Should you book a mini session or a full session?
It is fall here in Raleigh, NC and everyone is thinking about their fall family photos. Most families choose to have their family photos taken in the fall because the weather is cool, the leaves are BEAUTIFUL, and these make great options for Christmas cards and gifts. Therefore, the fall season is usually the busiest for family photographers. Also, prepping for family photos is also one of the big stressors that moms experience each year, from booking the perfect date, to arranging wardrobes, to praying that your kids cooperate. I’ve written this to try and explain why a mini session is not always the best option for every family and when your family may actually benefit from a full session. Enjoy!
Mini Sessions
Every photographer offers different portrait packages that vary in length and deliverables, so this post is just specific to my business and what I consider to be a “mini session” vs. a “full session.” To me, a mini session has to 1) be less time than a full session, 2) have less deliverables than a full session, 3) have less variety than a full session, and 4) cost less than a full session because of all of the before mentioned details. A typical fall mini session for me is:
10 minutes in length
Include 5 digital images to download
Booked back to back with other families
At one pre-determined location chosen by me
You might be thinking, “how in the world will you get enough photos in just 10 minutes?!” Because I’ve been doing this for a long time. My mini sessions have a standard flow to them and usually go off without a hitch because I have prepped my clients in advance about where the location is, where to park, how to prepare, etc. A final gallery for a mini session usually has between 30-50 images to choose from. In these images there are photos of
Entire family
Each child separately
Children together
Parents together
Each parent with all kids
I do try and get some candid shots, but we also make sure we have these standard poses. With that being said, the variety of a mini session gallery is largely dependent on how the children are. If it takes the first five minutes of a ten minute mini session for a child to warm up to the camera, your gallery will be a lot more limited. Therefore, I really think mini sessions are PERFECT for families who:
Have no children
OR, have only one child
OR, have children under the age of 1
OR, have children over the age of 4 (out of that nap stage)
OR, whose children are naturally outgoing around strangers
You know your child best, and how your child acts at home may not be how they will act in a new environment around someone whom they may not know well (me.) So, if you do not meet the examples above, you might be the perfect family for a full session.
Here is a visual representation of a typical mini session with very cooperative kids whom I have worked with several times:
Full Sessions
Full sessions are custom sessions tailored to your family. They are typically 30 minutes in length (give or take because I am not sitting there with a stopwatch). They take place at a location of your choosing, at a time that works best for your family*.
You see that *? That is because in my 12+ years of business, there is one factor that can make or break a photo and that is LIGHT. Not all light is created equal. So, when we are planning your full session, I will give guidance as to when I think the best time of day to have your session is, but we have some wiggle room if we need to adjust. Full sessions allow more time for candid moments to happen organically, in addition to the standard poses I always make sure I get. Full sessions are longer and produce larger galleries because of the time we spend together. This is the best option if you really want to capture the essence of your family. You want to capture the little personalities of your kids. You want to ENJOY the session and not stress about whether or not we got that one perfect photo in a quick, 10-minute session. This is why I tell families that if you can afford a full session every year or every other year, it is totally worth the investment.
Here is a visual representation of a full session:
You can see here how much variation we were able to get in a 30 minute session. We moved locations, did a lot of different combinations, and the boys got to be more free to run around and just be kids.
To wrap it up, you may be in a season of life where a mini session is exactly what you need, or you may be better suited for a full session. If you have questions about which session type may work best for your family, please reach out!
