Have you been wondering if a mini session is a good fit for your family? You’re not alone!
The number one question I get asked as a St. Louis family photographer is “Do you shoot family mini sessions?” And the answer is yes… but only a very limited number each year. (I know, I know – not the enthusiastic YES you were hoping for. Stick with me here.)
Why I Only Offer Limited Petite Sessions Each Year
You may be wondering why a photographer would turn down perfectly good bookings. Fair question! After years of photographing families all over St. Louis, I’ve found that a shorter session – what I call The Short Story – only truly works well for a specific group of families.
My goal with every family session is to create a laid back, fun, and genuinely beautiful experience. I want your kids running through golden hour light, your family laughing at something silly I said (my jokes are hit or miss, but the giggles are real), and everyone forgetting the camera is even there. That kind of magic takes time.
A shorter session can sometimes feel rushed, and it doesn’t always give children the space to warm up the way a full session does. Some kids walk onto a session like they own the place. Others need a solid 20 minutes of me being decidedly uncool before they decide I’m okay. If your child falls into that second camp, a mini session may end right when they’re finally ready to shine – and nobody wants that!
Petite Sessions vs. True Mini Sessions: What’s the Difference?
Before we go any further, I should clarify something: what I offer isn’t actually a true mini session. If you’ve ever booked a mini session before, you know the drill – 5 or 10 minute slots scheduled back to back to back, families lined up like a photo assembly line, and a photographer frantically watching the clock. It’s a little too “wham bam” for my style! (No shade to photographers who rock the mini model – it’s just not for me.)
What I offer instead is a petite session: a 20 minute session at a location of my choosing. Twenty minutes may not sound like a huge difference, but it’s enough breathing room for me to focus on what I love most – real connection. It gives us time for a genuine hello, a little warm-up, and those unposed in-between moments that make a photo feel like YOUR family instead of just a nice picture of people who happen to share a last name.
So who IS a petite session good for? Let’s break it down.
Who Is a Good Fit for a Petite Session in St. Louis?
After six years as one of the top family photographers in the St. Louis area, I’ve learned that the petite session sweet spot really comes down to three things: your kids’ ages and personalities, your schedule, and what’s already in your photo library. The Short Story tends to be a dreamy fit for:
- Babies in the squishy, stay-put stage – before crawling enters the chat, twenty minutes of snuggles, toes, and gummy grins goes a LONG way
- Expecting parents celebrating their first baby – a bump session for two is naturally quick, and it’s one of my favorite things to photograph
- Kids who can roll with it – if your crew is past the toddler tornado years and generally game for whatever I throw at them (usually terrible jokes), we can make magic fast
- The holiday card crowd – you had a full session earlier in the year and just need a fresh photo for cards, a birthday, or the grandparents’ fridge
- Families who’ve been in front of my camera before – we already have a rhythm, your kids remember me as “the silly camera lady,” and we can skip straight to the good stuff
- Busy seasons of life – sometimes twenty minutes squeezed between soccer practice and bedtime is exactly what a family calendar can handle, and I get it (believe me, I GET it)
- Go-with-the-flow planners – petite sessions happen at a location I choose, so they’re perfect if you’d rather leave the where up to me
If you saw your family in that list, a petite session might be the perfect fit! You’ll still get that warm, candid, golden-light goodness – just in a smaller dose.
Who Should Book a Full Family Session Instead?
It can be genuinely hard to know which session type is right for your family (this is why I always chat with families before booking!). Here are the families I gently steer toward a full session – what I call The Novel:
- Families working with me for the first time – part of what makes photos feel natural is trust, and trust takes a little time to build (for kids AND parents!)
- Crews with toddlers and preschoolers in the mix – the under-5 set runs on their own timeline, and a full session leaves room for snack breaks, wiggle breaks, and that glorious moment when they finally decide to cooperate
- Slow-to-warm-up kiddos – some children need to size me up for a while before they’re ready to shine, and I’d never want the clock to run out right as they’re getting brave
- Families with a location dream – if you’ve been picturing your photos somewhere specific, a full session lets us pick from gorgeous spots all over St. Louis, from Forest Park to Queeny Park and beyond
- Gallery variety lovers – more time means different backdrops, groupings, individual photos of each kiddo, and all those unposed in-between moments
- The “capture it ALL” families – the snuggles, the tickle fights, the quiet forehead kisses, the toddler meltdown that turns into the best belly laugh of the night. A full session captures the whole story (hence the name!).
Still Not Sure Which Family Session Is Right for You?
Here’s the honest truth: I would rather help you pick the right session than book the wrong one. If you’re on the fence, reach out! Tell me about your family – ages, personalities, what you’re hoping for – and I’ll give you my genuine recommendation, even if it means talking you out of a full session.
Whether it’s The Short Story or The Novel, my goal is the same: relaxed, joyful, golden hour photos of your family exactly as you are right now. Because these little years? They’re the whole story.
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