Jaxphotographer, Author at Christy Whitehead Photography

10 Tips on What NOT TO DO if You’re doing A Smash Session, Tips from a North Florida Cake Smash Photographer

Everyone comes into doing a cake smash imagining their baby having this dream session where they immediately dive for the cake and everything is just oh so cute. For the best session possible, check out these sometimes funny things NOT TO DO!

I don’t write this to be mean, in any way. These are just things I have learned through trial and error!

Chocolate ice cream, fudge, or icing. When it comes to babies, we parents get to deal with blow outs enough as it is, and while chocolate is a favorite flavor of ice cream— just don’t do it. LOL.
Animals in the session. Kids are hard enough to get focused, throw in some animals and it’s likely a recipe for disaster. Your kid may run off, but the pets, on the other hand see a free meal!
Shirts with words on them. It’s hard to get a good photo of shirts on a kid. Their bodies are sooo little and then having them at the perfect angle to see the words (even just O-N-E) can be a nightmare.
Balloons. No seriously. I occasionally use them, but they can be a nightmare. Especially the number ONE balloon. It turns, it’s never at the right angle and THEN, kids are much more interested in playing with balloons then getting messy.
Wearing only fancy clothes. Seriously. Those messy fingers will come after you! And even if they don’t, you’re going to have to wash your baby off, and icing sometimes is really greasy and sticky! If you’re coming in for portraits, make sure you have an extra pair of grungy clothes you can change into just before the smash. You don’t want to worry about whether that icing will stain!
Red icing. It can look like your child is a vampire, no seriously. But, on the other hand, if it’s a vampire themed smash–great idea!
Hats. I don’t know a single kid that likes to wear a hat. Unless you get one on your kid’s head almost every day without issue, don’t spend money on a birthday hat, ESPECIALLY the ones with the strings that go around the chin, the kids throw them off.
Gels and things that have color (that you haven’t tested). We did a strawberry smash one day and it went REALLY well. I made a strawberry short cake and added strawberries and a red strawberry gel stuff I got from Publix in the produce department. Figured it would give it more of a mess. The problem was, after we washed the baby, she still had a red stain on her face. I do all my family photos before the smash, so it wasn’t too much of an issue, but on her bath photos, I had to clean it up in Photoshop. so it didn’t look like she had a rash.
Bow ties, ties and suspenders. Pretty much anything fancy your kid doesn’t wear on a normal basis is likely to tick them off, trust me!
Wait until the day of to give your kid cake. For the first year of a baby’s life they are RARELY given sugar and parents usually clean them up fast, so sweet things and being messy are usually things that make babies upset. Start giving your little one cake (cupcakes with icing work great) about a month or so before their smash session. Let them play with it. Try different flavors and such to see what they like the best. If all else fails, go with a fruit or food smash (like Spaghetti). Those go over MUCH better and are soo cute!

Looking for a photographer for your little one? Christy Whitehead is located in Jacksonville Florida and specializes in bellies and babies. Call 904-891-0359 or email her to set up your own session.

Babies and Shots–What I do! Newborn Photographer in Jacksonville, Florida

So I have two children and in conversations, I sometimes end up talking about kids, growing up, going to the doctor and shots.

2010, with my daughter

With my daughter, she got the regular vaccination schedule (born in 2010). Her pediatricians always warned us to give her Tylenol before we came.

After her shots, she would typically run a fever and be just miserable and cranky.

EVERY parent I’ve talked to has said they had the same issues and they hated taking their kids to get shots.

The 1980s

I was reading that the amount of shots I got in the 80s was like half of what kids get now in one sitting.

I mentioned this to my pediatrician and he said that they like to group the shots together to ensure that parents will get them done. If they required parents to come back more frequently, it wouldn’t happen.

2014, with my son

When my son was born in 2014, I found a delayed vaccination schedule, which meant that he would get NO MORE than 3 shots at any one time.

I printed this out and brought it to my kids’ pediatrician. He said that he didn’t necessarily agree with it but he would go by the chart and I agreed to come in more frequently to make sure he got all of his shots.

