• Business and Management

Creative mini session ideas to attract clients year-round.

Find yourself fancying the idea of getting more bang for your buck as a photographer? Yes, full length sessions can be financially lucrative, but at what cost? When you factor in things like your time for the session itself, travel and mileage, creative energy, and more time culling and editing an actual ton of (often quite redundant) photos…is it always the best use of your time? Is there an alternative that might offer a higher profit overall? 

What if I told you that there was a way to curb your time and workload per session–and here’s the kicker–while also bringing home significantly more than you would in a single full session? I’m talking about mini sessions: a bunch of abbreviated sessions stacked one on top of the other. Abbreviated how? In every way! Abbreviated in location, duration, image number, time, and price. It’s a win for everyone involved. 

If you’re unsure, let’s consider a real world example: 

You charge $850 for your full length family sessions that are peppered here and there throughout your Summer and Fall calendar. You’re thrilled–but also kind of sad–that nearly all of your weekends are booked with session commitments (can’t forget to allow for rain/weather dates if you’re an outdoor photog!) You wanted to fit in a few vacations with your family and a long weekend with friends–but that’s a photographer’s life and you need the income! 

Let’s say a family books you for a one hour session at their beautiful home–it’s only 45 minutes away, that’s not so bad–and in exchange you guarantee them 40 stunning images (you shot 516 while you were there, but who’s counting). You love having time for documenting and capturing those in-between moments, but even though you tried your best to leave after the scheduled hour, the mom kept you an additional 15 minutes with “one more request”. You return home later than planned, having worked half of your Saturday already. Adding up your travel time, session time, and post processing time (two hours if you’re on your most supreme A-game), you’re easily at almost a five to six hour time commitment for this one full family session. But still… $850. You justify it in your mind: that much money for just over an hour of shooting? Can’t beat that. 

A photographer friend has started raving about her mini sessions, and your curiosity gets the better of you, so you do some digging. It doesn’t take long to realize that this might be a lucrative way for you to get a few weekends (and your sanity) back, offer an appealing price to your potential clients online that love your work but can’t afford your usual rate, and still make enough money to pay the bills. Instead of nearly all of your weekends disappearing, you open up a weeknight, block out time for your vacations, and set aside two of the weekends when you won’t be away having fun. 

Those two you intentionally schedule as your back-to-back mini-session days. With (10) 10 minute sessions scheduled 15 minutes apart on Saturday morning, and an additional 5 on Saturday afternoon (or Sunday, if 15 in one day sounds exhausting), you shoot a total of 30 sessions over your two weekends (spanning 3-4 hours per weekend.) You host them in your studio or pick a nearby location–either way, ensuring your clients come to you so travel time is limited and concentrated on each day over the weekend. 

You find yourself being more thoughtful in your shooting since your time is limited, and in the 10 minutes that you have each client, you’re averaging 75 shutter clicks–plenty to choose from! With that, post processing is a fraction of what it is for a full family session, and you blow through culling and editing in 20-30 minutes per family. All in all, your time commitment per weekend is hovering around 10 hours. At $350/pop for this type of session, you’re looking at $5,250 per weekend… $10,500 total: working smarter, not harder. Kind of makes killing yourself over filling your calendar exclusively with standalone photo sessions and losing sleep getting through all the editing seem…unnecessary? That’s the word.  

Intrigued? You should be! Let’s take a deeper dive into mini sessions to uncover what might work for you. The beauty of mini sessions is that there are countless ways to offer them. They can be curtailed for your business, your target market, your shooting style, and your preferred date. Some photographers hold them monthly, some prefer hosting more during their slow season, and others offer them only during high-demand times of year, so they can fit in more clients. 

There is no limit to the types of mini sessions you can offer, so be prepared to put that thinking cap on and get creative! Whether you’re shooting seasonal sessions ahead of the holidays, general “no reason” mini sessions for fun, or milestone mini sessions for existing clients…the opportunities are endless. You can even be as creative as conducting pop up mini sessions for clients in unique environments–super fun, super creative, and super memorable for your customers! 

Questions to ask yourself about mini sessions:

Thinking about the world of possibilities at your fingertips, it’s possible to become a tad overwhelmed. Don’t shut down, though! Simply ask yourself a few questions to hone in on what makes the most sense for your business. With that, you should be able to create some focus in a single direction, and drown out the possibilities that aren’t as relevant for your business in particular. 

1. What type of mini-session serves your ideal client base? Are you a portrait photographer dealing with a ton of families and kids? A pet photographer dealing with animals of all kinds? A studio photographer doing a range of work? Your bread and butter should determine the type of mini-session you offer in terms of location, frequency, length, image number offered, and therefore price. 

