Purple Cake Smash Session in Chicago

Purple is a color that surprises people. Parents sometimes worry it will be too dark or too bold for a baby session, but in practice it is one of the most striking colors we photograph. A purple cake smash creates images that feel rich, celebratory, and a little bit royal — which is fitting for a first birthday.

This session shows what happens when you commit to a bold color and let it carry the whole set. The result is dramatic, joyful, and completely cohesive.

Building a Purple Palette

Purple comes in a wide range of shades, and the one you choose sets the tone for the entire session. For this set, the parents chose a vibrant, true purple — not lavender, not plum, but a saturated purple that pops against the studio backdrop.

• The cake — A bold purple frosted cake that served as the centerpiece. The color was rich enough to photograph well but light enough to show the texture of the frosting as it got smashed.
• Balloons — Purple balloons matched the cake tone and added height and movement to the set. A few clear or white balloons mixed in kept it from feeling too heavy.
• Banner — A birthday banner tied the celebration together and gave the wide shots a festive frame.
• Bow tie — A small accessory that added personality and a touch of formality to the look.

A bold purple palette creates images with depth and visual impact.

The Range of Purple

One of the things we love about purple is how much range it offers. Depending on the shade, you can create very different moods:

• Lavender — Soft, gentle, dreamy. It creates a pastel aesthetic similar to light pink but with more depth. Beautiful for spring sessions.
• Violet — Bright and playful. It has energy without being overwhelming and works well for lively, animated babies.
• Plum — Deep, rich, sophisticated. It creates a more editorial look and pairs beautifully with gold accents.
• True purple — What we used in this session. Bold, celebratory, and confident. It makes a statement.

Purple photographs darker on camera than it appears in person. We account for this when mixing the cake frosting so the color reads correctly in your images.

Best Color Pairings for Purple

Purple is versatile enough to pair with several accent colors, each creating a different feel:

• Purple and gold — Royal, luxurious, celebratory. This combination is a showstopper for first birthday sessions.
• Purple and silver — Cooler and more modern. Works well with lighter purple shades.
• Purple and white — Clean and crisp. The white keeps the purple from feeling too heavy and adds breathing room to the composition.
• Purple and pink — Warm and playful. A natural combination that feels celebratory without being too coordinated.

Even mid-smash, the purple holds its vibrancy under studio lights.

Tips for Choosing Purple

1. Go bolder than you think. Purple fades slightly on camera, so a shade that looks vivid in person will look perfect in the final images.
2. Light outfits work best. White, cream, or light gray outfits create contrast that makes the purple pop.
3. Consider the skin tone. Purple is universally flattering, but warmer purples (more red) tend to look best on warmer skin tones, while cooler purples (more blue) suit cooler skin tones.
4. Tell us the exact shade. "Purple" covers a lot of ground. Send us a photo of the exact shade you want and we will match it precisely.