I typically don’t offer many mini brand session opportunities throughout the year, but during the winter months I like to do marathon days where I get the chance to work with a lot of people in a short amount of time and get them updated headshots. I started offering these mini marathon days a few years ago, and while they are fast and furious, they are so fun for me!

Mini sessions can be a great opportunity to get a taste of a full brand session. But what’s the difference between the two and how do you know what’s best for you? Let’s discuss.

Location

Mini sessions are held at White Space, whereas full and half day brand session locations vary based on your brand. Usually, my brand session clients will choose to shoot at White Space (my studio), as well as an additional location, like a private home or Airbnb.

Date and Time

I announce mini sessions a few weeks ahead of time, and the day and times are already set. You simply pick what time works best for you! With full and half day brand sessions, we work together to find a date and time that works best for both of us. These are typically scheduled six to eight weeks in advance.

Amount of Time

Mini sessions are mini in every way – including the amount of time we spend shooting. You can expect to shoot for about 20 minutes with a mini brand session. It seems short–and it is!–but it’s plenty of time for what we need. By contract, half day and full day brand sessions are at least three hours of shooting, plus we often have time for hair and makeup, too.

Number of Photos

With a mini session, you receive a gallery and can choose 10 of your favorite images. My full day and half day brand session clients typically walk away with a gallery of 100+ images to use. It’s a big difference! However, you can do a lot with 10 brand photos, and it’s a great way to get your feet wet with brand imagery if you’re new to having custom photography for your business.

Planning

One of the reasons I book full and half day brand sessions six to eight weeks in advance is because these sessions require a lot of planning! We typically have a couple Zoom calls, and I design a custom brand shoot plan with a shot list for your session. With mini sessions, you handle the planning on your own, but I send resources like blog posts and helpful emails with tips and tricks so you’re not totally alone.

Upsell

When you book a full or half day brand session, the 100+ photos that are delivered after your session are yours. You don’t need to spend more money if there are extra photos – they’re part of what you’re paying for! With a mini session, if you want more than the 10 photos included in your session, you can expect to pay per image for the photos, or pay for the full gallery. These are still priced very low, but you can expect an upsell since mini sessions involve limits on the number of photos–that’s why the price is so great!

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Overall, while full and half day brand sessions are an amazing investment in your brand and provide you with an incredible tool to begin marketing yourself better, mini sessions can also be great to test out working with a new photographer, and get your feet wet before making the full investment. If you’d like to be the first to know when I announce my next mini session day, click here to join the waitlist!