A Fresh 48 Session at St. Peter's Hospital for Baby Kinsley, Albany Newborn Photographer

Our newest Baby Planner is here, and she is absolutely perfect! I was lucky enough to meet this sweet baby girl when she was only one day old at her Fresh 48 session at St. Peter’s Hospital.

It was absolutely magical getting to watch her family cuddle and kiss her, completely in awe of her tiny stretches and yawns. The very best part was watching her big brother Killian get to know his new baby sister! Killian came to the studio for his newborn session only two years ago, and now he’s a big brother!

World, meet Kinsley Eileen.

Check out the new bassinets at St. Peter’s Hospital! It’s only a thing that Albany Fresh 48 newborn photographers would notice, but I love that these new ones are unscratched and let so much light shine on the baby from the windows!

Killian loved tickling his baby sister, and he couldn’t stop giggling!

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Inspired by this newborn session? Pin this graphic or any from the post above!

About Nicole Starr Photography 

Nicole Starr specializes in newborn, baby & family photography and has been serving families in New York and Massachusetts since 2012.  She has a portrait studio in Saratoga Springs, NY for families in the Capital Region.  Nicole also works with families year round at her Attleboro, MA portrait studio, and on location May through October in Boston and on Cape Cod.  Nicole has a clean and classic style, and the studio is filled with neutrals and luxe fabrics.  We use very minimal props to keep the focus on your perfect little baby.  Our sessions are relaxed and fun, and we’ll enjoy an hour together (or up to 3 hours for a newborn session!) laughing, cuddling, and capturing authentic smiles and belly laughs with your little ones.  

Thinking of a Fresh 48 Hospital Session? Advice from a Saratoga Springs and Boston Newborn Photographer

Our Fresh 48 hospital newborn sessions are always the ones that steal my heart and make me melt into a puddle right there in the hallway of the hospital.  

These magical newborn sessions are such a treat because families invite me into their postpartum room just hours after their baby was born to celebrate their little one’s arrival with them.  I could photograph these first moments together as a family all day, every day, and never grow tired of these sessions!
 

Our Fresh 48 sessions are completely different from all of our other sessions, and if you’ve explored our website even a little bit you know that we offer three different types of newborn sessions (studio portraits, lifestyle portraits, and Fresh 48 hospital portraits).  Some families choose to do just one session, while others do two or all three!  Today’s blog post is all about our Fresh 48 sessions so that you can see if this relaxed style of storytelling is the right fit for your family.

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A Fresh 48 session is the perfect fit for your family if…

 

You are ready to embrace the unpredictability of having a baby.

Some babies arrive early, some babies arrive late, and very few babies actually arrive “on time”.  
We will pencil your due date in on the calendar a few months before the baby arrives, and I will check in with you beginning at 38 weeks.  We’ll remain in touch right up until the baby is born through quick texts or emails.  I leave enough wiggle room in my calendar during these on-call periods to drop everything and come to the hospital within 24-48 hours after the baby’s arrival for your Fresh 48 session.

But speaking of unpredictability… these sessions are RELAXED.  We truly go with the flow.  I do ask that you let the nurses know ahead of time that we’re planning to close the door to your room for an hour, but sometimes social workers come in for a moment, or your lunch gets delivered mid-session, or an alarm goes off and a nurse needs to come in to check on everything.  That’s okay!  Embrace the unpredictability and know that I will do everything possible to help you create a calm and enjoyable environment within those four walls as you get to know your little baby in front of the camera.

You want to capture siblings meeting for the first time.
 

There is nothing more magical than watching your first baby meet your second baby.  I love being there to document these moments for families as their toddler enters the room and is curious (or sometimes not so curious!) about the tiny little baby in the bassinet. 

You value natural, unposed, beautiful, real-life moments. 

These sessions are not about planning the perfect outfits, having a full face of makeup, or making sure every hair is in place.  These sessions are about EMOTION.  We freeze this instant in your lives and celebrate the beginning of this new chapter for your family.  

You’ll look back at these images and remember the weight of your baby in your hands, the feel of them cuddled up against your chest,  the moment your firstborn sang “Happy Birthday” to the baby, and that indescribable joy you felt when looking over at your husband holding your newborn.  These moments are real, raw, and ones that you will never get back.  That’s why I want to slow down time and help you relive them again and again.  

The grandparents will be traveling to town for the arrival.
 

Everyone loves coming together and celebrating a new baby’s arrival, and grandparents are often a part of these sessions!  We make sure to spend 15 minutes with the grandparents in the hospital room to capture candid grandparent portraits and three generation portraits as you all get to know the new love of your life.

You want to remember every little detail about your newborn baby.

Their wrinkly knees, the flaky fingers, that swirl of hair atop their head, and the way their tiny mouth opened into a silent yawn.  You know that these first few days will pass in a blur of appointments, feedings, and so much sleep deprivation, but you don't want to forget a thing.

