You hear about them everywhere - mini photo shoots. These short and sweet sessions are a quick way to update your family's portraits, but they aren't the best fit for every family. For some families they are a better option than others, and we want to make sure to help you determine if mini photography sessions are right for you before booking! Let's talk more about them and who is the best fit for these special photo events!
What is a Mini Photography Session?
It first makes sense to define a mini photography session in case you are new to this term. Depending on the photographer and type of session, you may see these fall under several names such as mini sessions, petite sessions, limited edition sessions, micro sessions, or several other similar names. The names may describe the type of session in some way - potentially if it is related to a season or a theme. Regardless of the specifics surrounding the session, the concept is similar.
A mini photography session is essentially a short and sweet photo shoot for your family in a specific location or potentially with a specific theme. These sessions are typically held at a pre-determined location for a shorter period of time than a regular full session, and results in usually less final images to choose from. Sometimes these sessions have a theme or use a specific set or prop, or other times they are offered only seasonally. Some photographers offer full sessions and mini sessions and some only offer one or the other. We are proud to say we are now offering both!
Mini Sessions for Teens and Big Kids
If your kids are old enough to cooperate easily and take good direction, mini photography sessions are going to be great for you! We already make effective use of time in a mini photo shoot, but having family members all old enough to look and smile as needed, or stand her and stand there quickly, means that we will have a lot of variety in a short period of time. You are truly set for success when you have teenagers or tweens that can follow directions (and be easily bribed to participate).
Mini Sessions for People who Update Photos Often
If you are anything like me, you always want to have up to date photos of your growing children. They change SO fast and you don't want to miss a thing! Seasonal mini session are absolutely perfect for this! Splitting the investment (both time and money) into Fall and Spring or Winter and Summer gives you double the photography coverage of your little ones to ensure you don't miss documenting any of their sweet changes.
Knowing you can easily pop into a quick session in April, June, and November takes the pressure off of having everything PERFECT the one time per year you go out. Have you ever scheduled a family session only for your youngest to be in a terrible mood from the moment they woke up? Or struggled to find a shirt you love and settled for something "ok"? These mini session truly take the pressure off as you know you will do them again and again. This can actually result in even better photos because when mama is happy, everyone else is, too!
Mini Sessions for People who Hate Doing Photo Sessions
These short sessions are truly great for families that have people who hate doing photos. Often this could be a teen or maybe even Dad. The idea of going out and dressing nicely to smile for a stranger (or even a friend!) can be daunting if you truly hate the activity, and a mini session can be a great compromise to this.
We make quick use of the time moving through the basic poses and combinations fast. There is really no down time in a session like this, so everyone stays pretty engaged beginning to end. That makes it feel even faster than it is, resulting in a "not so bad" experience for family members that hate photos. PLUS, it is easier to get someone like that on board with a 10 or 15 minute session vs a whole hour walking around the park.
Mini Sessions for Babies
Those tiniest of humans eat and sleep so frequently that it can be hard to fit other activities in during their awake time. A mini session is a great way to capture a handful of photos before they grow without missing a nap or a feeding. Young babies may not even be awake or look at anything in particular, so a short photo shoot might be just perfect.
Mini Sessions for Flexible Families
Due to the nature of these back-to-back sessions at a specific location, they can require some flexibility in scheduling. For families that are open to choosing their photo session date and time based on mini session availability, these are great. If someone is looking for only using a specific park on a specific day of the week, mini sessions can be more challenging. If you are open to going to any great location we have chosen and on the date of the special event, then a mini session is just perfect!
These petite sessions can also be perfect for families that just want their family dynamic and personalities captured, or a quick smile for the holiday card. If the goal for the session is more general, a small session is perfect. Mini sessions don't have the amount of time required to highly personalize each session to the client, or walk a significant portion of any location. So if your family is "chill" and happy with a mini set up, these sessions are a great option!
Themed Mini Sessions - Something Unique
Mini sessions with a specific theme can be perfect for families that want something different or want a theme. This theme could be built around using an indoor studio, a park with a distinctive look or simply built around a season. For example, Tree Farm Minis are a huge hit in Central Ohio, and that gives you the look of a tree farm which you can't find elsewhere. A holiday studio set up is perfect for holiday cards. On some occasions there could be a particular backdrop set up where families come to pose. All of these result in a specific look families desire upon booking and they are best accomplished through a mini photography session.
Ready to Schedule your Mini?
We've got you! Our Mini Sessions are perfect for so many families like the ones listed above. If you have decided that your family prefers the customization or time involved in a full family session, we can help with that. Get in touch and we can help you figure out what is right for you!