Easier isn’t always better
Why I don’t offer standard mini sessions
Mini sessions are a big hit in the photography world for business owners and clients alike. For the clients minis are a fast and easy way to get a Christmas card photo or a cheaper alternative to a yearly full session. For business owners minis are a great way to make a lot of money for a pretty minimal amount of effort. Plus, if you have an original theme or idea they can attract new clients who become loyal customers.
And yet, I don’t offer minis. I have tried mini sessions a handful of times (it’s hard not to want to offer them given how popular they are); but after each attempt I come to the same conclusion: they are just not for me. Don’t worry though- I am not without my reasons.
Passing the vibe check
While not all mini sessions are themed there are certainly a fair amount of them that are. Little red truck minis, flower minis, Christmas tree minis, Mommy and me minis. The list goes on and on. And I love the idea of themed sessions. But in reality- they just don’t fit in with the work that I love to make. I once spent days making a full size “hot-air balloon” prop for what I thought would be the cutest minis. I shoved this ridiculous basket-balloon hybrid into my car, lugged it into the middle of the park, fought to reassemble it, fought again to reassemble it after a big gust of wind hit, and then brought the whole thing back and dumped it into my trunk. The sample photos I took came out cute enough but the entire time I was shooting I wasn’t having fun. The little girl I who was modelling for me kept wanting to run around and play in the park (which would normal be exactly what I look for in my full sessions) and I had to keep dragging her back to this foolish balloon prop. Now multiple that by 10 mini sessions booked back to back? Not my vibe. And I know, I know- minis don’t need to have props. But the cute and popular ones typically do.
Sticking to time limits
The whole point of mini sessions is that they are quick and easy. In and out in 15-minutes flat. Literally. Not a minute longer because then you are cutting into the next client’s time block. Photographers schedule mini sessions usually on 1-2 specific dates for 15-minute blocks back-to-back to back. There is no room for error. Did your kid lose a shoe when getting ready? Did you hit traffic on the way over? Is the donut your four-year-old had for breakfast in the backseat now smeared all over their clothes? Did your kiddo wake up in a bad mood and isn’t giving toothy smiles? It doesn’t matter what little thing goes wrong, the 15 minutes you booked are the 15 minutes you get and if you miss it or something doesn’t go according to plan there isn’t always an opportunity for a re-do.
I don’t ever want my clients to feel like I am rushing them or have them going home feeling guilty for missing their time block when life simply happened to them. Photography is a luxury item and luxury items are not meant to be rushed.
Can you feel it Mr. Krabs?
Quote stolen from (of course) Spongebob Squarepants. Fingers crossed I don’t get sued.
At the end of the day, why are you getting these photos?
I have yet to meet anyone who gets professional photos taken simply because they had extra money lying around and they were bored. There is always an emotional driving force. A first Christmas as a family of four; a baby learned how to sit on their own; mementos taken at a favorite location; images to show your children when they are grown. There are a thousand different reasons to want to have your families photos taken and all of them involve invoking some type of emotion.
It is incredibly difficult to meet a stranger, introduce them to your children, get said children to warm up to said stranger enough to smile, and then invoke emotionally prompting/posing all within 15 minutes. I would argue it’s nearly impossible. That being said, if you and your family are familiar with your photographer and your children are already comfortable with them the odds of success are definitely going to increase. Which is whyyyyy…… I offer mini sessions to past full session clients.
Does that make this clickbait?
Okay fine, maybe the title of this article was a smidgey misleading. I do offer mini sessions to all of my past full session clients. BUT- not in the standard fashion. I don’t pick a theme or prop setup and make my clients choose between that or nothing. I also don’t limit my clients to a specific date or time. These are loyal clients who I know and care about- I want them to get the photos that they want, when they want them.
All my clients need to do is use the mini session booking link that I provide them with and fill out the mini session questionnaire. They are then able to pay for their session and pick any available 15-minute block on my schedule.
When I arrive for their session, their kids are already familiar with me from previous photoshoots; but if they are feeling a little shy or are just in a bit of a bad mood, it’s no problem. Since I don’t stack my mini sessions all on one day I can take a little extra time to make sure the kids are comfortable and happy, allowing me to get the emotions that I was booked to capture.
A time and a place
I can 100% understand why clients (and photographers) choose mini sessions. They are fast, easy, and cheaper than a full session. They are a great option for when you just need a handful of photos and not necessarily a full gallery. Frankly, I tip my hat to all of the photographers that run monthly mini sessions and wish that I enjoyed them enough to make them worth it to me. But at the end of the day I won’t risk my client’s satisfaction or my preferred style of shooting.
That said, if you’ve booked with me before reach out any time for the Past Client Mini booking link. And if you haven’t booked with me before… what are you waiting for?!
Hopefully this post has left you feeling a little more prepared for your upcoming newborn photoshoot. But if not please do not hesitate to reach out with any other questions that you have!
