If you’re looking for an Avondale Chicago first birthday photographer who actually documents the day not just the cake smash, not just the posed family shot in front of the backdrop this is what that looks like.
Esme turned one. And her people showed up hard for her.
The Party captured by Avondale Chicago first birthday photographer
The setup was everything. Bold red lettering spelling out her name, warm wavy orange accents on the wall, a balloon garland in yellow, red, and blue that filled the whole corner of the room. A little stuffed giraffe tucked in the corner. Esme in a white embroidered dress with colorful flowers and little pom-pom ears in her hair, completely unbothered by all of it, finger in her mouth, taking the whole room in with those big dark eyes.
That’s a one-year-old. They have absolutely no idea what’s happening and they’re somehow still the most magnetic person in the space.
The Grandparents
This is the part I always tell families not to skip the multi-generational portraits. Four grandparents, dressed beautifully, gathered around one little girl on her very first birthday. Those images don’t happen twice. One grandmother held Esme cheek to cheek while the party carried on around them, and that quiet moment inside a loud celebration? That’s the real photograph.
Mom and Dad at One Year
Both parents leaned in on either side of her — faces close, her little hand at her mouth, completely in her own world. It’s black and white because it deserved to be timeless. One year in, and these two are so clearly still completely gone for their daughter. That one’s going on a wall.
By the end of a first birthday, parents are always a mix of emotional, exhausted, and so proud. They made it through the whole first year. That’s worth documenting.
Book a First Birthday Session in Chicago
I photograph first birthday parties throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs including neighborhoods like Avondale, Logan Square, Bucktown, and beyond. Whether you’re hosting at home, at a venue, or anywhere in between, I’ll be there to document all of it honestly.
First birthday sessions start at $425/hour with a two-hour minimum. Book your session here →