2. Does it make sense for you to include props? If you’re doing mini sessions for little ones, for example, should you provide the blankets, chairs, and props they’ll be using? Are you going with a simple setup like outdoors or a white backdrop or are there seasonal decorations that would entice your target clients? 

3. How many should you do? What’s your goal for the total number of sessions and what times of year fit your schedule best? The world is your oyster, here, but be realistic! If you’re new to mini sessions, maybe 50 sessions in three months is a bit lofty–and unattainable in reality. By all means, push yourself, but please also consider what’s legitimately doable in light of your location, market, experience, and goals. 

Types of mini sessions you can offer.

mini sessions can vary in season, location, theme, reason…you name it. All you need to do is set your details, slap a name on the type of session you’re promoting, and invite people to join. Perhaps the most common mini sessions are ones that highlight the changing of the seasons, and that occur around a certain time each year. Though they can, they may not need an actual theme; they simply need a marker in time…think: end of school year, end of summer, pre-holiday. 

Seasonal and holiday themes.

Perhaps the most popular mini sessions are holiday themed mini sessions. Many photographers will simply offer an opportunity to shoot “holiday card photos” for their families ahead of Thanksgiving, knowing full well that Christmastime is a time for exchanging seasons greetings and tidings of great joy. If you’re aiming to up your numbers for mini sessions, you will miss out if you skip this one. Speaking of Christmas, there’s not a mom around who would pass on an opportunity to get some photos of their little ones with Santa. Hire the big man himself, with his beard and a velvet red suit, and watch those time slots fill. 

Christmas isn’t all there is to promote, though! This is where it can be fun to get creative: Halloween costume mini sessions, Easter mini sessions (with a real live bunny!?), Fourth of July themed mini sessions, complete with candid shots of little ones and families playing with glowsticks and sparklers (if age appropriate) at twilight. Can you see this getting more fun by the minute? Here are a few ideas broken down by season–no matter what time of year your seasons are in your location, we’ve got you covered.

Winter ideas:

• Ice castle mini sessions: many cold-weather locations build an ice castle or structure in the winter. Contact one nearest to you and offer ice princess kid sessions, or artistic and dreamy couple or solo portrait glamour sessions in these unique spaces.
• Snow mini sessions: photographing in the snow on a sunny day or during a snowstorm is similar to shooting on a white sandy beach–the reflected light can be amazing! Great for kids, families, pets, and more. 

Spring ideas: 

• Blossoming tree mini sessions: fruit trees and other spring blooming trees like magnolias can make for a dreamy location filled with soft pastel tones. Search out parks with cherry trees or local fruit orchards–contact orchards in advance to find out their policies regarding photo sessions. Many will even recommend the best dates for blossoms.  
• Tulip, Peony, lupine, and other spring bloom mini sessions: imagine photographing your favorite subjects reposing on a soft blanket, surrounded by a rainbow of blossoming tulips in a huge field, or surrounded by massive pastel peonies dripping petals. Wishing it was spring right now? Me too. 
• Baby goat mini sessions: you’ve probably seen someone offering goat yoga in the springtime over the past few years, or paid to bring your kids to goat petting. Why? They are absolutely adorable, and are strong (aka don’t require super gentle handling) from a pretty early age. Find a good partner, whether it is a local farm or a friend who has some for pets, and get ready for cuteness overload.

Summer ideas:

• Watermelon mini sessions: celebrate the hottest part of the summer with priceless pictures of your precious little ones… juice dribbling down their smiling, sticky faces! 
• Ice cream mini sessions: same concept as the watermelon, imagine lots of colorful sprinkles and bigger smiles. 
• Sprinkler mini sessions: keeping in the theme of getting a little messy–whether you stake out a corner of the splashpad at your local park or set up a few sprinklers in your backyard, water play will deliver joyful photos and beat the heat. 
• Sunflower mini sessions: fields full of these tall yellow flowers are a popular location for summer portraits–maximize your time and schedule several clients near sunrise or sunset for amazing golden hour light blending with the deep yellow blooms. 

Autumn ideas: 

• Pumpkin-patch mini sessions: quintessentially fall, hold mini sessions at a pumpkin patch or create a setup outdoors or in your studio with a collection of various-sized pumpkins.
• Corn sheaf or corn maze mini sessions: prefer neutrals but looking for something that shouts “fall”? Tall, dry, beige plants like corn stalks make a picturesque backdrop for your sessions, whether on location at a maze or bunched into sheafs at an outdoor or indoor location of your choice. 
• Apple orchard mini sessions: with evenly planted rows of trees full of apples and tall grasses, orchards are a great location for posed portraits and provide an opportunity for mixing in some lifestyle shots of kids or families picking–and munching on–apples.
• Autumn leaves mini sessions: keep an eye on peak leaf season and this one will be a breeze! Local parks, nature preserves, state or national parks, nature trails with clearings, and even college campuses dotted with changing foliage can serve as the perfect colorful location for mini sessions. 

