York Hospital & Fresh F8 Photography

Yesterday we announced some very exciting news, for us, and for parents delivering at York Hospital; we will be providing their in-room photography services. Amazing. Since we made the announcement we’ve received lots of questions about what this means and if it’s too good to be true.

Well, we’re pleased to confirm that it’s not too good to be true. We will be at York Hospital on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10am to take pictures of the fresh new faces (and probably some tired-but-excited-and-utterly-in-love-parent-faces).

If you are delivering at York Hospital and would like to have us photograph your new addition you simply need to notify your nurse. That’s it. You don’t have to tell us, you don’t have to fill out a form, sound a trumpet, or send a stork to drop your room number down our chimney for us to wake up to in the morning. Simply notify your nurse.

Our process is to call the charge nurse on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays at 8am to see if there are any families who need photography at 10am that day.

We will pop by and photograph your family in a “fresh 48 style” – capturing your baby, and your family’s first moments together – those precious details that will soon fade into the depths of our memories.

The sessions will be approximately 15 minutes and you do not have to prepare for them. These are documentary-style photos; no need to think about coordinating outfits or even combing your hair. The focus is on the baby and the soon forgotten details – like how they fit into your hands.

We have teamed up with York Hospital to offer this service with no up-front cost and very competitive print and digital image pricing (based on a volume discount in partnership with the hospital). This pricing plan is available only to York Hospital patients who are able to be photographed when we are scheduled to be there.

We still offer our traditional Fresh 48 photography to clients who wish to have a more personal experience: us being “on call” for your baby, delivering at home or any hospital, a full hour session with larger gallery of images, or would like the session to take place at a time that is convenient for them. Our Fresh 48 photography session fee is $195 and then prints and digital images are purchased at our regular studio pricing.

FAQs

I am delivering at York Hospital, can I get on your schedule?

We do not schedule in-room sessions at York Hospital, we show up to patient rooms who have indicated to the nurses that they would like an in-room photo session. For the most part, all sessions will take place on Mon, Wed, Fri at around 10am.

However, if you would like us to schedule you for a full Fresh 48 session, and be “on call” for your session, we are certainly still able to do that, but the pricing structure would be in accordance with our normal studio fee structure, not the York Hospital rate.

What happens if I deliver on a Friday night and get discharged before Monday?

Our normal photography days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We will do our best to get to the hospital over the weekend if we are notified that a family would like pictures, but there may be cases where it is not possible.

If you would like us to be “on call” for your session, you would need to book a full Fresh 48 session through our studio.

I would really love a photo of my baby with her sibling, but her sibling is in school until 3pm, can you come later in the day?

Unfortunately we are not be able to accommodate each patient’s individual schedule preferences under the York Hospital pricing structure. However, if you would like to schedule a full Fresh 48 session with our studio, you can contact us and we can arrange for a scheduled session for your family (a session fee would apply).

What is the difference between the in room photography at York Hospital and a full Fresh 48 session?

1. In-room photography is “Fresh-48 style” (also known as “documentary style” or “lifestyle”) photography that takes place at York Hospital on certain dates at a specific time. These are not scheduled around each family’s needs. Our studio’s Fresh 48 sessions are scheduled individually with each family when it’s convenient for them.
2. Our in-room sessions are about 15 minutes long with a gallery of 15+ images. A Fresh 48 session can take up to an hour with a gallery of 35+ images.
3. In-room photography sessions take place at York Hospital. Fresh 48 sessions can take place at any hospital, birthing center, or home.
4. There is no up front cost for in-room photography sessions at York Hospital. Our Fresh 48 sessions have a session fee of $195.
5. The print and digital pricing for in-room photography sessions at York Hospital is based on a volume discount rate, while there is no discounted rate for our full Fresh 48 sessions.
6. Both in-room sessions and full Fresh 48 sessions receive the same award-winning photography our studio is known for. Both types of sessions view and purchase their images via a password protected online gallery.

Will you be using props like you do in your studio?

