What’s the difference between a Mini Session and a Full Session | Red Deer Photography

Portrait photographers depend on sessions for income.  Period.

The pressure from the public though, because so many people have a ‘nice camera’ is that photography should not cost much – mostly because so many people can take a good picture.  Lots of people can because if you have a slight eye for composition, can focus a lens and take a picture there is really not much more to it.  There are lots of photographers out there that work a full time job that supplement their photography income as a hobby job and that allows them to charge $25 – $50/session.  To be honest – that is their choice and they are not running a business like many other higher priced photographers are.  Does that bother me?  Nope, because why should it?  How they run their business has no bearing on how I run mine and if what they are doing makes them happy and their customers happy – good on them.  At some point they will probably have to raise their prices because burn out is hard – I have been there.  You loose all zest for the thing that you feel extremely passionate about and that is very upsetting – as well it take months, if not years to recover.

So how does this pertain to me discussing a mini session and a full session in this blog post?  Don’t worry – I am getting to that.

As a professional photographer I am constantly discussing pricing with potential customers.  It is the question on every single inquiry I receive and sometimes it become very apparent that my work is out of the price range of that potential customer.  My prices however reflect my cost of doing business, because at $50 a session, you would never be able to make an income to live on after paying for equipment, insurance, taxes, your wage, travel, etc.  If you run a legit business there is an expectation that you will charge like any other professional for your work.

The reality however is that in Alberta, Canada we have seen a massive recession with the collapse of the Oil Patch due to a global glut of oil that is available for the market currently.  There have been hundreds of thousands of job losses in the province due to this collapse, and while it WILL recover as it has done in the past, it has left a lot of people on limited budgets to still partake in the activities that they feel is important such as photography.  So on a very limited basis, Suzanne Taylor Photography offers seasonal mini sessions to choose from instead of full sessions.  This may be an awesome solution for your session inquiry and if it is I am super excited for you!!!  Mini sessions are structurally different in several areas from a regular session however so I felt it would be beneficial to explain the differences so you can decide if a mini session is right for you.

Session Comparison

1. Time:  The time of a mini session usually ranges from 15-25 minutes depending on the style of mini session that it is.  The regular time for a full session is between 1-2 hours depending on how the session is flowing and the locations that are decided upon to visit.  If you have adults, older kids, newborns, etc. that can follow instructions and manage a tight time frame, a mini session will likely be a great choice.  If you have babies, toddlers or younger children who will likely do the opposite of anything you ask for or hope they do then you may end up in a situation where that 15-25 min is going to be the time they spend having the most epic tantrum they will ever have.  During a full session, time is built in to relax during that time and let the child (and maybe you) recover.  If 10 of the 15-25 min is spent trying to sooth a child then that is time elapsed because there is always a session right before and right after (unless it is the last session of course) and there are no make ups or re-shoots from mini sessions (except extreme illness, accident, act of God style situations).
2. Location: Mini sessions are always held in the same location as everyone else’s session for timing purposes.  Full sessions are held often in at least two separate locations that allow full versatility to shine through in your images.  If you don’t like a location you are always free to request that we move to a new one with a full session as well.
3. File Sizes: This is a point that many photographers have struggled with over the years.  Mini Sessions are MINI for a reason.  Often I will see photographers offer ‘mini sessions’ that rival even their own full sessions.  I can assure you that squeezing in a full session in less time to produce more work for yourself is NOT the best idea for your sanity or income.  My mini sessions are structured so that your final file sizes will print well to an 8×10 (0r slightly higher) which is perfect for the annual Christmas or Holiday card, a few 8×10’s to send to the grand parents, etc.  If you need a larger print or medium (canvas or metal) of your session images, I encourage my customers to come back so that I can assure the quality and colours of the product.  Saving a few dollars on a cheap canvas seems like a great idea until it starts to fade after six months and you have to replace it or *gulp* throw it out.  Full session file sizes will print excellent to above a 16×24 size.
4. Creativity:  While I work EXCEPTIONALLY hard to make everyone’s session unique, mini sessions make that really hard.  Time time allowed does not allow for a lot of posing or creative ideas.  Instead people normally come with a small laundry list of the images they are looking for like “parents, parents with kids, kids individual, kids together, family picture”.  If that is what your list looks like – perfect!  You are an awesome Mini Session customer!  If your list looks like mine with a request for full individuals, all groupings, about three different family options for posing, etc. then likely a full session would best suit your needs.

These are the MAIN areas I personally feel that my mini’s differentiate from my full creative sessions.  The style of edit is the same, the quality is the same, its really just a mini version of the regular full version – which is what your paying for.

Suzie
True Emotion Captured as Art.