My son was NEVER cranky and didn’t run a fever. He is now 4 and STILL no issues.

Also, in case you’re interested, my child was in Daycare and PreK and I asked the nurse on site and she said it wasn’t an issue at all.

Arguments about Vaccines

I realize there are SOOO many different points of view about vaccines. There are moms that don’t want any vaccines, etc.

This is about what has worked for me and my family. My children still get all their shots.

For me, I felt like the number they give now a days is just WAYYYY to much for their little systems/bodies to handle and I didn’t mind coming back more frequently for my peace of mind.

You can Google search “Dr. Sears Delayed Vaccine Schedule, Printable” to find this to print for free.

I’ve had sooo many parents ask me about it and wanting to know more, so I figured I’d create a blog post for those who are interested!

Christy Whitehead is a newborn and family photographer, located in Jacksonville, Florida.

In Tribute to Lynrd Skynrd’s Last Concert in Jacksonville, Ideas for a Music Cake Smash!

Living in Jacksonville, Florida, home of Lynrd Skynrd, everyone is going crazy today for the last concert going on tonight.

So in tribute, I figured I’d throw together a musical/Lynrd Skynrd themed cake smash ideas for you.

If you want to put together a musical themed cake smash (or any theme!) let me know and let’s make some messy fun!

Props

I’m not sure what I’d do with these, maybe put them everywhere or glue them to a backdrop or have a newborn hold them.

This banner would work great.

This Free Bird sign would look awesome propped in the back somewhere, or rigged to hang.

An old tape player or record player would look awesome as well, especially if you have these to go with it.

Cake

One of these would be awesome on a small smash cake or set up along the ground.

Or this one, which can be customized.

Clothing

This crown is sooo cute.

And this diaper cover would work great for a boy or a girl.

Here’s a bib to go with it.

Here’s a more colorful diaper cover, depending on the look you’re going for.

This shirt looks like it would go with the above diaper cover (you could probably ask if they could match colors. But this might look better with some blue jeans, especially if they were ripped, to give off that rocker vibe.

Tutus always make great smash outfits for little girls. This one has musical notes around it’s edge. It could go with a background of most any color or look.

I LOVE this little outfit and she makes it in different colors.

Here’s another one that’s clean and very easy to see what it is.

Finally, as the parent, you WILL likely get messy helping with your kid’s first birthday smash session, so you might need a change of clothes too. There’s a couple of vintage and new choices for Lynrd Skynrd inspired shirts on Etsy. Here’s a good newer one for a die hard fan.

And these musical fingernails are pretty awesome too.

Christy Whitehead Photography is located in Jacksonville, Florida and specializes in newborn, family and cake smash photography. Contact her now to set up your own session. 904-891-0359.

Cake Smash Sessions! Toy Story Cake Smash -Jacksonville Florida Studio Photography Ideas

Disney Pixar Toy Story sets are one of my favorites. I occasionally get asked to do something with Disney in most all of my newborn sessions. And every once in awhile a mom wants a Toy Story set for the cake smash as well.

If you would like me to create a special Toy Story session for you, contact me. These are ideas for clothing for moms, but also ideas for other photographers who would like to create something similar. Or if you are looking for decoration ideas for your own child’s first birthday, hope this helps!

The above image was something a little more simple and clean. The brown was so nice against this little boy’s skin. Mom and dad work in law enforcement and are huge Disney fans, so Woody was a MUST. (I got that little Woody doll out of a cereal box, I think., a couple of years ago!)

Containers

When I went to do my first Toy Story session, I was trying to figure out what to put the baby in. Photographers usually use baskets or buckets. And that just didn’t seem to fit. I searched the web and Pinterest and found nothing. I was watching Toy Story 3 and saw the boxes, where Andy’s mom was putting the toys to donate and it dawned on me! Now, of course, if you search Pinterest, everyone copies the idea and I’m flattered. BuzzFeed has twice picked up some of my Toy Story themed sessions and posted them to their site.

