Today on the blog we’re talking about something we get questions about all the time. What’s the difference between a regular family session and a mini session? There are several things that set each apart from the other, so I’ll cover the top 6 differences in this post.
1. Location: For a family session you get your choice of any location you’d like. This means that if you want photos on your family farm, or at a location that’s meaningful to you, or at two locations, you can do that! It makes your session very personal and meaningful.
For a mini session the session takes place at a location that Jeff and I choose ahead of time.
2. Time of Day: For a family session you get to choose the time of your session. That means we can make use of the best times of the day like right before sunset or early in the morning. You know for sure you’re getting the prettiest lighting possible and it’ll make your sessions magical!
For mini sessions you choose between session times we set in advance. Session times are chosen on a first come first served basis.
3. Session Length: For a family session you get an hour and a half of time dedicated just to your family. This allows us to take our time with posing and directing you all. We want to make sure you look your best and feel fully confident in your photos! Plus, this time allows your kiddos time to warm up to us and have fun in front of the camera.
For a mini session because the time is so limited we have to work much more quickly which means there isn’t always as much time for perfecting every detail.
4. Pre-Planning: Before your family session we’ll have a consultation to talk through outfits, colors, and location ideas. This gives us a chance to talk about all the details of your session together and even plan what you’ll do with your photos after the session. You’ll have access to our Pinterest board of inspiration and you’re even able to text us photos of the outfits you’re considering so we can give you feedback on how they’ll look in your photos.
For a mini session once you book your session we’ll send you an email with tips and tricks for planning your outfits and give you a link to our Pinterest board with inspiration.
5. Ordering Session: With a full family session, about one week after your session we’ll have you come back to the studio to see your photos for the first time and place your order. Because we’ll have talked about the products you most love at our consultation, this part is super easy! Not only do you get beautiful artwork for your home, our ordering sessions are fun!
For a mini session you have a few collections you can choose from for your physical and digital products after the session. Once your session is complete we’ll email you those collections and help you choose which is best for you.
6. Purpose: The biggest difference between the two sessions is the purpose of it. A full family session is for when you want to document your family at a specific moment in time. For some families that’s yearly updates of their photos. For other families this can be every few years. Full family sessions are meant to create images for your walls or albums to document your family as you all change over the years.
A family mini session is mostly for Christmas cards and bragging on social media. It’s meant to fill in the gaps between years when you’re having full family sessions or to document one particular season. They’re meant to be fast, fun, and super simple.
Our full family sessions are an experience like no other. You get all of our expertise and years of experience to create images of your family that you all will cherish for years to come. We can’t wait to take photos of your family!
