My Weekend Of Mini Sessions
Hey hey!
This weekend was a huge weekend of mini sessions with the added bonus of a full shoot as well.
I had 20 families booked in with a local pre-prep school over 2 mornings. We had 10 booked in for each morning.
We didn't quite end up photographing the whole 10 on the first day because we had a couple who couldn't make it on the day, due to other commitments or being unwell. When this happens, I always have a few spare days that I use as 'make-up' days. Not only does rescheduling give you a second chance at being able to up-sell, but it also makes the client extremely happy and grateful.
Sunday we had the full schedule. We've added a 3rd morning this coming Saturday for those who couldn't make it and also for those who missed out on a space the first time around.
With our normal family mini-session bookings I'll only do ten 15 minute sessions in a row because personally I find that's a nice amount for me. Here's how the weekend went...
1. Saturday morning was foggy, so we couldn't start at 8am like we'd planned. Unfortunately, this meant we were running half an hour behind. The good news is that I always add a sneaky 15 minute break at 9:15 to allow for catch up's if we need them. One of the families who couldn't make it (sickness) were around the same time, so we were back on track for the second half of the day's schedule.
2. Always listen to your timer. If you shoot over your limit by 2-3 minutes, you'll end up being 20-30 minutes behind before you get to the last booking. Little kids (and sometimes Dads), don't like to wait around and can get easily bored. Instead of setting a 15 minute timer, I set my alarms in the clock feature of my phone. This means I don't have to start the timer and I know it's going to keep me on track. My helper on the day is under strict instructions to also keep me on time with a friendly reminder if I miss an alarm. I keep my phone in the back pocket of my jeans, with the button pointing upwards, so I can easily turn off each alarm discretely.
3. I had a beautiful family with 4 kiddies which included a gorgeous 9 week old. I wasn't quite finished with them when their timer went off. I asked them if they wouldn't mind waiting until after the next family so we could continue their shoot. This allowed them time to feed bubs, and we were able to grab some more beautiful images to add to their gallery. It was perfect because it was the last shoot for the day, so it was no problem at all.
4. If you're shooting outside, you're at the mercy of the weather. Have a back up plan, or be flexible if you need to pivot and change your plan slightly. Communication is key. With every new family before our catch-up break, I explained the problem with the fog, and they were all 100% okay. Most of them expected it to be slightly behind because of it. We had a few jokes and a laugh about it which also put them at ease.
I'm so grateful to all of my families who book mini sessions as I know how much effort goes into getting everyone ready and there on time. I don't see minis as a cheaper session, but rather a more convenient session for families. Life is busy and it can be hard to allocate a whole afternoon to one event, especially as the kids get older. I always treat each family like they've booked the most expensive sessions because photoshoots just aren't about the photos, but how you make them feel.
Here's a sneaky little look at some of the pics from recent mini sessions....
And let's not forget my helper for the day, my daughter Sophie. Soph not only keeps me on time, but she's also my second shooter. While everyone is looking at me, she's busy getting the side view and any little awesome shots in-between.
She was a huge help this weekend, thanks Soph!
