Mini Sessions- Are they the best value?

*None of the photos above were captured during a mini session

MinI Sessions- Are they the best value?

This week on my social media I asked my followers various questions related to mini sessions- why they like them, what they value most in a session, and if regular sessions are ‘worth it’ to them. The answers were eye-opening. And it’s not that I was shocked by the responses. What surprised me the most is that what many people said is most important to them in a session was at odds with the packages they say they prefer to book. Let me explain.

First, I asked clients what the most important thing is to them when booking family photos. Their responses were: unique/authentic images (38%), price point (35%), one good family portrait (15%), and number of images (12%). Next, I asked if they’d rather spend less for fewer images (86%) or spend more for more images (14%). Finally, I asked why clients book mini sessions over regular sessions. Their responses were: they only need a few photos (46%), price point (35%), convenience of them having a set date/time (15%). and other (4%). None of this is surprising at face value, but what did surprise me is that many of the people who said their number one priority is unique/authentic images also said that they’d rather spend less for fewer images and that price point is why they typically book mini sessions. I also asked clients to explain a bit more about why they book a mini session over a full session, and that’s what I really want to break down because there’s a disconnect between your perspective and your photographer’s perspective (I’m confident that I’m speaking for most of us, not just myself, but you can opinion check me!) (Also: let me clarify- when I say ‘Mini’ session I mean typically a short 10-15 minute session that includes a very limited number of photos, on a specific date and time, at a set location, back to back with other families. I do not mean my smaller package featuring 30 minutes of shooting time or my larger package including 60+ minutes of shooting time. I think that’s important for context)

Reason #1 To book a mini Session- Convenience of having a set time and location at booking

I get it, not having to look at your family’s calendar beyond the 1-2 dates set for mini sessions is arguably easier. It either works or it doesn’t- you don’t have to think about it. To book a regular session you have to pull up your photographer’s schedule (I can’t speak for all photographers here, but I have a link with my availability for the entire year that I share with clients for easy booking) and check it against your family’s schedule to find a date and time that works for both parties. At the time of booking, it’s more to think about.

But, playing devil’s advocate here, if you book a mini session, that’s it. Your photographer has had that date selected for months, you have your date and time set (likely) months in advance, all of the time slots before and after you are also filled with other families, and it’s pretty non-negotiable. Then your kid gets sick. Or the soccer schedule comes out. Or a friend’s birthday party pops up on the other side of town. The beauty of scheduling a regular 30 or 60 minute session is that you have more flexibility in choosing your time, date, and location, and, if life happens (as it tends to do), and you need to reschedule? No problem. We have the flexibility to do that when there aren’t 5 or 10 or 15 other families booked that same day.

Reason #2 to book a mini session- You only need a few photos

Sure, you only need a photo for the holiday card or an updated picture of the kids. If you truly only want or need a few photos, then yes, a mini session probably does make sense for your family. I absolutely understand your line of thinking, and, respectfully, I also disagree- you need more than 5 photos. Sure, you may only need a few updated photos for the holiday card, to print and hang around the house, or to post on social media.

But if you only ‘need’ a few photos but what you value the most is unique and authentic photos above traditional portraits, that type of magic doesn’t happen in a mini session. Most photographers have a checklist of ‘must have’ shots to capture during a mini session. Whole family- check. Each parent and kids- check. Kids together- check. Done. And yes, some of us are better than others at orchestrating moments that capture emotion while also checking off this list in a short period of time. I can do that type of photography, I can run that type of session… and it will never be my best, most creative, or most emotive work. Because what I do? Creating the type of photos and galleries that tell a story and make you feel something? You don’t get that with only 15 minutes and a few key images. Which brings me to my next point…

Reason #3 to book a mini session- Your kids will only last for a 10-15 minute session

Maybe. Or maybe they’ll fall asleep in the car on the way to the session and take 10-15 minutes just to wake up fully, leaving you approximately 2 minutes to capture ‘the shot’. Or maybe they just naturally take their time warming up to people and your photographer needs to spend 10-15 minutes making them feel comfortable before they can actually start capturing the type of photos you hired them for. Or maybe they’re 3 years old and have their own (strong) opinions on how they should be spending their time.

