Like most sessions with a first baby, this one felt so peaceful — more like a hangout where I just so happen to be taking photos while chatting with mom and dad. I think you can feel that sense of peace in their images, as well as the pure joy that can only come from soaking in a baby you've waited so long to meet.

For this session — my third Fresh 48 newborn session with the H family — I knew that we would be mainly photographing by the big window in their family room. Again, the surrounding toys didn't matter. Neither did the still-up birthday decorations. To prepare for their session, all Mom and Dad needed to do was focus on their new family of five and trust me.

You might think that inviting a photographer into your home just a week postpartum sounds ... stressful. Crazy, even. Let this session be proof that just the opposite is true.

As a mom, I know firsthand how magical (and blurry) the arrival of a newborn is. Those first days deserve to be documented, because one...