Mini photo sessions are an excellent and fun idea for a quicker photoshoot that will yield timeless images of your family. A mini photo session is half the time of a full session and is a great way to obtain beautiful family photographs without spending as much time at a shoot. It is difficult to get children to cooperate for a full session, so mini family photography sessions are a good way to capture quality images of the whole family in a small window of time, so the little ones will not tire from a timely photoshoot.
Here are some tips to prepare for your upcoming family photography mini session:
1. Book a date and time that works for you.
contact the photographer and book the date and time you wish to have your family photography mini session and mark it on your calendar.
2. Put together coordinating non-matching outfits.
It can be very stressful to pick out outfits for the whole family, but don’t stress! Really try to stay away from matching outfits, we’re not shooting company photos here, we’re capturing images of your beautiful family. Figure out a color palette such as greys and blues with complimentary cream/ivory. You can even dress seasonally and go with the color scheme of the season, i.e. Fall with rusts, navy blues and cream colored hughes. Maybe you can wear an ivory dress with a rust and navy blue scarf and your husband wears jeans with a navy blue and rust plaid shirt, your daughter wears a navy dress with rust boots, and your son wears jeans and an ivory polo shirt. In dressing this way, you are not uniform, but the outfits flow together in color.
3. Get the family ready for the family photography mini session.
Going to a photoshoot can be a stressful event, especially for the littles, but I do not want you to feel this way at all! Decide and communicate with me and the whole family about what you really want out of the mini photoshoot. Are we aiming to get a great image for a holiday card, or several beautiful photos to hang on the living room walls? As mentioned above, decide on those outfits beforehand so you’re not stressed out the morning of the mini session.
When the big day of the family photography mini session comes, do not show up hungry! Make sure that everyone has eaten well before the shoot. Tell the little ones that they’re going on a play date with Stacey and she is going to get silly with her camera!
4. Arrive at the mini photoshoot early.
Mini photoshoots are generally booked close together, so I recommend arriving at your scheduled appointment at least 10 minutes early so you have time to relax and get everyone together and ready to have some fun!
5. Decide on what you want for prints.
Browse your options and decide what photo package you are planning to purchase. Do you want an amazing canvas for the entry way at home? A portrait album for the coffee table or some photo gifts for mom and dad? Or maybe a full resolution cd would be fun. Decisions, decisions! But I am here to help.
Now you’re ready to go! Get ready and get set to have some fun with timeless images captured at your family mini photography session. Smile and have a blast, I know I will!
Stacey Potter resides in beautiful Boulder, Colorado and is notorious for her award winning work in family photography. She holds workshops in hopes to further educate other photographers globally on family photography, the art of posing, and how to be successful in doing mini family photography sessions. If you would like to schedule an appointment or obtain more information, please check out Stacey Potter's family photography portfolio and then email staceypotterphotography@gmail.com or call 303.818.7757.
