Love the look of those in hospital sessions? Capturing your new baby in the first few days, a Fresh 48 session is the best way to welcome your new little boy or girl into the world, and into your family.
Because Fresh 48 sessions happen the day or two after your sweet little one is born, letting me know 'Baby is here!' as soon as possible is imperative for scheduling. We have a small window to get these photos done, and I don't want you to miss out on these first moments with your new addition.
Notifying Your Photographer
I will provide you with my cell phone number so that you can let me know of babies arrival! If you have a long or slow labor and can contact me when you are heading to the hospital, or once you’ve been admitted to give me a heads up, great! However, I know sometimes things can move quickly, in which case I just ask that you notify ASAP once the baby has arrived. We will then schedule your session. I typically try and do the following morning after delivery, but if you’ve had a c-section or things don’t line up, sometimes we do the day after. All Fresh 48 sessions must take place during the day for the best lighting. I typically aim for morning or early afternoon for Fresh 48 sessions, since hospital lighting can be tricky, this gives us the best opportunity for as much light as possible!
Altering the Hospital Staff
Once we have scheduled a time for me to come in and photograph your new baby, please make sure you let your nurse know. I know, we may set up your appointment before that nurse is on shift, but once you do meet the nurse who will be with you during our session, please let them know that I am coming and what time to expect me. Please also let me them know how long I plan to be with you (about an hour). If you are having a boy and planning a circumcision, please talk to your doctor, pediatrician or your nurse about when this will happen. If possible, I try and do photos before this, as babies can sometimes be a bit fussier afterward and want to be held or nurse/eat. I try and avoid the doctor making their rounds, and slip in and out between visits from the nurse or other hospital staff, but things happen. You’ll have a lot of people coming in and out, so excellent communication with your hospital staff is usually beneficial in making a window for me.
During your session, I don’t want you to stress too much about preparing your room, picking up or rearranging things. I have become a bit of an expert when it comes to rearranging hospital furniture, trust me. I will move whatever I need to out of my way, hide clutter and use creative angles to capture the scene authentically, but also keep things ascetically pleasing. That is my job, not yours, so leave that to me.
I do ask that you try and feed the baby as much as possible right before I arrive. Whether you are bottle feeding or nursing, babies with a full belly always do much better for photos. We want to try and keep baby calm and happy during your session. It is okay if the baby is awake and isn’t sleeping. If your new little one is getting fussy, hungry or is more alert, it may result in more swaddled images, but if the baby is extremely fussy, we can take a short break for feeding. I try to keep your session to 60 minutes maximum but also understand that your baby is brand new, and you are still getting to know one another, and babies do not live by our schedules, we live by theirs.
If you have siblings or any other family members who want to me in the photos, I ask that you, please have them wait to arrive or clear the room for at least the first 30 minutes of the session. I try and take the first half of the session to capture baby alone (this one is the star of the show, after all!) as well as get a few photos with parents. It is much easier to navigate through tiny hospital rooms and photograph baby when the rooms aren’t as full and when siblings aren’t bored waiting in a small space. After that, siblings are more than welcome to arrive for their part in the session. If this is your first baby, and you want a few images with Grandparents or someone special, I ask that you have them hold off until the last 15 minutes of the session for their part. While I don’t mind including a few select loved ones beyond the immediate family, again, hospital rooms are tiny and don’t give us much to work with when it comes to photography! So to keep things as low key as possible, I try and focus on baby and parents first.
What should I (Mom) wear? I am worried that I am not going to look my best right after giving birth. Keep it comfortable! Your body has been through a lot, and I don’t want you to worry too much or overdo it! Many women/Mom’s stay in their hospital gowns or throw on some maternity leggings or sweats. I suggest purchasing a ‘trendy’ hospital gown, nightgown, pajama set, kimono or robe and packing it in your hospital bag. It is 100% possible to mix comfort and style! There are tons of cute kimonos and things you can easily throw over a top and sweats that will look great. And try not to worry too much about your appearance. A benefit of Fresh 48 over birth photography, is that you have time to get yourself together a bit before I start snapping photos! Try to follow my typical rules of course; avoid bright/fluorescent colors that leave a color cast, any words or big logos.
