A SIMPLE GUIDE TO
MINI SESSIONS
HOW TO OFFER AN INCREDIBLE MINI SESSION EXPERIENCE
W H I L E S T A Y I N G C O M P L E T E LY E F F I C I E N T T O I N C R E A S E
PROFITS AND KEEP CLIENTS RETURNING!
A SIMPLE GUIDE TO MINI SESSIONS
Mini sessions are a great option for portrait photographers who want to offer something other than a full
session, or wedding photographers who have limited availability for portrait sessions! These can be so prof-
itable if they’re done correctly! I’m sharing my secrets to have successful mini sessions and how I offer an
experience that keeps clients coming back to me for years for mini sessions!
W H O T O M AR KET T O
Before even picking a date, it’s important to know WHO your target market is. I’ve focused on families for
this, but know others who focus on couples. Both may sign up, but it’s great to have a vision so you can ad-
vertise most efficiently!
I choose to market toward families for a few reasons. Since my full portrait sessions are 1-1.5 hours, some
families with kids can’t go near that long, or want a more affordable option! So mini sessions are perfect for
young families who want a shorter, more affordable option even if it means less images.
A DVER T IS ING
Choose an advertisement image strategically: Be sure to make these sessions a big deal and let others know
how excited you are to offer them! Create an announcement to post on your Facebook page and Instagram,
and actually have the text on the image instead of just in the caption (Photoshop or InDesign are great for
this!). Choose a cute family image or portrait of a child, or whomever your ideal client would be. I choose a
family picture with young kids! If you’re marketing towards couples, choose a beautiful engagement portrait.
After making the announcement, tag who the photo is of! I’ve strategically picked certain families for the an-
nouncement so I can tag them, and their friends with kids can see I’m offering this! I also believe less is more,
so I just include one image on my ad so it doesn’t become too cluttered.
Share on social media: Ask friends to share your post. For instance, my sister is a mom with two young kids.
She’s “shared” my mini session announcement post on Facebook, and all her friends see! But also, share it on
your Facebook business page, personal page, and Instagram. The reason I keep mentioning Facebook first is
that my ideal clients (young moms) are very active on Facebook, so I choose to focus on that first! But Insta-
gram can also be very profitable.
If you’re still having trouble getting word out, you can always offer a small discount if your client “shares” the
Facebook announcement! I’ve done this before to build awareness and reach more people.
What to include on the announcement: It’s important to include enough details, but not too many that it
becomes cluttered. Include these basics:
-The title mini session -Mini session date
-City of mini sessions (don’t need exact location) -Email or link to contact you
-How many images they’ll receive -Length of time
-Price (no need to mention anything about a retainer yet, just the total price)
C H OO S ING A DAT E
I don’t offer mini sessions year round, just on specific dates I choose. Since these are only 20-30 minutes, I’d
be spending more time driving there and back if I booked these year round without any other sessions around
them. Also, only offering these on specific dates makes them a bigger deal! Choose a date strategically. I’ve
learned around October or November is a great time since families want pictures for a Christmas card! Where
I live, it gets into the mid 90’s regularly in the summer, so that might not be the best time for families! Just like
a date in the middle of January might not be the best for young kids. I normally plan mine around fall when the
leaves are beautiful and during the spring.
LO CAT ION
I keep two important things in mind when choosing a location: Shade and parking. Since I line up several mini
sessions in a row, they can’t all be right at sunset when there’s a soft glow. So for me personally to keep my
light and airy style, it’s important to have a place to shoot other than harsh light! I choose locations with trees
or a large structure like a barn to be sure I have shade during the session.
It’s also important to choose somewhere your client can easily get to. I never do these downtown since it can
take 20 minutes just to find a parking spot. Choose somewhere with sufficient parking for your clients that’s
easy to get to. It’s also great if there’s room for little ones to run around!
LENGTH OF TIME
Mini sessions should be shorter than the regular sessions you offer. I always did 30 minutes, but recently cut
it down to 20 minutes. I shoot VERY quickly, and the families at my recent mini sessions had all worked with
me before so they knew the system! I’m able to get everything in that amount of time! But if you’re still working
on what poses are best for families or want to take breaks between sessions and not feel rushed, I’d suggest at
least 30 minutes for your first mini session day then go from there!
PAYMENT AND CONTR ACT
Be sure you have a contract! I attach this with their PayPal retainer invoice, and state at the end of the contract
that paying the retainer is agreeing to the contract terms. I love PayPal since I can save a template instead of
starting from scratch each invoice. There are also several other ways to send contracts to clients! I’d encourage
including the following:
Payment amount, and that the retainer is non-refundable.
