Interracial couple stands in lush garden holding their newborn baby in golden afternoon light.

 

You will never forget the day they were born-but the days that follow are the ones that slip away the fastest.

 

 

There are only a handful of moments in your life that make everything feel different — softer, fuller, more alive. That split everything into before and after.

This is one of them.

You will never forget the day they were born. But the days that follow — those are the ones that slip away fastest.

Your family story of welcoming your new baby into your home — whether it’s your first or your last — is the most beautiful story there is.

 

Close-up of a parent's hand gently cradling a sleeping newborn baby's face.

 

Lifestyle Newborn Photography and Documentary Fresh 48 in

St. Louis, MO and surrounding areas

Creve Coeur, Ladue, Clayton, DesPeres, Town and Country, Kirkwood, Webster Groves

Gladly traveling anywhere in the St. Louis area.

 

 

The Rules Are Fake.

Who decided a newborn session had to happen in the first two weeks of life?

Who decided it needed a beanbag, a basket, a froggy pose and a perfectly swaddled baby who has no idea what’s happening?

Not me.



A newborn story is about welcoming a baby into your home. Into your family. Into your life.

Whether it’s your first or your last. Whether they’re one week old or one year. Whether you’re on your bed, your couch, your front yard — wherever the light falls beautifully and the story lives.

That’s where we tell it.



Because newborns are already perfect.

Raw and real and completely, entirely yours.

We don’t need to make it more than it already is.

We just need to tell it.

 

 

My Approach to newborn sessions


Simple moments and profound love


No bean bags. No forced froggy poses. Just your baby, exactly as they are leading the way.

 

