What is a Mini Session, anyway?

I think everyone on this earth has heard the term "Mini Session" and if you have a family or follow photographers this is likely a term you actually see often and maybe even use often. But let's talk about what a Mini Session actually IS and more importantly, what it IS NOT.

A true mini session is a series of short 10-15 minute portrait sessions offered back to back in the same location and/or with the same prop set up by a photographer within a chunk of time. I was first introduced to this concept working for Portrait Innovations right out of college. Of course there they were not called anything but a Christmas session, but as a photographer there I was taught to take a set variety of poses on three backdrops with a family within just 10 minutes. Yup, you read that right. And if you're familiar with or even used Portrait Innovations, you probably remember that yourself. The idea behind this is to maximize sales by taking on multiple sessions within the hour, quadrupling the amount of appointments you would normally take. Reduce the variety but up-sell the prints and products because this is just supposed to be a SAMPLE of what would be provided in a full session. Now I was good back in my hay-day, I learned a lot about posing quickly and getting the essential Christmas Card photos for families in a short amount of time. But after a 10 hour workday, you're completely fried for sure. Now this translates into photography now which took off on a consumer level when people starting buying digital cameras and offering these types of sessions on their own. Photographers of all levels of skill are offering these (often cheap) sessions, props or no props, Christmas or summer, outdoors or studio. But as the years have gone by I have absolutely cringed at seeing how loosely this term is now used and has been turned into an everyday request from clients, and as an offer by Photographers.

So let's recap, what a Mini Session IS (or should be):

• Quick 10-15 minute sessions, same place or set
• Same poses and shot variety for each family
• Scheduled back to back to maximize the Photographer's time
• Low number of images provided, up-selling additional images or products
• Immediate family unit only
• A small sample of what the Photographer would provide in a full session

What a Mini Session is NOT (or shouldn't be):

• 30 or more minute sessions... that can definitely be considered a full session
• Full variety of poses and shots... that's a full session
• Offered any time, any place... that's a full session!
• Offering 10+ images... I have learned... that is also a full session!
• Bringing cousins or extended family... absolutely NOT a mini session!

Why does it matter what we call it?

Now this is for me, a personal reason, but I'm sure many photographers would agree with me. There are many times you see posts on Facebook and want-ads asking for a service "that doesn't cost an arm and a leg" or "looking for an affordable ___". Sure there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a budget, we all set limits for things we spend money on. BUT as a person with a small business or a service it's demeaning in a way because we all set our prices for ourselves and usually based on our costs of doing business and what we feel our time and talent is worth. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many emails I get asking for a "mini session" for extended families, or for locations that have fees, etc. Essentially just asking for a full service at a mini price. I always do my best to inform these inquiries of what their request entails, because I truly believe that not many people understand. But it proves that term has literally lost all meaning when people are asking for what many of us Photographers consider a full and normal session- there's nothing mini about it! 

The difference in the experience.

For me, my clients have always known me to provide great customer service before, during and after their sessions. That comes with the fact that I have over 10 years experience in the professional field. They also expect my expertise and a level of creativity and talent for every session I shoot. It is my job to make sure clients are getting the best ME I can give them, that's how it always should be. So to make up for the limited amount of time I was spending with my clients I tried to focus on giving a great experience providing clients with a coffee bar, snacks, gift bags, quick turnaround, etc. Mini Sessions CAN be successful and a great value for the client and a great money-maker for the Photographer. The problem is that MY creativity was becoming less and less as the years passed. I found less time and desire to search for props or creative set ups. The locations throughout Charleston were becoming more busy or more expensive to rent. For me, my summers here in Charleston have become increasingly busy, frequently working 18 hour days, having 30 sessions in a month so as you can imagine, by October and November I just don't have as much fuel in the tank. The experience changed for my clients, and while they may not have noticed, they were getting more of a "robot" Erin instead of my true talent and creative self. Self reflection and evaluation are really important. As a single employee/owner business I really had to take a look at the client experience and make sure that I could still provide the best ME I could for sessions. Once I noticed this change in myself, I knew that something else also needed to change. 

I can say without a doubt, unless a photographer can provide a GREAT experience, consistency, and customer service with a full session, they should not be providing the service of Mini Sessions. Taking on multiple clients and having to provide that level of customer service and consistency for x5 sessions or x10 or even x20 is a recipe for disaster if they can't provide a that service successfully with just one. 

After 5+ years of offering Mini Sessions, why stop now?

Great. Question. 

I think it has a lot to do with my business mentality and where I'm at. When you start photography you automatically think this is the only way to build a client base and how to keep busy. Both of those answers can be true but it depends on the client base you're looking for. I think at my business age at this point I have really found my niche of clients, but I've also grown to knowing when I'm delivering the best of myself and not.  To me it just comes down to the service and experience I'm providing. Consumers all over the world have agreed that customer service and client experience are at the top of their priority list when booking services. So for me, I need to look at those two things as a priority also. Next to that is my overall well being, both mentally and physically. I know that after a morning or half day of mini-sessions I need an extended period of time off to recoup myself and my mind. It's mentally exhausting to take so many appointments in a short amount of time, a brain overload! On top of that, the editing can be efficient if the lighting scenario is all the same, but it's still SO much time consuming work to cull (narrow down) and edit the final images for each family and make sure they're sorted out and delivered correctly.