In November 2020, I hosted the most mini session slots I have ever offered! So many families came out to my two different locations to have their photos taken in time for the holidays. Many were familiar faces but some were new, which is always exciting.
What are Mini Sessions?
Mini Sessions are 15 minute photo sessions at a specific location and available during a specified block of time. My mini sessions are a little bit different from most photographers in a few ways.
First, I don't use props. There is nothing wrong with a couch, pillows, décor, to add a little festive flair to a photo. I just prefer to keep my images simple and focused on the people in them.
Second, I offer more than one location option. San Antonio may feel small but its a big city. By offering multiple locations I hope to provide an option that is close to clients' homes. No one wants to spend more time in the car than they do at the photo shoot, right? I hope to be able to continue doing this in the future. I'm always looking for that perfect mini session spot (great light, not crowded, has walking distance parking) so if you want to share one with me, please let me know!
Third, I shoot at both golden hours. Evening golden hour is every photographers favorite and for good reason. The setting sun offers warm hues and a bit of warmth in the fall/winter days. But, not everyone is able to free up their schedules in the evening. Not everyone's little one is pleasant in the evening either. So I want to add options for my clients by providing times in the morning just after sunrise. How many morning and evening sessions I'm able to offer in the future may change, but for now I hope to offer both.
Lastly, and this is the big one, I deliver all edited images. This is crazy of me, I know. Other photographers will say I'm cheating myself out of money. This is not how mini sessions work. Photographers only deliver 5-10 images from mini sessions. It's how its done to make these back-to-back sessions profitable. But I'm the photographer I would want to hire. My clients will receive a lot of images and variety from a mini session. So if you're amazed by your gallery after only 15 minutes, imagine the images you can have after a full session.
2020 Minis
Last year's Holiday Minis took place at 2 different locations during the morning and evening. It was a very busy weekend! Learned a lot from this set up so my 2021 Mini will look a little different.
My morning sessions took place at Brackenridge Park in the heart of San Antonio. I love this park for morning sessions, especially in the winter time. The lighting is soft and often overcast. If its a cold morning, steam rises from the river. It's also when the park is quiet without any crowds. Brackenridge is also an iconic part of our city making it a little more special for those Holiday cards you send to family out of state.
Evening sessions took place at Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park. I've done several sessions here, but this was the first time I offered minis here. I loved the way the photos came out for my families and hope to include this location in my future minis. It's perfect for golden hour images with the tall grass and even offers some fall colors in the trees hanging over the bridge.
Here is a sampling from all of my mini sessions last year. Enjoy!
A few sessions are missing as I respect clients' wishes to not post their images without permissions.
Morning Minis at Brackenridge Park
Evening Minis at Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park
Which location is your favorite?
If you're interested in signing up for a mini session this year and want to be one of the first to know details, subscribe to my website! Or, email me at ohtannenbaumphotos@gmail.com and let me know you're interested in joining my Mini Session Newsletter!
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