New parents stand together holding their swaddled newborn baby near French doors in a cozy home.
Black and white photo of a grandmother sitting on floor laughing with three young children.
Happy couple sitting on a bed together, lovingly cradling their newborn baby in a floral blanket.
Soft focus close-up of newborn baby toes held tenderly in adult hands.
Peaceful newborn baby sleeping soundly, wrapped in a white blanket and wearing a hospital hat.
Happy family with a baby sitting together on a white bed, sharing a joyful moment.
Blonde woman in black dress tenderly kisses swaddled newborn baby girl near bright window.
Crying newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket, wearing a hospital hat, shortly after birth.
Three young sisters in matching pink dresses sitting on a bed holding their newborn sibling.
Close-up portrait of a sleeping newborn baby with delicate skin and white bow headband.
Father cradles tiny newborn baby in both hands in a tender black and white photo.
Father in red shirt kisses his sleeping newborn baby gently on the forehead.
A mother tenderly nuzzles her newborn baby near a bright window.
A happy family with a young girl and parents admire their newborn baby in front of a mirror.
A sleeping newborn swaddled in blue rests in a basket with a rainbow of felt hearts above.
Loving family portrait on a couch with parents, young daughter, and newborn baby sharing a tender moment together.
Close-up of parents gently cradling their sleeping newborn baby dressed in a soft green outfit.
Close-up black and white photo of a newborn baby being gently held.
Black and white photo of mother and daughter bonding with newborn baby.
Mother tenderly nuzzles her newborn baby face to face while holding the infant near a window.
Loving family of four with fluffy dog gathered around newborn baby in cozy nursery setting.
Young girl smiling down at newborn baby in white crib in soft neutral nursery room.
Newborn baby sleeping face down in white crib, peaceful nursery scene.
Newborn baby in sage green onesie sleeping with arms raised on brown surface.
Black and white photo of mother and older sister lovingly admiring newborn baby.
Tender black and white portrait of parents embracing their newborn with Harvey James sign behind them.
Woman tenderly kisses newborn baby wrapped in patterned blanket, black and white photography.
Close-up of newborn baby tiny feet on soft green quilted blanket, shallow depth of field.
Close-up of adult hands cradling tiny newborn baby feet and toes.
Young girl holding colorful rainbow heart garland near bright window.
Newborn baby in gray knit hat being examined by medical professional wearing white gloves in hospital.
Swaddled newborn baby resting peacefully in hospital bassinet wrapped in striped blanket.
Close-up of tiny newborn baby feet with hospital identification bracelet on soft blanket.
Close-up of sleeping newborn baby wrapped in white swaddle with striped hospital blanket.
Black and white photo of swaddled newborn sleeping in hospital bassinet with striped blanket.
Mother in a pink dress sitting in a gold chair tenderly holding her newborn baby in a floral wrap.
Newborn baby sleeping peacefully wrapped in white blanket inside hospital bassinet near window.
New parents sharing a kiss over their sleeping newborn baby in hospital bassinet, black and white.
Tiny newborn baby feet with hospital ID bracelet, black and white close-up photo.
Close-up of tiny newborn baby toes and feet resting on soft gray blanket.
Black and white close-up of yawning newborn baby wearing white knit hospital hat.
Close-up of a crying newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket on a striped hospital blanket.
Overhead view of a newborn baby with a teal pacifier being gently touched by a parent.
Newborn baby with wide eyes lying on a white blanket wearing a striped onesie.
Loving family moment with parents and toddler son admiring their newborn baby on a white bed.
Smiling blonde mother in purple floral dress holding swaddled newborn baby girl by window.
A mother in a purple dress and grandmother in mint green admire a newborn on a white couch.
Young family with newborn baby and two Labs, yellow and black, relaxing on couch in teal living room.
A bearded man kisses his partners head as she holds their newborn baby near elegant french doors.
Black and white photo of smiling new parents cuddling their swaddled newborn baby on a white bed.
New parents sitting on white bed holding their swaddled newborn baby in a bright bedroom.
Newborn baby girl sleeping swaddled in floral blanket with pink velvet bow headband.
Smiling baby boy in white outfit sits beside swaddled newborn girl in floral wrap with pink bow.
Black and white photo of newborn baby in foreground with parents and sibling on bed behind.
Pregnant woman in emerald green maternity gown standing in lush garden pathway smiling warmly.
New parents stand together holding their swaddled newborn baby near French doors in a cozy home.
Black and white photo of a grandmother sitting on floor laughing with three young children.
Happy couple sitting on a bed together, lovingly cradling their newborn baby in a floral blanket.
Soft focus close-up of newborn baby toes held tenderly in adult hands.
Peaceful newborn baby sleeping soundly, wrapped in a white blanket and wearing a hospital hat.
Happy family with a baby sitting together on a white bed, sharing a joyful moment.
Blonde woman in black dress tenderly kisses swaddled newborn baby girl near bright window.
Crying newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket, wearing a hospital hat, shortly after birth.
Three young sisters in matching pink dresses sitting on a bed holding their newborn sibling.
Close-up portrait of a sleeping newborn baby with delicate skin and white bow headband.
Father cradles tiny newborn baby in both hands in a tender black and white photo.
Father in red shirt kisses his sleeping newborn baby gently on the forehead.
A mother tenderly nuzzles her newborn baby near a bright window.
A happy family with a young girl and parents admire their newborn baby in front of a mirror.
A sleeping newborn swaddled in blue rests in a basket with a rainbow of felt hearts above.
Loving family portrait on a couch with parents, young daughter, and newborn baby sharing a tender moment together.
Close-up of parents gently cradling their sleeping newborn baby dressed in a soft green outfit.
Close-up black and white photo of a newborn baby being gently held.
Black and white photo of mother and daughter bonding with newborn baby.
Mother tenderly nuzzles her newborn baby face to face while holding the infant near a window.
Loving family of four with fluffy dog gathered around newborn baby in cozy nursery setting.
Young girl smiling down at newborn baby in white crib in soft neutral nursery room.
Newborn baby sleeping face down in white crib, peaceful nursery scene.
Newborn baby in sage green onesie sleeping with arms raised on brown surface.
Black and white photo of mother and older sister lovingly admiring newborn baby.
Tender black and white portrait of parents embracing their newborn with Harvey James sign behind them.
Woman tenderly kisses newborn baby wrapped in patterned blanket, black and white photography.
Close-up of newborn baby tiny feet on soft green quilted blanket, shallow depth of field.
Close-up of adult hands cradling tiny newborn baby feet and toes.
Young girl holding colorful rainbow heart garland near bright window.
Newborn baby in gray knit hat being examined by medical professional wearing white gloves in hospital.
Swaddled newborn baby resting peacefully in hospital bassinet wrapped in striped blanket.
Close-up of tiny newborn baby feet with hospital identification bracelet on soft blanket.
Close-up of sleeping newborn baby wrapped in white swaddle with striped hospital blanket.
Black and white photo of swaddled newborn sleeping in hospital bassinet with striped blanket.
Mother in a pink dress sitting in a gold chair tenderly holding her newborn baby in a floral wrap.
Newborn baby sleeping peacefully wrapped in white blanket inside hospital bassinet near window.
New parents sharing a kiss over their sleeping newborn baby in hospital bassinet, black and white.
Tiny newborn baby feet with hospital ID bracelet, black and white close-up photo.
Close-up of tiny newborn baby toes and feet resting on soft gray blanket.
Black and white close-up of yawning newborn baby wearing white knit hospital hat.
Close-up of a crying newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket on a striped hospital blanket.
Overhead view of a newborn baby with a teal pacifier being gently touched by a parent.
Newborn baby with wide eyes lying on a white blanket wearing a striped onesie.
Loving family moment with parents and toddler son admiring their newborn baby on a white bed.
Smiling blonde mother in purple floral dress holding swaddled newborn baby girl by window.
A mother in a purple dress and grandmother in mint green admire a newborn on a white couch.
Young family with newborn baby and two Labs, yellow and black, relaxing on couch in teal living room.
A bearded man kisses his partners head as she holds their newborn baby near elegant french doors.
Black and white photo of smiling new parents cuddling their swaddled newborn baby on a white bed.
New parents sitting on white bed holding their swaddled newborn baby in a bright bedroom.
Newborn baby girl sleeping swaddled in floral blanket with pink velvet bow headband.
Smiling baby boy in white outfit sits beside swaddled newborn girl in floral wrap with pink bow.
Black and white photo of newborn baby in foreground with parents and sibling on bed behind.
Pregnant woman in emerald green maternity gown standing in lush garden pathway smiling warmly.

