Sometimes as photographers we get some tough questions. Especially during mini-sessions season! I’ve been shooting high-volume mini-sessions for years, and every year some of the same questions come up. 

I’ve had photographers ask me what to do in these scenarios, so I’m sharing my answers for some of the most common questions I get from clients about booking minis!

 

“Is 15 minutes enough time to get good photos of my kids?”

I always assure my clients that 15 minutes is more than enough time to get great shots of their family. Because I use my shooting workflow, I know I can get every shot I need in about 7 minutes if everyone is cooperating. This leaves another 7 minutes of time to play around and do what needs to be done to get the kids to cooperate! (See more tips on that HERE.)

I also let my clients know that when they book with me, they’ll receive my Client Experience Guide that gives tips for preparing their kids for our session. In almost every mini-session I shoot, families are pleasantly surprised with how well it goes. (Yes, VERY rarely a kid will cry the whole time, but even that isn’t too bad. Read “What to Do If a Kid Cries During a Mini-Session”)

 

“Can Grandma/Grandpa/Aunts/Uncles come too?”

This question comes up a few times every mini-sessions season. It is a valid question because most of the time my minis revolve around times when families are coming into town for holidays. Because my 15-minute sessions are designed for immediate family only, I know I won’t be able to get every combination the family will want with their extended family, too. 

When families want their extended family involved, I encourage them to book two spots back-to-back. If one spot comes with 5 images, then their 2 spots come with 10 images total. This setup works great if you do well under a time crunch! If you aren’t as confident with being able to handle that many people in 30 minutes, you can get them to book a full session instead.

 

“Can I see the unedited photos? Maybe there’s some in there I will like better.”

This is a big N-O! NEVER give unedited photos to your clients. When I get this question (and it rarely comes up), I let them know that I can take another pass through the RAW photos, but I already gave them the best ones to choose from in their gallery. The rest that didn’t make it were either duplicates or had eyes closed or something like that.

 

“That mini-sessions date doesn’t work for us. Could we do next Sunday instead?”

When clients want to book a mini-session on a date of their choice, they can book a full session. Like I mention in “What Is A Mini-Session? (And What ISN’T)”, mini-sessions are meant to be stacked in a time block on a date you (the photographer) chooses. If a client isn’t available on the mini-session dates I have, I encourage them to book a full session. If they’re insistent on wanting a mini, I politely refer them to someone else. It stinks when I have to send someone away, but it’s super important to keep your minis what they are…a MINI!

 

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If you've ever gotten any other tough questions that you'd like to have answers to, comment them below and I'd love to take a stab at them!

For a deeper dive into all things mini-sessions, check out my free 1-hour class, “How to Market, Monetize, and Grow Your Photography Business with Mini-sessions.”

You may also like…

“Walking Through My Client Experience Guide”

“My 3 Favorite Family Posing Prompts”

3 Reasons to Send a Mini-Sessions Questionnaire to Clients

“How to Book Mini-Sessions (With No Client Base)”