Why are Mini Family Sessions SO good?!

Here’s The Thing

Family photography has gotten a bad name at times thanks to those, rather forced, ‘say cheese’ moments that ended up on your Nana’s mantlepiece. But I’m here to show you how having your photos taken can be a whole lot more fun for everyone involved! Some of my most favourite family photos have come from my seasonal ‘mini sessions’ which last only 15 minutes!

I love simple newborn sessions at home (like this one with sweet baby Quinn) and it’s always a great thing when grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins get together for a big photo session together. But some of my most favourite family photos over the years have come from my seasonal ‘mini sessions’ which last just 15 minutes!

So what exactly is a Mini Session and what makes it SO good?!

Well, simply put, a Mini Session is just like any of my outdoor family sessions, except it’s shorter and, some parents may say, sweeter! It’s the perfect opportunity to get updated photos of your little family unit for your own walls or to gift to the grandparents. And the absolute bonus? It just so happens to be a lot of fun for everyone involved!

I usually announce dates along with the times available on our instagram stories and it’s first come first served with reserving a slot.

Some families worry 15minutes might not be enough time for their child to get used to me, but as a wedding and family photographer for over 14 years, I have all the secret skills and silliness to capture kids and their different personalities during a mini session!

One of the best things about a mini session is that it’s plenty of time for me to get a few variations of your family together but not so long that your child (or your husband…!) has a chance to start feeling overwhelmed or fussy.

The most common thing parents say at the end of the mini session is how quick and simple it was! It’s even pretty common to have the same families book in again a year or two later because they found it was such an affordable way for them to get a fresh set of family photos. I love to see how much the kids have grown and changed between sessions!

Joy in 15

If you’ve hesitated to get family photos taken or worry about being in front of a camera for all the usual reasons, my mini sessions are the best way to ease you into the process. You can dress however you feel most comfortable (my favourite is when kids come along in their mis-matched gear they proudly picked out all by themselves!) and just take 15 minutes to enjoy being outdoors together. I encourage lots of squashy hugs and kisses from mum and dad and don’t mind playing hide and seek with the wild ones.

Whether you have one little babe in arms, 3 under 3, tweens or teens, these mini sessions are all about capturing the kind of photos that you can look back on and remember that exact, wild and wonderful, time in the life of your family.