Can we just book a mini session? What a mini session actually is, and why photographers do them
We get asked about a mini sessions a LOT, so I thought I would address it here and explain what exactly a mini session is, but more importantly what it is NOT.
Quick, cheap, and easy are the core promises of the glorious and seemingly ever-present “mini session” — and that really sounds perfect. Sign me up, right?!? Who wouldn’t want all of that in every portrait session? Everyone does!
Do you remember that old sign you’d sometimes see in Mom and Pop stores that said something like “you can have it Fast, Good, or Cheap - but you can only pick two of those?” Well that basic premise holds true in photography too.
Most photographers know that when a client asks for a mini session, it is usually code for “don’t you have any less expensive options?” As a mom of 4 on a budget, I promise, I get it—there is rarely enough money to stretch far enough for all the things we need, much less for the stuff we really want. Of course, I want all the sales and deals. I’d love to have magical portraits of me with my babies where I look effortlessly lovely and my children are smiling real smiles made of pure love and sunshine that also happen to be really inexpensive! I’d be willing to bet most Moms and Grandmothers would line up out the door for the exact same thing.
The problem is that getting dreamy photos dirt cheap just isn’t realistic. Of even fair.
I’ll let you in on an industry secret: I don’t actually have much say in our pricing.
Yep, I’m the owner, the artist, the founder, the photographer, the chief editor — and I don’t set my own prices. If I did, every session would probably be free because I truly want everyone to have amazing artwork of their favorite people. Unfortunately, I can’t do that though, because our rates have to be set to cover our cost of doing business (CODB). I have to charge a certain amount to cover the costs of all our equipment which is well over $30K worth of cameras, lenses, lighting, lighting accessories…not mention our props and backdrops! We also have to pay for a host of other expenses like studio rental, prop storage, power, internet, websites, editing subscriptions, and childcare for our working hours.
After covering the costs just to run our business, like any other talented creative with over a decade of professional experience (and many more years beyond that spent learning the craft, degrees earned and countless continuing education hours) I deserve to be paid an actual living wage. The stereotype of the “starving artist” does not exist as a working business model.
Essentially, the business I have poured years of time, talent, and heart into, needs to be profitable.
That brings us back to the mini session. I have been asked by newer photographers and friends curious about my business: Isn’t a mini session profitable? You can fit more clients in a day and make more money!
Absolutely! Mini Sessions are super profitable if they are done right.
A profitable model for a mini session includes:
ONE location and/or ONE set with props and backdrop
Multiple small client sessions within one large block of time (Example 15 minute sessions throughout one day or over one weekend)
Back-to-back bookings for several clients or families
ONE set or ONE location.
This allows the photographer creative freedom to create an amazing set with a specific theme to share with their clients (or to invite their clients to that amazing location they have scouted out and know all the best angles and lighting for).
These are some of the best sessions you can book — you are getting to use an artist’s creative expertise and vision (as well as their expensive props!) without the hassle of having to create a themed set or scout locations yourself.
Multiple Sessions within a set and limited timeframe.
This is a key component of the “mini session” concept. One of the questions we get asked the most when we host our annual holiday Santa sessions —is ‘can we book this another day?” Usually this is because they have plans or will be out of town on the day of our holiday sessions, but unfortunately, the answer is no, that is not possible. For our Santa sessions in particular, the big guy books his calendar nearly a year in advance, so there aren’t other dates that he would be available during such a busy time of year.
Moreover, setting all our backdrops, props, furniture, lighting, and equipment is a massive undertaking. We usually have at least 4 adults helping set it all up —plus the cleanup afterward. This just not something we can do for one 15 minute session.
Back-to-Back Short Sessions with multiple clients.
Shortened sessions are definitely a busy mom of busy kids’ best friend! Children often tend have short attention spans, so getting their portraits made in 10-15 minutes is amazing. Short sessions are also perfect for anyone on a budget — they’re cheaper than a normal session and everyone loves to save money (hooray!!)
The key to making it profitable is making sure to having a lot of clients at once (to offset the fact they are paying less-than-normal). Otherwise, how will the photographer make enough to cover their costs if they are charging less? Having all of the slots filled with a lot of clients is vital to the success of a mini session event.
If mini sessions are that amazing — why can’t you just book one anytime?
As was mentioned earlier — if it is a themed session, it is a ton of work and cost for the photography business to host a day of mini sessions. From the concept and design, to the promotional images (and yes, photographers should always be advertising their sessions with their OWN images, never someone else’s — even if they write “just for inspiration,” it is both immoral and illegal to use someone else’s copyrighted images without permission to do their marketing work for them. It is also misleading to potential clients as the work rarely looks the same as another photographer’s), down the advertising the session, and of course setting up for the actual sessions —- phew, I’m tired thinking of it all!! We literally start planning our holiday session well over a year ahead of time, and then we invest thousands it making it happen.
Even if the mini session event doesn’t include props or studio lighting, the artist still came up with the concept, hired models to photograph the promotional images, spent hours editing those images in order to advertise them (which is also costly and time consuming) and then sets aside time in their busy calendar to host the event. This is almost always a labor of love for any artist and photographer, but no small feat to pull off!
When potential clients reach out to us, they are usually looking for a specific session just for them, and a location they prefer. Typical inquiries for us are extended family session on the beach, a senior session downtown, first birthday smash cake with specific colors and themes.
We LOVE bringing your visions to life!
These are custom portrait sessions tailored just for you and at a location picked by you. This type of custom session is not a “mini session.”
Even if we make it a shorter time per a client’s request, when there is no other client booked before or after them short sessions almost always run over their time. It’s too easy to just “take one like this” and then “how about if we do this?” It’s just the nature of fun portrait session, especially with clients who really want amazing images from their time with a book photographer.
Furthermore, for any session, the time spent emailing clients, the time spent planning/booking your session, driving to your location, and then editing hours afterward are still the same. It just doesn’t make any business sense, and it wouldn’t be profitable, for photographers to charge less for that time and expertise, especially when it time and art crafted precisely for one client.
Ok, so just book 2 or 3 other sessions when you come to our location for our one session, and then I can have “mini prices!”
…except the chances of someone else wanting your date and your location are generally slim to none. I’ve been doing this for nearly a decade and while we get requests for the same dates all the time, we never get requests to share locations with people they’ve never met, or a desire share the coveted golden hour time with another family. Sunsets only happen once a day and everyone wants that gorgeous soft lighting for themselves. For a photographer, charging less for a regular session and then banking on booking more than one session at the same time/location is just not a good business plan.
and that… is why we have to politely explain, that no we do not offer a “mini” version of our regular portrait sessions.
I promise our regular portrait sessions are worth the time and money invested in them!! Your future self will thank you for the memories <3
