The Pros & Cons of Mini Sessions

With our recent Fall Minis announcement and the high amount of interest and bookings, we have been hit with many questions and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to list some of the pros and cons of minis!

THE PROS

- Especially for those who don’t have a photographer they exclusively use, mini sessions offer a little peek and a chance to work with that photographer to “try them out” and just see how it goes.

- Everything is essentially taken care of, the props and location - you just need to show up!

- If you have kiddos with particularly short attention spans, sometimes mini sessions and the shorter times can be helpful! You get their best attitudes and attention for 20 minutes and they are all done. Of course, this could be a con as some kids need some warm up time (we will talk about that later).

- It fits busier schedules and are usually held on weekends. Weekend schedules for photographers fill up quickly and as long as you can snag a spot in time, you’re good to go!

- They are much cheaper than a photographers regular rate and usually have a theme! Since we can stack multiple sessions back to back, there’s no travel cost so we can eliminate that off the top which makes it a third of the price!

- It’s a great way to keep your family photos updated through the year.

- This one mainly is for photographers, but minis are a great way to build your clientele. Usually once you post one sneak peek of a family from your minis, their family and friends will also see your work and may contact you also!

THE CONS

- They are short! Going back to one of the pros with the kids, if it takes awhile for your child to come out of their shell - it could be tough and a little challenging.

- You won’t receive as many images. Typically, our full sessions yield 60-80 images with a wide variety of looks. With our Minis, you can expect anywhere from 20-30 images.

- Sometimes there’s a limit on the amount of people. With large groups, it can eat up a lot of time posing and swapping out the groups which can decrease the amount of images you will get.

- They aren’t as personalized as full sessions. We really like to give each client their own photo shoot and find ideas they love or even a place that is meaningful to them. Mini sessions don’t allow a lot of time for those fun and more artistic photos, though we do the best we can!

- If you’re late, it will severely cut into your time and the outcome of your shoot. Bouncing off that, we’ve known photographers and heard stories of those who won’t allow you to come if you’re late or won’t refund your money if you can’t make it. It’s important to get that information beforehand so you are at least aware of their policies.

- They are super limited and sometimes fill up before even getting a chance, so keep an eye out if you’re holding off for an event!

Those are the main points of the pros and cons, as you can see much of it deals with time. Jason and I like to be sure mini sessions fit for those potential clients we haven’t worked with so we can be sure you are going to have a great experience in our short time and beautiful images you’ll love. We love Mini Sessions as photographers, sometimes we catch up with the families we work with all the time or we meet new families that end up being fantastic clients and friends! We are so excited to meet our new clients this go around and cannot wait to catch up with our friends ❤️

July Before & After Photo

Recently, we’ve been asked a lot about our editing style and some of the steps it takes to get our images to their finished look. After a little discussion, Katie and I have decided to start a monthly before and after section of our blog discussing just that. Unless we’re shooting for a particular creative session our style is more reserved, as we prefer to showcase our clients for who they are without drastic editing to maintain that personal and authentic feel for each image. We are definitely excited to give a small glimpse into some of our choices and work that goes into each of our images and hope both professionals and clients enjoy this little inside look at editing with Jason & Katie Photography.

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Part 1

For each photo, the very first thing we do is make minor crops and adjust for the proper color temperature. As you can see, we tightened up on the couple and left more negative space above. As a result, the couple has become more pronounced in the photo allowing for more of an “up close” feel and you can see their reactions much better which can easily get lost in those large images. The adjusted crop also lets a wandering eye go to the gorgeous trees above them which allows for that big encompassing feel that puts this couple into a bigger than life look.

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Part 2

The second step is where more of the tiny details com into play which helps the picture pop more. The shadows are boosted just a little to give the wood bark more texture as well as an airy feel to the branches around them. It’s important with encompassing photos to highlight the details of the scenery or it becomes just… blah, for a lack of a better word. Adding some to the highlights also gives the branches a lighter green tone and making sure they don’t disappear into the shadows.

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Part 3

Finally, we make a small adjustment to the overall exposure of the photo making sure that it is completely balanced with all of the previous changes we made. A final small scan of the photo is made to make sure we get rid of any problems, such as the big black soft box to the right! Each of the changes may seem small or unimportant but ultimately, they work together to create that polished image that fits the look you envisioned. Always spend the time to think out a photo even before you snap the button! You will be guaranteed to have a gorgeous image every time.