How many images will be given to the client. Also include that there will be an additional fee for any additional
edits the client wishes to make, and that any additional photos other than the “X” amount included will also
be an extra fee. Side note: I don’t actually charge if there’s an edit I missed that I should have caught, but this
keeps me safe and makes up for my time if the client wants several edits made.
A legal clause that you’re harmless against all liabilities, claims, expenses, etc.
That you have the right to take, use, reuse, or publish any photos take of any and all subjects present.
When the client will receive their online gallery, and how long you will be responsible for the images. Side note:
I encourage clients to download images to multiple devices, and that I’m not responsible to keep images on file
for more than 1 week after I deliver them.
Rescheduling: What your policy is about rescheduling and your system if there’s inclement weather. Side note:
I only reschedule if there’s inclement weather based on my availability. If there’s no availability, I refund the
deposit.
The client understands the number of images they are receiving, and that the photographer chooses these
images, professionally edits them, and is under no obligation to deliver more images than the number agreed
upon.
By paying the non-refundable retainer, the client fully agrees to these terms.
WHAT TO CHARGE
Be sure you’re charging the right amount for your mini sessions. I think of what my full sessions cost, and
then break it down from there. For example, if you charge $200 for a 1-hour session, and mini sessions are 30
minutes, you should charge at least $100. You can also charge a little more than 50% of the full session since
it’s still a cheaper option. There’s not one right amount, and it really depends on what you offer and how much
your full sessions cost!
STAY ORGANIZED USING EXCEL
I use an Excel spreadsheet to make sure I’m not double booking myself, that retainers are paid, and to keep
track of email addresses! I create a column of the available times. When the client replies back with their time
choice, I put their name in the next column next to their preferred time. Then I’ll put their email address to the
column to the right of their name (you’ll see why this is important in the next section). Next to that I’ll put the
status of the invoice. When I send it, I’ll write, “sent”, and then when it is paid I’ll change it to “paid”.
INITIAL INQURY EMAIL
It’s very important to respond to all inquiries via email! This allows you to be more professional, and more
efficient. When I receive Facebook messages, I kindly ask them to email me or ask for their email so I can send
them details! I’m able to save a lot of time with Gmail’s canned response feature! You can write your email, then
save it as a canned response and name it. This way I can quickly send details without re-typing it out.
Here is the initial email I send after receiving an inquiry for mini sessions:
Hi {POTENTIAL CLIENT’S NAME}
I’m SO glad you are interested in mini sessions! These are always SO fun!! Here are some details about the ses-
sions. At the end of this email, I’ll ask for your top 2 session time preferences.
Date & Location:
Mini sessions are on {DATE} and will take place at {LOCATION NAME AND STREET ADDRESS}. I will send this
address again & specifics at least 1 week prior to the session.
Session Details:
The sessions are {LENGTH OF SESSION}, and within {TURN AROUND TIME} from the session I will send an
online gallery of at least {NUMBER OF IMAGES} edited images from the session. You will have complete rights
to these images.
Payment:
A {RETAINER AMOUNT} is needed to reserve a date, and I will send that via PayPal once a time is decided upon!
After that, the remainder of {REMAINDER AMOUNT} will be due the week of the session before the session
date, and I’ll send that via PayPal.
Inclement Weather:
In the case of inclement weather, sessions will be rescheduled based on my availability. If there are no days
available for you to reschedule, I will refund the deposit.
Times:
Here are the available times! I’m sending these times to multiple people, and times are first come first serve! If
I’m available your first or second choice, I’ll reply letting you know when I’ve sent an invoice. {SIDE NOTE: IT’S
ALSO A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A SET LENGTH OF TIME THE INVOICE NEEDS TO BE PAID WITHIN} Sessions
are only booked once the retainer invoice is paid.
Available times (all p.m.):
{LIST OUT YOUR TIMES}
If you’d still like to book, please reply with the first and second choice times for your session, and I’ll reply let-
ting you know if it’s still available along with an invoice!
Thanks so much!! I’m so excited for this opportunity to work with you!
FINAL DETAILS EMAIL
The deposit is paid, and the sessions are about a week out! I send another final email so everything is fresh on
my client’s mind and inbox, and they’re well prepared! Again, I create one email, save it in a canned response in
Gmail for future use, then send it to all those who signed up at once. Be sure to blind copy everyone so that his
or her privacy is protected. Since I created an Excel document to keep track of emails, I simply copy all of their
emails at once.
Here is the final details email I send one week out:
Hi {CLIENT’S NAME}!
I am SO excited for your mini session {DATE OF SESSION}! I wanted to include some last minute details so
you’re completely prepared and get the most out of your session!
Address: Here’s the address again! {INCLUDE STREET ADDRESS, AND WHERE EXACTLY THEY SHOULD PARK}
A tip for kids! Often, bringing a treat for your kids, or having something fun planned after is a great incentive
for them to do well during photos! Or if they have a favorite toy or stuffed animal that might help them, feel
free to bring it!