What should the baby wear? Typically baby stays In their diaper, hospital blanket and hat and the sweet little white onesie top they put them in. If you have a swaddle or hat from home that you want to use, you are more than welcome to pack it in your hospital gown, and we can use that for photos too. I try not to overdo it with outfits since I want to capture all of your babies little details, but if you have something that you think would photograph well, bring it!
What should dad and kids and anyone else wear? Again, keep it simple on wardrobe! You want to keep it casual and not be overdressed. Dads can wear jeans and a v neck or sweater or top. For little ones, just try and coordinate in neutral clothing. Again, follow my main rules for outfits; avoid large graphics, logos, fluorescent and bright colors (they do leave color casts on skin that look awful!) and no one needs to be overly matching. I know a significant trend right now is to wear shirts that have text (Big, middle, baby, etc.) if you want those for photos you are more than welcome. However, I want you to keep in mind that a lot of times in these sessions, they can be hard to see or thoroughly read, and it may date your images a bit since it is a current ‘trend.’ Kids are usually holding siblings with a pillow in their lap and babies being all swaddled up; you often can’t make out or thoroughly read what is written on the shirts anyways. If you do want to bring them, maybe also have a solid top as a backup or alternative option in case we want one.
Who can be in the photos? There are a ton of great things about Fresh 48 sessions, one of my favorites, being that this is a session for the entire family. Typically I will focus on the immediate family; baby, parents, and siblings. However, I am more than happy for Grandparents or anyone else who may be important in your families lives that you want included to be present for a few photos. I know how exciting it is to welcome a new life into the world, and it’s an excellent opportunity to get images of multiple generations. I do ask that you, please ask siblings or Grandparents or any family members to come in after I have been with you for about 30 minutes. I try and come in, take images of the baby first, and some with parents before the whole entourage arrives. Please be aware that since this is a very documentary and natural session, no ‘posing’ for generational images, backdrops, props, etc. will be happening inside your very teeny tiny hospital room. If visitors are not going to be a part of the photos, please have them come before or after your session to visit. Hospital rooms are TINY, as you know, and there isn't a lot of room to work with.
- Notify photographer of babies arrival ASAP to schedule appointment
- Let your nurse know when to expect me & if you plan on getting a circumcision, please try and schedule it for AFTER photos!
- Feed baby as much as possible right before I arrive. Happy babies are FULL babies!
- Have baby ready for me when I arrive, and plan for siblings and visitation around our appointment time.
As real as it gets. Your life with your latest addition. In home sessions focus on documentary images of both the family and baby alone. In the nursery and throughout your home, you’ll be able to recall all the tiny details that will be gone too soon, and that you’ll forget before you know it
One of the big questions I get asked, is since babies arrival date can vary, when do we schedule your session? Once you have signed your contract and paid your session fee, you are officially on my calendar! I book only so many sessions per month, and since due dates can vary, I ask that you send me an email before you leave the hospital to let me know the baby has arrived! Letting me know in the first 48 hours is preferred so that I can give you my availability for the following two to three weeks.
Since things don’t always go as planned, I do ask that you keep me in the loop if you are planning to have a c-section or if your doctor decides to schedule you for an induction we can go ahead and schedule your session at that time before babies arrival.
If things don’t go as well as you had hoped during your delivery or recovery, please don’t hesitate to contact me about changing your session date. One of the benefits of an in-home lifestyle newborn session is that we are not in nearly as big of a hurry as you would be for a posed studio style session. For posing newborns in a studio atmosphere with props and things, most photographers like to photograph baby before they are 14 days old. We, on the other hand, have plenty of wiggle room! While I don’t want you to miss the newborn window, I have photographed little ones in the home as early as a few days old, and as late as six weeks old.
Please know that newborn sessions take place on weekdays only during the morning or afternoon. Weekend and evening appointments are not available for your newborn session. Most babies are fussier in the evening, and lighting can be challenging in the home later in the day. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your newborn session, so if we need to hold your session before your spouse returns to work, we can do so.
