Welcome To The World! Fresh 48 - Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara
Welcome to the world, Ezra!
I had the pleasure of doing Frankie and Brad’s maternity shoot just a little bit ago. We were running around the beach, jumping in the water, and climbing on the rocks during the photoshoot. This month, I got to meet their little one.
What is a Fresh 48 session?
A Fresh 48 is a short, relaxed photo session in the first day or two after your baby is born, usually right in your hospital room. There's no posing, no props and no pressure to look a certain way. It's just you, your new baby and the people you love, in the very first chapter of your story together.
Those first hours go by in a blur. Babies change so quickly, and most parents tell me later that they barely remember the details: the way their baby's hand curled around a finger, the tiny hospital hat, the quiet of that room. A Fresh 48 holds onto all of it for you.
Frankie, Brad and Ezra
I arrived at Cottage Hospital on Ezra’s second day in this world. He was just over 36 hours old. The room was quiet and calm, and you could feel how new everything was. Frankie had her parents in the room and it was so special to get to see new grandparents hold Ezra.
I kept things gentle and simple. I worked with the light coming through the window, followed the baby's lead and gave the three of them space to just be together. We took breaks for feeding and cuddles, and the whole session felt more like a visit than a photoshoot.
We photographed the little things too: tiny fingers and toes, Ezra’s name card on the bassinet, and that first sleepy yawn.
From bump to baby
One of my favorite parts of this work is getting to follow families from one season to the next. I photographed Frankie when Ezra was still on the way, and now I get to see their family grow.
Frankie and Brad, thank you for letting me be part of something so personal. Ezra is so loved, and it shows in every single photo.
Thinking about a Fresh 48 session?
If you're expecting and would love photos of your baby's first days, I'd love to hear from you. I photograph Fresh 48 sessions around Santa Barbara, and they pair beautifully with a maternity session earlier in your pregnancy. It is truly the summer of babies in Santa Barbara. It feels like everyone I know is having a baby this summer. There's something in the water in Santa Barbara County this year, and I've loved every golden-lit minute of documenting it.
