Fifty people in a backyard for a one-year-old who had no idea what was happening. That is a birthday done right. No formal theme, but beautiful decor, a chubby boy in good spirits, and a crowd that was genuinely happy to be there together.

The house was open if guests needed to come inside, but most people stayed out in the yard. These are the events I enjoy most to photograph. Everyone is relaxed, the kid is oblivious, and the real story is in the adults catching up, the grandparents holding the baby, the whole thing that a birthday is actually about.

Rohan cooperated completely, which at one year old is about as much as you can ask for.