Minis Vs. Full Sessions: Which is best for me?

Hey everyone! Molly here!

If you’re like me, you get really bogged down in details and “what ifs”. You read the pricing page once, consider the options, read it twice, and make a decision. Then you think “but maybe that’s not enough” or “gosh that seems like a lot of money for me to just need a few for Christmas cards”. Then you read the pricing page 5 more times and work yourself into “deciding tomorrow”. And then it is time to mail out Christmas cards, and you forgot to schedule. Decision fatigue is real, and photography is not exempt. Am I right??

Today, I want to help you decide what kind of session fits best for you. Mini or Full.

Let’s start with mini sessions. As of now, Jan 2023, mini sessions are $350. The price includes one photographer for up to 30 minutes, 1 location, up to 6 subjects, fast turn-around, and 15 digital images for download with the option to purchase more. These are only offered in town (Thomasville or Richmond Hill), and these aren’t for travel sessions. These are also only for weekday only. As cool as you and your family are, I won’t block off a Saturday when I may be able to book a full session or wedding instead.

So who are mini sessions for? People who can rally for 30 minutes and get it done. Generally speaking, babies, seniors, older families, and headshot sessions. People who have an idea of what they want their session to look like (like “greenery” or “marsh”) but are fine with it being local on a weekday.

Babies: Does your baby take 25 minutes to warm up to people? Probably not for you! Is your baby super excited for the first little while and then loses interest quickly? This session IS for you. Time includes any outfit changes and any prop setup, so that is something to consider as well.

Seniors: Mom wants senior photos, but you can’t pry your kid away from his guitar long enough to get a session in. Bring it! Generally, seniors can rally if they know they only have to for 30 minutes. I usually suggest layering to make the session go quickly. Casual T-shirt under button up with a blazer on top (unless it is summer ). That way, we can start formal, remove the blazer for some business casual, and then end with that casual shirt and that guitar. I can work quickly with seniors if they cooperate and we aren’t changing locations much.

Older families: If your kids are of the age where they can be bribed to smile and get along for a short amount of time, I can work magic. We can usually get traditional family photos, fun family photos, just mom & dad, just children, and individual photos within that timeframe. Keep in mind this is one outfit, and one location.

Headshot sessions/Branding: You need a few photos to update your instagram and you have your products all set up without my assistance, but you don’t have time to make it a full day thing. I’m down! Let’s make your brand memorable, and let’s get it done!

Why are mini sessions a faster turn-around? After the session, I send a gallery of about 40 of the best images, culled down to offer the best variety. These are UNEDITED images. You pick out your favorite 15, and I can edit them quickly based on how long it takes you to pick them out (you have a week to choose).

What if I decide I want more than 15 images? You can purchase those. We offer either per image or full gallery. 40 digital images + mini session fee is $450.

Where will we do the session? I have a list of places I have shot before that I will send you and you can choose from. I am not above shooting somewhere of your choosing, but it will still need to be in town and somewhere that I don’t have to explore extensively to find the good light.

OOOOO! It should be noted that we do mini session days a couple of times a year. Those prices will differ since we do a bunch in one day. We usually do them once in the spring and once in the fall.

Ok, so let’s talk about full sessions!!
Full sessions are for those who want a full experience. We want to travel, we want to explore, we want more than one outfit or location.
These are for families who want sunset photos on the beach or lifestyle newborn sessions. These are for seniors who want outfit changes and a change of scenery. These are for branding sessions for you and a couple of your colleagues on a rooftop downtown. These are for the families who can only make a weekend work into their schedules.

Full sessions have a slower turn-around time. This is because I fully edit about 150 photos from the session to put in the gallery. The expectation is that someone who does a full session isn’t going to just order a couple of photos for a Christmas card. These are people who want to post their images on social media and hang a gallery canvas on their wall. They want a complete experience, not to just get it done. So, while you can order images individually, your best investment is to get all of the images in your gallery with your session fee, for $750.

Whewwww! I sure hope that made sense to y’all!
If you still have questions, send me an email (info@theredflystudio.com) or we can set up a FaceTime call .