You may see me post about offering mini-sessions every spring and fall, and you might wonder, “What is a mini-session, and why is that the session for me?” Well, friends, I am here to tell you about my mini-sessions today! I offer mini-sessions seasonally because they are shorter than our usually 1 hour session, they are more affordable, and they give you exactly what you need out of a photo session- portraits of your loved ones and best moments that you can treasure for years to come!

1. Shorter session times: This is a biggie. Sometimes, we just want the basics. As a teacher, I always remember the general rule that my mentor told me during my first year of teaching. “You should not have 1 activity that has kids sitting for more minutes than the age that they are”…haha, that is confusing…. here is an example: If I am teaching a Kindergarten class, I try not to have them sitting during one activity for more than 5-6 minutes at a time. If I do extend the activity to a little longer, they start getting antsy and I know I am about to lose them. This is why mini-sessions are so wonderful, especially for families with younger children! Mini-sessions give us enough time to get those family portraits and individual shots of kiddos that can hang proudly on the wall or sit beautifully on a Christmas Card. During our mini-session together, we have enough time for family portraits, individual shots of kids, and even different shots of combos in the family. We stay at one location and I go right through the poses. You can usually find me playing peek-a-boo with a little one, or making silly faces and noises to get those sweet giggles out of your precious kiddos. By the time we are finished, the session has flown by and you know you will have some great images that you can treasure for years to come!  
2. The Investment: We all love a great deal, myself included! When I started this business, I always said that I would be the kind of photographer with the kind of packages that I would want to book, myself. I understand that these sessions are an investment for my families, and I take that very seriously. I want to honor that investment and deliver timeless, genuine images that my clients can treasure for the rest of their lives! I love the mini-sessions because I am able to offer them at a lower price. The mini-sessions are less time for me- less editing time, less travel time, and less time on location, so I am able to provide the same quality work for less of a cost to my clients.

3. The Final Product: I have said it before, and I will say it again…these mini-sessions are PERFECT if you are just looking for beautiful portraits of your sweet loved ones that you can treasure for generations! Our other sessions include more time for candid photos, and more of a lifestyle approach to our session. While those are also wonderful, they are not the type of session for everyone. I remember growing up and going to the studio for our yearly portrait as a family. While these photos are still hanging in my parents house, and are still close to my heart (minus the braces and poofy hair…), I wish mini-sessions were more popular while I was a kid. Our photos are all in a studio with a colorful backdrop, and all of us awkwardly sitting on stools or standing on blocks. Like….let’s be real, I was never taller than my dad, so why am I taller than him in our family photo?! I adore being able to use the natural light, the beautiful locations we choose, and the relaxed environment to capture these genuine and natural portraits. I hope that years from now, my clients will still have the portraits from our mini-sessions hanging on their walls, and that they will remember how beautiful of a time this was in their lives.

What are you waiting for?! If you have always wondered about mini-sessions, I hope that I was able to give you some insight into why they are the best thing ever. I hope you choose Elizabeth Alice Photography to shoot your family photos, but if not, I truly hope you are able to get photos to capture these moments in your lives! A picture is worth a thousand words; it is so true. Seeing these photos hanging on your walls will always remind you of the love you shared, and will continue to share with your precious ones FOREVER!!