Are you wondering which is a better fit for you- a full session or a mini session?

Here we are again at the start of the busiest time of year for family photos in Florida. A question that always comes up this time of year is whether I suggest Full or Mini Sessions? The answer is really very personal. Both can be great options, but your goals for the session and family dynamics can help to find the best fit. I am always happy to talk it through with you. However, I wanted to give you a few points to think about that will help to steer you in the right direction for your family.

1. Time

The amount of time for the session is, of course, the biggest difference between the two. So, what does that mean? For some families it might not be a huge factors, for others it is. When you book a Full Session with me I make sure the evening (or morning) is devoted to you. I am able to be more flexible and give your family time to warm up, time for breaks, sometimes even location or clothing changes. With a Mini Session your family is often scheduled between two other sessions. This means every moment of our 15-30 minute session is precious. It is important to be on time and ready to go. Some families love to jump right in and don’t need a ton of time for transitions. If that sounds like you a mini might be the perfect fit.

2. Location

Mini Sessions are offered at specific locations on specific times and dates. This makes updating your family portrait fairly quick and easy if your schedule is flexible and you don’t have your heart set on a specific location. While I try to offer a variety of Mini Session locations throughout the year, some locations are better matched for minis. For example the sweetest light at the beach is truly just before and after sunset. This means I have about 30 minutes for the most magical images. Because of that I can only hold 2 beach minis at a time. This makes the beach the perfect location for a Full Session. If you have your heart set on a specific location, it might be a great time to schedule a Full Family Session.

3. Cost

Full Session provide you more images and more choices, and therefore the cost is higher. Mini Sessions are great for quick family portrait updates when you don’t need more than a handful of images. Because I am photographing a group of families at the same time and location, I can tailor the session in order to keep costs down.

4. Pace & Posing

Earlier we talked about the difference in time between a Full and Mini Session. However, with less time comes a faster pace session! This means for Mini Sessions along with maximizing our time, we will want to focus on updated family portrait poses. We will aim to capture both posed and candid family images first. From there I will photograph the children together for a bit and then grab a shot of Mom and Dad. If time permits and we are really rolling I am happy to try for individual shots of each child, however the main goal is the family. Full Sessions on the other hand give us a nice relaxed pace that allows for slower transitions, this means more games and the ability to cater to shy or apprehensive little ones. With a Full Session your gallery will include all the same poses of a mini along with the added bonus of individual images of the kids, and many other fun combinations along the way. (Mom with kids, Dad with kids, more candids, details, etc.)

5. Products

A Full Session is always the best choice for families wanting to create a gallery wall, album, or if you haven’t had a session in a while. However, if you are really looking for a few good images for a Christmas card or holiday gifts the Mini Session may work wonderfully!

I hope you found this helpful! As always feel free to reach out if you want to chat more about what is the best for your family’s sessions. You can reach me here!