Mini sessions. I am not sure how I feel about them.  On one hand, the clients love them.   A 15-20 minute session with a lower price tag is a big sell to the husbands (and the kids).  And I love them because its makes me work fast and efficiently and really bring my A game. Because, here’s the thing, I don’t want the mini sessions to be a “cheaper” version of my full shoot. And my standards are high — many other photographer’s mini sessions are just a series of everybody looking, posed family photos, because if you want to cover the basics, that is all you can do.  But that is not enough for me.  I want all the same in between moments and candids and little things about the family that makes them them. I want the love to show.

But I have to hustle to bring that all out in that short time with just a few clicks.  In an hour session, people warm up and things evolve and the laughter starts being genuine and the love is easily seen.  There is no warm up time in the mini session.. maybe a 1 click warm up.  The only solution I can see is to  throw away some basics and go for some feelings instead, which this family had in spades.