You’ve probably heard of maternity photos and newborn photos, and maybe even birth photography. But if you’ve never heard of a Fresh 48 session, you’re definitely not alone.
Fresh 48 photography takes place during your baby’s first day or two of life, usually before you leave the hospital or birth center. For families who give birth at home, it can also happen right there at home after everyone has had a little time to settle in.
There are no props, complicated poses or expectations that everyone needs to look put together. Your baby is brand new. You just gave birth. Your room probably has bags, blankets, half-empty cups and baby things everywhere.
That’s okay.
A Fresh 48 session is about documenting those first hours exactly because they don’t stay that way for very long.
What Exactly Is a Fresh 48 Photography Session?
A Fresh 48 is a newborn photography session that typically takes place within the first 24 to 48 hours after your baby is born.
Unlike birth photography, I’m not there during labor or delivery. I come after your baby has arrived and you’ve had some time to rest, eat, shower, sleep or simply stare at the tiny human you just made.
The session itself is relaxed and baby-led.
I photograph your baby in your arms, curled against your chest, stretching those impossibly tiny legs, sleeping in the hospital bassinet, feeding, yawning and doing all of the ordinary little things newborn babies do.
I also photograph the details you don’t realize you’ll forget.
The hospital bracelets. Tiny flaky toes. Wrinkled fingers wrapped around yours. That little hospital hat that somehow fits terribly. Their bassinet card. Their hair. Their profile. The way they fit against Dad’s chest.
Nothing needs to be manufactured because there’s already so much happening.
Is Fresh 48 Photography the Same as Birth Photography?
No, and this is probably the biggest misconception about Fresh 48 sessions.
Birth photography documents labor, delivery and the immediate moments after your baby is born.
A Fresh 48 session happens afterward.
If you love the idea of having those brand-new photographs but don’t want a photographer present during labor and delivery, a Fresh 48 can be a really good middle ground.
You still get photographs from that tiny window when your baby is brand new, without having your actual birth documented.
And if you do have birth photography, the two sessions photograph very different parts of your baby’s story. Birth photography captures the arrival. Fresh 48 photography slows down and focuses on what life looks like once your baby is here.
Is a Fresh 48 the Same as a Newborn Session?
Not quite.
My lifestyle newborn sessions happen after you’ve gone home and generally have a different feeling altogether.
You’ve had some time to settle in. You’re in your own space. We have more time together, and the session documents your family adjusting to life at home with your newest person.
A Fresh 48 happens before all of that.
Your baby may still curl their legs up like they haven’t quite realized they’re out yet. Their hospital bracelets are still on. You’re learning their noises. You may still be figuring out feeding. Your older children might be walking into the room to meet their sibling for the first time.
Neither session replaces the other.
They’re simply photographs of two different parts of the newborn season.
What Happens During a Fresh 48 Session?
Honestly? Nothing particularly complicated.
And that’s exactly how I want it.
When I arrive, I’ll usually give everyone a minute to get comfortable and then we’ll work with whatever baby is doing.
If they’re sleeping, wonderful.
If they want to eat, feed them.
If they need a diaper change, we’ll photograph some of those tiny details while you’re changing them.
If they’re wide awake staring around the room like they’ve already got opinions about the place, that’s okay too. 😂
I’ll give you direction when you need it, especially when it comes to where to sit or stand for the best light, but your baby doesn’t need to perform for the camera.
We’ll photograph baby alone, baby with each parent and everyone together. If siblings are there, we’ll include them too.
The point isn’t to turn your hospital room into a photography studio.
It’s to document what’s already happening inside it.
Do I Need to Get Ready for My Fresh 48 Photos?
No.
Please don’t look at Fresh 48 photographs online and think you need to give birth and immediately become Pinterest-ready.
You just had a baby.
You can absolutely brush your hair, put on makeup or change into something you love if doing that makes you feel good. But it isn’t a requirement.
You don’t need professional hair and makeup.
You don’t need a perfect outfit.
And you definitely don’t need to apologize to me for looking like someone who recently gave birth.
Because you did.
What Should We Wear for Fresh 48 Photos?
Simple and comfortable usually photographs beautifully.
Neutral or muted colors tend to keep the attention on your family and baby, but I’m much more concerned with you being comfortable than following some rigid wardrobe rule.
A robe, comfortable dress, loose top or even a favorite set of pajamas can work.
For baby, you don’t need much at all.
A simple onesie, swaddle or hospital blanket is plenty. We can also photograph some of baby’s tiny details during a diaper change or while they’re wrapped loosely in a blanket.
Partners don’t need to dress up either. A simple shirt and jeans or neutral pants works perfectly.
Does My Hospital Room Need to Be Clean?
Absolutely not. 😂
You just had a baby. I am not coming to inspect your hospital room.
There will probably be bags on the floor, cups on tables, paperwork, blankets, chargers, snacks and approximately seventeen things nobody remembers bringing.
When necessary, I’ll move something temporarily or adjust my angle.
That’s my problem, not yours.
You don’t need to spend the morning cleaning a hospital room for your photographer.
