First, thank you, for booking a fresh 48 photography session with me. I know you have plenty of options for photographers, and I do not take it lightly that you chose me. Your family and your gallery of photos matter to me. As a mother and a photographer, I understand the importance of documenting this fleeting time. I also know how precious those first hours are with your baby, so I promise not to take up too much of your time while documenting all of those fleeting details of the first hours of life.
I have put together this page of information to help you make the most of your session and answer any questions you may have. Of course, please don’t hesitate to contact me with any other questions. I look forward to working with you to create beautiful art that tells your story of your family.
leading up to your due date
Unless you have a scheduled induction or cesarean section date, you will need to keep me in the loop as your due date approaches. Once you are admitted to the hospital or shortly after baby arrives, let me know so that I can arrange to come to photograph you.
In the meantime, as you pack your hospital bag consider your fresh 48 session and what you might want to have. Although nothing is needed, you may want to bring along something comfortable to wear besides the hospital gown along with some chapstick or neutral lip gloss. Sometimes a fresh shirt and some lip gloss go a long way to feel photo ready. (See What to Wear for more ideas). Of course, it is completely up to you if you want to change for pictures or not.
I also suggest having any outfits you might want siblings to wear to meet baby laid out to help out whomever is bringing your child (or children) to the hospital.
What to Wear
The focus of a fresh 48 session is your baby, and those sweet, fresh details, so keeping a neutral wardrobe is ideal.
- Moms, I recommend a black/grey/neutral nursing tank top. Some moms even like to have a loose sweater to go over top
- For Dad, a nice plain t-shirt is perfect. Again, neutral is great, though having a little contrast with mom is a good idea.
- Siblings should also follow the neutral color pattern.The main thing is to avoid large logos, text, or images on the front of clothing.
- Don’t worry about baby. We will use the blankets and white top the hospital provides to focus in on the details of the hospital
Again, if you forget clothes, or if you prefer to stay in the hospital gown that is wonderful too. They are your images and it is about capturing that love and excitement just after baby arrives.
coordinating your session
Once you have inform me that you’re at the hospital, I will start making arrangements on my end to come photograph baby. Ideally, your session will take place during daylight hours (which can vary depending on the time of year) so that we may use natural light. Should you want me to photograph your children meeting the new baby, please keep that in mind when making arrangements for them to come.
Make sure you and your husband have my cell number saved in your phone to make it easiest to text/call and finalize when the best time for me to come is.
The flow of Your session
There is no set flow for your session. I aim to arrive 10-15 minutes before any siblings arrive to ensure I’m set and ready to capture their first expressions. During that time I can start capturing baby with mom and dad, or just baby details.
The entire session should take about 20-30 minutes, however, should there be interruptions or siblings arriving a little late, that is okay too. The goal is to keep things as stress free as possible for you. I balance not rushing with letting you get back to enjoying those sweet new baby snuggles.
what happens if my baby ends up in the nicu
Should your baby need to spend time in the NICU we can still document that part of his story. The session may look a little different, and it may take a little longer, however, I promise you won’t regret having photos of that time. I had one client even tell me that she did not plan on a NICU stay, but is so glad that we went ahead with her baby boy’s session. Years later and she can look back on how far he has come now.
After Your Session
I know how excited you are to see your photos of your baby after your session. I strive for the fastest turnaround possible so that you may use photos for birth announcements, to share with friends and family, and to even announce on social media should you wish. I will at least get you a few images within the day, if not the entire gallery within 48-72 hours.
You will receive your online gallery where you can download all of your images, along with purchase any prints, cards, albums, etc. Should you want a birth announcement made let me know and I can put a design together for you.
If you are having a newborn session with me, at this time we would also start planning when I will come document your little one in the comfort of your own home.