Cake smashing

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Name
Will
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Hi guys

I was looking at starting a cake smash photography ‘business’.

Has anyone had any experience with it?

What equipment you need?

Is it worth while? No one in my area does this so I think there is a market.

Here is a pic of what I want to achieve.

Thank you
 
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If that's not your image, you need to remove it and post a link instead.
Don't want you falling foul of the rules.
:)
You need lighting, backdrop/floor in vinyl so it can be wiped, and a supply of large cakes.
I might be wrong, but I think its considered a bit meh these days.
 
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Notwithstanding this...
I might be wrong, but I think its considered a bit meh these days.
Cake Smashes are a bit past their prime (though my daughter wants one for her daughter)

The first important question is...
Here is a pic of what I want to achieve.

Simply 'could you achieve that?' (if the answer is anything other than an emphatic 'of course'; this is pointless)

If you can't achieve the technical aspects of that without too much bother - how are you going to achieve it whilst dealing with an excited / tired baby and anxious parents?

The point of people photography is that the photography has to be effortless, so that you can put your efforts into managing the people.

Then...
What do you know of marketing?
How big an area would you need to make it worthwhile?
How affluent an area?
What would you charge?
Is that a viable business?
 
In December you didn't have the knowledge to take a picture in focus and with a simple composition in daylight.

How much practice have you had since then?

Because this is a step up! Set design and dressing, lighting - quite a complex task. I reckon I could pull it off; but it'd be a lot more work than I usually put into my studio sessions.
 
I didn't even know cake-smashing was a thing until my sister told me she's doing one for my niece's first birthday! I thought it was a bit daft, but hey if there's a market .... If you are looking at examples and don't know how to get that look or even what gear it takes to get there, then maybe I'd not rush into it just yet. There's more to it than simply buying the gear and taking a few snaps, as Phil points out above, especially If you are supplying the whole service not just the photography

I would start by looking up a million lighting tutorials on youtube perhaps
 
I don't think a cake smash business is the way to look at it.
I think it would be an addition to a portrait/studio photography business.
I dont think it would be too hard to achieve decent results. The hard part is getting enough clients to earn a decent wage.
35 years ago I bought 1 studio light, 1 reflector, 1 brolly and a background.
I practiced a lot, and started to get decent results.
There was no YouTube in those days.
I made some spending money doing portraits in peoples houses, and did ok, but earning enough to give up the day job is a different kettle of fish.
That the way do it though, and when the day job gets in the way of the photography, then maybe you'd have the chance of a viable business.
 
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Have you improved enough in 6 months to be able to charge people for your product?

Forget the business side until you've learnt photography backwards.

If you haven't got the driving urge to take good pictures, your choosing the wrong business.
 
I've been doing family portraits professionally for 16 years now. In that time, I've done only three cake smash shoots (thankfully). On each occasion I got the client to supply the cake. On all of the shoots, the child didn't like the cake.

I've never understood why someone would want to have some portraits of their kid covered in goo and mess.
 
Cake Smashes are a bit past their prime
.. this .. haven't seen one in ages ..

Hi guys
What equipment you need?

The list will include
  • Cleanable flooring
  • Backdrop, stand & sandbags
  • Variety of outfits & props
  • Fairy lights
  • Some stuff to attract the attention of the little ones
  • Baby change facilities
  • Blackout material to cover windows
  • Clamps, gaffer tape, etc
  • Cake
plus the usual camera / lens / lighting stuff.
 
Never heard of a cake smash until I read this and looked it up online - whatever next?
 
Hi guys

I was looking at starting a cake smash photography ‘business’.

Has anyone had any experience with it?

What equipment you need?

Is it worth while? No one in my area does this so I think there is a market.

Here is a pic of what I want to achieve.

Thank you


IMO the main thing that you might need to learn first is, how to get and keep a subject in focus as a while ago it was taking friends images but it went down hill. Plus it is nice to thank folks for the advice given here too.
 
........ Plus it is nice to thank folks for the advice given here too.

Patience 'grasshopper' @willkia has not been here since his OP. Though his posting history indicates that you should not hold your breath ;)

PS I do wonder about such "cake smashing" :thinking::thinking:
 
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Waste of good food or ingredients.
 
Waste of good food or ingredients.

Yes, though at least it will be 99% bio degradable as long as the 1% non food parts are separated out before putting in the food bin ;)
 
As a general comment I certainly wouldn't supply the cake if I were going to do this sort of photography. Just one allergic reaction or food poisoning allegation and it would probably be lawsuit time... one serious or fatal allergic reaction, food poisoning or choking incident and you could probably end up doing time!
 
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