(This is a post from 2016 – find an
updated version for 2017 over here!)A Fresh 48 session is great when you're not comfortable enough to have someone present during birth, but still want images of all the little firsts with your newborn. Here's what to expect from a hospital or in-home Fresh 48 session with me:
I'd love to talk to you on Facetime/Google Hangout, or meet you for coffee. I will be documenting an intimate time of your life, and I want to make sure you are comfortable with me.
You'll sign a contract and pay a retainer to hold your spot. 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, so everything goes smoothly.
You will text or call 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 little one.
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. 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 really won't care. These pictures are meant as keepsakes for your kids; they will not care about how you looked in their childhood pictures (or in real life).
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.
I might talk to you every now and then. I want to get to know you so I can get a feel for what is important to you.
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.
You'll pay the remaining balance within a couple days of your session. Then I can start editing your pictures – high five!
You'll get your digital files asap. Unless something very dramatic happens, I can edit your files in 2-3 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.
I can’t wait to hear your reaction about your photos. I’m checking my email every seventeen seconds while I wait for a comment from a family I’ve sent pictures to. I pour so much love 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. Usually I'll 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.
You can choose to order prints or photo books from me. I use an amazing print spot for pictures and am obsessed with their museum grade paper quality. A photo book could make for a cherished coffee table read.I can recommend you a spot for printing, if you want to DIY it.
Recommendations and reviews are important. There are few things that make me feel better than a client who raves about their photos enough to encourage their friends to book me for a session of their own. A written testimonial or a review on
Yelp/
Facebook helps me book future clients, too, and is greatly appreciated.
We are done! Until next time.
*Bonus! When someone you refer to me books a session, you can choose an image of your own to be printed (on that glorious museum grade paper) as a thank you from me to you.
