Mini sessions are great. Don't get me wrong. Get in, get out, BAM you're done. I believe there is a time and a place for them, but if you are looking to get some real moments with your family; create some connections and slow down a bit, then a mini session may not be what you want. Sure, they are cheaper, and will save a few bucks. But at the end of the day did you get to create some real connections with your family? Were you able to slow down, and spend intentional moments with each child, or with your spouse? Or your family as a whole? Mini sessions really tend to be the opposite of slowing down. It is rushed, with the same set of poses for each family, and when the timer is up, same thing with the next family in line. Same background, same poses, and not a whole lot of variety. When I have a whole hour to work with you and your family, I am really able to invest that time into your session and photos. We all know children don't always go along with what we have planned. When my daughter was 2, we had family photo session. That whole afternoon she was in the most sour mood!
Because our session was an hour long it gave our photographer more space to create a connection with her and find those happy moments where her mood was not so sour, and looking back on those photos, if you didn't know she was in a bad mood that day, you definitely would not be able to tell from the photos! Time allowed us the space to create small moments for her to capture, while also allowing the time for her to be grumpy. (Also if you are in the Valdosta, Ga area, check out Meredith Klapp Photography for family Photos?) Here is what a quick 15 minute session will typically get . . .
Sweet little gallery, right? Got the important stuff. All the basics. Couple family shots, a shot of the kiddos together, and shot of each child individually, with an added bonus of each parent with the baby. But here is what else I was am able to get with more time. . .
I was able to get so many more sweet moments with this family! She let me know her husband was getting ready to deploy, something I will always have a soft spot for, being a military spouse. I wanted to make sure she had a few sweet moments of her and her husband, as well as her husband with both kiddos, for them to look back on when they are missing him, to help them through their separated time. Having the extra time I was also able to grab some shots of Mama nursing her sweet babe. . .
All of these moments would have been missed with just 15 minutes. Invest in your family. Invest in preserving the memories of these fleeting moments while they are young. Before we know it, they will be grown and living their own lives. Having children of their own. At that point they can pull out their photo albums and share with their children what they looked like, what grandma and grandpa looked like. What life looked like when they were little. This time flies by way to quickly not to.