Timing: These sessions are back to back, so unfortunately arriving late cuts into your session time! 20 minutes
is plenty of time to get everything we need. But I would plan on arriving a little early just so you aren’t rushed
and able to enjoy this time with your family! That being said, if you arrive early, I’ll be working with the family
before you right until a couple of minutes before your session time begins. Thanks for your patience!
Contact: If you have ANY questions the day of your session, or any trouble finding the area (I’d recommend
driving by beforehand if you’re unfamiliar with the area!), please text me at 864-477-9137 and include your
name. I won’t be checking emails the day of your sessions, so texting allows me to see your message right away.
I also don’t answer my phone for unknown numbers, so if you call it might be ignored since I may not have your
number (I’ve been getting SO many sales calls lately, so this is easier!).
Final Payment: I’ll send out the invoices today, and they will be due before your session! If for some reason the
invoice isn’t paid before you arrive, still come but I won’t be able to send out your gallery until it is paid.
Thanks so much! Until Saturday {OR SESSION DAY|, please email me for any questions! I can’t wait to see you!!
Have an amazing week!
Here’s the schedule again with first names so you can be sure we have the same time down! Please contact me
asap for any questions about this :)
{INCLUDE TIME SLOTS WITH ONLY MOM’S FIRST NAME NEXT TO THE TIME TO PROTECT PRIVACY}
WHAT TO PHOTOGR APH
It’s important to have a system so you know exactly what you’re going to photograph and don’t miss anything!
While I love candid shots, most families want a formal one of everyone looking at the camera. A great way
to get both is start with the formal image looking at the camera, and then have them look at each other and
laugh/tickle the kids to also get the candid shot! I also start with individuals of kids since little ones often do
better at the beginning! Here’s a check sheet of everything I get in the order I normally shoot it:
Individuals of kids- close up and full body
Kids together- A lot of these! Parents love these!
Entire family- Photographing this right after the kids are together is great since parents can just jump in and
you’re set to go! Get everyone looking at camera, then at each other laughing. Switch up poses so they have
several options. Be sure to get a lot of these since this is the priority!
Mom with each child individually
Dad with each child individually
Mom with all kids (after this having dad jump in creates another family shot)
Dad with all kids
Parents together- Do this last
If there’s time, I also try to get an individual of just Mom alone and just Dad alone. They often use these for
profile pictures or wherever they need just a headshot!
HOW TO KEEP CLIENTS COMING BACK
On my last mini session day, every client was one I had photographed before. Some clients I had photographed
several times! Here are a few tips to offer an incredible experience to keep clients coming back!
Under promise, over deliver! I give my clients more images than I advertise. I almost always give around 50-
90% more! Since I shoot quickly and edit quickly, I normally have several more images than the advertised
amount to give my clients. Also, it might take me more time to decide which images to cut out than to just
upload some extra! Another way to keep clients returning is by getting images back to clients a LOT faster than
I promise. I have a fast workflow system down, so instead of 2 weeks I normally deliver in less than a week!
Make it a happy experience. Even if kids are screaming and parents are frustrated, keep a smile and keep en-
couraging. YOU have the power to make this a happy time for a family, and your positivity and encouragement
goes FAR! My clients thank me for making it such a fun and happy time!
Tell your clients exactly what to do! I don’t ask what area of the location they’d prefer, what sort of images they
want, or how they want to pose. I kindly TELL them! They prefer this!! This takes practice and confidence, but
your clients can sit back and enjoy more when they know YOU will take control and tell them what to do! This
will build their trust for you, and they’ll want to book you again when they see the amazing images of their
family they can cherish!
Reach out to past clients on your next mini session day! If you worked with a client you loved and they seem
crazy about their pictures, email them letting them know next time you announce mini sessions! They’ll feel
special you reached out to them first to give them early dibs on time choice, and aren’t as likely to miss the
announcement!
Ask for names beforehand so you can connect more with each family! This is also great for kids since they’ll
respond better to their name!
YOUR MINI SESSION WORKFLOW CHECKLIST
A recap going start to finish:
mDecide what date you will offer your mini sessions
mCalculate what to charge
mDecide what time slots will be available
mCreate an ad using your ideal client. Be sure to include:
A title (Ex: Fall Mini Sessions)
Date
City
Length of time
Number of images
Cost
mShare across social media accounts, and ask friends to share
mCreate a canned response for inquries
mCreate an Excel sheet to keep track of bookings, payments & email addresses
mCreate a contract
mSend out final detail email 1 week before
mSend out final invoice
mPhotograph sessions
mGive more images than promised
mDeliver earlier than promised
Thanks for downloading this guide! Visit
https://christarenephotography.com/education
for more educational materials!
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Love, Christa
