Are mini-sessions right for you?

April 18, 2023  •  Leave a Comment

 

A pros and cons list of mini-sessionsMini-sessions: Pro/ConPros and Cons of Mini-sessions

Everyone loves a mini-session!

Here at Fluttering Shutter Photography, I usually offer two mini-sessions per year because Loudoun County has two popular seasons for family portraits: spring and fall. In the spring there are the annual fundraiser mini-sessions because who doesn't like to donate to a good cause? In the fall, I offer my regular mini-sessions. Both are big hits and usually sell out quickly, but what makes mini-sessions so popular?

The usual answer is that people feel like they're quick enough that you can convince everyone to get dressed up, get some adorable pictures of the family and it's usually cheaper than a full session. Right?

Welllllll, that's not all that you should consider. So let's talk about the pros and cons of mini-sessions.

 

Price

  • PRO: Mini-sessions are usually less expensive than full-sessions. At Fluttering Shutter Photography mini-sessions also usually include 2-5 digital images included in the session fee for a more all-inclusive experience.
  • CON: The lower cost is due to the smaller period of time and fewer number of images provided in your gallery.

 

Time

  • PRO - Mini-sessions are usually around 15-20 minutes long, which can be a great way to convince everyone to participate. It is also a great fit for people who have a busy social calendar but want to update their family portraits.
  • CON- If you have anyone in your family who takes a little while to warm up, this can make mini-sessions a challenge even if you are using your regular photographer. This is especially true for younger children. For example, I've been photographing her family for years and this particular cutie since her birth. The first two images are from full sessions where we had time to help her relax and get comfortable, but that last image is from a recent mini-session where she wasn't feeling great, and although we got great eye contact, we ended up with zero smiles (luckily, she's adorable either way)! A smiling newborn girl, cake smash and not smiling during a mini-session.Full sessions vs. a mini-sessionTwo full session portraits and one mini-session portrait

Artwork 

  • PRO: Mini-sessions are perfect for sending updated prints to family and friends or updating a few pieces of artwork around your home. 
  • CON: If you are looking for a session that will help you create a beautiful album or a custom wall gallery, you will have a smaller gallery which means fewer options for your artwork.

 

Location/Variety

  • PRO: If you are looking for pretty uniform backgrounds for portraits, then mini-sessions might be the best choice for you! Due to the limited time allotted towards these sessions, there is limited movement between locations so your portraits will generally have very similar backgrounds. This is also a consideration for clients who have mobility issues, although full sessions can also be limited in location when requested. 
  • CON:  If you are looking to have a large, varied gallery, mini-sessions will not usually be able to provide that. This particular "con" is a personal preference, but one that I feel is important to point out. Also, if you are looking to have a variety of groupings of people or have a large family to photograph, this can be challenging to achieve with a mini-session due to the time constraints.
    Sibling portraits at golden hourMini-Session SampleLocation changes are limited during mini-sessions.   Beautiful warm family portraits with mom, dad, sons and daughters.Full-sessionDuring a full session, there can be a larger variety of locations used for portraits

With this relatively short list of pros and cons of mini-sessions, I hope it has been helpful for you to decide which one works best for you and your family. If you're still unsure or if you're ready to book a session, contact me and I can help you determine how we can best capture these moments that you want to remember. 

 


Comments

No comments posted.
Loading...

Archive
January February March April May June (1) July (1) August (1) September (1) October November December (1)
January February March April May (1) June July August September October (1) November December
January February March (1) April May (1) June (1) July August September October November December
January (1) February March (2) April May June July (1) August September (2) October (1) November December
January February March (1) April (1) May June July August September October November December
January February (4) March April May June July August September October November December
January (1) February March April May June July August September October November December
January (1) February (1) March April (1) May June (1) July (5) August (1) September (2) October November December
January February (1) March April May June July August September October November December
January February March April May June July August September October November December