Listen, technically I agree with you. If we’re standing in one spot, looking at the camera, and saying “cheese” I probably do only have 5-10 minutes before your kid goes feral on me. But I don’t even blame them- after 5-10 minutes of that I’m bored out of my mind, too. During a mini session, there’s actually a lot MORE of that type of interaction than there is during a regular session. During a mini session I only have a small amount of time to capture those ‘must-have’ shots (see above) and the best way to ensure that I can do that is to stay in one spot and switch up the family member groupings/posing as needed, as quickly as possible. If one traditional ‘smiling at the camera’ photo is your top priority and you have kids ages 0-8, getting one picture with everyone looking natural and smiling (and all at the same time) is easier said than done. But want to know a secret? That’s not at all how I run my 30 or 60 minute sessions. Sure, we’ll still get a few whole-family portraits and go through those different family combinations (actually, we’ll get a lot more portraits, poses, and combinations), but we’ll do so while exploring, playing games, telling jokes, and following your kids’ lead. No coercion- just genuine smiles and connection.

If you love my work and are hiring me for your photos, I’m going to venture a guess that it’s not just because I take great, traditional portraits (at the risk of losing clients, a lot of photographers can do that, and for less money than I charge.) Most of my clients book with me because my photos capture true emotion and tell a story. I can’t do that in 15 minutes. I don’t approach family photos as something to check off a to-do list, and I don’t want my clients to, either. I want family photos to be a fun experience you share with your family. I want to make new memories together and capture all of the little details and moments that tell the story of your family right at this exact moment in time. Because next time? It may look completely different than it does right now and that’s the whole point. And as far as your kids’ attention span goes, let me worry about that. If I’m doing my job right, it’s not going to be an issue, and even if you feel like they’re all over the place and not cooperating, I promise you it’s going better than you think it is. You just need to see your family how I see your family.

Reason #4 to book a mini session- The lower price point

Price point is an absolutely valid concern. I’m not here to tell you it isn’t. But I am saying, that price and value aren’t necessarily the same thing and that if you’re already booking a mini session with me, chances are that a regular session is actually the better value when you take into consideration the amount of images you receive, flexibility, styling help, and overall gallery size/quality. Yes, a regular session is a big investment (I offer payment plans to help offset this) but your family’s memories are worth that investment. ((Not sure what to do with all those ‘extra’ photos? I’d like to make a case here for using all the images from your session and creating an album. I do this for my own family with all of our professional photos every year. I have them (as well as my mom’s albums from when I was growing up) in my office and my daughter spends hours looking through them. If my house were on fire and I only had time to grab one material item, it’d without a doubt be our family photo albums.))

This isn’t to say a mini session is never the right fit. Some of my clients said they like that I offer mini sessions because their kids grow so fast and it allows them to book multiple session a year (but in that case maybe consider two 30-minute sessions instead of three 15-minute sessions throughout the year in order to capture their growth while also getting a more authentic and unique experience and gallery?). Other people responded and said that mini sessions can be a great way to test out a new photographer and make sure that they’re a good fit for your family (while I agree to some extent, just keep in mind that mini sessions provide a very different experience to regular sessions), and some people truly do only want a few updated photos for holiday cards and don’t purchase additional photos beyond those included with the mini session price.

There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to booking family photos and I encourage every client to book whatever type of session makes the most sense for them. That being said, I wanted to offer my perspective on common viewpoints surrounding mini sessions. While I certainly understand where these viewpoints are coming from (and as someone who used to think a lot of these things before becoming a full-time photographer!), a lot of these are common misconceptions. What’s that old saying ‘you get what you pay for’? Just because you can find someone to do it for less, doesn’t mean you should. (I’d tell you about the time I hired the least expensive ‘painter’ to paint the interior of our new home, but that’s a story for another day and requires a cocktail.)

You know your family best, but after working with hundreds of families, I can say with confidence that if emotion-filled, authentic photos that tell your family’s unique story are what you’re looking for, that takes time and it’s worth investing in a photographer who can deliver.

xo,

Kalie

What’d I miss? Do you agree? Disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!