san diego cake smash photographer Archives - Stills by Hill Photography

Cake Smash Wish List – San Diego Cake Smash Photographer

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By: Hillary Gustaveson

June 6, 2025

Calling All San Diego Parents: Help Me Create the Cutest Cake Smash Themes And Get $175 Studio Credit! Are you a parent in San Diego with a little one turning ONE soon? I’m currently looking for a select group of babies to participate in styled cake smash photo sessions during August, and I’d love for…

Why San Diego Parents Are Printing Their Cake Smash Photos as Heirloom Wall Art

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By: Hillary Gustaveson

May 13, 2025

In the age of cloud storage and social media, it’s tempting to think that our favorite memories will always be just a click away. But the truth is, digital files aren’t built to last. Hard drives fail. Technology changes. Passwords get lost. And 30 years from now, when your baby is all grown up, those…

Why a Cake Smash Session Is the Perfect Way to Celebrate Your Baby’s First Birthday in San Diego

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By: Hillary Gustaveson

May 12, 2025

Your baby’s first birthday is more than just a party—it’s a huge milestone for both your little one and you. You’ve made it through the first year of parenthood—through the sleepless nights, first giggles, teething, and all the beautiful (and messy) moments in between. That first birthday deserves to be celebrated in a big way—and…

Preparing for your cake smash session- San Diego cake smash photographer

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By: Hillary Gustaveson

September 28, 2017

I absolutely LOVE photographing cake smash sessions! It’s a newer trend to photograph your baby getting messy into their cake, and oh is it FUN! What other time is it totally ok for them to consume tons of sugar & let them get totally messy? Their first birthday of course! This post is about preparing for your…

Happy 1st birthday, Victoria! – San Diego child & family photographer

Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg February 8, 2015 February 8, 2015

By: Hillary Gustaveson

February 8, 2015

I have been documenting this family since momma was pregnant with Sofia and have watched this beautiful family grow and grow 🙂 We’ve finished Victoria’s 1st year with an adorable session at Marian Bear park and on-location cake smash (with an amazing cake from Treat Confectionery) along with some beautiful portraits of her family with…

Happy birthday, Teyton! – San Diego child photographer

Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg January 16, 2014 January 16, 2014

By: Hillary Gustaveson

January 16, 2014

Oh sweet little Teyton is officially one! I photographed his full first year in my watch me grow program and it has been such a joy documenting him grow! His cake for his cake smash is from Treat Confectonery and it was a pure vegan cake! Thank you S & L– it was so nice…

Happy birthday, Arabella! – San Diego child photographer

Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg February 14, 2013 February 14, 2013

By: Hillary Gustaveson

February 14, 2013

Little Arabella is so adorable! Her session in my La Mesa studio was going wonderful until we brought out the cake to do her cake smash for her birthday…oh emm gee! She refused to touch her cake. You would never know by looking at the portraits (except one of her crying) but once she got…

Happy 1st birthday Zahara! – San Diego Child Photographer

Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg June 18, 2012 June 18, 2012

By: Hillary Gustaveson

June 18, 2012

Another baby complete from the Watch Me Grow program! I photographed Z in the hospital, her newborn session, 6 mo, Valentine’s day and her birthday session! I loved watching her grow this past year and develop into this adorable sweet little girl. She is so lucky to have such wonderful parents who love her more…

Planning a portrait session this summer? Add in some studio credit! – San Diego Portrait Photographer

Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg June 13, 2012 June 13, 2012

By: Hillary Gustaveson

June 13, 2012

Every now and then I will run a promo like this– then I get swamped and wonder why I am so busy! Silly me– everyone loves some studio credit toward their product order! The summer is a great time to do your portrait sessions– especially for the holidays. Every year I have clients take advantage…

Melissa Nguyen

02:27 08 Feb 25

Did my professional headshots with Hillary and they turned out better than I could’ve imagined. I hate taking professional photos and she made me feel so comfortable and made the whole experience pleasant. She’s quick - sent me the pictures in a quick turnaround. Highly recommend!!!

aubreann macnally

00:12 03 Dec 24

Such a wonderful experience, she was just delightful especially with my two littles

Patsy Collins

21:31 03 Nov 24

Hillary was such a pleasure to work with on the holiday photos we took with her. Our kiddos kept us on our toes the entire time and we had concerns we wouldn't get very great shots due to their unwillingness to cooperate at times, but Hillary worked her magic and knew how to get a smile out of them when it mattered most and snapped the photo in time to catch it. You'd think our session consisted of such well behaved toddlers! Her studio is located in a convenient area and her communication about her process was so detailed when I first reached out - I knew exactly what to expect and boy, did she deliver. Highly recommend!

Diana Davidson

03:09 23 Oct 24

Hillary is incredibly talented, professional, and so fun and easy to work with! In addition to taking beautiful photos, she captures the mood and the emotion behind every shot. She is not only a great photographer but she is so helpful with everything from making sure the setting and scheduling works, making me and my family feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, and guiding me through the product ordering process. Every time I've worked with Hillary has been amazing. No need to look elsewhere, Stills by Hill Photography is it!

Frances Foster

20:08 20 Oct 24

Hillary did an excellent job with my author headshots and was very receptive to my ideas. She is easy to work with and the results were amazing!

Almitra Badger

10:33 18 Oct 24

Possibly the best photographer ever! From newborn pictures to senior photos and all the milestones in between, Hillary captures the moment exquisitely and provides a finished product of the highest quality. We lost our son and found that the moments captured in pictures were a great source of comfort and help every day through the grieving process.

Brice Porter

23:19 15 Oct 24

My personal experience with Stills by Hill Photography was nothing but impeccable. The communication between myself and Hillary was both professional and proficient. When getting my headshot, I had no need to fake a smile. If you're looking for a photographer, I could not recommend Stills by Hill Photography enough.

G M

05:56 15 Oct 24

I met Hillary over 10 years ago at a mommy and me class being held at her studio. After seeing her work I inquired about a Halloween portrait event she was having and she took the most amazing outdoor natural light photos of my then 15 month old daughter. 5 years later she gave me priceless 4 generational photos of my daughter, myself my mother and my grandmother. Fast forward to 2023 & she’s still documenting my now 16 year old and my family annually and the photos are the most priceless thing I am so proud to be able to pass to my children. I have to say the most beautiful thing is that my children both know her by name, they looks forward to seeing Hillary and the warm and friendly feeling that makes them SO comfortable is why her talent is so incredibly showcased in every photo she takes. My children’s personalities (lol) are so genuine, we always look great and I’ve never recommended anyone more or cherished a service more than I do stills by hill.
You won’t find a better person to document your life.

Maria B

03:11 15 Oct 24

I am so glad I made an appointment with Hillary to take my still photo for my business. She had the enthusiasm out of this world and it shows. Thank you, Hillary! Keep up the amazing work. Which I'm sure doesn't feel like work when you love what you do!

Admin Carlin

16:22 24 Apr 24

Cant say enough about Hilary’s skill as a photographer for business! She did an amazing job capturing our business operation. We have so much content that is ready for social media. I cant recommend her enough!!! Amazing experience.