For those of you who don’t know, there’s an emerging movement in photography … a movement way more fun than a macro lens, way more ‘in’ than Instagramming your food, way more hip than a new-age selfie.
We are of course referring to the Great Cake Smash! But this isn’t some half-baked trend. Nay, in reality, this is a trend that’s here to stay, from its gooey centre right through to its mouth-watering crust.
Yet taking a great pic of your kid smashing a cake is an art form, a science to be unlocked piece by delectable piece. So here’s our Camera House exclusive guide on how to take the ultimate cake smashing pictures.
Framing
It’s easy to take a photograph of someone. But as we've emphasised in our Creative Portrait Photography infographic, it’s not so easy to take a photograph that instantly captures the attention of friends, family and the legions of anonymous viral followers.
Framing is key. And the best framed photographs have a depth of field and a story to tell through the context in the image.
The infamous Rule of Thirds helps you remember to place your subject slightly off centre to create depth and interest. The main idea in portrait composition is to ensure your subject’s eyes are placed on a third of your image, rather than dead centre. And don't forget to trial different angles. This image taken from above perfect highlights the chaos of a baby getting his hands into the delicious cake icing.
Picture courtesy of .alicia.kowalski
Natural setting
You can create additional depth and interest by using natural surroundings to frame your subject. If you’re indoors, for example, you can use a doorway or piece of furniture to evoke a sense of intimacy.
Nature - trees, flowers and so forth - is a great setting for your baby cake smashing portrait. It provides earthy tones that really stand out, and a vivid contrast with the baby and his cake. We love how the blue blanket and kingly hat stand out against the blurred background in the image below.
Photo courtesy of Just Maggie Photography
Get up close and personal
Although fairly self-explanatory, make sure your subject remains in focus whether they are in the foreground or background. A handy hint is to make sure the focus point is targeted on one of your subject’s eyes.
Don’t be afraid to get close to your subject – or at least use a zoom lens to get in close, cutting out the redundant space around your subject. Seeing the details in a person’s face can provide an impacting portrait you simply can’t achieve from far away.
Photo courtesy of Selbe Lynn.
Montage
Whether the montage is a before and after (clean vs. covered in cake) or more like the image below, which is just a comical collection of images, a montage can turn your photos into gold.
What we like about the image below is how the montage tells a story. Note that the background is kept simple so the eye is drawn to the pops of colour on the cake.
Photo courtesy of The Garage Studio.
Be Yourself
When it comes to cake smashing, nothing can beat the natural excitement and pure, unadulterated joy of smashing a cake. The fact is, we’d all like to smash a cake.
It’s important to let your subject be themselves. That wise allegory applies to life in general but especially to cake smashing. Be authentic and profit. That’s how we like to put it.
We’ve gone with FOX Radio resident DJ Hamish Blake and family to illustrate this point.
Photo courtesy of Kidspot.
Conclusion
With these quick and easy tips, you’ll be able to partake in the latest photography trend and snap your kids smashing a beautiful cake. There’s something incredibly cathartic and joyful about watching someone tear into a cake with a blissful, carefree look on their face.
It’s time to get smashing, people! You’ll create memories you won’t forget and all it costs is the price of a cake (and maybe a good lens cleaning kit)!
