09/26/2026
It’s a four weekend problem.
That’s really the short answer to why fall mini sessions can be so hard to book, and why the prices can look so different from one photographer to the next.
I don’t actually advertise fall mini sessions. Thankfully, repeat clients and high school seniors fill those spots most years.
If you ever see me mention one, it’s usually because someone rescheduled and I have a spot to fill, or I happen to have a little extra time.
So I’m not trying to sell you one. I’m just in a unique position to share a little of what most people never get to see from the photographer’s side.
🍂 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝
October is arguably the most beautiful month for photography.
It’s also the month when people often expect to pay the least.
I think part of that comes down to one little word.
Mini.
It sounds like less, so it feels like it should cost less.
Here’s the thing.
A mini session in October isn’t operating in the same market as a mini session in February.
Think about a beach house in July compared to February.
Think about an October Saturday compared to a random Tuesday in January for a wedding venue.
The thing being sold might be similar, but the demand for that particular date and time is completely different.
Fall photography works the same way.
There are only a handful of weekends when everyone wants the exact same thing.
Colorful leaves.
Beautiful light.
Photos before the holiday cards go out.
You aren’t just paying for the number of minutes on the clock.
You’re paying for one of the *most in-demand* pockets of time a photographer has all year.
Those same October evenings are also the ones photographers are giving up with their own families.
Pumpkin patches.
Football games.
Hayrides.
Beautiful October evenings at home.
There are only so many of those evenings to enjoy.
📸 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐬
It's an apples for apples comparison thing.
Some photographers offer a quick, tightly scheduled mini session.
Others offer something more relaxed and customized.
Some are newer and building their businesses.
Others have been doing this for decades.
Some photograph a dozen families in an evening.
Others photograph one or two.
There are a lot of ways to build a photography business, and what works beautifully for one photographer might make another photographer want to hide in the parking lot. 😂
The price reflects a lot more than the number of minutes you spend in front of the camera.
None of those approaches is automatically right or wrong.
They’re just different.
🤔 𝐌𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
I’ve done tons of minis.
One crisp October evening at a nature preserve, a family walked up to me and asked
“Are you here for us?”
I wasn’t.
They were looking for their photographer.
I looked around at the literal acres of families and photographers, the people waiting in the parking lot, and everyone moving from one chaotic little window of time to the next.
I realized something.
I’m not built for this part. At least not with new people.
For me, minis are a little like speed dating.
You have a short amount of time to meet someone, figure each other out, get comfortable, make something good happen, and then move on.
How often does that actually work out? 😂
Minis are a smart business model for many photographers.
They’re a great fit for plenty of families.
I just learned that I do my best work when there’s time to wander to the lesser known spots, get to know the people in front of me, and then lift my camera.
That’s when I make the photographs I really love.
Once I already know the family, the whole equation changes.
You know me.
I know you.
The kids know me.
Nobody has to warm up to a stranger or spend the first few minutes figuring each other out.
It’s comfortable.
We can pick up where we left off and get great photographs without needing all that time to get acquainted.
That’s why the mini sessions I still do year after year are almost always for families I already know, and why I keep those prices lower.
Seeing families year after year is the real reward.
🔍 𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧
I don’t advertise family sessions either.
Most of mine come from families I’ve photographed for years.
Emails come in often that say something like,
“Hi! Didn’t see openings on your site, any chance you could fit us in?”
I never take that for granted.
I’ve watched kids go from car seats to car keys.
Some of those babies are now my seniors.
Some of my seniors are now engaged.
Some have families of their own.
These two photos are a pretty perfect example.
The mama in the first photo was one of my senior girls years ago. Now I get to photograph her with her own beautiful family.
Andrew, in the second photo, was also one of my seniors. Now I get to photograph him in a completely different chapter of his life.
That’s the part I love about this job.
I don’t just get one little window into someone’s life and then send them on their way.
Sometimes I get to keep showing up for the next chapter.
The family minis I still do happen pretty quietly.
I rarely post them.
They aren’t a promotion.
They’re my way of saying thank you for coming back.
💬 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝
Don’t wait for fall just because you think that’s when family photos are supposed to happen.
Spring blooms can be beautiful.
Summer evenings can be gorgeous.
Snow in February can give you something really special.
Studio sessions are year-round.
More flexibility, more dates to choose from, and a little more breathing room.
Most importantly, find your person.
Find a photographer whose work you love, whose personality works for your family, and whose way of photographing people feels right for you.
Then stick with them.
Loyalty works both ways.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞
The real loss isn’t paying more than you planned for a fall session.
It’s looking back years from now and realizing you spent some of the best, busiest, most fleeting years of your family’s life trying to find the right deal instead of finding someone you trusted and sticking with them.
Years from now, you won't remember saving that $50-$100, you'll remember the experience, because you'll see it in the photos.
How you laughed. Who you were becoming. Together.
--
These days, you’ll mostly find me photographing a whole lot of seniors, and the families who keep coming back year after year.
To those families, thank you.
You know where to find me. Shoot me a message when you need me, even if it's been years, and I’ll always do my best to find room when I can. ❤️
