Mini sessions are short and sweet versions of full sessions. You are working with a limited time frame so it’s important to plan ahead. Below are my tips and advice for every client to ensure a successful shoot and experience!

Arrive early! Be sure arrive a few minutes before so you are ready to shoot AT your scheduled time. Sessions are booked back to back so if you are late, you will only have the remaining time to complete your session. Some locations may have limited parking so always allow yourself enough time to park and walk if need be.

WHAT TO WEAR

I know planning what to wear for your photos can sometimes be stressful but as your photographer, the last thing we want is for you to stress! The most important thing to remember is to keep it authentic to your true style (dressy, casual, country, etc.), and follow these helpful tips on how to make it work.

TIP 1: A good rule of thumb is to coordinate but don’t match.

TIP 2: Choose one person’s outfit first (usually mom or the person planning the session) and then style everyone around that outfit. Pick a 2-3 color palette with neutrals that flow throughout the outfits and mix patterns, textures and fabrics.

TIP 3: Pinterest is a great resource for inspiration on what to wear for a family photo session. If you need some help getting started, here is a Pinterest board I put together with some good examples of coordinated outfits: GLP STYLE BOARD

Important Note: Competing patterns and multiple “busy” prints, along with t-shirts with big logos, images, and/or words on it is not recommended. Keep your wardrobe choices simple, so that they don’t take away from the moment. Also, bright reds, shiny reds and magentas, and oranges can often leave a color cast on the person's skin standing next to the person wearing it or the person wearing it. There's no guarantee that we can edit that out.

KIDS

I recommend feeding your kids before the session (lots of protein and little sugar) and they should be good to go!

Also, telling your children how important the photos are, or how they need to smile or act a certain way, can cause stress on little ones. Set them up for success by making it as casual as possible, and just encourage them to be their (best) natural selves. If you are helping to make the kids smile, try to remember to stand nice and close to the camera/me!

ADDITIONAL INFO

Don't Stress! Mini Sessions are so much fun and really the point is for them to be as little stress on you as possible. So my best advice for you is to think of it as a fun activity for you and your family (or your fiance, or your baby bump, or your sister, or WHOEVER) and don’t stress over it. I’m there to capture you having fun and create memories of a beautiful day. This is the type of session where we have fun and I love these so much for this reason!

I encourage all my clients to be in the moment and not stress about the end result. We will get some beautiful photos, I can promise! You will be more emotionally attached to the images if you have FUN while taking them. Relax, enjoy the time spent with your family, and I will catch some amazing moments for you that you can cherish forever!

I hope these tips are helpful, but if you have any questions about anything written above, or just about the session in general, please do not hesitate to ask. I look forward to working with you soon!