Oliver Light | Hospital Fresh 48 | Balboa Naval Medical Center
What is a Fresh 48 Session and why schedule one?
I get asked this question a lot.
A fresh 48 is a session done in the hospital after baby is born but before you leave the hospital. They care called “Fresh 48” because they are captured within the first 48 hours of life to capture the details of a fresh babe. These precious sessions document the details of you and your significant other as you bond with your new baby. From documenting tiny little feet and ankle bracelets, to siblings meeting their baby brother or sister for the FIRST time, the authentic connection and emotion captured during this time will bring you to tears of joy every time you look at your Fresh 48 session.
Your baby will be changing so fast – hour to hour, day to day. We can capture those first milestones: first bath, breastfeeding, meeting siblings or family members, dad’s first diaper change, baby birthday party, meeting the grandparents, going home from the hospital or simply just gazing at each other! This session captures moments like these that will soon be lost in the fog of your “babymoon”.
Oliver Light
Mr Oliver came into this world on the 8th day of March 2020 at 8:49 am. His momma, Brittany, has been one of my ‘military mom” friends for some time now and often baby sat my little lady! She has loved my daughter so well I had no doubts this little boy would melt my heart.
While I knew his features would be quickly changing, I decided to come over and meet him! We captured just his fresh little features and I was on my way. His lifestyle newborn session is soon to follow.
I made sure to bring a blue blanket similar to one used in moms maternity session to tie them together! Here are some photos; enjoy <3
Other Recent Newborn Sessions
Tips for parents who are having an in-home newborn photo session and want to know more about what to have on hand, what to focus on cleaning, and how to relax knowing you’re about to have an amazing experience!
Morgan L So Cal Newborn Photographer
A bereavement doula or a “loss doula” is a doula who walks with, supports, and helps families who are experiencing the loss of their baby, whether that loss is through miscarriage, stillbirth, or a diagnosis that means the baby will not live long after being delivered.
What inspired me to be a bereavement doula?
I decided to expand my services of photography by offering free services to families that have lost a little one. Getting trained in bereavement was an important step. I experienced my own losses in the last few years; my own son, a dear shipmate and friend, family, and more. But what actually pushed me to research an actual certification is to help destigmatize photographing loss. I already photography funerals so it was only natural I made the leap to officaly be educated. There is a disturbing amount of lack of resources, help, information, and support for women and families facing loss.
Check out photos and a video of this Cpl meeting his newborn for the first time after being deployed in Africa with VMM-163 at the San Diego International Airport.
This deployed Marine dad returns home to his beautiful wife and baby girl for the first time. The anticipation of this moment and importance of this first meeting was so important we decided to do video, too.
Lets be real, this sweet family of three are clearly lost in the moment enjoying their firsts. Cpl seems to have a good handle on fatherhood already because it doesn’t take long for him to embrace his girls and enjoy his first (adorable!) father/daughter bonding moment.
Why you need to hire a photographer at least once in your Military Journey.
Investing in photography is something we all consider a couple times a year but rarely follow through. Sometimes there is a budget concern, other important events around the corner, and so much more. As a photographer, even I have missed the past TWO YEARS of family photos…. And I do regret it. What I do not regret is getting a post deployment photographer for my husbands last pier side homecoming where I announced the gender of our baby.
Bonus Note about How Special Airport Homecomings are.
Fresh 48 Newborn Boy Session | Balboa Naval Hospital | San Diego, CA
Lets talk about the 4 most important things to remember when going into a dark and small hospital room for Fresh-48 Newborn photo session.
1. Make the Most of the Natural Light…First. I stay far away from flash when working with newborns in a lifestyle fresh 48 type of session. Not that there is anything horrible about it, I just don’t prefer it's disruption.
2. Focus on Details & Emotions Versus Perfection. We’re not here to worry about perfection. Fresh 48 or birth space sessions tend to trend towards the documentary photography end of the spectrum. This means that they are more true-to-life, less styled, and more “real”.