What To Consider When Booking A Mini Session

After finishing a series of successful Spring mini sessions, we wanted to sit down and give a simple list of some of the pros and cons attached with them so that everyone can know what to expect and whether it is a perfect fit for them. Hopefully this list will help you decide if mini sessions are the best option for you.

Pros

- They are short! Generally a mini session will run 30 minutes depending on the type of shoot. Whether it's the fact that you don't want to invest the time in a full session or it's simply just easier on your busy schedule, mini sessions make it a quick and easy option for you when it comes to time.

- Price! Due to the short length, limited amount of photos, and streamlined process we are able to bring down the cost. Add in the fact most mini sessions have intricate themes and props to create amazing and unique images, only adds to the value even more.

- It's a great and affordable way to keep your family photos up to date throughout the year.

- They are a great way to give a photographer you've been considering a "tryout". They give you a hands on approach to a photographers style and just how he/she interacts with and works with your family.

Cons

- They're short! Sometimes something that is a pro can also be a con and this is the case here. Some children can have a hard time warming up to the camera and can take a little longer than others, the shortness of mini sessions can prove to be a challenge in these situations. There is also the fact that due to the short time you just don't quite get the full personalization and creative planning that full length sessions can give you.

- You don't get as many images. Typically our mini sessions range from 20-40 useable images that you get from the session and a full session can easily double those amounts.

- The location is at a set place and time which doesn't give you the opportunity to choose a location that may have a special meaning or a place you just simply love.

- They sell out quickly! Most of the time one day of mini sessions leaves only 8 open spots for that day and they tend to go extremely fast.

- Session sizes can be limited for the amount of people you can have involved. Unfortunately, time is a big restraint and large party sizes can't be accommodated for mini session. 

With that being said we ultimately love shooting and delivering these amazing images to our clients. From the colorful fall sessions to the bright and warm summer ones, we offer options and choices that you can love throughout the year by giving everyone the opportunity to get professional photos at a great price. We love hearing from each of our clients after our shoots on just how much joy these sessions bring to them and their family each time. We hope to see many more new and old faces in the years to come! Keep a watch for more mini sessions coming in the future and make sure to get a spot before they sell out!

The Two Most Popular Photography Business Types

We wanted to discuss some common questions that we receive frequently to help provide a better understanding for everyone who is interested. The first, who owns the photos? To put it simply, as soon as the photographer clicks the button on the camera they own the copyright of the photo. After that, there are a few options that are open to the client.  The photographer can keep the copyright and sell you the prints, they can sell the copyright to you so you can legally own the images yourself, or the photographer can provide a limited release where you are given permission to make as many personal physical copies of the images as you want, but the copyright remains with the photographer. Ultimately it depends on the photographer how he/she wants to go about handling their images on a day to day basis. 

The second, how exactly does this work?  To begin, there is generally two popular ways of selling your photography work now a days. The first and most common is the print model. You would pay a sitting fee to get your pictures taken for a certain time period then the photographer would then take the photos, edit them, and give the clients proofs to choose from. From there the client chooses which images they like and must then purchase them from the photographer in the form of prints or print packages. With this type of business practice, the photographer generally holds all rights to the photos and you must always go to them to purchase your photos. Some will still sell the copyright and a CD of your images, but at a increased price. The second option will be to shoot the images and give the client everything that was shot, unedited, on a CD for a pre-discussed price. More times than not, this method can generate too many choices for the client by having hundreds of photos that can be repetitive and similar to one another without much variety, as well as receiving images that have not been professionally edited. 

JD Photographs uses a hybrid of the two business practices to give our clients the best of both worlds by giving them edited choices at a great prices. When you book with us you will for most sessions, get all the usable images which are professionally edited making sure you get exactly what you want with the high quality workmanship involved. Of course we still send all or our images to our clients digitally which is the fastest method, because who wants to wait for something you're excited for? After that, we provide a limited release to our clients so they can make as many prints of the images they love without putting a lot of restrictions on them. With that being said I always say "The best way someone can compliment your work is to hang it on the wall". Personally I always love when someone makes prints of my work and feel it really gives a finality to the project. Which is why we offer great studio prints at a great price, so that everyone can have that opportunity to hang some amazing prints that will last a lifetime. With this business model, we feel that we can give everything our clients would want. Simplified choices with high quality images, the ability to make their own prints,  prices that are set with no added fees, and professional quality prints as an option if they want it.