Trust me to capture your perfect miracle just as they are in this moment, showcasing their tiny newborn freshness at just a few hours old.  These are some of the most important moments of your life, and they deserve to be beautifully documented for your family.

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Intrigued?  Check out this post where new moms & dads talk about why they chose to document their baby's arrival with a Fresh 48 session!

Best of 2017 Fresh 48 Hospital Newborn Sessions with Saratoga Springs & Boston Newborn Photographer

You know I love a good Fresh 48 session, and that there is nothing better than being invited into a family’s hospital room just hours after their precious new baby arrives to celebrate their growing family with them.  That’s why I am so excited to share a few of our favorite Fresh 48 images from 2017!

This year the most popular hospitals for these newborn sessions were Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Saratoga Hospital, St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, and The Snuggery at Glens Falls Hospital. 

So many beautiful babies, magical moments, and the cutest sibling meetings unfolded in those hospital rooms, and they already have me looking forward to all of the hospital newborn sessions we have planned for 2018!

Enjoy a peek at a few of our most memorable hospital newborn sessions from 2017, and be sure to check out our other “BEST OF 2017” blog posts!

Best of 2017 Cake Smash Sessions
Best of 2017 Lifestyle Sessions
Best of 2017 Studio Newborn Sessions
Best of 2017 Beach Sessions on Cape Cod
Best of 2017 Maternity Sessions
Best of 2017 Family Sessions
Best of 2017 Brothers & Sisters: Candid and Fun Sibling Portraits

Welcome, Lillian Wynne! A Fresh 48 Session at Brigham and Women's Hospital with Boston MA Fresh 48 Photographer

Every time I get a text that says, "The baby is here!", my heart skips a beat and I get so excited to head into the hospital to celebrate this new arrival with the baby's family.

Lillian Wynne was born right on time, and this sweet baby girl was a surprise to her family, who didn't find out her gender until her arrival.  I joined them at Brigham & Women's Hospital for their Fresh 48 hospital newborn photography session in Boston. 

As we do with all of our Fresh 48 sessions, we started off with some individual portraits of Lily and plenty of detail shots of her hands, hair, and feet before moving to family portraits and meeting her big brother, James.  

This family lucked out with a large, light-filled hospital room that had two walls of windows overlooking Boston.  It was one of the best rooms I've been in at Brigham & Women's, and the light in the room that afternoon was gorgeous.  These backlit portraits against the windows are always some of my favorites during our Fresh 48 sessions!

Just look at that beautiful head of hair on sweet baby Lily!

Big brother James came to meet his baby sister for the first time, and we captured the sweetest moments of him coming to check her out in the bassinet and giving her cuddles and kisses. 

Toddlers are often unpredictable during these sessions, so we go with the flow, give them lots of encouragement, and follow their lead to make sure they are comfortable as they meet the baby who is making them a big brother or sister for the first time. 

James was clapping with a huge smile on his face in no time, and he did an amazing job!  (The cookies that his dad had as a reward might have helped just a little bit, too!)  

This is one of my favorite father-daughter portraits, and I love how tiny Lilian looks in her daddy's hands!

If you're thinking of booking a Fresh 48 session for your baby's arrival, be sure to reach out right away!  We only take on two Fresh 48 clients each month and the calendar fills up quickly.
 

Welcome Evelyn Madison - A Fresh 48 Session at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany

Fresh 48 sessions always steal my heart, and I love being invited into a hospital room to celebrate a new baby's arrival with their family.  There is always so much excitement, awe, and love filling the room that makes for such a beautiful story.  

On a Sunday morning in September, I rushed to St. Peter's Hospital in Albany to welcome Evelyn Madison with her parents and grandparents.  They had such an amazing hospital room filled with so much light, and everyone cozied up together on the couch with their beautiful new addition.

Isn't she the most perfect baby girl?  I'm officially obsessed with her cute little hospital hat.

Evelyn was born breech, and she loved keeping her legs up high on her body.  I had never seen a baby touch her toes to both sides of the bassinet before, and I love how this photograph shows just how new & fresh she is and how accustomed she is to keeping those legs held up high.

Grandma brought her a little newborn bracelet, and she kept it on for her entire session.  How adorable!

Evelyn enjoyed lots of cuddles with her mom and dad, who couldn't take their eyes off of her.  Their smiles never left their faces the entire time we were together.  And of course her grandparents got lots of time in with their new granddaughter and they were thrilled to be included in the Fresh 48 portraits, too. 

Congratulations on your sweet baby girl's arrival!

We are now booking maternity, newborn, milestone, and birthday sessions through March 2018!  We only take on two Fresh 48 clients per month, and the calendar is already filling up quickly for the winter months.  Be sure to reach out early to plan your hospital newborn session!

