Three Reasons to Book a Full Session Instead of a Mini
My most popular sessions happen to be fall mini sessions. These are great. The locations are spectacular---I always scout them well in advance and make sure everything is perfect for your photo session. I schedule them on weekends which tends to work well for most people's schedules, and I also time them so they're the last 2 or 3 hours before sunset so the lighting is usually beautiful and bright and most importantly, not harsh.
They're 20-ish minutes long and I work through a list of poses that I know I have to get to make most clients happy.
And yet.... they aren't for everyone. So if you're considering a mini session, please think about the following information.
- They're 15 minutes long. A lot of parents will say, "That's perfect because my kids hate getting their pictures taken, so the shorter the better." True... unless they take 15 minutes to warm up to the photographer. And true---Some kids jump right in and deal with the short photo session. Other kids want nothing to do with photos. With kids who need a little more time to warm up, the mini session is over when they're starting to relax and smile. During a full session, if the children aren't into it, I can start with the parents, we can play games, or we can go for a little walk. We can attempt pictures, take a break, make it more fun. Mini sessions are all business to work effectively. I have 7 or so poses and I need them to happen pretty quickly or they won't get done. So when you're booking a mini, consider if your kids will need more than a few minutes to warm up and if they do, I recommend considering a full session which can easily be booked in place of a mini.
- You love photos. You get your yearly photos done and every single time, you love the way they turn out. You always upgrade to the full gallery or at least buy a few extra photos. If you're a picture lover (I am guilty!) then check out the pricing difference between a mini with an upgrade to the gallery and a full session. The full session will allow you to have more photos to choose from and you'll have more poses to try.
- You want a specialty session. Maternity, dance, senior, engagement. These sessions are scheduled for an hour usually because that's how long it takes to get everything perfect. Lighting and poses. The slight tilt of a head, movement of a leg, flare of the sun... these are things that make a huge difference in photography and can really only be achieved with time. Minis are for quick, simple pics. But if you want an artistic and very special session, please give yourself the time!
I love mini sessions and offer them year round for simple easy photos at a lot of fun locations. But don't forget to check out my other packages.
