I’ll be honest — mini sessions and I don’t really get along. Not because there’s anything wrong with them, but because of what they leave out.
What a Mini Session Actually Asks of a Family
A typical mini session gives you ten to twenty minutes in front of the camera. For a family with young kids, that’s barely enough time to get everyone out of the car, let alone settled.
It’s rarely enough time for a toddler to warm up to a stranger holding a camera, or for the stiffness of “picture day” to wear off. It doesn’t leave much room for the real moments — the ones that show up after everyone stops thinking about the camera and just starts being together.
Think of it like inviting a friend over who leaves after fifteen minutes. You’d have a pleasant visit, but you wouldn’t get to the real conversation — the comfortable silence, the inside jokes, the moment someone lets their guard down. Photography works the same way. Depth takes time, and fifteen minutes rarely allows for much of it.
I’d Rather Give You the Whole Session
My sessions are intentionally longer — long enough for your kids to stop performing and start playing, long enough for the parent who says “I hate having my photo taken” to forget the camera is even there. Long enough to walk to a second spot, catch different light, let a toddler have a small meltdown and recover from it, and still have room left for what actually matters.
This isn’t about volume, though a longer session does mean more images to choose from. It’s about giving the moments enough time to happen. The photograph of your daughter mid-laugh, completely caught off guard, rarely happens in the first few minutes. It comes later, once she’s forgotten about the camera and started actually enjoying herself — and that kind of moment can’t be rushed into existence. It has to be given room to arrive on its own.
A Slower Pace Changes What’s Possible
I work with film, which asks for a different pace from the start. There’s no machine-gun shutter, no scrolling through hundreds of nearly identical frames looking for the one that works. Every frame is more considered, which means the moments leading up to it need to be considered too.
Before we ever pick up a camera, I sit down with a family to talk through wardrobe, location, and what they want these images to feel like. That conversation is part of the work — it shapes where we go, what light we chase, how we move through the session together. It’s what makes the photographs feel like your family, rather than a well-lit version of any family standing in front of a pretty backdrop. A mini session simply doesn’t leave room for that kind of planning.
This Isn’t About Judging Mini Sessions
Mini sessions serve a purpose, and plenty of talented photographers offer them beautifully. If what you need is a quick, budget-friendly holiday card photo, that’s a completely legitimate need — no shame in choosing that.
My decision not to regularly offer them isn’t a criticism of the photographers who do, or the families who choose them. It’s simply that the kind of photography I’m trying to make — the kind that captures how a season with your family actually felt, not just how everyone looked in a few quick frames — needs room to breathe. That’s a different goal than a mini session is built for, and I’d rather be honest about that mismatch than try to deliver a slow, intentional experience inside a format that was never designed for it.
What Slower Actually Looks Like, in Practice
A full session with me starts before we ever pick up a camera. We talk about what’s going on in your family’s life right now, what you want these photographs to remind you of years from now, and what would make the day feel good for everyone — not just efficient.
On the day itself, there’s no rush to hit a schedule of back-to-back families. We start slowly and let your kids explore the space before I ask anything of them, then move at whatever pace your family actually needs. If someone needs a break, we take it. If the light shifts and a new spot opens up, we follow it. If your toddler decides they’re done for a few minutes, we don’t panic because there are only five minutes left on the clock. That kind of flexibility is hard to build into a tightly scheduled mini session — a full session leaves room for real life to happen, and I think that matters.
What You Get Instead
Time. Time for your kids to be kids before I ask anything of them. Time to move through more than one setting if it serves the story. Time for the quiet, unscripted moments that tend to become the photographs families love most a decade from now — the ones that get printed, framed, and hung somewhere they’ll actually be seen, not just scrolled past on a phone.
That’s ultimately what I want your photographs to do: bring you back to this particular version of your family — the way your son used to reach for your hand, the way your daughter laughed, the way everyone fit together in this season of your life.
If that slower, more intentional approach is what you’re after, I’d love to talk about what a full session could look like for your family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you ever offer mini sessions? I don’t typically offer mini sessions because they don’t allow the time and space I need to truly connect with your family. That said, I may occasionally open a limited number of spring or fall mini sessions for past clients and families on my email newsletter, and I offer Personality Portraits throughout the year — shorter sessions designed with a different purpose in mind, so they work well within a shorter format.
What if I only need a quick update photo, not a full session? I offer 30 minute sessions during certain times of the year on weekday evenings at a specific outdoor location in SW OKC, which tend to work well for couples, maternity, or quick branding sessions. I always recommend a longer session with children under the age of 8 years old.
How long does a full session typically run? Sessions move at an unhurried pace rather than a fixed clock, so timing varies by family, but usually 60–90 minutes.
Does a longer session cost more than a mini session? Yes, since it involves more time, more images, and a more involved planning process.
Will a longer session be too much for my young kids to handle? In my experience, it’s usually the opposite. Young kids often need extra time just to warm up and feel comfortable, and rushing them through a short session can create more stress, not less. A longer, more relaxed pace generally makes things easier — there’s no pressure to perform right away. They get to be themselves, and that’s usually when the photographs become the most meaningful.
My love for photography began in a high school darkroom, watching images slowly appear. Since then, I’ve been drawn to quiet, meaningful moments rooted in connection and home. As a mother of three and a film photographer, I approach each story with care, seeking what’s honest and lasting.
Here on the blog, you’ll find recent sessions, tips, and reflections—whether you’re a fellow creative, a brand, or a mother wanting to capture this season. I hope it leaves you inspired and more in love with your own story.
