Mini sessions are short and sweet leaving a much more limited time frame
than my full sessions so it’s important to plan ahead.
Arrive Early
Please arrive a bit before your session time so you are fully ready for pictures (kiddos dressed, hair fixed, face wiped, etc) when it is your scheduled time! Due to the nature of these sessions if you are late, you will only have the remaining time to complete your session. This is most important! Shooting time will be 15 minutes. If you have any questions, please let me know beforehand.
Upon Arrival
I will likely be working with the client booked before you when you arrive. Please do not disrupt that session or distract the children being photographed so I can ensure I will have the full 15 minutes to work with each family. Be sure to keep those kiddos in the shade on hot days!
Prepping Younger Kids
Tell kids that they are going to play and have fun while they have their pictures taken but don’t spend too much time with rules or guidelines or what to expect in the days before. If you know that your kiddos aren’t great in front of the camera or with meeting new people, bring along a few tricks that may help. This could be a toy that I can hold to get their attention or an idea of a game we can play to keep them interested. Sometimes it helps if mom and dad are directly behind me (jumping or being silly), to get the kids to look at the camera. There really isn’t much “warm up” time with mini sessions so I jump RIGHT in.
Don't Stress!
Mini Sessions are so much fun and really the point is for them to be as little stress on you as possible. So my best advice for you is to think of it as a fun activity for you and your family and don’t stress over it. I’m there to capture you having fun and create memories of a beautiful day. This isn’t the type of session to plan for outfit changes or hundreds of combinations of portraits or ideas from Pinterest. This is the type of session where we get a bunch of fun candid shots. This is the type of session where we have fun and enjoy the day. I love these so much for this reason!
I hope these tips are helpful, but if you still have questions, feel free to email me at malachilwestbrook@gmail.com for more information.
Styling Guide
Choosing what to wear can be hard! My #1 tip is to wear something you feel comfortable and confident in!
Basics
Think about coordinating your family vs. being matchy-matchy. Wear colors that flatter your skin & hair color. I was given the tip once “select moms outfit first & coordinate dad & the littles with her”.
Color
When selecting your outfit colors, think about muted colors vs. bright/vibrant colors. Examples of this would be maroon vs. red, burnt orange vs. bright orange, ivory vs. white, or baby pink vs. hot pink!
Distractions
Men/Dads in particular, please keep phones & wallets out of pockets for our session. Women/Girls: Choose bra that works well and won’t be seen. For Kids: Remove any temporary tattoos/stickers etc.
These distractions will have a retouching for a small fee if you want them removed in editing.
Most items shown above can be found here!
https://amzn.to/40dtwpR
color may be displayed differently on links! read reviews and using sizing guides if ordering off amazon!