Introducing Fresh 48 Sessions with Caitlin Ross Photography
What is a Fresh-48 Session and why would you want to book one?
A Fresh 48 session is a 30-minute, documentary-style photoshoot that takes place in the hospital or birthing center within the first 48 hours of your baby’s life. The only goal of a fresh 48 session is to capture those precious early moments that pass so incredibly quick.
You may be thinking, "There’s no way I’m letting someone take my picture right after giving birth, especially in a hospital room!" And I get it—I've been there. You either feel like a goddess and like the most powerful human in the world or you feel exhausted and meh—sometimes maybe a little bit of both. The idea of being photographed while you’re in that vulnerable state— in an adult diaper, swollen, sore, and exhausted—can be uncomfortable. But this moment, it is also one of the most beautiful and pivotal moments in your life and in the life of your entire family.
For me, as a mother as well as a newborn and family photographer in Memphis, there is absolutely nothing more beautiful, intimate, raw, real, intense, magical and meaningful than a brand new life and the relationship between that new baby and their family members. If you’ve been through it before, you know how those early days become a blur. If it’s your first baby, I’m here to tell you, you won’t remember every detail vividly though you cannot possibly fathom how you could ever forget a single second of the work you put in to bring this new life into the world, the pure unbridled joy when you look at that child, or the love that you feel in these newest moments, but the hormones and adrenaline and dopamine wear off and the sleep deprivation takes over and you’re left with hazy memories at best.
A Fresh 48 session preserves the magic of those first days—tiny fingernails, the umbilical cord stub, the quiet moments when it’s just you, your immediate family, and its newest member, no one else. Capturing that raw beauty of a new life, a new family that has formed with its newest member.
This isn't about glamour or perfection; it’s about raw emotions and capturing your baby’s first moments exactly as they are.
A short background on how I started Fresh-48 sessions and why they are important to me
As a Memphis-based newborn and family photographer and as a mother who would relive the first week of my babies lives over and over again on a loop, I’ve been drawn to the Fresh 48 genre since I started my business, but fear held me back. These moments are one-of-a-kind—there are no do-overs, which can be daunting. But after attending a few family births, I realized how much these early days with a newborn mean to me, and I wanted to give families the gift of remembering them vividly.
Fast forward a year and 2 family births later that got me all up in my feels about those first precious days with a newborn, and I decided to put some feelers out to a local doula (shout out Hannah Leach, you’re the best! moms looking for a doula in Memphis check her out!) to see if she had any clients who would potentially be interested in a fresh 48 session. Hannah had me booked in less than an hour for my first session with a mom due in late August/early September.
When I first got the session shared in this blog post on my calendar, I was so incredibly nervous but also really excited.
I have struggled with infertility and getting pregnant and having my children wasn’t a walk in the park for me so I was shocked to discover that the week of this first fresh 48 session I was pregnant with my third baby— a total surprise! It seems like maybe it was fate. While I did end up losing that pregnancy just a week later, getting to take on my first fresh 48 session with the perspective of a soon to be new again momma shifted my perspective and put me in a headspace that was invaluable to my time with this new family. Going into this session with the knowledge of a life growing inside me helped me to focus on the beauty of their experience, rather than the pressure of perfection.
Those early days with a newborn are incredibly challenging but also profoundly rewarding. You become a new version of yourself, whether as a first-time or seasoned parent, and a new family dynamic emerges. Not to mention, your baby looks completely different almost daily! It’s wild.
Going into this session with the knowledge (and hope) of getting to feel that immense joy that bringing a new life into the world brings reminded me to focus on what matters- enjoying and breathing in the present moment.
So… Take the photos, capture those fresh first moments with your new baby and your new identity. I know you just gave birth, I know you feel gross, I know you’re tired, I know you’re sore. I know being photographed is likely one of the last things you want to do right after you birthed a human… but one day, in the not-so-distant future, you’ll feel like yourself again but your baby won’t be that same fresh newborn. You will never be sorry you get to relive those first couple of days when your world forever changed, whether it was the first time or the 3rd.
How do I book if I don’t know when my baby is going to be born?
You can book a Fresh 48 session as an add-on to your newborn package (which happens at home in the first 6 weeks to 2 months) or as a stand-alone session. Book anytime during your pregnancy for your due date as a placeholder. Once you’ve booked, I’ll reach out to provide my contact info and answer any questions. Then, you or your birth partner will notify me when you’re in labor, and again after the baby arrives to set up the exact session time—typically between 10 a.m. and noon for the best natural light.
How do I book if I don’t know when my baby is going to be born?
You can book a Fresh 48 session as an add-on to your newborn package (which happens at home in the first 6 weeks to 2 months) or as a stand-alone session. Book anytime during your pregnancy for your due date as a placeholder. Once you’ve booked, I’ll reach out to provide my contact info and answer any questions. Then, you or your birth partner will notify me when you’re in labor, and again after the baby arrives to set up the exact session time—typically between 10 a.m. and noon for the best natural light.
