There’s nothing sweeter than celebrating your little one’s very first birthday with a milestone session and cake smash! This gallery featuring baby Fritz captures all the charm, personality, and pure joy of turning one. From classic portraits to messy, laughter-filled cake moments, it’s the perfect way to document this once-in-a-lifetime milestone.

Classic Baby Milestone Portraits

Before the cake came out, we started with timeless milestone photos. Fritz wore the sweetest green gingham romper with delicate piping details, paired with classic white shoes. The soft pastel backdrops gave a clean, airy feel while letting his big expressions shine through. These milestone portraits are perfect for parents looking to remember their baby’s gentle, curious stage before toddlerhood takes over.

For milestone sessions, I keep the focus on your little one—minimal props, beautiful light, and heirloom styling that never goes out of fashion.

A Colorful Cake Smash Celebration

Once the milestone portraits were complete, it was time to celebrate! Fritz changed into a playful chambray romper with rainbow buttons and wore a custom felt birthday crown with his name stitched in bold colors. The bright pops of red, blue, and yellow brought so much fun energy into the session.

His cake was decorated with whimsical brush-stroke details and colorful button accents—just right for curious little fingers to dive into. And dive in he did! Fritz smashed, tasted, squished, and laughed his way through every bite. From cake-covered smiles to frosting-filled fists, the photos capture everything we love about first birthdays.

Why Book a Cake Smash & Milestone Session?

Your baby only turns one once, and photos like these become treasured family heirlooms. A first birthday session is more than just fun—it’s a chance to pause, celebrate, and preserve the joy of this milestone year forever.

At Finch & Mae Photography, I specialize in milestone and cake smash photography in the Madison and Sun Prairie, WI areas. Sessions are fully styled to fit your family’s personality while keeping the focus on your baby’s unique expressions and story.

All cake smashes are without themes and balloon arches. Why? Over the last few years of working cake smash sessions, I have found that the focus tends to leave baby and it starts to concentrate more on the themes. By having sessions simple and classic, it truly focuses specifically on baby and their exciting milestone of turning one.

Book Your Baby’s First Birthday Session

If your little one is about to turn one, now is the perfect time to plan their milestone and cake smash session. Sessions are best scheduled a few weeks before their birthday so you can have your images ready to display at their party or print for keepsakes.

✨ Ready to celebrate your baby’s first year in the sweetest way? Contact me today to reserve your session!

There are few moments in life more emotional, raw, and unforgettable than those first hours after welcoming your baby into the world. A Fresh 48 session captures those fleeting memories in the hospital—tiny toes, first snuggles, and siblings meeting for the very first time. These photographs tell the story of a family’s earliest chapter together, one filled with tenderness, awe, and love.

This sweet session in a Madison-area hospital was filled with those unforgettable moments. Big brother’s curiosity and joy as he leaned in to meet his new sibling for the first time was absolutely heart-melting. The room was filled with quiet laughter, soft snuggles, and the kind of emotions that can only be felt in those first days of parenthood.

What is a Fresh 48 Session?

Unlike a posed newborn studio session, a Fresh 48 is documentary-style photography that takes place in the hospital (or birthing center) within the first 24–48 hours after delivery. These sessions focus on natural, unposed moments—the wrinkly newborn skin, hospital bracelets, the baby bassinet by the window, and the quiet joy of family bonding.

For parents who want to remember the raw and real details of those first hours, a Fresh 48 session is the perfect choice.

Why Families Love Fresh 48 Photography

• Authenticity: These sessions capture real, candid moments as they happen—siblings meeting, parents gazing in awe, or the baby’s first stretch.
• Emotion: Every image is full of raw, unfiltered love.
• Legacy: These are the photos you’ll cherish forever—the very beginning of your child’s story.

This family’s session was especially touching. Watching big brother hold his baby sibling with so much gentleness while mom and dad admired both of their little ones was a reminder of how powerful these first days are.

Fresh 48 Photography in Madison & Sun Prairie, WI

If you’re expecting and looking for a Fresh 48 photographer in Madison, Sun Prairie, or the surrounding Wisconsin area, Finch & Mae Photography would love to help you preserve these fleeting memories. I take care to document the quiet details and emotional connections in a way that feels natural, timeless, and true to your family.

Fresh 48 sessions are limited, as they require on-call availability around your due date. If this style of storytelling speaks to you, I recommend reaching out early so we can reserve your spot on my calendar.

Ready to Book Your Fresh 48 Session?

If you want to remember the very first days of your baby’s life in a natural and meaningful way, a Fresh 48 session is the perfect fit. These photographs will bring you back to the quiet hospital room, the sound of newborn cries, and the joy of introducing your baby to family for the first time.

📩 Contact me today to learn more about booking your Fresh 48 session in Madison or Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Let’s capture the story of your baby’s very first day.

There’s something truly magical about photographing families at golden hour—the warm sunlight, glowing skies, and the way everything feels a little softer and slower. This sweet family’s evening session in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was the perfect mix of playful energy and heartfelt connection.

Their little one kept us on our toes—running through the tall grass, giggling as mom and dad tossed him in the air, and snuggling in for hugs when he needed a moment of comfort. These in-between moments are exactly what makes family photography so meaningful: the laughter, the cuddles, and the real emotions that tell your family’s story.

I love outdoor family sessions like this because they give kids the freedom to move, explore, and just be themselves. Instead of stiff poses, you get genuine smiles, natural interactions, and memories you’ll look back on and feel.

For this session, we kept things simple: light summer outfits, a blanket in the grass, and the most gorgeous sunset backdrop. The photos are timeless yet full of personality—capturing everything from big belly laughs to quiet, tender moments between mom, dad, and their little boy.

Why Book a Sunset Family Session?

If you’re looking for family photos in Sun Prairie or Madison, WI, golden hour is the dreamiest time of day. The soft, glowing light adds warmth and magic to your images while keeping things relaxed and fun. Whether you have toddlers full of energy or teens who prefer more candid moments, evening sessions allow everyone to slow down and simply enjoy being together.

Ready to Capture Your Family’s Story?

Family photography isn’t just about taking pictures—it’s about creating art from your love, your laughter, and the fleeting seasons of childhood. If you’re ready to book your own outdoor family session in Sun Prairie or Madison, Wisconsin, I’d love to help you preserve these moments.

There is something incredibly special about capturing maternity moments in the comfort of your home. This lifestyle maternity session in rural Wisconsin was the perfect reflection of love, connection and everyday life. Dogs, lounging on the couch, playing with dinosaurs and being barefoot was the perfect touch.

As a maternity photographer serving the Madison, and Sun Prairie, WI area- I love to offer families the option to stay home, where everyone feels comfortable and where the real story lives. This beautiful session was filled with all the good stuff. Joy, anticipation, freedom to play and a quiet kind of magic that only a home can bring.

From backyard swings and walks to visit the cows, watering flowers on the porch and finding ants- their gallery tells such a story. The kids laughed and ran, the dogs happily tagged along, and mama glowed in a soft floral dress that moved with ease as she played and snuggled.

What makes lifestyle maternity sessions so perfect and meaningful is how they reflect who you and your family are RIGHT NOW. This isn’t just the beauty of the bump but truly the entire dynamic of life before baby makes their arrival.

If you are expecting and want a maternity session that feels natural and deeply personal, consider an in-home lifestyle maternity session in the Madison or Sun Prairie area. These sessions aren’t about posing, it is about preserving the beauty of your everyday life.

Interested in booking your own lifestyle maternity session?

Let’s chat. I would love to help you document this beautiful chapter.