What to Expect when doing a Mini Session

Ahh, you’re done booking a mini session in Houston! Check. I’m so excited to document you and your family! Hopefully mini sessions with Amato Photography bring you tons of joy. My hope is that this blog will put you at ease and help you feel prepared for your mini session. If you haven’t booked and would like to, book your session here.

Timing

Mini sessions will be 15 minutes long. Your timeframe will not be able to go beyond the slot you signed up for as there will be people waiting for their session right behind you. It is SUPER important to plan on getting to the location 10-15 minutes early. It will take a few minutes to find parking, get your babies out, touch up makeup, but then also to walk to the designated location. For fall minis, this walk will be about 5 minutes to get to the actual spot.

If the weather is iffy, I will reach out the morning of to decide if we will move forward or postpone to another date.

Coordinating Outfits

When it comes to colors, I ALWAYS say, “When in doubt, neutral it out.” I recommend finding a neutral or muted color palette that you enjoy, and picking colors based off of that along with some neutrals tied in. If you choose to have patterns, I recommend that only one person has them and that they are smaller and neutral so that they aren’t distracting. Sometimes small checkered patterns that are smaller than a quarter can cause something caused chromatic abberation, so I recommend avoiding the tiny checkered tops. I also encourage you and your family to avoid bright reds/oranges and neon colors as these colors sometimes reflect color onto your skin. Here is a Pinterest board that I have created that may help guide you with your choices.

What do I do with my hands????

You feel awkward in front of the camera, I get it. I’m queen of awkwardness when attention and especially a camera is on me! I promise you that I will tell you where to stand and what to do. I will give your prompts and guidance to help make you feel comfortable in front of the camera. Our time together will be brief, fun, and pretty easy, I promise!

What if my child is not having it?

Well, first off, it happens, and that is okay. You can bring a favorite toy for your baby to have behind my camera to get them to smile. I also am team… bribery. Bring their favorite treat! Depending on the age, we can give your toddler a snack after a few good images, or they can have it after as an incentive. Families in the past have also gone on ice cream dates after sessions with me, how fun! If your child loves specific songs, we can also play those. The biggest thing I recommend is to not show stress or frustration (as hard as that can be), as that sometimes can set the tone. If your little one starts to run off, we will get photos of whoever is in the image. Typically they come back. : ) We can also have your child play a few games and interact with them to make it fun. Overall, DON’T WORRY about it. We will get great photos.

Can we bring dogs?

Yes, I looooove furry friends! You can, with certain protocols to follow. Dogs must be leashed at all times and you are responsible for cleaning up after your pet. I also recommend having a friend or family member come to hold your pet just in case your dog is not cooperating or you want a few without.

Receiving your gallery, YAY!

You will receive a digital gallery via email about 3-4 weeks after your session date. You can download (make sure you click high res) onto a desktop for best quality. If you enjoyed your time with me and you love your photos, please give me a review on Google!

Thank you for reading, I can’t wait to see you and your family at our mini session! If you are looking for a mini session in Houston, TX, here is my booking link that lists current sessions available. If you are wanting to book a regular family session, you can inquire here.