A Fresh 48: Documenting the Very Beginning
Fresh 48 sessions are something I offer a little more quietly.
I don’t photograph them often, but when a family chooses to add one onto a First Year or Collector membership, I always say yes with intention. There’s something incredibly sacred about those first hours — the in-between moments before life settles into a rhythm.
This session took place in the hospital within the first two days of his life. Some images from this gallery are intentionally not shared for the sake of privacy, but this collection gives a glimpse into how I approach Fresh 48 sessions as a whole.
My goal is to document the room just as it was — the tiny details, the softness, the reality of those early hours — while also gently refining the space. I usually spend the first hour to ninety minutes tidying, styling, and adjusting light so everything feels calm, cohesive, and as photogenic as possible, without erasing the truth of the moment. It’s a balance of documenting reality while honoring the beauty that’s already there.
This was his very first session with me — the beginning of many. In the two weeks that followed, this family also booked a studio newborn session and a newborn session in their nursery at home. Three sessions, three completely different environments, all telling different parts of the same story.
Later, mom shared something that stayed with me: she said she could never choose between the Fresh 48, the studio newborn session, or the nursery session. Each one mattered in its own way. Each one captured something unique. And she was so grateful they chose to do all three.
That’s exactly how I see it too.
Fresh 48 sessions aren’t meant to replace a newborn session — they complement it. They preserve the raw beginning. The studio newborn session captures softness and artistry. The in-home session tells the story of settling in. Together, they become a fuller memory of those first days.
And that’s always the heart behind what I do — helping families remember not just what it looked like, but what it felt like, from the very start.
