Is 15 Minutes Really Enough for Family Photos?

One of the questions I hear about mini sessions is some version of, “Can we really get enough photos in 15 minutes?” The answer is yes. Absolutely. I’ve been photographing people for 22 years, and if there’s one thing all of that experience has taught me, it’s that a great session doesn’t have to be a long session. In fact, sometimes shorter is better.

What can we actually photograph in 15 minutes?

Quite a bit! During a typical family mini session, we can usually photograph the whole family together, the kids together and individually, each parent with the kids, Mom and Dad together, and several different combinations along the way. We’ll get the everyone-looking-at-the-camera photos, but we’ll also create plenty of more relaxed, playful and connected images.

Every family and every session is different, of course, but 15 minutes gives us much more opportunity for variety than most people expect. The key isn’t trying to squeeze an hour-long session into 15 minutes. It’s knowing exactly what to do with those 15 minutes.

This is where 22 years of experience matters.

I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know how to find the light, where I want to put you and how to move through different groupings quickly without making your session feel rushed or like an assembly line. More importantly, I know how to photograph people.

I can usually tell pretty quickly when a child needs a little space, when we need to move on from something that isn’t working, or when something really good is about to happen. I’m not spending the first ten minutes figuring out my camera settings or deciding where everyone should stand. We’re photographing, and that experience is a big part of why we’re able to create so much variety in a short amount of time.

Sometimes kids actually do better with less time.

Parents sometimes worry that 15 minutes won’t be enough time for their kids to warm up, but kids don’t always do better when we give them more time. Sometimes they do better when we keep things moving.

We aren’t asking them to sit perfectly still and smile for 15 straight minutes. We’ll move around, play, snuggle, change up the groupings and keep things interesting. Before they’ve had enough time to become completely over the idea of family photos, we’re done. Honestly, the same can sometimes be said for dads. 😉

Why choose a mini session?

A custom photography session is wonderful when you want more time, flexibility, a specific location or a session designed entirely around your family. But you don’t necessarily need that every time you want updated photographs.

Mini sessions give you an opportunity to keep your family photos current without committing to a full session. They’re a lower investment, take very little time out of your day and eliminate a lot of the planning that comes with a custom session. I choose the location, timing and setup ahead of time, so you don’t have to make a million decisions. Pick your time, choose your clothes, show up and I’ll take it from there.

A mini session is a great choice if you simply want beautiful, updated family photos, love one of the locations or setups I’m offering, and don’t need multiple outfits, locations or a completely customized experience. It’s quick, easy and a smaller investment.

They’re also a great way to photograph your family more regularly. Kids change ridiculously fast, and a mini session makes it easier to update those photos every year, or even a few times a year, rather than realizing it’s somehow been four years since everyone was in a photograph together.

Neither is better than the other. They’re just different experiences designed for different needs.

Does a shorter session mean less variety?

Definitely not. Efficiency doesn’t mean standing everyone in one spot and taking 50 versions of the same photograph. My goal is always variety.

I want the photograph where everyone is looking at the camera, but I also want the one where your kid is cracking up. I want the sibling photo, the little hand holding yours, the close-up, the wider shot and the photograph of you and your partner that you weren’t even expecting to love. I want the photos that feel a little less like Picture Day and a little more like your family.

So, is 15 minutes really enough?

Yes! Family photos don’t always have to be a big production. You don’t need to block off an entire evening, convince everyone to cooperate for an hour or make a huge investment just to have beautiful, current photographs of your family.

Sometimes 15 minutes is exactly what you need: enough time to get the photos you came for, capture some of the moments you didn’t expect, and then get everyone back to the rest of their day.

If you’ve been putting off family photos because they feel like too much time, too much planning or too much of a commitment, a mini session might be the perfect fit!

I offer a limited number of mini session dates throughout the year in and around Indianapolis, with different locations and seasonal options along the way.

Ready to book a mini session? VIEW + BOOK UPCOMING MINI SESSIONS → CLICK HERE

Want to see samples of past mini sessions? CLICK HERE!