🍰 The Cake Smash Club

Opening to a small first group soon

Learn to build sets, not just book sessions.

A community for cake smash photographers who want to design, print, and build their own custom sets — from first idea to finished gallery.

No spam — just one note when we open the doors.

What's inside

Twelve modules, start to finish — everything that goes into designing and shooting a custom cake smash set.

🍰 Start Here — Cake Smash Basics

Your basic supply list
What software or programs you need
Canva vs. Photoshop
Cricut basics
Printers and printing options
My favorite tools and supplies
Understanding your shooting space before designing

💡 Finding the Idea — Inspiration & Planning

Where to find cake smash inspiration
Pinterest: searching without copying another photographer
Etsy and design marketplaces
Canva graphics
AI-generated artwork
Turning one inspiration image into an original set
Choosing a color palette
Creating a mood board
Planning the set before buying anything

🖼️ Sourcing Your Graphics

Where I purchase graphics
Etsy graphics: what to look for
PNG vs. JPG vs. SVG — what's the difference?
Transparent backgrounds
Resolution and image quality
Commercial-use licensing
What you're allowed to print or use
Using AI to create custom elements
Organizing your downloaded graphics

💻 Preparing Your Files

Bringing your graphics into Photoshop
Removing backgrounds
Cleaning up graphics
Changing colors
Combining multiple graphics
Creating coordinating pieces
How to scale an image correctly
Resolution and DPI
How large you can print before it looks terrible
Creating your print-ready file

📏 Scaling for Real-Life Sets

How big should a prop actually be?
Designing for a 1-year-old vs. designing on a screen
Measuring your shooting area
Scaling characters
Scaling signs
Scaling floor props
Creating oversized graphics
Tiling a large image across multiple pages
Testing size before paying for a print
My favorite trick for checking proportion

🖨️ Printing

Where I have things printed
What I print at home
Walgreens, Staples, local printers, etc.
Poster printing
Engineering and blueprint prints
Foam board
Cardstock
Vinyl
Matte vs. glossy
Best material for different props
Uploading your file correctly
What size to order
Cutting costs on printing

✂️ Building the Props

Mounting printed graphics
Foam board, cardboard, coroplast
Cutting by hand
Cricut
X-Acto, hot knife, and other tools
Making props stand up
Reinforcing large props
Layering pieces for dimension
Creating 3D-looking props
Making props baby-safe
Storing props after the session

🎨 Building the Actual Set

Start with an empty wall
Choosing your backdrop
Where the cake goes
Where the baby goes
Layering front, middle, back
Creating depth
How many props are too many?
Balancing both sides
Adding balloons
Adding florals and greenery
Using crates, pedestals, arches, etc.
When to stop adding stuff
Signature clean style vs. an overstuffed Pinterest set

🎂 The Cake

Choosing the right cake size
Cake colors
Coordinating cake with the set
Cake stands
Your faux 3D-printed cake system
Interchangeable icing
Interchangeable toppers
Cake topper sizing
Real cake vs. faux cake for portraits
Working with bakers

📸 Photographing the Finished Set

Camera angle
Lens choice
Lighting the set
Lighting baby separately from the backdrop
Keeping whites white
Avoiding shadows on your props
Wide shot vs. close-up
Detail images
Portraits before the smash
Smash images
Splash and bath images
Getting variety from one set

✨ Editing

Cleaning up the backdrop
Extending floors and backdrops
Removing tape and supports
Fixing wrinkles
Removing distracting props
Color matching
Skin tones
Making printed props look natural
Final crop
Creating a consistent gallery

💰 Turning This Into Money

What does the set actually cost?
Pricing custom cake smashes
Reusing pieces without repeating a look
Building a reusable prop library
Charging for elaborate or custom sets
Client questionnaires
Getting inspiration from the client (without handing over the design)
Showing concepts to clients
Photographing your set for social media
Behind-the-scenes reels
Marketing custom cake smashes

Bonus: The Cutout Studio

A companion space for building your own baby-safe cutout props from start to finish — so students can design and make their own instead of buying pre-made ones.

Built in collaboration with Ana Brandt.

Be first in when the doors open