What Are Photography Mini Sessions? The Ultimate Guide for Families

So you just saw that a photographer near you has posted a photography mini session announcement, and you’re intrigued. But you’re also full of questions like “what IS a mini photo session?” and “how many photos am I going to get?”

Maybe you’re even asking yourself if you should skip the fall or Christmas mini session and just book a regular family photo shoot to get that perfect Christmas card picture, and maybe a few prints for Grandma and your living room walls. How do you choose?

Hold on! Take a breath!

As a photographer who offers one or two mini sessions each year, on top of those regular family photo shoots, I can tell you that you’re not the only one who has had these questions. I get them every single year.

It’s why I’ve put together this guide to help you choose if a mini session is right for you … or not!

Read on for answers to some of my clients’ most common questions from how much do photographers charge for mini sessions to whether or not you should tip your photographer (I know I’m a bit biased … but I promise I get brutally real!).

What Is a Mini Photo Session?

We can’t really dig into all the details of photography mini sessions without first explaining what the heck it is!

The simplest definition? A mini photo session is really just a short version of a regular photo session.

Hey, I said it was simple, didn’t I? But let’s dig a little deeper into the major differences from a regular session:

• Mini sessions are only available at specific times of the year – they aren’t sessions a client can simply request!
• Mini sessions are offered as a block of time with different time slots available, so you get to choose the time slot that works best for you and your family!
• Mini sessions are short! Most run for just 10 to 20 minutes.
• Mini sessions include fewer photos than a regular session.
• Mini sessions may or may not have a specific theme.

How Long Is a Mini Photo Session?

I know, I touched on this a little bit above, but I’ve found that the length of time of mini photo sessions can be confusing, so I want to dig a little deeper into the differences in that chunk of time vs. that of a regular session.

The time photographers spend working with clients varies pretty widely, in much the same way that the art each photographer creates varies. Hey, you choose a particular photographer to capture your family’s memories for a reason, right? They’re unique in their craft!

In that sense, I can really only speak to the time I allot to my regular sessions, but I’ve spoken with some of my fellow photographers and I can say this is a pretty fair breakdown of the differences between regular and mini sessions!

Regular Session Time

Regular sessions last anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on type of client, number of people being photographed and any additional services (e.g. a make-up artist).

The advantages of this longer time period:

• There’s more time for the photographer to get to know you and be able to truly capture your story. I find the more I learn about my clients, the more I’m able to work with them to ensure they’re feeling comfortable! I’m also able to focus better on different features as I get to know them.
• There’s more time to capture different types of images, such as individual photos, different groupings of family members, etc.
• There’s more time for kids to warm up to being photographed, and we can take breaks for kids who need to have a snack or just take a breather.
• There’s more time for adults to take a breather too!
• During outside sessions, there’s time to move to different locations on the site to create variety in the photos. For example, one of the most requested session locations is located on a river, and clients love being able to dip their feet in and have some splashing fun near the end of the session (while I capture the fun, of course!).
• During senior photo sessions, we have plenty of time for outfit changes.
• You get a LOT more photos to choose from!

Mini Session Time

Mini sessions can run anywhere from 5 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on the type of client, number of people being photography and any additional services (e.g. a holiday themed mini session with Santa visiting!).

The advantages of this shorter time period:

• You don’t always need a lot of photos! Sometimes you really just want that one Christmas card photo or perhaps a fresh headshot.
• It can be easier to get people together for a shorter period of time, especially if they shy away from having their photos taken.
• Likewise, a shorter time period can work well for busy teenagers who still want senior photos or working adults who just need that updated headshot.
• When kids have shorter attention spans, a short and quick session may be a better fit.
• Because there are fewer photos taken, photographers typically don’t have to spend as much time on their hand editing process, which means you get to see your photos sooner!
• The cheaper price tag mini sessions offers you a potential savings.

How Many Photos Do You Get in a Mini Session?

This is always a question I’m asked when I advertise it’s time for mini sessions, and it’s a fair one! I want my clients to know up front what they’re paying for.

I’ll preface my answer, however, by saying this is simply how I run MY mini sessions. Each photographer does things just a little bit differently.

My mini session clients receive:

1. A proofing gallery – This is a web page where you’ll get to see a collection full of hand-edited images from our mini session. The number depends on how long we were able to spend together, but a 15-minute mini session will typically result in about 30 different photos for you to choose from, with a color version and a black and white version of each one available. Like my regular sessions galleries, you can share your gallery with Grandma, Uncle Charlie, or whoever you’d like, and they can place their own orders for photos, so you don’t have to get their list and do all that work for them!
2. A gallery credit – This is basically a code that you’ll be able to use to download a certain number of high quality digital photos to keep. Most of my mini sessions include a credit that will allow them to download 5 images, but my clients can also use all or part of that credit toward purchasing prints or holiday cards. If they absolutely can’t pick just 5, clients can also decide to upgrade their package!

How Much Does a Mini Session Cost?

Yup, it’s the big question you’ve been waiting for! I realize I saved one of the big questions for almost last, but I think it helps to understand what is involved in the cost before I start pulling out numbers.

The good news: Mini sessions are (almost always) less expensive than regular sessions!

The bad news: There is no one specific price photographers charge for mini sessions.

This isn’t a fluke – the expenses that each one is taking into consideration varies too, from the photographer’s insurance and equipment costs to the money paid to assistants or a visiting Santa, and even rental fees to make sure of a specific property!

Do You Tip a Photographer for a Mini Session?

In this day and age, it’s hard to know when it’s polite to tip and when it’s not expected. So should you be tipping your mini session photographer?

That’s truly up to you. While tips are always appreciated, they are also not expected from me. I make a point to also pay my photography assistants a fair wage, so tipping them is not necessary either. Then again, if you’d like to tip my assistant, that would also be appreciated!

Basically? You can’t go wrong either way!

Photography Mini Sessions vs. Regular Sessions

Did you skim all this information, hoping you could just get a quick and easy breakdown to compare a mini session and a regular session? This one’s for you!