I have photographed families inside homes only a few weeks after they have moved in (and they still aren’t unpacked!) as well as a wide variety of other random scenarios and situations! Please, do not over stress yourself on the appearance of your home! Do your best to eliminate any clutter or distracting objects you don’t want to be photographed, and leave the creativity to me. Rooms I typically utilize are the parent's bedroom, living room, and nursery. However, wherever you have large windows with lots of light or unique design elements, may get used!
I do ask that you turn your heat up (or the air conditioning down, if it’s summer) the day of your session. Our primary concern is keeping baby calm and happy for photos, and a baby who is cold is more likely to wake up and fuss. While your baby does not need to be sleeping during pictures, I do prefer they don’t cry, and I am sure you will as well.
I also ask that you feed the baby as much as possible before I arrive. A hungry baby will not photograph well! Whether you are nursing or bottle feeding, please try and give the baby a full tummy and make sure they are clean, burped and ready right before my arrival time.
When I do arrive, I try and take a quick run through of your home and choose the best spots for photos. At that time I will make a game plan and share it with you as to what order we will photograph what and where. Because babies are unpredictable, I try and be as flexible as possible. Please allow up to two hours for your session.
Siblings at a Newborn Session
I typically try and start with siblings and the entire family (if there are siblings!) because I know how short attention spans can be. If I can get family photos and sibling photos finished in the first 30 minutes, the kids are free to go and roam and play! Then, if we need or want them we can always add them back in to participate here and there. Overall though, I try and be flexible and open minded with siblings.
My suggestion for parents is to stay calm and try and relax. The more stressed the parents are, the more stressed baby and any other children will be. If kids are fussy and uncooperative, I do ask that you try and refrain from disciplining them during the session to avoid meltdowns. If an older brother or sister is still uninterested in the latest addition, I suggest trying not to force them. Forcing kids usually only backfires. Instead, I try and leave them be and let them come in and out of the session as they want, and take breaks to play or wander off at home. A baby is a massive change and adjustment for everyone in your house, and siblings are no exception! I am personally not against bribery if you aren’t, but please, unless you want your iPhone or iPad in your photos, do not resort to shows on tablets or devices, as kids will want to hold them and then most likely, won’t give them up before I leave.
What should we wear? Please refer to my What to Wear styling prep guide! For in home newborn sessions though, a good rule of thumb is to keep things simple, classic and neutral! We want the main focus to be on baby, and your family as a whole. I am sure you have read me say this somewhere already, but try and avoid, graphics, logos, text and brightly colored clothes! Neutral and classic is my go to for in home portraits, but again, refer to the What to Wear guide for more specifics as well as shop suggestions!
Who can be in the photos? In home newborn sessions are for immediate family only. So baby, parents and any siblings are all welcome. There is no additional cost or charge for family photos during an at home newborn session.
What if my house doesn’t look like those I see on your website? Trust me when I say, half of the sessions you see online and on my website and blog, were all from families who said, “But what if my house doesn’t look like…”! I know that might sound hard to believe, but I get creative with angles and posing, and work around whatever kid filled, new baby induced mess has taken over your home. I haven’t met a house yet that couldn’t be used for amazing newborn portraits!
Can you bring props/backdrops and things to do a few of those photos here in our home as well? The short answer here is, no. A lifestyle in home newborn session is really supposed to be more relaxed, documentary and capture your family just as you are. With that being said, I am happy to take photos of baby alone in their crib, on your bed, swaddled and wrapped up. I do kindly ask that you try and remember that these sessions are supposed to be relaxed, and refrain from getting your own props for me to use when I arrive.
- Notify photographer (me!) of babies arrival within 48 hours to schedule appointment.
- Turn the heat up (or the air down if it's summer) in your home a few hours before photo time! Warm babies and fed babies usually do better.
- Feed baby as much as possible right before the session. If you are bottle feeding or pumping, try and have a bottle on hand in case we need it. If you want nursing photos, that is fine just let me know ahead of time and when baby needs a break we will shoot through it!