Do you offer minis?
Ah, the question about minis. I am asked often about offering minis. What is a mini session anyway?
A mini session is very quick, no more than 15 minutes. They are scheduled with other families back to back to back to take advantage of a location or backdrop. They are busy and move fast. The images are limited due to time and location.
Minis can be wonderful for a single subject or very small group, or for capturing a moment. Think Mom & Me minis, or the quick photo you get at the mall with Santa. You have your photo of the moment, and sometimes that's all you're looking for.
My favorite minis are school portraits. These lend themselves very well to mini sessions, as they are one child at a time, with the possible addition of sibling groups. Variety of location is unnecessary, and most kids know more or less what to expect. Even 5 minutes with one child gives enough time to capture personality and expression and it's fun!
As great as mini sessions are in many cases, there are also times when a mini session is unlikely to give you what you're looking for.
When might a mini session not be the best choice for your family? Lots of times, really. A mini might not be for you if:
- You have children who need some time to warm up. This is often young children, but I've seen it with teens as well. A mini is so fast that there is no time to let kids warm up to the experience and relax enough to be themselves. I could say the same about spouses sometimes, too (ahem). I actually hear quite often that families with young children think they need a mini because of their young children and limited attention spans and schedules. It's actually the opposite. Very young families are so much better off with a full session, allowing time for kids to warm up, to take breaks, and for us to roll whatever the kids bring to the session that day.
- You are looking to tell a story. A mini is one very quick snapshot in time. One to two poses, one setting, no variety. A full session allows various family groupings, close up details, more artful composition of your family. You end up with a gallery that is excellent for making photo books or putting a collage on a wall.
- You have a large family. Full sessions allow more time to help everyone look their best. They also allow time for family groupings. In a family session, I make it a point to get just mom and dad together. Same with siblings, and parents individually with kids. Everyone gets some break time while others are in the spotlights, and your resulting gallery has variety and reflects the special relationships of all family members. But yep, that takes some time that a mini session just can't accommodate.
- You have a tendency to run late. I'm not saying it's great to be late to a full session, but a mini session time slot can be over before you arrive. Because others are very likely scheduled right after you, the timeline is inflexible, and already short session is therefore cute even shorter. And at least for me, when I'm running late, I'm stressed, and my stressed face isn't my favorite in photographs.
- You have scheduling constraints. A full session is designed around just you and your family. The date, time and location are all about you. For busy families, it is sometimes the only way to go.
a longer session allows time to grab these precious moments
All that said, minis are still fun on occasion!
If mini sessions are something that interest you, keep an eye on my social media spaces for upcoming opportunities. And if there's a theme or occasion that interests you, drop me a line on my contact form, or message me on FB or IG, and I'll put it on my list for consideration.
I offer mini sessions occasionally, and full sessions year-round. Plenty of choices to find what works best for you.