No. The in-room sessions are very “documentary style”. If you would like to have your baby photographed with props at our studio, please contact us to schedule a session with the studio within 7-14 days of birth.

However, if you would like to include personal items, such as a special blanket or hat in your in-room session, you certainly may do so.

I would like my baby photographed but I don’t want to be in the pictures, is that possible?

Yes, just let us know your preferences when we arrive.

Can I get both the in-room photography at the hospital and a newborn photoshoot at your studio?

Yes! Of course you can! The photography is so very different, it makes sense to have both.

I’m delivering at a different hospital, can you still do our Fresh 48 photography?

Yes, we would love to! We have provided Fresh 48 photography for patients at Wentworth Douglass Hospital, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and at home for several years and will continue to do so. Lynn is our resident Fresh 48 photographer and is passionate about providing this type of beautiful imagery for families. She loves being “on call” for our families and getting those “we’re heading to the hospital” texts.

Do you offer birth photography?

Yes, we love capturing “the big moment” for families. At this time we only offer birth photography for scheduled c-section deliveries. Pricing would fall under our normal studio pricing regardless of where you deliver.

More questions? Feel free to contact us!

 

 

 

Big Brother | Maine & NH Newborn Photography

This little guys big brother won my heart from the minute he walked in.  From his beautiful blond curls to his sweet giggle.  He was such a good listener and such a sweet big bro.  I have no doubt these two have years of friendship ahead.

And this sweet little guy was pretty perfect for his session as well.

And how about his stunning mother!?

I do it for the snuggles  ~Sarah

Introducing Newborn Mini Sessions!|Maine, NH Newborn Photographer

I wasn’t sure it could be done.  A Newborn MINI-session, that is.  But I had enough experience under my belt and an idea, that if I did it the right way, it could work… and, by golly, (as my grandpa would say) I believe it does!!!  Every single image in this post is from one of my Newborn Mini-Sessions!I think it’s important to answer the question, “How does a newborn mini session differ from a newborn full session?”.

A Newborn Mini-Session is 30 minutes long and one set price which includes 12 digital images.  Your baby will ideally be between 5 days and 6 WEEKS old.  You will receive 6 unique color images carefully chosen by us along with their skillfully crafted black and white conversions.  The images will be of your sweet baby.  There is simply not enough time to incorporate family or siblings into this type of shoot.  Your little one will be snugly swaddled in one of our many wraps specifically designed for posed newborn photography.  This makes for a smooth session and a sleepy baby!  This also means that it’s not essential for your baby to be VERY young.  This is why Mini-Sessions can work for babies anywhere from 5 days old to around 6 weeks old.  We’ve successfully and beautifully captured a few 8 week-olds as well!!   We will artfully compose two different set ups and photograph your baby in each one.  The resulting images are simply stunning.

Some of the aspects our clients are loving about these mini-session are that the investment is very affordable.  They’re loving that it comes with 12 images, which seems more manageable for some who have a hard time deciding which ones to frame and hang!  And they are loving that they are so quick and easy.  It’s a very small time commitment in a phase of life where sleep is in short supply, and you’re adjusting to life with baby!  We remember how hard and overwhelming it can be in those first weeks after giving birth to even THINK about gathering yourself and your little one to leave the house!  It is our hope that these mini-session can make quality, posed newborn portraits a reality for anyone!

A Full Newborn Session is 2-3 hours long.  A session fee is paid on the day of the shoot.  A gallery of at least 25 unique images is delivered for to you to choose from and images are purchased separately.  Your baby will ideally be 5-10 days old.  However, we have successfully and beautifully photographed many babies that are 2-3 weeks old as well as the anomaly of a few that were 5, 6 or even 8 weeks old! There are many more set ups and transitions in a full session and there may also be a number of breaks to nurse and soothe baby.  We all work around the newborns comfort and needs.  They determine the pace and the poses in a no pressure environment!  Siblings, fur-siblings, parents, and grandparents may all be included in the session.  Sentimental or creative items or your own (such as blankets, bonnets, jewelry, military uniforms etc) will be beautifully worked into images at your request.  We will do images on our “posing bag and fabric” where your baby is safely and gently placed in a variety of adorable poses, some unclothed with no props for pure simplicity and others with wraps or headbands and bonnets for adorable variety.  We will also then do 2-3 “prop” set ups using one of the many furs, buckets, beds, crates, baskets and/or bowls that we constantly accumulate 🙂