3. Black & Whites Can Improve the Emotional Value of an Image. Sometimes you can just embrace the grain or go with black and white. Honestly, black and white images are really iconic!
4. Utilize High Key Lighting & Silhouettes. In addition to black and white imagery, shooting towards the window allows for highlighting of details like peach fuzzy baby faces, and more.
Part of why I love in-home newborn sessions is that everyone can be more relaxed and comfortable. Shooting these sessions in the comfort of your home allows for parents to have all the normal resources, making everyone (including baby!) feel more comfortable and relaxed.
I love newborn lifestyle sessions because they allow me to be a fly on the wall for all of the tender interactions between a new family unit.
Here are the 3 most important things to do to prep for your in home session:
Making sure to capture emotion & connection during a hospital Fresh 48 Newborn Session.
I am so glad Laura found me on social media and hired me to capture her newborn baby girl for the first time. Laura had been a nanny for many years and had an amazing mother’s touch and a gentle hand.
I was so nervous with everything going on here in San Diego, I was so afraid they were going to limit those who could visit in the hospital due to the nasty virus going around (He who shall not be named). I wore a mask juuuussttt in case. Little did I know this would be the last baby girl I would get to photograph but funny enough, not at this specific session but at her in-home lifestyle session a few days later! she's such a great model and mom ROCKS at decorating. I actually didn’t know what miss Mara’s name would be until the second session. Sorry mom and dad, had to tell on you for waiting to pick out a name. ;) All jokes aside, you guys are going to be great parents!
What is a Fresh 48 Session and why schedule one?
A fresh 48 is a session done in the hospital after baby is born but before you leave the hospital. They care called “Fresh 48” because they are captured within the first 48 hours of life to capture the details of a fresh babe. These precious sessions document the details of you and your significant other as you bond with your new baby. From documenting tiny little feet and ankle bracelets, to siblings meeting their baby brother or sister for the FIRST time, the authentic connection and emotion captured during this time will bring you to tears of joy every time you look at your Fresh 48 session.
Choosing Posed Studio Newborn and In Home Lifestyle
There are lots of different styles, locations, props, and even editing when it comes to newborn photography and it's up to you to decide what's right for your family!
In my opinion, nothing is more beautiful than keeping things real, natural, and stress-free. After all, precious moments and family interactions are what you really want to preserve with the camera. Natural poses are also better for safety concerns with minimal risks involved and very hands off (important with recent pandemic talk).
If you’re wondering how to pose naturally with your baby, these stress-free poses will help guide you.
The beauty of lifestyle sessions with older siblings, is that the whole session is ‘go with the flow’. There are no expectations on them to behave or be still and that's totalllyyy okay. In this shoot, I took advantage of the gorgeous window light! We stayed in the living room by request but we're able to get so many great images. Check out the review I received and some photos from the session below.
Hope you enjoyed these and feel inspired!
Our insta story.
Photographing military events and milestones are one of the most rewarding types of sessions I have ever photographed. I consider it a huge perk of living in a military town that I get to shoot them very often and am always honored to do so.
I am dedicated to serving others in a NEW way, that doesn’t involve active service in the military. I want to capture your special moments and help in any way I can; even if that means we are not that right match.
Community Over Competition
&
Servant Leadership
Do you want in hospital Fresh 48 newborn session like this? Let me know right HERE; lets get to planning.
Newborn Session | Thanksgiving Baby | San Diego, CA
Having three sons is like having an unpredictable roller coaster ride. There’s never a dull moment, and you never know what’s going to happen next. One minute they’re playing video games and the next they’re off on some wild adventure - You are guaranteed to have a huge grocery bill!
When it comes to sports and activities, having only sons can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s great to have them all playing soccer or basketball together. On the other hand, it can be a bit overwhelming to try and wrangle them all into one place at the same time.
Life with three sons is a lot of fun. It can be chaotic at times but it’s always full of laughter and joy. So if you’re a parent of three sons, just remember to buckle up and enjoy the ride!
Here are a few photos of all three brothers together and some with dad.