You guys! How has it been so long since I’ve blogged?! Whew! Well, it’s been quite a year, let me tell you! Going from 0 to 1 child is life changing, but then you get into your groove and a routine quickly follows. But then you birth child #2 and WHOA. Routines, grooves, all it – go straight out the door! So a year later I’m getting back into my groove with work AND I finally have both of my girls on a good routine (you know how kids are, once you think you have it down they change it up!). So I’m going to do my best and get back to regular (ok, probably semi-regular) blogging.
Ok, so today’s topic is the wonderful world of mini sessions. I love shooting them, I love utilizing other photographer’s mini sessions, they are just all around great. So what is the difference between a regular full session and a mini session? Well, there are two main differences. Time and location. A mini session is short (hence the word mini) – usually around 20 minutes – and at a location chosen by the photographer. Also, there are typically several mini sessions in a row so when the photographer puts a 20 minute limit on it they mean it because the next family is ready to start as soon as you’re finished. Finally, you get a finite amount of photos, usually 5 or 10 digital files – not enough to make an album.
What’s so great about minis? Well, I’m just going to be honest, they are less expensive than a regular full session. It’s true. I can’t deny that a lower price tag intrigues a lot of people. The next best thing about minis is the short length of them. When you have little kids, their attention span can be SHORT. So when you’re photographing a session in one location (pretty typical for mini sessions) kids can become bored and bored kids = trouble. Mini sessions are perfect for updating photos around a holiday/birthday/special occasion. Most photographers (us included) do several mini sessions a year. We do spring, summer, fall, and Christmas. This allows for a nice variety if you want to do more than one mini session per year PLUS the fall and Christmas ones are PERFECT for gifts!
So if mini sessions are so great, why would you book a full session? This is a good question. Mini sessions are perfect for a few quick look-at-the-camera-and-smile photos and a couple fun-with-the-family photos, but if you’re looking for an in-depth session with a ton of variety and lots of details then a full session might be what you’re looking for. Also, if you want some one-on-one time spent with each child for photos, the photographer will need time to warm each child up to the idea of having their photo taken, but the result will be photos that really showcase the childrens’ unique personalities. For me, personally, I don’t just want the smiley photos of my children, I want to remember the way their eyelashes naturally curl up and how each tendril so perfectly bounces when my toddler runs. I want to remember how both of my girls’ eyes become the shape of a crescent moon when they smile and how blue their eyes are. Unfortunately, you can’t always capture those important details that you so desperately want to remember in a quick 20 minute session.
You can’t go wrong with a mini or a full session. The only way you can go wrong is to not document these fleeting days at all. To find out when we’re offering mini sessions, make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
I promise not to leave you hanging as long for the next post and check out the VIEW MORE button to see a few examples of an adorable session at our spring minis from this year!!
XO,
Jen