Some of the things our clients love about Full Newborn Photography Sessions are the variety of images, poses and angles we can capture in that time frame.  They like that there is plenty of time for feeding and soothing breaks and also plenty of time where they get to relax… yes even nap! … on our comfy couch living room area.  They like the ability to truly personalize the session by incorporating family, pets and personal items as well as having input into color schemes and accessories.  They enjoy the large amount of digital images delivered in the gallery and the ability to peruse and choose… or just have them all!

We have prayerfully tried to create Newborn Photography Sessions that cater to a variety of personal preferences and lifestyles.  I truly consider it a privilege to be trusted to safely and expertly capture these delicate and fleeting moments in you and your baby’s lives!  I do hope to see you or someone you know in the studio very soon!

We’ve sort of quietly kept this Mini-Session thing under wraps for a bit.  But now we’re ready to launch it and shout it from the roof tops!  Remember, your baby can be between 5 days old and 6 weeks old!

I do it for the snuggles ~Sarah

New Hampshire Fresh48 Family Photography | Most Photogenic

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, photographing Fresh 48 hospital newborn sessions is so special to me. When I am invited into such a new and sacred space in peoples lives, it means a lot. It was actually the father of the Mommy to be that reached out to Mercy Street Studio to inquire about us photographing his new granddaughter; he lived across country and wasn’t sure he was going to make it out to be here the day she was born and he didn’t want to miss anything! Go ahead…you can say  ‘Awwww!!!” 🙂 I mean how sweet is that?! Once the Mommy to be and I were in contact with each other I realized that she was already overdue with baby! So I got to play the baby waiting game with them, checking my phone every few hours (aka minutes :)) and wondering when this little lady would make her grand entrance! Once she arrived (over a week late!) I was thrilled to finally meet the whole family at the hospital for her first photo session.

This little lady was so photogenic. I’ve never photographed a 2 day old who didn’t make a peep, and made a point to look toward the camera each time I lifted the camera. I could not stop laughing at her little face turning toward wherever I positioned myself. I was lucky enough to be photographing this Fresh 48 newborn session while Auntie and Grandma were there too, and they told me that she gets all her cheekiness from her Momma! 

Wherever she inherited being a photogenic little ham from…she sure loves her Mommy!And because there are few things that make me melt more than a new Dad falling in love with his baby, I can’t resist sharing these sweet photos. I’ll just go ahead and start the chorus of  ‘Awwwww’s!!!” 🙂

I knew that this family also had an in studio newborn session planned with Sarah, our newborn photographer, for the following week and I was so excited to see more of little Chloe the next week…and I think even at only 2 days old, she was excited for another photoshoot!Thank you again for inviting me to photograph your new family. Fresh 48 newborn sessions are one of my favorites to photograph, and I was honored to get to know your new little family of three!

 

Southern Maine Newborn Photography Session |Smitten

This sweet little girls grandfather is a very talented photographer in our area.  When he chose us to take his granddaughters newborn photographs I was, #1) super honored, followed closely by #2) super nervous.  Just because I so badly wanted to give them amazing photos!  Ya know? 

Anyhoo.  This little love slept THE ENTIRE TIME.  She let me move her and poser her and wrap her and unwrap her and just made my job so very, very easy.  Thank-you sweet girl!

It was so precious to see this little girl’s mother, father and grandfather all interacting with her.  They are all 100% smitten with her and the love in the room was palpable!

Blessings to this very loved little girl and her family!

I do it for the snuggles.

~Sarah