Can Siblings Be Included in a Fresh 48 Session?
Absolutely.
Sibling introductions can be one of my favorite parts of Fresh 48 photography.
There is something so good about documenting an older sibling climbing onto the bed, cautiously touching baby’s toes, asking seventeen questions or being completely unimpressed by the new addition. 😂
They don’t need to behave perfectly, either.
Especially with younger children, I don’t expect them to sit beside a newborn and smile at my camera on command.
We’ll work with them.
If your hospital has current visitor restrictions, we’ll also plan around whatever rules are in place at the time of your delivery.
Can Dad or My Partner Be in the Photos?
Please.
Fresh 48 photography isn’t only about photographing the baby.
It’s about this new version of your family.
I’ll photograph your partner holding baby, the two of you together, individual parent-and-baby moments and your whole family.
Some of my favorite photographs from these sessions aren’t even necessarily the ones where everyone is looking at me.
They’re Dad staring at the baby. Mom watching her older child meet their sibling. Two exhausted parents sitting together realizing, well…we made another person.
Those are part of it too.
What If My Baby Cries or Needs to Eat?
Then we’ll take care of your baby.
There is no expectation that your newborn sleep through a Fresh 48 session.
Newborn babies eat frequently. They cry. They poop at incredibly inconvenient times. They want to be held.
That’s normal.
We don’t need to stop the session every time baby needs something because those moments can be photographed too. Feeding, soothing, burping and rocking your baby are all part of what these first hours look like.
And if you need privacy or simply don’t want something photographed, you tell me and my camera goes down.
What If My Baby Is in the NICU?
This is something we handle individually.
Your baby’s health and your recovery come before photographs, always.
Depending on your hospital’s policies, your baby’s condition and what your family is comfortable with, we may be able to adjust the timing or approach to your session.
Sometimes the original plan needs to change.
That’s okay.
Your baby’s first days still matter even when they don’t look the way you pictured them.
When Does a Fresh 48 Photographer Come to the Hospital?
We don’t schedule your Fresh 48 for an exact date months in advance because babies have an unfortunate habit of ignoring our calendars. 😂
Instead, you’ll keep me updated when labor begins or your induction or Cesarean is scheduled, and then we’ll communicate after baby arrives.
We’ll choose the best time based on your delivery, recovery, baby’s needs, discharge plans and my availability.
The goal is typically to photograph your session within the first 24–48 hours after birth and before you’re discharged.
What If My Baby Is Born in the Middle of the Night?
You do not need to call me at 2:47 a.m. because your baby arrived and worry that I’m about to show up with a camera.
That’s birth photography. 😂
Fresh 48 sessions are scheduled after baby arrives.
Send me an update, get some rest, love on your baby and we’ll coordinate the session.
When Should I Book a Fresh 48 Photographer?
Before your baby is born.
This is the important part.
Because Fresh 48 sessions happen within such a small window after delivery, they’re difficult to accommodate as a last-minute request.
I take a limited number of expecting families around each due date so I have room in my schedule when their babies actually decide to arrive.
You don’t have to know exactly when you’ll deliver.
Nobody does.
You just need to reserve your place on my calendar ahead of time, and we’ll handle the actual timing once baby is here.
Where Do You Photograph Fresh 48 Sessions?
I photograph Fresh 48 sessions for families throughout Ocala, Marion County, Citrus County, Gainesville and surrounding areas of North Central Florida, depending on the birth location.
Sessions may take place in a hospital, birth center or at home following a home birth.
Because hospital photography and visitor policies can change, we’ll discuss where you’re planning to deliver when you inquire and make sure we have a plan that works for your family.
Why Book Fresh 48 Photography?
Because newborn babies change ridiculously fast.
And I don’t say that to manufacture some dramatic “you’ll regret it forever” sales pitch.
They just do.
The flaky skin disappears. Their face changes. They uncurl. The hospital bracelets come off. You pack the bags, buckle this impossibly small person into their car seat and go home.
And those first couple of days become surprisingly hard to remember clearly.
Especially when you’re running on approximately eleven minutes of sleep. 😂
You will take phone pictures. You should take tons of them.
But hiring someone else means you get to actually be in the photographs too.
Not just baby.
Not just Dad holding baby because Mom took the picture.
You.
With the tiny person you just spent months growing.
That’s what I want you to have.
Fresh 48 Photography in Ocala, Florida
I’m Savannah, an Ocala Fresh 48 photographer specializing in maternity, birth, Fresh 48 and lifestyle newborn photography throughout Ocala, Marion County, Citrus County, Gainesville and North Central Florida.
My approach to Fresh 48 photography is simple: very little fuss, plenty of guidance when you need it and photographs that actually feel like those first days with your baby.
If you’re expecting, you don’t need to wait until baby arrives to reach out.
In fact, earlier is better.
You can view Fresh 48 session details, see more of my newborn photography or contact me below to reserve availability around your due date.
VIEW FRESH 48 PHOTOGRAPHY
FRESH 48 SESSION PRICING + DETAILS
CONTACT SAVANNAH TO SCHEDULE YOUR FRESH 48 SESSION
