Mini Session FAQs

The Mini Session

This year, we began offering mini sessions on specific dates and times as often as possible, minimally seasonally. Mini sessions are a great option for those who don’t have the time for or are not ready to invest in an hour long session.

What is a mini session?

A mini session with me is a 20 minute window of time for photographing. You still receive all of the digital files from the session, it is just a smaller amount of photographs than a typical full session would produce. I created the mini session so that those who are on a financial or time constraint can still afford to have beautiful photos. It is really important to me that everyone has access to professional photography to document their lives.

Sometimes, we have husbands who can’t stand having their photos taken (🙋🏼‍♀️). Sometimes, we have dogs who will only pay attention for one “sit” command (🙋🏼‍♀️). Or sometimes, we have tiny babes who will only smile for so many clicks before they are ready for the next adventure. This. is. life. We are all trying to live our best version of it and sometimes, a wonderful hour long session of documenting your family isn’t in the cards. Sometimes, it might just be nice to take 20 minutes of your day to have someone photograph you, just the way you are. (I am trying to see how many more times I can use the word sometimes, can you tell?). The point being, I created the mini session system to offer a little bit more flexibility to my clients and to streamline and optimize my schedule.

How many photos do I get in a mini session?

I provide a minimum guarantee of 10 images. To this day, I have never had to give a client that books a normal mini session with me so few images. I do not believe in putting a “cap” on images to save myself time or convince you to buy more images later. Tried it once, and it left me feeling like I was hoarding beautiful images for no reason. I have a degree in photography and a lot of experience photographing. If I take a photograph that I think is successful in terms of exposure and composition, you get it in your digital gallery. I envision the minimum of ten images being like, “everyone was stung by a bee and started crying so all we could get was 10 photos.” The minimum is just an absolute minimum.

For example

You can see by this post, there were about 20 images of Emily and her babes that I absolutely loved and wanted to share in this blog post. There are more in the gallery they are receiving from me, from 20 minutes of photographing. I want you to have as many great images as possible. Part of that is because I know that everyone has their own preferences for images. I think about how picky I am with regards to photos of myself, and know that everyone has their own opinion about what makes them look good. Who am I to be the final nay-sayer? If I cannot get 10 images from your session that I am confident in, because the bees actually do attack us or some other wild cause, I will reschedule you more time for photographing.

How do I sign up for a mini session?

The only way to sign up for a mini session is through my booking link! I will always share the booking link to my email subscribers first, then share to Facebook and IG. The slots are available on a first-come-first serve basis and a $50 deposit must be paid and contract signed for you to reserve your time slot.

How do you select the location for mini sessions?

I try to change the mini session locations each round, so ask me at the time of your booking if I have made the plan for that particular set yet and make sure you like the sound of the setting. I may not have picked a location when I post dates, so if you have a good location, I would love to hear about it! If I can’t use it that particular round of sessions, I may be able to schedule that location for the next round of minis for you. I am always on the hunt for new spots! Good locations usually have some open air to let in light, or areas of open shade. If a location is really special to you, I would encourage you to book a full session so we can really document it.

How can I prep for my mini session?

I have a quite a few resources for preparing for your session on the blog! The most important thing to note about mini sessions is that the window for photographing is 20 minutes and slots are stacked one on top of another with no break. It is best to arrive at least 5 minutes early so you can get ready to jump in when you time starts. If you are late, I will not eat into the next session time to make up for it unless the next person is also arriving late. Plan to be early so we can maximize your time!

What happens if the weather is bad or someone gets sick?

There is a $50 non-refundable deposit for mini sessions that is applied toward to your overall balance. I have had people cancel last minute for various reasons before, which unfortunately takes away a spot for someone else to be documented. The deposit is intended to encourage clients to commit to their session. If there is bad weather such as 100% cloud coverage or rain on the radar, I will contact clients for rescheduling as soon as possible. If you or a family member get sick, the deposit can be applied to a future session, and expires when I PCS to another location.

How do I receive my files and what can I do with them?

I upload all of your high resolution, edited digital files into a password-protected online gallery that is delivered to your email. Please do not share screenshots of the images as it degrades the quality. You may download the original sized files or web size for sharing on social media such as facebook. Downloaded images will not be watermarked but are copyrighted by me. I love to have my facebook or instagram tagged in your photos! For clients who wish to print images, a print release will automatically download with your images so you can print at a lab of your choice.

What if there is something specific I want you to capture?

I send you a questionnaire before your session where there is an opportunity to let me know about this! Definitely tell me! I am (unfortunately) not a mind reader but I want you to be super happy with your photos. I need to know if there is something specific you want captured! Then I can point you in the right direction within my network of fabulous photographer friends if I don’t think I can capture what you’re after. When I feel the session wrapping up, I will ask if there is anything specific you want before it is over, but it is helpful to know ahead of time.

Are there any other less expensive packages?

I think some clients get sticker sticker shock when they see a 20 minute session for one overall cost. What I encourage people to remember is that while it takes 20 minutes of photographing, it takes me hours of editing afterwards. Your one flat fee includes the photographing time, my commute, the post-processing time, and all your digital files in an online gallery. There are no hidden fees or extras. Post-processing on your images is done one by one. This ensures each image is optimized to be its absolute best version. 🙌😆 Currently, I do not offer anything packages beneath a mini session. I encourage clients to message me when they have special photography needs so we can figure out what meets your needs best!

That is a wrap on this mini session preview and all of my FAQs! If you still have questions, please contact me and I will add your questions to this post! 💕