Apollo’s Fresh 48

Let’s talk about babies, ok? Brand new, fresh to the world, beautiful little creatures.  Let’s look at the exhaustion and wonder and euphoria of the dizzying change that happens when people are suddenly parents with a tiny person to learn to take care of. I absolutely adore photographing fresh 48s – sessions taken within the first 48 hours of the baby’s life, either still in the hospital or at home if that’s where the baby was born. No posing, just documentary coverage of everyone getting to know each other and figuring the in’s and out’s of nursing, diaper changes, sleeping, and cuddles. It’s so raw and the oxytocin flying around the room is a bit addicting.

When I arrived, Claudia and Gabe were lying down in their sunny hospital room at Kaiser on the second morning after little Apollo’s birth. Apollo was all wrapped up like a burrito, napping in the crook of his dad’s arm. We chatted about babies, and I photographed them as they went about the business of new parenthood, pausing now and then as doctors and nurses came in and out (medical staff usually requests not to be photographed, and I always honor their wishes). I couldn’t help but go back in my mind to my own first days with my son, and feel a bit jealous as we don’t have any photographs from that special time.  A funny story about that, I printed a large wall print for Claudia and Gabe of one of the images of Apollo lying on Claudia’s chest. When my own five year old son saw it, he asked if it was a picture of he and I. I told him no and he said, “Well maybe we can hang it up anyway and pretend it’s us.”  Our kids want these pictures. They are fascinated to know what their own lives looked like from before their memories. Pictures help us contextualize our own experiences, relationships and narratives.

After I delivered the photos, Claudia sent me this beautiful message, “THANK YOU SARAH! These are beautiful, as we looked through my husband got teary eyed remembering the day and kept saying how much he loved our family… which I think is a testimonial to your eye and talent as a photographer, that we can’t help but feel things when we look at them!!!!”  It made my heart swell as that is always my ultimate goal, that my photographs will make you feel something. Enjoy these photos, and of course, get in touch if you are expecting and would like to talk about a fresh 48, or newborn session of your own.