 

Pricing

 

Close-up portrait of peaceful sleeping newborn baby wearing white hospital hat, swaddled in blanket.

Fresh 48



The arrival of a new baby is the most beautiful, fleeting, once-in-a-lifetime experience. These sessions capture that fresh, raw, and real window — available in the first 48 hours, or a few days beyond — at your place of birth, in the hospital, or at home. All the details you want remembered, captured immediately after birth, told with honesty and beauty.

I would be honored to tell this story.

Starting at $750. Includes an edited gallery of digital images. Fine art prints, albums, and matted prints available for purchase.


 

from $ 750

 

Inquire
New parents share a tender moment holding their newborn baby by a window with warm light.

In home Newborn & baby

Newborn & Baby Sessions


A session for baby, or for the whole family welcoming this new addition — there are no rules here. Whether your little one is days old or approaching their first birthday, this is a story of your family in this season.


Starting at $750.


Includes session time and an edited gallery of digital images. Fine art print albums and matted prints available for purchase.


 

From $750

 

Inquire
Close-up of a crying newborn baby wrapped in a white blanket on a striped hospital blanket.

A Fresh 48 session offers professional, documentary-style photography within the first 48 hours after birth, taking place right in your hospital or birthing center. It's designed to capture the raw, unscripted, and fleeting moments of your baby's arrival and your family's beginning in a quiet, respectful, and authentic way. We focus on preserving those magical first hours while the world is still new and every detail feels sacred.


With a gentle and unobtrusive presence, we document the natural interactions and tiny details you'll treasure forever – first family cuddles, tiny fingers and toes, initial yawns, and siblings meeting for the first time. These photographs become visual love letters, preserving the overwhelming emotions and tender connections of those initial hours, ensuring these irreplaceable memories tell your family's story for generations.



Close-up of newborn baby tiny feet on soft green quilted blanket, shallow depth of field.

In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Photography: Real Moments


Forget the studio hustle. Welcome your baby home with a relaxed photography experience capturing authentic moments right where you feel most comfortable. Using beautiful natural light in your familiar spaces – the nursery, the living room, your cozy bedroom – my calm, baby-led approach focuses on genuine connections and tender interactions, ensuring a peaceful session centered around your newest love.


Let siblings share stories, include furry family members, and simply be together. I will gently guide you to capture the real smiles, sleepy cuddles, and tiny details – from curled fingers to soft yawns – that make this time so precious. Feel comfortable and beautiful as we preserve these fleeting, irreplaceable memories exactly as they unfold in the heart of your home.


Black and white photo of a mother sitting on the floor laughing with her three young children.
Client Review

Sarah K.

"Rachel was a pure joy to work with. She was so kind, patient and engaging with my young children. She had  great ideas for poses for both my family and newborn. And the pictures were fabulous. the whole experience was such a pleasure and we can't wait to have another session with her!"