Growing into Minis: A Photographer’s First Holiday Experience
My first year as a photographer, I kept hearing one big buzzword: minis. Even as a client, I was always drawn to mini sessions—the value and lower price point made them an easy choice. But stepping into the photographer role meant I had to figure out how to manage them from the other side of the lens. Around Christmas, it seemed like every studio in the area was renting out elaborate setups. I quickly realized I wasn’t ready for that kind of financial commitment. I was still new to photography, and limiting myself to just one or two days of sessions felt too restrictive. I just wasn’t there yet.
Thankfully, I live on a farm with plenty of open space to create my own setup. My family also owns a one-of-a-kind vintage truck that I knew would make my sessions stand out. After a couple of trips to Hobby Lobby, I had a setup ready—and I was excited to start advertising.
Originally, I scheduled three specific dates for my Christmas minis. While I did get a few bookings, the slots didn’t fill up like I had hoped. So I switched things up and began offering sessions on any available day—and boom. The bookings started rolling in. In all honesty, having one to two families per day worked better for me than back-to-back sessions with only a ten-minute buffer. This slower pace allowed me to promise a two-day turnaround time, since I could edit the same night and the following day. I finally found a rhythm that felt balanced and sustainable. Best of all, my setup was right outside my home.
Choosing Flexibility Over Timers for Real, Joyful Moments
Every family I worked with loved that my setup was outdoors instead of in a studio. It gave kids the space to move, explore, and genuinely have fun—which always makes for better photos. Because I only scheduled one or two sessions per day, I had extra time to spend with each family. I built my schedule around 30-minute sessions, but when little ones needed a bit more time, I was able to extend the session by 10–15 minutes without stress. I could do that because the setup was on my own property and on my own terms. And lets face it, no matter how good you are with kids, sometimes they just need time to adjust. Not fun, silly props.
After going through a full season with my own Christmas setup, I can’t imagine switching to a rented studio space…at least not yet! Don’t get me wrong—the rentable setups are beautiful and full of gorgeous decor, but they’re also strict on timing. And for me, time is everything when I want to offer families flexibility and patience. I want parents to receive a gallery full of smiling kids and real moments, and the best way I’ve found to deliver that is by giving each session the time and care it deserves.
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