Jan 27, 2015

Kansas City Child Photographer | Valentine’s Day | Anna Marie Photography

Kansas City Child Photographer|Anna Marie Photography

This past weekend we shot the Valentine’s Day Mini Sessions. And let me tell you, I really do love mini session day. I get to see a lot of current clients again and always meet at least one or two new ones as well. Lot’s of silliness and laughing with the kids and my assistant. Just a fun couple of hours. However this was not always the case. I didn’t always love shooting these. Probably because in the beginning of my photography journey I wrongly assumed (like so many clients and new photographers) that mini sessions are a breeze. A walk in the park, some easy money. Um, no. They aren’t easy and I work my tail off to earn what I charge. From the planning of the set up, collecting (buying the props), making the props I couldn’t buy, to shooting them to editing them. Mini sessions are not a cake walk.

Mini session days used to give me all kinds of anxiety. Would we stay on schedule, would I be able to capture the images I needed to in fifteen minutes? Fifteen minutes is not a lot of time and you really do have to think fast and have poses and shots already in mind before the clients arrive. When I first started out I used to think these type of sessions are the easiest because they are so short. Now I know (I realized it quickly during the first minis I ever shot) it takes more than just pressing the shutter as many times as I could in the time allotted. This type of session you have to make every second count.

I am looking for meaningful eye contact in every shot. I want a “real” smile in every shot. Not teeth grinding together, lips pulled back to expose them all the way to the molars. Oh my gosh. That is the last thing I want to capture (I am sure moms feel the same way). This is part of the reason I have an assistant. You all know Kati and that she will act all kinds of crazy to get a kiddo to smile. REALLY smile. That way I can concentrate on what I have in camera. I don’t stop until time is up or until I am certain I have the 8 shots I promised you. I don’t want the quality to be less just because the cost is less or the time is less. I think that is the problem with a lot of holiday “mini sessions” you see on your news feed. You shouldn’t be getting low quality because your photographer is choosing to charge you less. And I can’t compete with the photographers that charge $50 for their minis, nor do I want to.

I once had someone inquire about Easter minis. Mine were $165 and the other girl she was looking at was charging $50…and she had a bunny. Did you hear that people…she had a freakin bunny. How in the world am I going to compete with a bunny? Well the answer is I can’t and I won’t. If you are looking for a low priced session that comes with low quality images, but also has farm animals you are never going to find that with me. What I can give you is a well organized, short but sweet session that allows you to have beautiful images for a very special price. It all depends on what kind of client you are. If you choose bunnies over quality, who am I to stop you?

Yes, it is hard work. But it’s fun. You can tell by looking at the images in this post. You can tell we have happy kids here. I can’t promise I will always offer holiday minis, but as long as clients keep signing up and I still have fun doing it I will keep offering them. So definitely keep an eye out for the Easter minis coming up!

And to answer your question…no, there will not be bunnies.