Something like this bucket would be a cute idea as well, from DeLaDesign. It could be used for Easter or Halloween after. For photographers, it would make a great gift for after the session.

This wood box would be cute as well, from CarriageonCherry. This would be a more stable option, as boxes or buckets can tip. Plus it has a classy look and can be used in a bedroom after to store supplies or books.

Clothing

My daughter, in the photo above, is wearing a Jessie costume from Disney, and then the Buzz Lightyear hat came from Etsy.

For newborns, I NEVER recommend onesies or standard clothing, they typically don’t fit and if you have writing on them it can be awkward to see.

So the next image isn’t mine, but I couldn’t help but share it. I found LoverDoversBaby on Etsy and she has some ADORABLE Disney outfits for newborns up to 12-18months.

This is a cute little Buzz Lightyear romper from 4YourLittleStar on Etsy, and would look cute for any little girl who wants something different. Or if you had twins, one could be Woody and the other Buzz.

I’m in love with this Jessie romper from JuneBuggsHatchlings.

For boys, you could do denim pants and a red bandana (see the photo below).

Pair this little outfit below from Sonorali with jeans and you’d have a perfect little outfit for a boy or girl. (Add a huge bow or the Mickey ears below for a girl)

I NEED to pick this set up from Etsy. How cute is this?

This is an adorable crocheted hat that would be cute for a session!

I found quite a few Disney Toy Story ears on Etsy also. You could do a simple diaper cover, jeans or tutu, partnered with something like this cute Two sided ears from Myforevercharmed on etsy.

Decorations

The toys in my sets were all items I had in my collection. You can usually pick some up at flea markets, yard sales or Ebay, if you don’t have a Disney Store nearby or don’t want to spend a fortune.

Some other ideas for decorations, I LOVE these blocks that look like Toy Story blocks and you could spell out your child’s name from AuntJJsAttic.

Of course, I’m also a huge fan of naked baby booty.

I think I got the flags from Target. You could do something like this from Amazon.

This is an adorable printable from Etsy that has all the characters on it.

I made the backdrop for my Story sets. I designed it in Photoshop and then had it printed out. Etsy has a couple of vendors who provide a digital file for printing your own.

Like this one from, Printerama:

Here’s a cute one from KbKParties.

Cakes & Cupcakes

For the cake, I love the above Toy Story cake. We used an actual toy hat for the top. However, you can find some cupcake toppers and such on Etsy.

Like these from BellaMiaUs, if you just want character toppers for cupcakes.

Or these number super cute toppers from Thingamaparty!

Skylar in blocks, Toy Story newborn and sitter session!

Christy Whitehead is a photographer, based out of Jacksonville, Florida. She specializes in maternity, newborns, families, and cake smash sessions. Her studio is located right off of I-10, ten minutes from downtown.

Would you like to help the family of Deputy Ben Zirbel Family?

Sunday, I had both of my kids packed in the car and we were heading down Blanding Blvd to get some feed from Tractor Supply when the traffic just backed up all of a sudden. Of course, you get annoyed and frustrated, but after awhile we finally made it around the mess and I see the wreckage. I knew it was bad, based on all the news media and the fact Law Enforcement was taking photos instead of clearing the accident for traffic.

My heart broke.

It was Deputy Ben Zirbel with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. I didn’t know the officer. But I knew someone would be notifying his family about the accident. And my heart ached for them.

You see, my father is a retired police officer. My uncle is a police officer. I have cousins that are police officers. Growing up, I always feared that call.

I’m trying not to get to upset, just writing this.

I heard this week he didn’t make it. And I want to do something to help.

“Good works are links that form a chain of love.” – Mother Teresa

So, if you book a session between now and September 15th (you don’t have to do the session until after that date, so perfect for Christmas, just book it by Sept. 15th.) I will donate $100 from each family, pet, newborn and cake smash session to the officer’s family.

If you would prefer to give to the family, they have a GoFundMe account set up. You can go here to help.

Additionally, here are some other law enforcement charities you may want to also consider donating too:

National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund

C.O.P.S which helps families cope with the loss of an officer.

