The other day I sent out my Newborn Session Guide, which is packed with as much information in as small of a space as possible, So there will understandably always be questions. The mommy-to-be responded "What is a life style session, how is it different from a posed session?"

I offer 3 types of sessions and a combination of different sessions and I never thought that someone out there may not know the difference in sessions, but now I'm positive there are many someone's out there who would love this clarification. Why not use a blog space to elaborate and reference!? The three types of newborn sessions that I offer are Fresh 48, Posed Newborn and Lifestyle Newborn.

Fresh 48 sessions became popular 2-3 years ago. They are held where baby is born, and in the first 48 hours of life. Typically, for me, these take place in hospitals, but would definitely be inclusive of home births! Fresh 48 sessions capture the special moments where you are first bonding with your baby, learning every delicate feature, counting fingers and toes. You may be learning how to sponge bathe your baby and do many firsts if you are new to parenthood. We can even plan for me to be there when big bro or sis meet the new baby! There are no "rules" for this type of session. The first day or two in the hospital are full of hustle and bustle, many visitors and tons of nurses checking in on mom and baby. I aim for about 20-30 minutes shoot time, but I do not expect that time to be uninterrupted. If the lactation consultant comes or bath time needs to happen while I'm there, I am not the priority and I am more than happy to shoot these special moments as well- without compromising your privacy.

The next type of session, Posed session, is a lot more traditional. It's held in your home, but I bring a studio-esque set up, will give you a step by step guide to follow the hours leading up to our session, to make for an extra sleepy baby. For posing purposes, we want baby to be at his/her sleepiest and stay asleep for almost the entire session. These sessions last about 3 hours, and leading up to the session, your biggest job it to keep baby as alert as possible. In the hour before I am set to arrive, you would undress, change and feed baby to start the sleep process. It's important that they are undressed when I arrive so that we aren't waking them from sleep to prepare them for their session and diapers should be worn loosely so that those lines and marks on their skin can begin to fade. Once I arrive, I have a lot of things to carry in, backdrops and props, camera, backdrop stands, sometimes even faux flooring and lights, so this will give baby time to get into a deep slumber. Once I'm set up and working working with baby you can relax, nap, eat- I've got it from here and will treat your baby with the utmost care getting him into poses and positions.

If you have special requests for these sessions, such as, color schemes or sentimental items, I prefer to know at least two weeks ahead of time so that I can order anything I may need to accommodate your requests. (I know sometimes babies come sooner than expected- both of mine did!) These sessions still have focus on details, but are less organic and more specific to just baby; hands, ears, feet... those sweet little treats that we never want to forget!

The final type of session, Lifestyle Newborn, is sort of a hybrid of the first two, it's more organic, like the Fresh 48, but held in your home, like the Posed Newborn and usually takes 1-2 hours. These sessions are newly, and swiftly, becoming more popular in 2017 and are so much fun to show of the uniqueness of your home and family. They let in some of that chaos and a whole lot of love that comes with bringing new babies home. We use your whole home for these sessions, but I encourage you to leave everything "as-is". If you are choosing this session it is because you enjoy the authenticity a photograph can give as a peak into the past. If an object doesn't "live" in the place that it is in, then it can be put away for our session, beds are recommended made, but don't worry about coordinating outfits or putting away your furry friends. Your home should be lived in, the way it always is, and I will photograph you and your entire family navigating through what it is like the first few days with a tiny baby. Siblings are welcome to jump on the couch and bring out their favorite toys, we can snuggle in your bed and play in the nursery; the options are endless for this session. I'll also be sure to grab baby all by themselves so that we can document those wrinkly little details.

There is a travel fee if I am traveling 30 miles outside of my home base in Cortland OH. We also have the option for you to come my way for the Posed Newborn, we can use a local studio or use my own home studio. The main purpose for traveling to you is ease in prepping for our session on your end, but also Mommy's can't always drive right away and bringing baby out and about isn't always ideal. The choice is yours, and any option is whole heartedly welcome. Your comfort is my priority. E-mail me to find out even more details about sessions, prices and combo-packages. I also offer maternity, grow with me sessions and you can even combine sessions at a discount!