Helpful Tips For The Perfect Photoshoot With Your Kid

The picture you see is one I absolutely cherished. I wanted to give a little back story on it! The session lasted all of about 5 minutes and the one picture I got was this one. It was NOT what I had in my mind, i wanted one of us smiling and laughing right in the middle of a field without a care in the world. Yeaaaah, that didn’t happen. But this photo, is the most priceless photo I’ve ever taken. It was honest and what life can be like as a mother and those little arms wrapped around you to help comfort. Something I never want to forget. I kept this all to myself, until now. We have been quite busy these last couple of weeks that have been filled with photographing young children. It is so much fun to photograph and work with these little ones and we have some really beautiful photos to share with their parents and family! Jason and I have had an array of emotions with each shoot; from laughs, smiles, and giggles to tears, screaming, and being shy. Or all of them in one shoot! One theme became apparent and it hit me that I needed to blog about this. Many parents had tons of anxiety about this and even felt that one small meltdown ruined their entire shoot, absolutely not! I wanted to share a few tips to help prepare you and your family and also wanted to be the reassurance you need!

1. Dress for the weather. It seems pretty simple, but extra layers on a warm day or too little clothing mixed with a cool breeze can be the first problem of a shoot that can lead it down a rough path. 

2. Reel in your expectations. We totally understand you booked your session and have a fantastic idea in mind or a pose you so desperately want. We love to do our best to make that happen! But, the more expectation, pressure, and direction we start giving to young ones can easily frustrate them. Especially when in a different environment and having a camera clicking away at you. Give us ideas of things you have seen and would love, we can create situations and place you in positions to be ready to capture those special moments!

3. Don’t freak out if they begin to cry or become fussy. We know you don’t want teary eyed photos, but trust us when we say you definitely don’t want photos of you looking upset or frustrated either. Many times, mom or dad can be consoling their little one and those make some of the best shots. It’s genuine and real, but most importantly it is your life and those little moments are something to certainly treasure years from now. 

4. Plan a day and time that works for your schedule. We try to be as flexible as we can, but if you know nap time is always between 1-3 please don’t schedule an early afternoon session. Even if you feel you can lay them down earlier or later, it almost never works out. Also, keep it relaxed that day. If they had school or events going on, maybe schedule your session for another day when there is less going on. And another big tip, a little snack to avoid that hangriness feeling we all get!

5. Rewards do help. This is totally up to you, but it has worked many times for us. Especially with our own son! We will never say “if you’re good, mommy and daddy will...”. But, if there is a reward you know they will like that could get some cooperation for 10 minutes, we can bounce off of that and it helps! 

6. We will do our best to make your child smile, but we can’t guarantee it. I know as a Mom, I love seeing my son’s smile and I just want that exact smile that I see when I’m driving home and he’s in the backseat without a care in the world just laughing and smiling away mounted right on my wall. As we photograph, we try our best to direct attention to the camera and get those smiling photos for you. We ask for assistance a lot from mom and dad right behind the camera, because who knows what makes your baby laugh more than you do? Even though we have been known to be quite goofy behind the camera ourselves! But unfortunately, sometimes babies and kids know this just isn’t right and they aren’t having it. I was one of those kids! So there is no reason to be flustered because they won’t. Again, it goes hand in hand with reeling in your expectations. This is why we like to do a combination between portraits and lifestyle. With lifestyle, it is much easier to get those genuine reactions and smiles when we are able to stand on the side lines and capture those special moments! Not to mention, they feel the most real and exactly how your life is. 

7. Talk to your kids. Let them know they are getting photos done by us. You can show them our About Me page on our website so they can see our faces, you can show them our logo, or even show them some other photos we took of other kids and their families! Now is also a good time to mention rewards if you choose to do so. We have allowed kids to help us shoot, they love it. Tell them they can help us out for the day. It is amazing to see the little artists at work!

8. Most of all, come to have fun. We have been fortunate enough to photograph many families with children. And like I mentioned earlier, sometimes there is combinations of emotions from hysterical laughs to hysterical crying. Nothing is by the book and cookie cutter, it is simply going with the flow when having young ones. Trust in our ability to make the best out of the situation and create the images you will love and cherish for many years.