NACOP: The National Association of Chiefs of Police, is right next to NASA, in South Florida and I have worked with them many times in the past. They help families and they also help underfunded departments by basic things like bullet proof vests.

“If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” – Mother Teresa

If you’d like to create memories of your own family this Fall and help out the family at the same time, please email me at Christy@jaxphotographer.com

Christy Whitehead Photography is dedicated to enriching the lives of their clients through portraits. But we also occasionally partner with different causes, whether it be through donation drives, awareness or donations.

Unicorn Set, Ideas, Tips and Links to Buy, Cake Smash in Jacksonville, Fl

Unicorns have been a popular theme in kid’s clothing and in sets for our studio, especially cake smashes.

As a Jacksonville, Florida based children’s photographer, I love photographing all the different themes that come my way. I recently had a really cute unicorn themed smash and I wanted to share it with you, along with ideas and tips for your own session or to use as a backdrop at your child’s birthday party.

Backdrops

I buy backdrops from all over the place, so I can’t remember exactly where I got this one from. But, here’s some suggestions and ideas for backdrops:

Rainbow Clouds backdrop on Etsy

Unicorn backdrop on Etsy

We used a ONE sign made on Etsy by TinCakes at but if you wanted something even more elaborate, this might be an option. Super cute and layered.

Cake

Our cake was made by Sweets by Staci, here in Jacksonville. She will deliver the cake to the studio for you on the day of your session.

One of these cake toppers would be cute for your cake as well.

If you are doing something at home and need to make a simple store bought cake look like a unicorn, you could always pick up something like this.

Table Skirt

A lot of parents like to buy a decoration to go around the table or high chair.

Here’s a pink tutu style one.

As for clothing choices.

We just used a simple rainbow tutu and a headpiece similar to this.

Tutus are always a fun choice for a first birthday session.

This is a SUPER cute outfit from Etsy‘s DabinDesigns.

This outfit is a little more subdued in colors, but is def. cute with the unicorn on it. Would match a lot of sets. Sold on Etsy by CoraandViolet .

This is all pink and super girly by DwellAndAbidePtyLtd .

Here’s a white onesie style with a gold ruffle butt and accessories.

And of course, Unicorn shoes!!!

Win a Free T-Shirt from Cracked Egg Design!

We’re cosponsoring a contest with Cracked Egg Design and you need to go enter NOW to win a Free T-shirt of your choice.

Cracked Egg features designs mostly aimed at the photography and wedding industry (More industries coming, like realtors, police and fire and there are a few select massage shirts as well). BUT, if you dig a little deeper there are a ton of fun designs for moms, people who love to camp, those of us that keep chickens and more!

ENTER HERE TO WIN

So, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite shirts and items.

First, you’ve got to check out the leggings, dresses and bathing suit section.

I mean how cute are these camera “don’t be negative” leggings. Even if you aren’t a photographer, we all take a zillion pictures, and these are cute! PLUS, some of them have POCKETS! Plus a lot of the designs have a matching T-shirt to go with them. Which I love.

There are also dresses and bathing suits in some of the patterns, perfect for a gift for a photographer you know (or someone else in the industry, as there are hairstylist bathing suits and more!).

We recently bought a popup camper and my kids LOVE it. So the camping section is a must for us.

Happy Glamper is a popular design right now.

Here’s a pop up version of the Happy Glamper design. Kind of hard to find pop up shirts!

The “Most Expensive Day Ever” is pretty funny, at least we’re Florida residents so we get a discount!

The Manage Chaos shirt, that feels perfect for me as a photographer, but I’m sure also all of us as a mom!

ENTER HERE TO WIN

Featured Vendor: Greenlight Graphics Headshots and Product Photography

Crystal and Zach Gay own, Greenlight Graphics a veteran owned and operated family run company that offers laser engraving and vinyl services. We used them for our window signage and were impressed with their keen interest in making sure that the colors matched correctly. They showed up with samples for us to flip through.

