Why I Don’t Do Minis
All it takes is one Google search for photography in your area and BAM! Your next doomscroll through social media is almost guaranteed to contain ads for family portraits. Some of these ads will be advertising a particular type of session called a “mini.”
So what is a Mini?
Much like the name implies, a mini is when a photographer creates a Pinterest-worthy backdrop for family portraits, typically seasonal, and puts a call out to their followers that they are scheduling mini photo sessions.
They book clients one after another in highly repeatable sessions of 15-30 minutes and come prepared with a pre-prepared list of poses and cues for each family.
And I don’t like them.
But before I go into why that is, I want to back up a bit. Because this style of family photography does have some benefits for both the clients and the photographer.
The clients get a short and sweet family photo session. If all you want is a cute picture or two of your family to share on Christmas cards or a professional-level photo of your kids in their Halloween costumes, minis can be a fantastic option. And if you have young kids, you are no doubt aware of how difficult it can be to make them sit still for a full photo session. So these brief sessions can be great for families with wiggly, restless toddlers.
On the photographer’s side, minis grant the blessing of efficiency and possibly a way to get word of mouth out with more budget-friendly sessions. With poses and cues planned out in detail beforehand, the photographer can use every minute they have with each client. On top of that, they can book multiple families in a short time frame and, because the sessions all take place in the same location, they have the opportunity to make editing a little more efficient with bulk edits.
It is not unusual for a good photographer to make several thousand dollars from one of the shoots after session fees and extra sales.
So why don't you ever see any advertisements for a Red Family Photo mini-session?
To be honest, I don't enjoy them.
Most of my current family photo sessions are an hour long and if you have shot with me in the past you know I tend to go past that hour most of the time.
Why?
Because I like spending time with my clients and their families. If you have a toddler who won’t sit still, let’s set them free! Toddlers and small kids have big personalities. We don’t need to smother that and force them to sit – we need to capture their endless energy and joy!
Your family is unique. I like creating and delivering photos that capture the bonds between you and your family for you to look back on five, ten, or twenty years from now.
With almost every photo session I book, I end up going over the hour because the client and I get into the groove of creating images together and having a good time. I might be patting myself on the back a bit here, but I like to think that my sessions are a fun memory for the families I work with. I like talking to them, learning who they are and what they think makes a good photo. That way, I can turn around and create a gallery tailored to them.
To be clear, as I said at the start of this post, mini-sessions do have benefits to both the client and the photographer. It all comes down to what you want out of your photos. There are hundreds of talented photographers who have found ways to combine everything I enjoy most about a session with a client into these minis.
I’m just not there yet.
Private sessions are still something I'm working on growing and perfecting my process. Once I have found a way to combine that personal experience with the efficiency of a mini-session, you can bet I start booking them. But with the fun I'm having now I am not in a rush.
So if you are ready for a personalized photo shoot that reflects, I know a guy who can help!
