Fresh 48 hospital session vs Newborn session? Have you ever wondered the difference between the two? You're not alone! Many people have heard the phrase "Fresh 48" but do not really know what that includes and what is different than a traditional newborn photo session.

First, a Fresh 48 session is a unique experience offered to families within the first 48 hours after baby's birth and are held in the hospital room prior to being sent home with their new little baby. Typically a stay in the hospital lasts around 1-3 days and as anyone who has delivered a baby will understand, those first few days with baby go by so fast, it's really hard to keep up! The Fresh 48 session is meant to freeze time and to capture those little details of baby that you don't want to forget. The super wrinkly fingers and toes, their clamped umbilical cord, even those tiny hospital bracelets! It's also a really great chance to photograph those first milestones including their first bath or the first time they meet big brother or big sister. These sessions truly capture the early moments of the rest of your life together as a family!

A posed newborn session is typically scheduled within 6-14 days after baby's birth and is provided in your home. This is a styled session and I bring a wide range of props, blankets, wraps, headbands/bonnets with me to use while posing baby. The in-home newborn session is more structured and posed than a Fresh 48, but I do offer lifestyle newborn sessions that are unposed and similar to the Fresh 48, without the props and individual newborn poses. With both the Fresh 48 and in-home newborn sessions, the focus is on your new, or growing, family and the immense amount of love you all share in welcoming this new little person to your life! 

So, what should you expect from your Fresh 48 session? I'll ask that either you or your partner contact me soon after delivering baby so that we can schedule a time for your photos. Usually the session will take place between 24-48 hours after delivery and lasts for up to 1 hour. After you book a session with me, I can provide guidance on clothing to wear or suggestions for anything special you would like to include in the photos, like a special wrap or blanket. During the session, I will offer a few prompts to capture those sweet connections, but for the most part, I let you interact together. Overall I want to provide a relaxing and enjoyable experience for the entire family!

Fresh 48 sessions can be booked as their own session or as an add-on to another package, such as the 'Belly to Baby' or 'Watch Me Grow' photo packages. You can check out details about all of the package options on the newborn page and contact me at beccabakerphotography@gmail.com with any questions or to book your own Fresh 48 newborn photo session!

I'm so excited to add the Winkler family to the blog! Michelle and Mark booked the Belly to Baby photography package which includes both maternity and newborn photo sessions. Not only does this offer a great way to ensure that your major milestones are photographed, but booking both sessions allow me to get to know you and your style better! And not only do I get to meet you as a couple first, during the maternity session, but then I get to capture those special moments as new parents during the newborn session! 

Michelle decided on an outdoor maternity session and we settled on the beautiful grounds of Hartwood Acres Mansion. This is such a gorgeous location and is a great option year round, so it was perfect for their late December maternity session. Michelle and her husband Mark also decided that they wanted to include their pup, Lady. I always love to include family pets in portrait sessions - they are part of your family too!! Lady is still a pretty active pup, so Michelle's brother came to help watch her while we took photos of Michelle and Mark together. This really allowed them to focus on each other and enjoy their time in front of the camera without the stress of handling their pup. The afternoon of our session was beautiful with a stunning winter sunset. And Michelle showed up with the cutest outfit, including leather leggings and amazing heels! She totally rocked her maternity fashion!

In February, Michelle contacted me to let me know that their son Miles was born and it was time to set up their newborn session. I was so excited to meet the new little man in their life! They asked to incorporate neutral tones with some hunter green to go with the forest theme in his nursery. Michelle also explained that she preferred more natural poses for Miles instead of being super swaddled. In my pre-session questionnaire, I always ask parents about their style preferences not only for colors and props, but also if they have any specific ideas or poses in mind. Michelle gave several examples of what she was looking for, which was super helpful to make sure I provided the sort of session she envisioned with her son. My goal is provide a custom session for each family so that everyone is happy with the end result and I capture the sort of images they will love and treasure for a lifetime! 

