Cleveland, Ohio Family Photography

Family session with young kids, why full sessions are better.

It is no secret that sometimes, trying to plan a photo session with kids under the age of 6 can be a challenge! In this post I’ll cover some key aspects to how I plan for and get the photos that you will treasure for years to come.

First, I want to address the differences between a mini session and a full session. There’s a common misconception out there that mini sessions are easier to do with younger kids. I can’t stress this enough: that cannot be farther from the truth. Here’s why:
1. Younger kids need additional warm up/transition time
2. New places and situations can be overwhelming
3. Mini sessions are like drinking from a hose instead of a glass of water
4. Younger kids can feel intimidated by a stranger (me) that they’re immediately expected to interact with and smile for. For a full session, I can introduce myself slowly and naturally to your kiddos, which isn’t possible to do during a mini.
5. Parents can get frustrated quickly with kiddos who are struggling with the expectations and time constraints of mini sessions, which leads to stressed faces in photos.
6. Mini sessions don’t allow me to fully capture the special magic that makes your family incredibly unique. Sure, we get some good shots for your holiday cards, but are those smiles absolutely genuine and unprompted? Hmmm? Sometimes we can’t get smiles out of the younger ones at all, due to all the above factors.
7. There’s this idea out there that mini sessions are “cheaper” than doing a full session. Absolutely false. Per photo, you are paying so much more. Seriously.

Those reasons are a big part of why I much prefer to do full sessions for my families with young kids. We can take it easy, do a slow start, and get photos of genuine interaction between you, your significant other, and your kiddos. There’s no hard time limit. There’s not another family waiting to jump in front of my lens as soon as your time is up. Also, this is a big reason why I only offer mini sessions 1-2 times a year, they just don’t light me up the same way that a full session does! I treasure getting to know my families and providing them with tangible, artful memories that they will hold close for generations.