Mini-sessions are a favorite for most families for many reasons. First of all, they are quick, to the tune of 15 minutes start to finish. They yield enough photos to fill a Christmas card or to update your frames for the year and they are a cost effective way to get professional photography for families. As a photographer, they are so exciting! The fast-pace experience of mini-session days are a thrill behind the camera. I offer 2 day mini-session weekends twice a year (one in the fall and once in the spring) and they typically sell out QUICK!
But as a Southern Pines mini-session photographer, I do have a few things families need to consider when determining if minis are the perfect fit for them! First, we want to consider the age of your children. Mini sessions work great for young (not yet walking kiddos!), This age can be snuggled, held, and typically only last about 15 minutes in family photos anyways. Because of all of this mini-sessions are ideal for families with a new baby or one child.
Second, I want you to consider the personality of your family. Many families have kiddos that need a little warming up for family photos or will need to be helped along with lots of fun games. If this is your experience in family photos, you will certainly want an hour experience to allow me to help the children feel comfortable in front of the camera so we can get those natural smiles. I've found I can get any child to enjoy family photos with a little time and fun and sometimes in the 15 minute time frame it is nearly impossible to make them comfortable if they do not already know me or are slow to warm up to strangers.
Mini-sessions work great for pre-teens and teens. If you have a child of this age at home, you know family photos can be.....tough on them. But the great news is they can follow directions, smile for the camera, and won't need a game of red, light, green light to feel engaged.
If you've had newborn photos or another type of photography session in the calendar year minis are a perfect option for your family!
Lastly, minis typically are a cost-effective way to document a season of your life. Parent home for deployment or headed out TDY,a mini is great! They can also be used for senior portraits in advance or a birthday milestone session.
If you aren't already connected with my newsletter, I would highly encourage you to pop over to LollysLens.com and register your email. I send out all of my mini-session sign ups in the spring and fall to my newsletter family FIRST. These minis always sell out within a few days, so it is important to be on the list!