Thankful to have been able to host the second annual ~ Sunflower Minis in good ol’ Suffolk, VA!! Last year the field was pretty awesome because it was my first time shooting there. However, this year definitely topped it! Not only were the sunflowers amazingly beautiful (again!), but they also made the perfect backdrop for an engagement session, extended family session, mini sessions, etc.
If you’ve never attended one of my mini sessions, I have great news!! In today’s blog post I’m not only sharing some of my fav sunflower pics but I’m also sharing some great tips! When booking a mini session, there are 3 important things that you should know. These three tips will help maximize your experience providing the most memorable portraits for your gallery!!
Always Arrive Early
Now, this is a tough one and I totally get it! If you know anything about my family, y’all know we run on “Conner Time” and are NEVER early (lucky if we make it on time!). But trust me, set those clocks about 10 – 15 minutes ahead of time, lay out clothes the day before and you’ll be great!! Mini sessions last no more than 15 minutes and they’re usually scheduled back to back. Getting there early is the best way to make sure all family members are in good spirits, ready for fun 🙂
Have FUN
My goal during minis is to maximize the little amount of time that we have together. So this means, it’s going to be quick! Be ready to have some fun and trust me if I’m moving y’all all around in different poses/prompts. It’s all for the good of the portraits LOL. I might ask y’all to snitch on the family member who took the longest to get ready, talk in crazy voices, and I’ve even been known to make some couples twerk! Since mini sessions are so fast paced, I’ve had people multiple times walk away saying “wow we’re done? That wasn’t bad at all!” And that my friends is when I insert all the PRAISE and HALLELUJAH my crazy antics paid off lol!!! That is the goal at the end of any session regardless of whether it’s a mini or not ~ that you actually enjoy your time!
Trust Me
One of the perks of a mini session, can also be one of the cons. Because they’re so quick people can sometimes walk away feeling like there is NO WAY there were any good photos of us!! This feeling can especially be true for families with younger children. 15 minutes can be a mountain of a time to ask a child to cooperate and smile. BUT with the right tricks and a quick rapid fire shutter speed, I can still manage cute frame worthy portraits!!
Take this family for instance. Sweet Nora was doing her own thing and was not interested in standing and smiling. The mama (who is a friend of mine) actually even texted me later that evening apologizing!! I literally laughed out loud when I read her text because y’all you would have neverrrr known by the photos we got!! So cute and definitely makes all my crazy antics worth while 🙂
Each year I try to host a handful of mini session for my families. This is the perfect opportunity to squeeze in a couple of updated photos in a quick amount of time! I totally understand that booking a full hour session might not be ideal for everyone. With two little ones of my own, I get it… solution ~ mini sessions!! We have fun, keep it simple, and you get a gallery of beautiful images to share with family and friends.
I’m currently working on figuring out date(s) for this year’s Fall Mini sessions so if you’re at all interested be on the lookout for that announcement! Now is the best time to capture portraits for holiday gifts, cards, etc. To see more previous mini sessions feel free to check them out HERE. Also, keep on scrolling to see a glimpse into my favorites from 2020 sessions at the Sunflower field.
xoxo,
Emily
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