When planning your mini sessions, keep two important things in mind: 

1. Avoid the temptation of naming your themed minis with a copyright or trademarked brand (looking at you, 2024’s Barbie–I mean, “Fashion Doll” themed photo sessions!) 
2. When incorporating live animals in your minis, have a designated animal handler and proper licensing to keep it humane–and legal. Small children can sometimes be rough with animals, especially if they aren’t familiar with its special care or handling. Getting licensed and having extra hands dedicated to the animals’ safety are equally important. 

General and “evergreen” mini session ideas.

As I mentioned, there’s no need to rely solely on holidays or appropriate weather for your mini sessions. Instead of focusing on the time of year, focus on the focal point (the who, and the what) of what people want to remember forever. Mommy and Me mini sessions are incredibly special (and popular) because they focus on that bond between mom and her little ones… and let’s be real, mom’s are often the ones taking the picture, not starring in it. Grandparent mini sessions are pure gold–and, might I say–a fantastic gift idea for the grandparents in your life! 

Still need other ideas? Try these during your slow season, or pick your favorite and incorporate it in your calendar and business plans as a monthly or quarterly event. 

• Headshot mini sessions: promote a special day where business professionals come ready for their quick and painless closeup. Some photographers also offer on-site hair and makeup with a local HMUA (hair and makeup artist) for this type of session, either as an add-on or with the cost built into the session fee.
• Pet mini sessions: we all know how loved our furry friends are–and how irresistible it is to have cute photos of them! 
• Couples mini sessions: create unique opportunities for all the love-birds to celebrate their anniversaries. 
• Best friend mini sessions: encourage your clients to celebrate their friendships–no significant other required!
• Boudoir mini sessions: capture those special pictures for your client and their special someone. 
• Black & white mini sessions: yes, this is as simple as it sounds! All you need is a plain backdrop and your favorite subjects–from kids to pets to adults–to get started offering a day of timeless portraiture. Bonus points (and a higher price tag!) if you have experience and gear for a rare classic technique such as tintypes. 

Pro tip: While none of these ideas require a holiday, boudoir minis are a huge hit leading up to Valentines day! 

Milestone minis

Don’t miss the opportunity to host a mini-session day revolving around those major life milestones. Milestone mini sessions can be anything from seasonal-esque back to school mini sessions, baby’s first year milestones (at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months), or your more formal and traditional cap and gown graduation photos. Either way, parents will not want to miss an opportunity to celebrate these once-in-a lifetime moments for the kiddos in their lives. 

Pop-up mini session ideas.

And finally, we have the Pop-up mini session. What’s that? Envision a small event, hosted for a specific audience, in a unique setting. Think: snow-day mini sessions, where your clients meet you in a field full of the white stuff to frolic and have (gentle and playful, of course) snowball fights with their loved ones. 

Know a small biz owner with a clothing boutique? Collaborate on a special event where clients can put together a fun outfit, get a discount, and have portraits taken in their new look. Invite a hair and/or makeup artist and help everyone feel truly pampered.

Besties with a local toy store? Find a date during the store’s slow season, throw in a store discount and super cute mini session portraits of kids, then combine both your email lists for marketing and expose your two businesses to new clients. Create a corner with a stuffy paradise, Lego kingdom, kid’s kitchen–the ideas abound! 

Another idea? State Fair mini sessions: Is there anything more special than families enjoying those lights and fried food smells at twilight? The possibilities with that one are endless, and the creative opportunities are even greater when you consider all of the things you can do with your shutter speed as you  make a portrait by the funky and colorful glow of ferris wheel lights.  

So there you have it: dozens of different ways you can make mini sessions work for your business. And why wouldn’t you try one, when you consider how minis can be such an income booster for a minimal output per session? 

And, not as if you actually needed any icing on the cake, but I’ll give you some anyway: if you use Zenfolio’s booking and scheduling tool, you’ll save hours in creating invoices and organizing dates for your clients–who, by the way, will greatly appreciate the simplicity and seamlessness of securing, paying for, and corresponding about their mini session timeslot all in one place. Finally, gallery delivery and product fulfillment has never been easier (or prettier!) than it is when using Zenfolio’s powerful online tools. Don’t take my word for it–give it a try! You’ll be so glad you did.

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