake topper, marble and wood cake stand, and a Max costume (AKA, a white zippered romper) complete with crown and tail. I already had a faux fur blanket and a copy of “Where The Wild Things Are” to use as props, and our backyard created the perfect outdoor scene. For the sweet treat centerpiece, I made an almond cake with buttercream frosting.

Justin was quite jealous that we’ve been together for 11 years and he’s never gotten a birthday cake made from scratch.

HAVE FUN AND BE PATIENT
(especially if you’re photographing littles)

This tip is important for your own sanity. Taking staged photos of your kids is hard work when they’re active. Trust me, they will not want to sit still so try to roll with it, keep snapping photos, and make them laugh and smile throughout the photoshoot. It’s supposed to be fun, right?

Don’t try to capture the perfect moment. Instead, let that moment happen organically by allowing your kids to be kids and just keep taking pictures. More than likely you can create the “perfect moment” in editing with crops and filters.

The photo directly below is one of my favorites. When I was reviewing my pictures after our photoshoot, it literally made my jaw drop. How cute is this kid? It certainly was not a moment I was trying to capture, but I am glad my thumb was constantly mashing the photo-taking button. Otherwise, I would have missed it.

ALWAYS SHOOT IN PORTRAIT MODE

Portrait mode keeps the subject of the photo in focus and blurs the background or foreground (depending on where your subject is). This is what gives your iPhone images the look of professional quality.

You can change the depth of field in the camera app to adjust the blur intensity by tapping the “f” in the top right corner while you’re in portrait mode. Adjust the scale along the bottom from left to right.

To choose the subject (or focal point) of your image, while you have your camera app open with portrait mode on, tap your phone screen with your finger where you want the focus of your image to be. A yellow square will appear on your screen when your focal point is selected; that focal point will be crisp and the background will blur. To lock that focal point, hold down your finger in that spot.

SHOOT AT DIFFERENT ANGLES

Try to move around as much as possible and capture your subject at various angles instead of positioning yourself in one spot and staying there. This will give you the best variety of images to choose from.

FIND PERFECT LIGHTING

Lighting is everything when you’re taking your own photos with an iPhone.

Natural, neutral light is always best. Not harsh, bright sunlight that overexposes your images and makes them look blown out, and not dark light because, well, that will make your images dark.

Once you find the perfect light, position your subject to face it (the light, that is). If your subject stands with the sun/light directly behind them, it will cause your subject to be very dark and shadowed.

Finding the perfect light might require you to watch your yard (or wherever you intend to set up your photoshoot) for a few days to determine what time the sun is positioned perfectly for well-balanced, not too bright and not too shadowy light.

USE LIGHTROOM FOR QUICK & EASY EDITING

Lightroom is a free photo editing app for your phone and computer. You import your photos to the app and then adjust various elements such as exposure, highlights, color temp, etc. to improve the look of your images.

Above, the image on the left is unedited and the image on the right has been cropped and enhanced using a preset.

To make the editing process even easier, you can use Lightroom presets. Presets are custom filters you import to Lightroom and use on your photos to give them a cohesive look. You’ll likely have to do some additional editing after you apply a preset to your photo to achieve the exact desired look you want, but they are great for getting a head start on the editing process.

Lately, I’ve been loving the Cozy White preset pack from Wilde Presets. Etsy is also a great place to find preset packs that fit your aesthetic. If you need to know how to install presets to your Lightroom app, most presets you purchase will come with detailed directions.

TIGHT CROPS

This is my favorite secret for better photos. As you’re going through all of your images in Lightroom and applying your preset, look for details in each photo that you can crop in on. Also, look for unwanted details you can crop out. In my opinion, the tighter you crop an image, the better.

In the example above, the original image without any edits is on the left. The image on the right has been cropped and edited using a preset. To me, the tightly cropped photo is more powerful.

You can also use the crop tool to straighten images that look a little crooked.

FOLLOW THE RULE OF THIRDS

This is something I learned in journalism school and have never forgotten. For better images, always follow the rule of thirds — meaning, dissect your photo into nine segments by drawing two vertical and two horizontal lines.


Place your point of interest in the intersections or along the lines to create a more balanced photo that follows the natural gaze of a viewer’s eyes. Your camera app even has grid lines like the ones I’ve drawn on the photo above to help you know where to position your subject while taking photos.

For vertical photos, I like to keep my subject off center in the left third or right third, and for horizontal photos I prefer to keep my subject off center in the top third or bottom third. To me, this creates better composition.

I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful for stepping up your iPhone photography game. If you did, let me know below and tag me (@halidawnschaefer) in your photos on Instagram!

Want to stage your own “Where The Wild Things Are” Photoshoot? This is what I used:

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