When our home was flooded in the hurricane, they offered not to charge us for the vinyl, but I wouldn’t let them do that, but I loved their generous and caring heart!

They have since gone on to work with several businesses I know and so I wanted to feature them on my blog in case anyone else in the North Florida/Jacksonville area needed something as well. However, I do think they’ll ship.

I had to open with the photos of their daughter holding the engraved notebook. She is SUPER cute and she def. needs to do some modeling, look at those curls and that smile!

But Rielle, isn’t only the cutest one of the team (sorry guys!, she also really does help!

“She is the absolute best.” says Crystal. ” She loves helping with the company. She is our door greeter at pickup. During cut prep, she unboxes and sorts lids. She also likes to help us pack everything back up for the customer.

The three of us make a great team and we love teaching her that she can create her own business and be the boss in her life, if that is what she wants one day.”

I used green with many of their photos because their branding has green in it.

How did you guys get started?

What drew you to vinyl and custom products?

After we had Rielle, I wanted to be there for her always and become a stay at home mom so we started brainstorming ideas for extra income to make that transition easier.

We began having casual conversation about logos/marketing and the constant need for it, along with the growing trend of personalized gifts. We thought it would be really neat to work with other businesses while building one of our own. I had a background in customer service along with the love for working with others and Zach is an artist and great with designs so we gradually started putting it all together and just took a leap of faith and invested in the equipment.

(These are for the fabulous Remi Realty, here in Jacksonville.)

What all products do you make?

We personalize, in individual and bulk, RTIC and Maars drinkware, wood products such as cutting boards, coasters, photo on wood canvas, etc. and leatherette gifts such as flask boxes, koozies, wallets, mouse pads, portfolios, bottle openers, business card holders etc. We also do vinyl for storefronts, wall art, or decals.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

Zach created the name and logo. We literally just said names aloud until something clicked. We wanted something simple, but clear and catchy.

And now for some fun stuff:

What is your favorite thing to do around Jacksonville?

We spend most of our free time and some body of water. We both grew up on the Suwannee River and just thoroughly enjoy fresh air, sand, and sunshine.

When your family comes to town, what is something you guys always have to do?

We live in Yulee, so we always take family onto Amelia Island for great food, shops, and beaches. We also enjoy Dave and Busters or other places in Jax that are kids oriented.

What’s your favorite song?

We are music lovers. That is definitely something we use to connect with each other and to escape with. Some of our fav. bands are JJ Grey and Mofro, Gaslight Anthem, and Hours Eastly.

What is your favorite movie?

Busy days leave little time for movies and most tv time is filled with Disney films. And we have to admit, we love them just as much as Rielle does!

What’s something you can’t live without (besides your loved ones)?

COFFEE!

They were sweet enough to bring me this reusable cup when they came in. What surprised me was most of these cups I see for sale online by vinyl companies scare me, because vinyl would come off easy. But Greenlight Graphics actually ETCHES the logo into the cup, making it super durable!

Check them out:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenlightgraphics
Website: www.greenlightgraphics.net

Different Kinds of Headshots– Corporate Photographer, Jacksonville

Are you needing head shots of your employees or maybe all the executives in your company? Most companies need updated portraits, but often aren’t sure exactly what they need.

I did a session with Michael recently to update some business portraits for him and I thought I would share a couple of variations and their uses.

The above two shots are very common requests.

The left image is what I do for many companies who just need something quick for each employee. These types of shots are typically great for email signatures, ID badges, etc. It might also get used in casual usages and ads.

A horizontal head and shoulders is also a popular option for this type of headshot.

I saw the above image on Pinterest. I wish I knew who created it. But it has some interesting information to think about as well for a standard headshot.

Three-Quarter Length Stance

The right is a little more formal and it crops down to about the waist. Not only does his outfit imply it’s a little more formal, but also because it shows more of his body. These types of portraits are more ideal for managers, relators, job seekers, etc. If you want an employee to stand out a little more, this option might be good.

Seated

The above example doesn’t show the seated example as good as say the next image, but he is seated. I like how it pulls him forward and makes him feel more inviting.

