Top Five Reasons to Book a Mini Session

There are many advantages of why you need to book a mini session! It may be that it fits better with your schedule, you only need a small number of images, or a mini session is better for your budget. No matter the reason, there are a ton of different types of mini sessions for my clients, whether that be for families in the fall season or celebrating your child’s success with fun cap and gown pictures. These are the top five reasons to book a mini session!

Amount of Time

A mini session can be done in a short amount of time! All of my minis take about twenty minutes. Of course every photographer is different, but I have found that twenty minutes is just enough time to capture a good amount of photos for my clients. 👌🏼

It can be challenging sometimes if a toddler or child isn’t on their best behavior. However, I have learned to shoot and think quickly, to work with them on smiling and acting silly. While twenty minutes can go VERY QUICKLY, I will ALWAYS do my best to get at least one smile out of them 😉

Parents, remember this: it may not be your child’s best day and that’s OKAY. I would rather get “no smiling photos” over crying photos. 😁

The Number of Images

Another benefit of a booking a mini is you don’t have to sort through a lot of final images you would normally get from a full session. You get your fifteen images (what I offer from my minis), you download those fifteen (you have the option to purchase more if you would like) and then BAM, they are already sorted for you…how nice is that?! 🙌🏼

If you are someone that wants ALL the images, will print them all out, or download them all…then a mini session may not be a great fit for you. Instead, a full hour session with an UNLIMITED number of photos would be a better option.

Fits Within Your Budget

If you are someone who loves a certain photographer but they are a little out of your price range, then a mini session is an excellent idea for you! It’s a great way to get those updated family photos (or grad cap and gown photos in my case) within a reasonable price range and feeling okay about it. Make sure you double check with your photographer to see if they offer mini sessions because not every photographer offers them!

Schedule

Mini sessions are normally shot back to back to back so a photographer can schedule multiple clients within one day (or maybe two days). This way, we can have all of our work done in one day. It is VERY important that you SHOW UP ON TIME. In fact, I tell all my clients in their last email leading up to the mini session, PLEASE ARRIVE at least 5-10 mins early. I do that for 2 reasons:

Shows the photographer that you are prepared and ready to go.
Most of the time, the mini session BEFORE you, gets done earlier than planned. This means I can start your mini session earlier and finish earlier…it’s a win, win!! 🥳

If you are someone that may always be late to everything and can’t commit to a scheduled time…then a mini session may not be for you. It may cause more stress than a normal one hour session.

Choosing a Theme

There are so many photographers out there and so many mini sessions themes! Be sure it’s a theme you like and it aligns with your goals. If you sign up for a Christmas Mini session, expect the background or any props to be Christmas themed. Don’t walk into a mini session and expect anything else. A photographer put in countless hours to pick out the best theme…don’t be disrespectful and ask them to change the props or setting. My advice for you: make sure you read all the details about the mini session, know what to expect and make sure you like the set up/theme/editing of that photographer.

If you are one that doesn’t like “themes” and or the props (or even the location!) that are going to be used for a mini session, then maybe that particular mini session is not for you. Instead, think about a full hour session where you can help pick the best location for you and your family. 😉

This year, I’m offering Grad Cap and Gown Mini sessions on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Old Fort Elementary. This can be for preschool graduates, kindergarten graduates, 1st grade graduates OR EVEN high school graduates…it’s your time to shine!! Let’s show off your accomplishments and throw up the grad cap for some photos. 🎓 Only twenty minutes of your time for fifteen beautiful portraits that moms, dads and grandparents WILL CHERISH. To choose a time or for more details, follow this link: 2025 Cap and Gown Mini Sessions.