What To Expect From A Natural Fresh 48 Hospital Session

“We weren’t sure if we wanted a photographer present during such intimate family moments, but we are so grateful to have such incredible photographs of our first steps together as a family.” -Naomi&Sam

If you’re not comfortable enough to have your birth photographed, a natural session during the first 48 hours of your baby’s life is perfect for you. I wish I could spread newborn yawns on a cracker – I sometimes don’t leave a session until I have a perfect yawn shot!What would these pictures capture? You discovering those squishy baby cheeks, siblings meeting the little one, grandparents watching over them ever-so-proudly, or a rebellious foot stubbornly kicking out of the swaddle every. single. time.Documentary newborn photography isn't a style – it's an approach that allows you to simply be in the moment, enjoy your new baby, and be yourself.

How to book your Fresh 48 newborn session (at the hospital, or in your home)

Shoot me a message through my contact page, so we can get in touch.I will send you some questions about your family. They will help me figure out what you’d like your kids to remember about you, as well as help prepare for kiddo personality quirks that you’d like pictures of.I’ll send you my client guide. It has information about my different session options, as well as other tidbits of information I get asked about a lot.We’ll talk.  I’m a bit awkward talking on the phone, but would love to meet for coffee or video chat – I want to make sure we have the same expectations about your session. The most important thing, though, is that you can decide if you’re comfortable with me in your space.You’ll sign a contract and pay a retainer to hold your date. We won’t do either of these things until you are in your third trimester, but it is a good idea to contact me before then to hold a spot incase your due month is busy for me. I will send you both the contract and the invoice electronically – you can sign and pay online. Once the paperwork is done, we can concentrate on making your session the best it can be.You’ll pay the remaining balance two weeks before your due date. Then I can start editing your pictures right away after the session – high five!

It's game time!

Text or email me when you are heading to the hospital. This way I can prepare to be with you as soon as possible after birth (unless you prefer that I come later).Keep me updated.  Are things going slowly? Quickly? That’ll help determine when I should head over to the hospital or your home. If your baby is born at night time, it may be a good idea to wait for the next day when there’s natural light available.Preparation? There really is no need to prepare other than doing your hair in a way that keeps it from falling onto your face when you’re looking down at your baby. Some moms like to bring a pretty robe, or some cute swaddle blankets for their little one.I may show up in sweatpants and bed head. If I make my way to you super quickly to catch your very first hours with your baby, my appearances will not be a priority.You will be tired. And baby will be tired. Don’t worry about baby sleeping and not being awake for pictures  – the sleepy squishy phase is just the best!Be you. There’s no need for makeup or fancy clothes if you're not up for it. You just gave birth, and nothing is more beautiful than the newborn admiration on your face. You might be thinking about these kinds of things during booking, but once you have your itty bitty baby in your arms you might not even care! As long as you are comfortable, I'm happy.Let older siblings be themselves. Showing that you value pictures of your kiddos being themselves will tell them how much they are cherished just as they are. Here’s a previous post about how to talk to your kids about an upcoming family photo session. Bribery usually just makes the kiddos anxious about waiting for their reward.I will talk to you, just as a friend would while they’re hanging out.  This usually helps people forget what I’m up to, as well as gives me clues about what I should look for to incorporate into your pictures. I just follow along with the mood in the room.Don’t mind me! I might be climbing on chairs or getting close up and personal with my camera. You just concentrate on your loved ones.There may be gaps of time when I don’t take pictures. This means I’ve already taken some great shots of the scene, and am now waiting for a moment to happen – perhaps a delicious baby yawn? I might also be listening or watching for clues about what would be important to document.

After the Fresh 48 session

I’ll work on your digital files asap. I always end a sneak peek as soon as possible, usually within a day or two. Unless something very dramatic happens, I can edit your full session in about 2 weeks. If you urgently need a photo or two for an announcement, I can edit a couple within 24h.  I will let you know if I have any plans that may change the delivery time.You’ll get a link to view your online proof gallery.  You can create favorite lists, mark images for your photo book, order prints, download files as well as share the gallery with extended family to enjoy.I can’t wait to hear your reaction about your photos. I’m checking my email every seventeen seconds after I’ve sent pictures to a client. I pour so much heart into the pictures, and hope they make the family as happy as they make me.Let me know if there are images you do not wish to be shared online.  I might write a blog post, or post some images on social media. It is very important to me that my clients can trust me, and are comfortable with anything that I would share online. Situations where families might ask me to not share could be breastfeeding images, for example – some are ok with those, too. The proof gallery has an easy system for marking the images you want to keep private.We can meet up to go through your album design, or pick out pictures to print for your walls. I use an amazing print lab for pictures and am obsessed with their museum grade paper quality. I also love photo books, because they can be out on the coffee table and flipped through over and over again – which is why they are a part of every package.If you opted for a la carte pricing, you'll get digital copies of all the pictures that you purchase as products – yay!Go ahead, flip through a photo book with me:

For the future

Recommendations and reviews are important. A written testimonial or a review on Yelp/Facebook or Google helps other families find the right photographer for them.Here’s more information about how to write a review for your photographer.