Full Family Session or Mini Photoshoot? What to Choose for Your Family Photos

Your family is growing so fast!! Do you even remember the last time you had your photos taken?! If you’re in the market for some family portraits, you actually have options! You can go for a quick mini session or a full family session. Each has pros and cons depending on how busy your life is right now, what your budget is, and what the final results will be! I’m here to go over the ins and outs of both types of family photoshoot sessions to get you feeling informed and confident for your family photos!

What’s a Mini Session?

Maybe you’re new to the whole photo taking experience!! So let’s start with what a mini session is. In essence, it’s a fraction of the time and cost of a full session of a photographer’s typical packages. You’ll still get dressed up and gather the family for some nice portraits together. But you’ll be out of there faster and your investment will be lower! Sounds pretty great, right?

However! It’s important to note that not all photographers offer mini sessions. Each photographer is a little bit different when it comes to this. Sometimes, photographers offer mini sessions on a one-time basis, or maybe just a few times a year, etc. Many decide that it doesn’t fit their style. And, the experience that can be offered when it comes to a full session just isn’t quite the same! Some choose to do a day of mini sessions for families looking to get a few new updated photos during special times of the year. You will be able to get a good idea about whether or not your favorite family photographer offers minis by checking out their offerings online or on social media, and reaching out to ask!

Mini Family Sessions with Bryndle (That’s me!)

Now, of course I wouldn’t be talking about mini sessions without telling you about how you can take advantage of them with me! I offer midweek mini sessions that I schedule Monday through Thursdays, during the months of November-April. The summertime is peak photo season and is reserved for weddings and full family sessions! I offer mini sessions at nearly half the cost of a full family session for less than half of the time of a full session. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, lots can get accomplished in a mini session! You’ll still get a gorgeous mini-gallery with stunning family pics. But what should you really consider before booking a mini over a regular session? When might a full family session be better?

Cost Breakdown: Mini vs. Full Family Session

Keep in mind that the costs for every photographer vary by experience and value. My prices for mini and full family sessions are listed out here to give you an idea of how much the cost varies between the two types, and to give you an idea of what you can expect to invest when you want to have family pics taken!

Full Family Session

• Starting at $470
• 60 minutes of shooting
• 25% retainer + signed contract to book
• Pre-session chat and check-in (via phone or over FaceTime)
• Style Guide to help you pick out what to wear
• As many outfit changes as time allow (usually between 1-3)
• Online access to your gallery of edited images
• 40 professionally edited images (with the option to purchase more)
• Full printing rights

Mid-Week Mini Sessions

• Starting at $320
• Can only be booked through the months of November-April
• 20 minutes of shooting
• 50% retainer + signed contract to book
• Location: Sunriver or 20 mi. round trip from 97739
• Style Guide to help you pick out what to wear
• 1 outfit
• Online access to your gallery of edited images
• 20 professionally edited images (with the option to purchase more)
• Full printing rights

As you can see, there are a lot of similarities between the two types of family sessions. The biggest differences are time, cost, and the number of images delivered to you!

When should you book a mini session?

Okay, so we’ve hit all the big differences between the two session types. Maybe you’re starting to get an idea of which one is right for you! But, realistically, when is it better to schedule a mini session over a full family session?! 

It’s actually pretty simple! When all you need are a few updated images of the whole fam, a mini session is the perfect choice. 25 images may not sound like a lot, but you can get tons of variety and fun options! Narrowing down everything we shoot at your session to just 25 images may be hard to do as well, but if you’re down for that challenge, a mini session is going to be perfect!

When should you book a full family session?

Oftentimes at a photoshoot, it’s necessary to dig deeper and find the flow and comfortability that comes with spending more time with me. Allowing your photographer to build rapport and trust with the kids and get their true selves shining through is going to take more time than a mini session may allow. 

My personal style of photography is to create a joyful experience for my clients. If you are looking for candid and emotive images true to my style, filled with everyone’s true, beautiful personality at ease, it may be a good idea to consider a full session. It can take a bit to ease into being in front of the camera. 

Another great reason to go for a full session is if you want a variety of outfits. Let’s be real, some of the most fun times at a photoshoot are showing off how cute your kids look in all the stylish options from their wardrobe! With a full session you have the opportunity to flaunt your style a little! Have some fun with outfit changes. This can even give your kids an opportunity to chip in and help pick out outfits with the fam!

Lastly, a full family session is best if you want a variety of locations. A mini session with me offers one location that is 25 miles round trip from Pilot Butte. This usually means you are limited to a few options. To experience the full majesty of Central Oregon and have epic locations such as Sparks Lake, anywhere along the Deschutes, Sunriver, Black Butte, Smith Rock, book a full session! This is going to give you the opportunity to explore more places, or to go somewhere a little further out of my mini session radius. 

To sum it up, I believe that there is a right time and place for both mini and full sessions! Mini sessions are such an amazing option for a quick refresh on your family pictures. They can be great to spruce up your holiday card, etc. But, for a more natural emotive experience reflected in your final photos, a full family session is going to be simply amazing! To give you an idea of what a full session will be like with me as your family photographer, check out this fall shoot at Smith Rock State Park!

I also have a resource here for you on prepping your kids for a session — don’t worry, it will be much less stressful than you think! Finally, when you’re ready to book that full or mini session, reach out to me here! I can’t wait to hear from you. 

Please enjoy the rest of this adorable family session below: