Use our platform to book your first mini sessions
By Crystal Wilde
Family mini sessions aren’t just for Christmas cards! In fact, happy families are usually keen for a cheap and cheerful photoshoot at any opportunity. We spoke to our pros to glean their top tips for having fun and getting the goods in a family mini session.
A mini session should be exactly that – mini. Most families would expect at least 20 minutes, but you won’t want to go over 30. Remember to leave a gap of 5-10 minutes between clients so you’re not literally pushing them out of the door and you can reset and rehydrate.
The photographers we spoke to charge between $375 and $500 for a 20-30 minute family mini session. Shannon Cimino of Shannon Marie Photography offers a package of 40 images with the option of upgrading to a larger digital package once the family has seen (and fallen in love with) the proofs.
“True mini sessions are back-to-back with a time limit, ensuring that clients who need more time will consider booking a regular session,” says Sara Zarrella[1] from Sara Zarrella Photography. “This gives your client a taste of your work and hopefully they’ll come again.”
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Images by: Sara Zarella Photography
Each family you photograph will have varying levels of comfort in front of the camera. You’ll find a massive range of comfort levels within even one family. Dad might love the camera while Mom hates it, for example. It’s your job as a photographer to read the whole family as a unit and the individual personalities quickly and direct your shoot accordingly. “Every family is different, so you want to be able to adjust to what will work best for them,” says Shannon.
It’s always good to have a nice selection of set poses ready to go so your clients aren’t standing around feeling awkward and not knowing what to do.
For each pose, get a few versions of everyone looking at the camera. Then try to get some candid shots with the same setup.
Image by: SHANNON MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
Telling family members to look at each other/pull funny faces
“When photographing each child with each parent, I sometimes tell the child to whisper a joke in their parent’s ear,” says Shannon. “Nine times out of ten, the child will start laughing while looking at their mom or dad. This creates genuine smiles and interactions.”
Less is definitely more when it comes to props for family shoots as you’ll have enough to worry about with multiple subjects. Sara says something for the families to sit on is usually enough. “Having a blanket or a bench can be very helpful. These provide a variety of poses and setups, allowing you to offer a diverse selection for your clients.”
You might also like to consider:
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Images by: Shannon Marie Photography
Family photoshoots don’t have to be season-specific, so you can market like mad before your quiet periods and hold them all year round. Shannon usually shoots sessions at the beach from June until August, Fall mini sessions in September and October, and Christmas sessions in November/early December. Sara, however, also hosts family mini sessions in the Spring. Let your location, the seasons and your other commitments lead your schedule.
Styling is pretty important in family photoshoots as the whole thing can be ruined by the family member who didn’t get the memo. Shannon sends out a survey to every family before her mini sessions and asks them to think about the location of the shoot and where and how they plan to use the photos. If they are taking photos for a Christmas card, for example, they’ll want to choose festive outfits to go with that theme.
Denim, white and pastels work well for beach shoots, while earthy neutrals look great in Fall. “It depends on the type of session, but I love flowy outfits or long dresses for women as they add an element of natural movement to your images,” says Sara.
As always, advise your clients to avoid clashing colors, neons, graphic T-shirts and crazy patterns. Another good tip is to tell them to let the fussiest person choose their outfit first and then style everyone else around them. “My most important styling tip is to make sure everyone is comfortable and confident in what they’re wearing because it will show in the photos if they’re not,” says Shannon.
Shannon points out that, as art is subjective, what constitutes a “good shot” will vary from family to family and photographer to photographer. She advises photographers to try to gauge what their clients envision. Find out what their priority is – whether it be a formal full family shot or a candid one of the kids – and work on getting that in the bag first. Then you can relax and play around more.
If something isn’t working, try a new prompt, play a different game or give some family members a break while you concentrate on others. “For me, a good shot is the genuine moments,” says Shannon. I try to look for natural joyful moments and the connection between parents and children or siblings.”
Image by: Sara Zarella Photography
Sara says the biggest challenge in a mini session, besides keeping it brief, is getting families to relax quickly. “It can be difficult to capture the client's true personality and help them warm up in the limited time available. This requires practice and skill,” she cautions.
Whether beginners or seasoned pros, Shannon advises photographers to avoid burnout by booking mini shoots for just one weekend day or every other weekend. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out if you try to squeeze too much in with no down time, and a frantic, overworked photographer doesn’t take the best photos!
She also advises professionals to find their own style rather than being too concerned with what others in the industry are doing. “Find what works for you and stick with it,” she says. “You got this. Just be you!"
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Written by Crystal Wilde | Photographers Shannon Marie Photography | Sara Zarella Photography
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