I first met Sarah and Rich in October for their fall mini session to celebrate their pregnancy. Maternity sessions are so much fun to photograph but portraits of first time parents are something really special. Their excitement for the arrival of their new little baby is remarkable! They were so loving with each other and Rich was very attentive to his sweet wife, Sarah. Watching them together during the maternity session was so beautiful so when Sarah asked me to book a newborn session for them, I was really excited to see them again with their new baby!

Sarah contacted me after delivery and let me know they had had a beautiful baby girl, Evelyn! We settled on details for their session, including the style and preferences they had for Evelyn's individual newborn photos. They had decorated her nursery in a woodland and bohemian theme and mom had a handmade quilt that she wanted to incorporate into one of the setups. She loved natural and neutral colors with little floral and feminine details that perfectly complimented Evelyn's features. Evelyn was a perfect little sleeper and we were able to work through several poses and set ups. She was the perfect little model and I believe we were able to capture adorable images that her parents can cherish for a lifetime!

Introducing sweet baby Myra! In first meeting this sweet girl, I was taken aback by just how beautiful she is - with her gorgeous head of hair, long eyelashes and big beautiful eyes! And her family was just so sweet, welcoming me into their home and big brother Rohan wanting to read books and play with me. Rohan preferred to play than take photos but we encouraged lots of snuggles and kisses with his parents and new baby sister, which he was happy to do!

This is what I love about lifestyle photography, especially with busy toddlers. I just ask them to engage with each other and not focus on the camera at all. This allows me to capture those true, natural interactions and intimate moments among the family. Sometimes parents apologize that their toddler 'isn't cooperating' but I see it as their child just being them! I have worked with children for over 20 years and have seen it all - and I understand toddler behavior, especially after the arrival of a new baby brother or sister. So, I have learned to follow the child's lead and let them play, take breaks from photos or just take a step back and let the family be together while I take some photos from across the room. And this is what we did with Rohan - when he needed a break, I took photos of mom and dad with baby Myra. Then when he was ready for some cuddles, I snapped some quick shots of him sitting on their lap and sneaking in those quick snuggles with his sister. 

After the family photos, we started on Myra's individual newborn photos. Mom and Dad helped me decide on the final colors and props for Myra's photos and I loved that dad was just as involved with selecting the props as mom! In selecting the various colors and set ups for her newborn photos, we chose light, feminine colors that complimented her beautiful skin tone. Along with the mint, pink and neutral tones, we also selected a variety of textures that added a special touch to each set up. Florals, lace, fur and soft wool blankets accented the feminine set ups for her posed newborn portraits. And these were perfect compliments to her gorgeous little features!

Welcome to the world, sweet baby August!! I just loved meeting adorable, squishy August and his sweet parents. Mom had a little outfit picked out for August to wear during their family photos, which coordinated well with mom and dad's outfits. For August's individual newborn photos, I brought a variety of options to choose from including mom's color choices of blue and gray. We ended up doing several set ups with monochromatic color schemes, which I love doing in posed newborn photos! There is something so simple and sweet about the monochromatic set ups that really highlight baby's features! Mom also provided a super soft and comfy blue and white stripe blanket that we were able to incorporate into August's prop bowl photo. He was so squishy and comfortable and bundled in up the blanket!! 

​All images by Becca Baker Photography
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania newborn, maternity, child & family photographer
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*Becca Baker Photography specializes in newborn, infant/child, maternity and family photography in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.*
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I only offer mini sessions a few times each year, including holiday minis. For the past few years, I have used a Christmas tree farm for these holiday sessions but this year I decided to offer a different location. I contacted an owner of a local farm in Butler and she graciously agreed to let me use her gorgeous property for the minis. Her property was perfect for an alternate location and it provided a variety of background spots to set up for photos. With a rustic, natural backdrop, we were able to capture a variety of photos for each family. 