Welcome Teagan Rylee | A Fresh 48 Session at Saratoga Hospital | Saratoga Springs Newborn Photographer

Do you remember the day you met your sibling for the first time?  Do you remember walking into the hospital room, running over to your mother, and peering at that tiny bundle in her arms?  

One of my latest Fresh 48 clients told me right away that they wanted to capture the moment their oldest two daughters met their baby sister for the first time.  They wanted to see their reactions, watch the three girls together, and relive those moments from the day their family became 5 for the rest of their lives.

And you know what?  It was pure magic that unfolded in that hospital room at Saratoga Hospital for this Fresh 48 newborn session.  

These big sisters were so in love with their new sister, Teagan Rylee.  They couldn't give her enough hugs and kisses, loving on her from Day 1.  They wanted to know everything about their new baby -- why is she sleeping?  Where are her fingers?  What's that bracelet for?  What color is her hair?  These girls soaked it all up, and it was such a beautiful moment!

I am always so grateful to be invited into a family's life to capture the moments they welcome their new baby to their family.  I love just stepping back and taking it all in.  

The bassinet is one of my favorite things in a postpartum hospital room.  It so classically tells the story of your baby's arrival, and of so many babies around the world.  It's the first bed your baby will sleep in, and those flannel receiving blankets with the pink and blue stripes are the perfect accent to show the beginning of your baby's story in the hospital.  The transparent walls of the bassinet are perfect to let in lots of light while framing your perfect little bundle of joy just so, and the information tags with name & weight are just another little part of your story.  

Of course these proud big sisters wanted to help take care of their new baby, and I'm sure the oldest will remember helping with that first diaper change as she sees these images in their album years from now. 

Like all little/middle sisters, it took her awhile to warm up to her new baby, but once she decided that she was interested in this tiny little bundle, we couldn't tear her away from the bassinet!  She proudly wore her "Big Sister" sticker that the nurses dropped off during their session, and even wanted to share one with the baby.

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Did you know that we only take on 2 Fresh 48 sessions each month to give our clients the time & attention that they deserve while being "on call" for their baby's arrival?  We're now booking Fresh 48 sessions through March of 2018, and I would love to welcome your baby with your family!  Click to read more about these unique hospital sessions.

A Birthday Arrival: Alice Olivia {Boston Newborn Portraits}

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at 2:15pm

Boston, Massachusetts

Alice Olivia was an early birthday gift to her mama, arriving just two days before her 30th birthday.  This little girl's arrival was long-awaited and much-celebrated.  From an early conversation shared in a coffee shop last January to a hazy February afternoon in the city when Arlene and Chris shared their news with friends, and all the moments in between when baby Alice accompanied her mom on her own labor of love (her doctoral dissertation!), this little girl's arrival has been eagerly anticipated by everyone involved.

For weeks, friends and family anxiously kept their phones nearby waiting for news.  Every lapse in response time we got from Alice's parents we figured surely meant that they were in the hospital delivering the baby.  Just days before Alice arrived, I joked with Arlene that she should have her baby on Tuesday to coincide with my day off.  And wouldn't you know, Alice decided to make her grand entrance into the world just in time for her mama's grad school friends to visit on their free day last week.  Isabel and I rushed off to the hospital on Wednesday, knowing that a 22-hour old baby was waiting for us in her bassinet.  We had a tradition to uphold of celebrating the newest baby's first day of life!  With our cameras, a toddler, a birthday cake, elephant plates, a pink bundle of tissue paper, and a candle in tow we found our way to room 663.

It was magical.

First glimpse...

Watching three-year old Nico with Alice Olivia was like déjà vu.  It felt like only yesterday Arlene and I were rushing to the hospital to celebrate his arrival into the world with a birthday cake and blowing out a candle, and here he was with his blonde curls looking into the crib and giving the little baby girl sweet kisses covered in his goldfish crumbs.  

Alice's parents kept everyone guessing about her name right up until the end, giving little hints here and there but nothing concrete.  But here's the thing -- they didn't give "normal" hints.  Oh, no.  They told us that her middle name was bilingual and was 4 syllables in English but 3 in Spanish.  That her first name was a family name but was a little hard to pronounce in Spanish.  That her initials were "very cool".  That there were two A's in her names, and many letters from her middle name were in her first and last names, too.  Ooooh, the hints kept getting more and more complicated and as much as we all guessed and analyzed, compared and discarded, we also didn't really want to know the name and wanted the surprise factor, too.  In the end, Alice Olivia is a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.

A huge congratulations to Arlene and Chris.  Alice is lucky to have such amazing parents.  I can't wait to run over to their house and cuddle up with that little baby girl.  And I'm really looking forward to capturing her on camera.  :o)  This was my first experience with hospital photos, and I'm quite excited with how they turned out.  What do you think?

These last two photos just kill me.  She's just so sweet and new.  Don't you just melt looking at them?

She is so loved already.

Bienvenida al mundo, Alice Olivia.