A “Hole in ONE” golf-themed studio session for a sweet little boy turning one
One of my favorite sessions to photograph is a first birthday milestone. As a Point Breeze Family Photographer, I love helping families celebrate this stage without the pressure of a traditional cake smash. For this little guy’s session, his parents wanted something personal that reflected their family, and they came up with the sweetest idea.
Instead of cake, we created a golf-inspired “Hole in ONE” theme.
They dressed him in the most adorable little golfer’s jacket, and he even had his own tiny golf clubs to explore. I photographed the session at one of my favorite rental studio spaces, Allure Loft. The clean natural light inside the studio allowed the setup to stay simple and timeless while keeping the focus entirely on him.
From the moment we started, his personality shined. He was curious, happy, and very interested in tapping the golf clubs on anything he could reach.
We kept the styling minimal with a green number one balloon to tie into the theme. Simple setups always age best, and they help milestone sessions feel more about the child than the props. At this stage, babies move constantly and react to everything around them. Instead of trying to keep him perfectly still, we followed his lead and photographed the moments as they happened.
Some of the best images came when he crawled toward his parents and proudly showed off his discoveries. Those small interactions often become the photos families treasure most.
Sessions like this are a reminder that milestone portraits do not need to be elaborate to be meaningful. The goal is to capture personality and this fleeting stage of babyhood. If you are planning your own family photography session or want to learn more about preparing, you can also read my guide to preparing for a portrait session.
Being trusted as a Point Breeze Family Photographer to document a child’s first birthday is always incredibly special to me, and I am so glad we created something unique for their family.
