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Since I've been offering mini sessions for more than 10 years now, I discovered what allows us to have a great experience, as well as what can completely ruin it! You will find in this blog post different advice and directives for your next family mini session.
This page is complimentary to advice blog posts that are available on my website, whether this is for a couple/engagement, maternity or family session.
First of all, what is the mini session event and how does it work?
Mini session events are offered three times a year only: in spring, in fall and before the end of the year holidays. This special promotion was created to give the opportunity to a greater number of people to be photographed professionally at a lower cost. Outside of these three special events, I solely offer regular photo sessions.
On the day of the event, a dozen families will join me in a public park at the time of their appointment. Therefore, it's a sprint for clients, but a marathon for me!
Contrary to regular sessions that last up to 1h30, mini sessions only last 15 minutes, regardless of the cooperation of the participants. For this reason, we won't have much time to get to know each other, handle tantrums or extend the appointment like it's the case with regular sessions. When the time of your appointment comes, I will start taking photos right away so you can have as many good memories as possible. Once your 15 minutes is over, I will then move on to the next clients, which is why we want to put all odds in our favour!
1. Block both the original and back-up dates in your calendar right now
Planning one outdoor session can be tricky because of the weather, so it's even worse when there are a dozen on the same day!
For this reason, one potential back-up date is determined at the event launch to be used as a plan B. This date is indicated on the contract and reminded several times before the event.
In case of bad weather on the original date (ex: extreme heath or cold, violent winds, continuous rain), all the mini sessions will be postponed to the back-up date without exception. I will take a decision the day before the event depending on the weather forecast.
Therefore, it's ESSENTIAL to block both dates in your calendar right now.A person who is no longer available on the back-up date if the event needs to be postponed will sadly lose their time slot.
2. Read all emails and confirm your attendance to the event
Usually, I send three emails to all mini sessions participants:
- First email after booking that includes different resources to help you prepare your session,
- Second email one week before the event that contains important information regarding its location,
- Third and last email the day before the event to confirm whether it will take place on the original date or not depending on the weather forecast.
In order to have a positive experience and avoid any misunderstanding, make sure you read the emails in full and reply back when requested. Your response is particularly important the day before as it will confirm your attendance to the event. Replying "yes, we will be there!" only takes a few seconds to do and it will make my work so much easier.
3. Do some mental preparation with children
Doing mental preparation is essential, especially with children under the age of five years old.
Talking positively about the photo session a couple of weeks in advance, explaining what you will do in front of the camera and crossing the days on the calendar are all good ways to demonstrate how exciting it will be. You can even practise your best poses together!
Of course, it might not stop some little ones from being shy, but at least they won’t be scared of the camera or the photographer.
4. Wear the right clothes and avoid eyesores
Certain clothes, such as the ones with small stripes, logos and with highly pigmented colours, don’t photograph well and create weird optical illusions in camera. Favour clothes with solid, neutral and natural colours instead. First of all, these colours are timeless and won’t go out of fashion quickly. Secondly, since they all belong to the same family, they will easily create a harmony with all the participants.
I strongly advise against bringing eyesores with you. Wallets, keys and smartphones hidden in your pant pockets take up a lot of space and will easily be visible. Similarly, photochromic glasses become dark under UV rays and will hide your beautiful eyes. When clients still show up with eyesores on the, I assume they want to see them on the pictures.
For more advice regarding your outfits, I invite you to read these in-depth blog posts:
- Five photography mistakes and how to avoid them,
- Five tips to nail your winter photoshoot,
- Five tips for a successful engagement session,
- Five tips to nail your maternity photos.
5. Dress for the weather
As you probably know already, the weather can be difficult in Quebec! I experienced all conditions during mini sessions events. One year it was 23°C during fall minis, while it was 2°C the following year. Similarly, I also did Holiday minis outside on grass at 10°C, while I did them in snow at -16°C one year later. We never know what to expect!
Since the goal of the session is to get happy memories, make sure you dress for the weather. There is nothing worse than shivering and crying children because they're not properly dressed.
In spring and fall, bring a light jacket that matches your outfit, just in case it's too chilly. If it's warm enough, you can remove it to stay comfortable. During Holiday minis in late November, wear several layers under your clothes, protect your extremities (head, hands, feet) and use "heat packs" to stay warm.
6. Be refreshed and raring to go
As their name suggests, mini sessions are done very quickly! We only have 15 minutes to produce great photos of the whole family together, each parent with the children and siblings. There is very little leeway! For this reason, we want your children to be in their best mood to make the most of every minute.
Don’t plan anything demanding before our appointment. It’s not a good moment to go hiking, spend the whole morning swimming or go to a birthday party.
Plan something relaxing at home, save time for a long nap and have a good meal before our appointment. With a clear head and full stomach, the experience should be enjoyable for your little ones!
7. Plan beverages, snacks and toys to keep children happy
Similarly, bring beverages, snacks and toys for your kids. They're an excellent way to stop a tantrum, especially when it's hot outside.
You can keep them in your bag, then bring them out when needed. If there is no tantrum during the session, they also act as a great surprise at the end of the appointment.
8. Save the map of the location on your phone
My mini session events are often done in large urban packs. To make it easier to find me, I send a map of the location that includes detailed annotations one week before the event. It explains clearly where our meeting point will be and where we will take the photos.
Even if you're familiar with the area, I still recommend saving the map on your phone. As I can't take calls when I'm photographing another family, it will be the best way to locate our meeting spot. Anyway, trying to give indications over the phone rarely works! If you can't find me, you can always look at the map and compare it to your GPS to find your way.
9. Arrive early and ready to be photographed
Punctuality is extremely important during family mini session events..
Since sessions only last 15 minutes and are back-to-back appointments, each client must be at the meeting point and ready at the time of their appointment. Therefore, plan your drive while taking traffic and road work into consideration. If you're more than 10 minutes late, I won't be able to move the appointments after you and you will have to come back at the very end..
Ideally, the best is to get there 20 minutes before your appointment. This will allow you to park stress-free, do makeup/hair touch-ups, slowly wake the children if they fell asleep and clean their faces. It will also give you enough time to remove eyesores from your pocket and change your photochromic glasses to be 100% ready when the time of your appointment comes.
Getting there early is also a good way to put kids in the right mindset. You can explore the park together, practise their best smiles or observe me from afar. This way, the session will be presented as a fun experience rather than a stressful one.
Last update: March 2025
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