Last year, a client of mine pleaded to me, “Natalie, can you get me one, just one, shot of both my kids looking at the camera smiling? I have 5,000 pictures on my phone and none to hang on the wall!”

I got you!! The spaghetti-smeared-face-high-chair shots don’t exactly fit the living room decor vibe! While we’re constantly snapping images of the hectic and silly moments, they don’t often translate to frame-worthy. As the saying goes, quantity does not equal quality. 

That’s where a mini session comes in!

The magic of the mini is in its low price, minimal time commitment, and truly low stress level involved in the process. Mini sessions are marathon style photoshoots where clients book sessions every 15 minutes at a pre-set location. All of my mini sessions are local to the Philadelphia/Philly area, both within the city limits and suburbs – with outdoor and natural light studio options all year long!

I always choose shoot locations saturated with gorgeous seasonal light and–I assure you!–ample space for families to spread out before and after their slots. Spring 2023 mini locations offer a blooming and breezy aesthetic, including Fairmount and FDR Park, Bartam’s Gardens, and Old City.  

Find the location and date that works with your crazy schedule? That’s half the battle! Once you get there, I will guide you through natural poses and suggestions to maximize your image options. Mini packages include 5 images of your choice with the ability to download more from your album. 

And remember what I said about low stress? That even includes mini sessions with toddlers. I’ve got plenty of tricks to get even the tantrum-prone to laugh their way through our session. A mere 15 minutes will get you the quality that you’ve been chasing around at home. You get the Christmas card shot, they get back home without a nap interruption–win-win! Plus, I always have an assistant with me to pull out all the behind the scenes tricks to get that perfect mid laugh smile!

Before the mini session:

1. Think through complimentary outfits for the fam. Soft and neutral with some varying textures typically works best with the outdoor setting. I love to dress up outfits using layering and accessories.
2. Decide if there are any “must-have” shots that you’d like to prioritize–a close-up of the whole family, a solo shot of the little one, or anything in between. Leave the rest up to me, I promise to get you a variety of images to choose from!
3. Plan to get there at least 10 minutes early so everyone can get a quick hair brush, reapplication of lip gloss, and some deep breaths to relax and get comfortable.

I’ve never had a client regret booking a mini session. You’re bound to find (at least!) one image from the shoot that demands to be framed. In the coming months, I can’t wait to capture families in spring’s regenerative essence, the city in full bloom. Hope you’ll join me!! xo

Sweetpea

Sweetpeashots Photography

We just had our FOURTH mini-session family shoot with Natalie. We’ve been trusting her with our family photographs since our little was a few months old, and we are thrilled each time with the quality and character of the photographs and moments that she captures every time. She has an excellent eye for the location and how to tailor her strategy for each family and situation. The pictures are always gorgeous, and the sessions are always super fun!

-Keri Ann, Philadelphia

Natalie has now done 3 different shoots for my daughter and me. First, we did a holiday mini session which was super affordable, pretty painless and quick, along with great pictures. She did my daughters 1 year photos which were also amazing. We did a fall photo session with my 18 month old and Natalie is just phenomenal and patient catching great moments with a toddler who is running at 100 mph in the opposite direction. I plan to use her forever.

-Dana, Philadelphia