Seated poses definitely feel more warm and personable. They also usually give the person somewhere to put their hands, something to do.

However, it’s not appropriate for all portraits, if it’s done wrong it can make the person look bigger or frumpy in the mid section.

Full body

Occasionally, I get a request for a full body. And Michael had on red shoes, so I HAD to include those as it shows off part of his personality.

For executives and owners of a company, this is can be a good option. It can also be cropped in at waist level for a secondary look or use. These might be used for an annual report, or for a full portrait for the wall.

Environmental Portraits

There’s an image up a little higher where you can see a window behind Michael. That’s another “environmental” type portrait.

These can be done in your office, outside or on location somewhere. They help to show off the personality of you and your business.

For realtors this might mean near a house. The brick wall is popular.

A lawyer might use a library, or their desk.

If your office has great big windows or great architecture, those are all great places for this type of shot.

These usually are a little more custom and aren’t as ideal for name tags, or a large company with a 1,000 employees.

These are often used for formal portraits or prints to hang on the wall since they often have that extra bit of color or personality.

ABOUT

Christy Whitehead photography has travelled all over the US photographing employees and executives for news publications as well as internal use (uniform manuals, websites, etc). She has photographed companies that have one employee as well as those with multiple locations and 1,500 employees.

Email her to set up your own custom quote.

Featured Wedding Photographer: The Copper Lens

I recently photographed Susannah Moore, of The Copper Lens, creating some new headshots for her and wanted to share those photos and a little about her and her business.

When photographing a business owner, I like to take a look at their brand–usually their website. and see what their style is. Is it very traditional or do they have a different vibe? Usually it helps me pick out a color pallet to use.

For Susannah, her colors were very light and airy. She likes pinks and coppers.

I also try to do one look that is slightly different. Sometimes the lighting is more moody or the colors may not fit quite with their brand. For Susannah, when she came in she was wearing this cute little red dress with blue flowers and a denim jacket. So I pulled a blue background and started her with a one light headshot, creating a little more dramatic shadows and making a little more rich of an image.

Susannah has been in business for 3.5 years and has a great look. Her brand is very pulled together.

I got my start to photography when I owned a women’s boutique. I learned to shoot by taking photos of the clothing on models and slowly began creating styled look books each centered around a certain theme. I quickly learned that the creative side of the business and the photography was my favorite part.

Friends began asking me to capture all their special moments and occasions and as I began to dabble in photographing outside of fashion, I fell in love.

I decided to close shop and pursue photography full time. After a year of shooting a little bit of everything to get my feet wet, I found my passion in couples. Weddings, engagements, anniversaries, elopements, or even just because photos of two people in love is where my heart still lies today.

What drew you to photography?

Originally, it was the joy of creating something and also capturing a moment and being able to re-live it over and over again. I love putting things together to create something out of nothing but I also love the joy of just creating. Photography is art and art is a way of expressing yourself or your subjects. It’s always changing and I think I love that most of all.
How would you describe your style? Bright, Romantic and joyful! I love pretty light, pastels & people in love! You just can’t go wrong with that combination.

How did you come up with the name of your business?

I knew I wanted something more creative than just my name for a business name. I actually hired an incredibly business branding strategist to help me come up with the name! When I told her my favorite color was copper she put it all together for me! I absolutely love it.

Anything really funny ever happen while you were shooting?

Every time. I love to be active during sessions and will do anything to help my clients feel comfortable so they can be themselves. I hope every session has at least one moment that we can all look back on and laugh.

Other fun stuff:

What’s your favorite food? Potatoes. You can seriously cook them 100 different ways and they are all delicious!
Favorite dessert? Cheesecake
Favorite restaurant? Any Hibachi/Sushi
Favorite place to hang out in Jacksonville? If Im being honest, my house! I am such a homebody and introverted. I could spend all day just chilling on the sofa watching Netflix!
What’s your favorite movie? Dirty Dancing

And some of her work:

Check out The Copper Lens:

IG: @thecopperlens
www.thecopperlens.com