As always, my clients were amazing! So many sweet families and silly kids which made the day really fun! Everyone came dressed for their holiday photos but I also had a few props available to complete the Christmas theme including a vintage wooden sled and various blankets for families to wrap up in. I am so lucky to have such wonderful clients and I am always thankful for the opportunity to capture such important moments for families! 

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I first met the Schaming family last year for Caroline's first birthday photos. Mom contacted me this year to schedule updated family photos and I was excited to see them again - Caroline had grown so much over the past year!! She wanted to schedule a fall session and we settled on a date in November. On the day of our session, the area had it's first early snowfall of the year, so the air was a bit chilly and there was a little snow still left on the ground. Mom and Dad came prepared with lots of adorable winter outfits for Caroline and the snow looked so beautiful with the late afternoon sun and tall, grassy fields in the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. 

Caroline was just a little shy at the beginning of our session and did not want to stray too far from her mama or daddy, but after she settled in, she had fun exploring the fields, playing with the snow and snuggling with her parents. She loved stomping around in the snow with her boots!! Beechwood Farms is such a gorgeous location that offers really beautiful light all year round. There are so many wonderful fields and trails to explore - it's a perfect place to let kids and families have fun during their portrait sessions! 

Welcome to the World, sweet Nora!!

In meeting Nora's parents, I immediately felt at home as they were so kind and welcoming as soon as I arrived to their home. We started with family photos in Nora's adorably decorated nursery. Mom had purchased a little outfit that she wanted to use, including a pink tutu, bow and a 'hello world' onesie. Nora was so adorable snuggling with her mama and daddy and we were able to capture some really sweet moments of their new little family. 

After finishing up their family photos, we moved on to the posed newborn photos of Nora. In her pre-session questionnaire, mom stated that she wanted to use colors that complimented her nursery as well as some fall colors to celebrate the season in which she was born. I brought a variety of colors and props for them to choose from and I loved the delicate, feminine choices we settled on for her posed photos. The floral and lace details coordinated throughout each set-up. For a fall themed setup, we selected a sunflower headband and complimented the headband with beautiful, rich jewel tones. I loved the overall colors and props that we included in each of Nora's setups - it was perfectly feminine for this sweet girl and matched the style mom explained while planning their session. I absolutely loved getting to know the Wessel family and their new baby daughter!

Oh, fall weather in Pittsburgh - it's a love/hate relationship for photographers! In planning for the Kerns family portrait session, we were scheduled on a day expecting rain storms and a pretty nasty forecast so after much back and forth, we changed the date and location in order to avoid the storms. After making some changes, the forecast changed to expect rain on our new date, but we decided to push through and chance it. I'm so glad we didn't cancel again because we ended up with a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in Sewickley Heights Borough Park!

As soon as we walked to our location to start the session, the Kerns sisters were super silly and fun to interact with for photos. I loved how the girls were immediately playful and had fun taking photos with each other and their parents. And they loved it! This allowed me to capture those candid smiles, laughs and true interactions within the family that I hope they will treasure forever!

I am super excited to share just a small sample of the images captured during this year's fall mini sessions! Fall in Pennsylvania is always so beautiful and a popular time of year to schedule family portraits. These mini sessions are my most popular round of mini sessions each year and it's a great time to catch up with families every year! 

This fall, I hosted minis in three different locations - all beautiful, local parks which were perfect for a fall backdrop. The first day of minis were located at the Mellon Park Walled Garden. This is one of my favorite city park locations as it offers a wide range of backdrops for portraits. And sunset sessions at this location is absolutely stunning! Next, I met families at Succop Nature Park in Butler, PA. This park also offers a variety of beautiful spots within the park and is always a stunning location no matter what time of year you visit! Finally, the third day mini sessions were held at Adams Township Community Park. This park has amazing fields of tall grassy fields and there is always gorgeous fall foliage which adds the perfect pop of color to each portrait!

I am so grateful to the many families who joined me for fall minis this year - whether they were new clients or old friends. It's always so fun to catch up with previous clients and meet new families that I hope to get to know over the years!