How to grow your mini session business with BookMe
April 30th, 2021
Lindsey Winkler, owner of LKW photography based in Yukon, OK, has been pursuing her passion for photography over the past 10 years. She originally started taking photos of her niece’s high school cheer and pom teams after her husband gifted her a new camera as a Christmas gift. As her photography hobby turned into a passion she started booking high school seniors to do their senior portraits and in Lindsey’s words – it’s her JAM! This past year she started using Zenfolio’s BookMe tool and it became a lifesaver for her mini sessions and helped to simplify and save her time when booking all of her loyal client’s photoshoots. Check out Lindsey’s interview below:
How has BookMe helped you with your business workflow?
- It has saved me countless hours of back and forth communication and organizing with clients.
- I don’t have to chase clients to collect money for their shoot or remind them to pay the day of when I’m shooting. So much less hassle and less to worry about!
- BookMe’s automatic reminders regarding session times, locations, and payment reminders when needed saves me so much time!
What was your workflow like prior to using bookme?
My workflow was just little ‘ol me doing it all manually in a calendar book or on a spreadsheet. It definitely took more effort lining everyone up in their time slots and making sure they sent their payment to me via any payment method possible. BookMe keeps my shoots all in one place and I don’t have to micromanage them or client payments.
How did you decide on your pricing and custom packages for senior portraits?
I had a starting point and have increased my “Collection” prices ( and what is included with each Collection) each year that my business grows. I try to stay competitive with the industry pricing in my area but not be the top tier. I offer several collections to meet my varying clientele’s different budget needs.
Any tricks you have learned or secrets that have really helped you during a senior photo session?
I make sure I’m more awkward than they feel they are. 🙂 I make it laid back and fun so they don’t feel too much pressure, so their personalities shine and so they are comfortable and have a blast.
Do you meet with the senior prior to shooting to gather information about them or prepare/plan for their shoot?
We correspond via text, social media, email or phone calls. I carefully plan out each session to coordinate with their outfit choices, personality and scenery preferences.
When did you start shooting mini sessions and what do your clients love about them?
I have offered mini sessions several times a year since I started my business. BookMe has been a lifesaver for booking and organizing my mini sessions. Clients can budget to do a mini session several times a year to capture their kids ever-changing faces and milestones. They love the fast paced photo session time (especially for little ones and cranky husbands 🙂
Do you have any tips to keep things running smoothly and timely during your mini sessions?
- I suggest leaving a 5-10 minute time buffer in between every single client. It never fails, someone will show up late or a session will run late if you are working hard to get a little one to cooperate and you may run over your time.
- I always prep my clients beforehand, requesting they arrive early, plan for tricky parking or crazy traffic, etc.
- PRO TIP: Make sure you have extra SD/Memory cards and extra charged camera batteries on hand for mini session days.
With a little time and effort, you can customize BookMe to easily integrate right into your photography business workflow. Clients will love the simplicity and ease when it comes to booking a shoot or consultation, and you will save hours of time coordinating your future photo shoots and collecting payments.
Don’t have BookMe yet?
Login to your Zenfolio account today and sign up for BookMe and start simplifying your client bookings, scheduling and payments.
Hi! My name is Lindsey Winkler, sole owner operator of LKW Photography. I started photography a little over 10 years ago alongside my x-ray job but didn’t pursue it full time until 4 years ago. I absolutely love what I do, meeting new clients and embracing my loyal longtimers. Seniors are my JAM!! I have an amazing, supportive husband and 2 wonderful children. I work hard so I can be with them more – even though that means working every single weekend, pretty much every single day actually, many late night hours and it all being a constant juggling act. I wouldn’t change a thing! I am a lover of iced decaf vanilla lattes, tacos and animals. I also love Jesus, and my family and friends are everything to me.
