Use our platform to book your first mini sessions
By Kris Ann Valdez
'Tis the season for festive photo shoots. Our experienced photographers share their best tips and tricks to capture the season’s spirit.
Because the photos from Christmas-themed sessions are often featured on a client’s holiday card, it’s a good idea to start booking sessions early as mid-November. This allows clients plenty of time to order their cards and get them mailed off.
When you’re ready to advertise your holiday mini sessions, email marketing can be the most effective tool. Make sure to add all past and potential clients to your list so they can be the first to know what you’re offering. It’s a good idea to include previous years’ photos to entice prospective clients.
Building an organic social media following is another successful way to obtain bookings—try creating a Facebook event for your mini sessions with a limited time offer.
Boston-based photographer Caryn Scanlan of Caryn Scanlan Photography says she loves how her Christmas mini sessions are a form of marketing she gets paid to do! They bring her business exposure online, plus she meets new families, who, after a great experience, tend to book full sessions with her!
Put your clients in a merry mood by selecting a charming location. Scene ideas include:
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Images by: Caryn Scanlan Photography |
Caryn used to host her Christmas minis at a tree farm, but it’s become more expensive and busier in recent years. Now, she rents a red truck for $50 an hour. The key is where she parks it. The location she chooses allows her to have three very different looks in the same spot.
“I literally have to turn around and walk a few paces to go from Red Truck, to Christmas trees, to Forest. My clients get to choose! It offers some forest for non-themed photos,” Caryn says, “and I bring a few of my own trees so it checks that box for clients who want Christmas photos with Christmas trees.”
If you rent a studio space, use a seamless paper backdrop, in white, red or green to decorate with holiday props (linked below).
Pro tip: If you can’t find a Santa figure, or don’t want to spend the money, invite parents to dress up in the Santa suit then shoot from the waist down to imply he’s there, without showing his face. Since most small children are terrified of Santa anyway, this makes for a calmer shooting atmosphere.
Christmas props bring the setting to life, especially if you’re using a studio space. Some ideas for props:
Basically, anything Christmas themed can be used as a prop! But if your clients wear busy clothing, it’s a good idea to keep props to a minimum, Caryn recommends. First and foremost, photos should focus on the client, so you don’t want too much clutter in the background.
To keep the experience exciting, collect new ideas and fresh elements each year, Yao Li of July Angel Photography suggest
 Image by: ARRAE PHOTOGRAPHY |
Our photographers’ prices varied from $195 to $300 for the base package. Most mini sessions are fifteen minutes and include 5 to 10 images. Upgrade pricing for the complete albums also varied from $100 to $200.
Another photographer says she charges a flat studio fee of $275, which includes a $200 print credit, which her clients use towards prints, wall art, and albums.
Caryn encourages photographers to price their mini sessions high enough to reach their target market. “I'm looking for clients who are willing to *invest* in photography, even if it's a quick, unique photo that will introduce me to them,” she says. “They are then willing to invest in my full sessions. I also never do giveaways because I never see any real return from them.”
To produce the quintessential family Christmas card photo, it’s important to use prompts to engage families. Yao believes toys or games work best for posing prompts. Her Santa uses a piggy toy that makes silly sounds to capture “look-at-the-camera" family photos.
Other prompts include:
Keeping things relaxed and fun helps clients of all ages feel more comfortable. Caryn says when a dad walks away saying, "That was way better than I expected!" then she knows—mission accomplished!
 Image by: JULY ANGEL PHOTOGRAPHY |
Many photographers believe the outfits their clients select can either make or break the look of the shoot. Yao provides a color palette and Pinterest board for her clients.
Caryn has her clients follow a simple rule to get it right, “No bold patterns, no logos, no words.” Because she shoots on the red truck, she steers clients towards neutrals. She believes having a few color swatches with muted/rich colors on hands allows her clients to visualize what they’re aiming for.
Virgina-based photographer Catherine Michele recommends coordinating outfits instead of matching. She suggests solid colors like red, green, white, black, tan, and gray for holiday themed shoots. Throwing in a pattern, like plaid or checkered print, can work well too when coordinating, and accessories such as scarves, hats, and vests make the images look more styled.
As a photographer, it’s important not to feel stressed or rushed. Interestingly, every professional we spoke with schedules their mini sessions differently.
Amanda Kamppinen of Arrae Photography schedules 25 minute sessions with 5 minutes in between to reset her space and prep for the next family. Caryn’s sessions are 15 minutes with a 5 minute reset between each. She works from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., then 1 to 5 p.m., for a total of 24 mini sessions in a day! Since the sessions follow each other, clients are well-prepped to show up 15 to 20 minutes early not to miss their spot.
Catherine blocks 10 minutes after each session for wiggle room. She uses some of that time to show clients the products available to purchase so they can get an idea of what they’d like to use their print credit towards.
Yao’s Santa mini sessions are scheduled for 10 minutes each, back-to-back. Holiday-themed sessions without Santa are about 20 minutes, which she allots a 5 minute gap between. But if she rents a truck or V.W. bus, then she shoots back-to-back because of the high rental cost!
Securing a location and date that works well for multiple people is the hardest part, and then hoping the weather cooperates!
Cancellations can be frustrating for a photographer. Catherine says she does not allow them, due to the constraints of mini sessions. However, she reschedules outdoor sessions if weather is an issue.
For Yao’s Santa mini sessions, cancellations/rescheduling isn’t allowed due to the high costs and limited availability, but she can transfer the session to another client. For her other Christmas mini sessions, she charges a $100 cancellation fee. For valid reasons, like a child’s illness, she will allow rescheduling.
Because life happens, Caryn permits cancellations up to two weeks before a shoot. Since the Christmas minis are limited, she cannot rebook them, but allows clients to use their $100 deposit towards a different shoot during the year. After the two-week window, the session is non-refundable but can also be applied to a future session.
Amanda is the most flexible, allowing 24 hour notice for a refund, or rescheduling to another mini session time slot.
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Images by: Catherine Michele Photography |
Provide a prep guide for clients so they are well-informed on how things will work the day of the session, Catherine says. In hers, she includes a resource for outfit inspiration, tips on getting pets ready for the session (if they’re part of it), and ideas for accessorizing.
Perhaps the most rewarding thing about being a photographer is connecting with clients over the years. Amanda says, “Many of them I’ve had the honor of photographing their most important milestones.”
Yao echoes the sentiment. “The best part of doing Christmas minis is watching my repeat clients’ kids grow. It’s become a heartwarming tradition for me.”
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Written by Kris Ann Valdez | Photographers Caryn Scanlan Photography | July Angel Photography | Catherine Michele Photography | Arrae Photography | Link: Backdrop
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