A morning of spring-blossom mini-sessions.
Notes from this October's spring minis at Samford — what fits in twenty minutes, what to wear under the jacarandas, and when next year's round opens.
Four times a year I run a single morning of mini-sessions in one location. Mother's Day in May, a winter portrait day in July, spring blossoms in October, and Christmas in November.
They're roughly the same shape every time. Twenty minutes per family, five to eight finished images, capped at six families across the morning. Last week was the spring round, and the jacarandas along the back paddock at Samford finally cooperated.
Why I run them this way.
Mini-sessions started as a way to fit families who don't want — or don't need — a full hour-long portrait session every year. A milestone framed picture for the wall. A card image for Christmas. Three or four candid frames of the kids in good light. That's the whole job. Twenty minutes is plenty for it, as long as the location, the light and the timing are right.
It also keeps the price accessible. Minis start at $199, where a full session sits considerably higher, so they're a gentle way to get a yearly portrait of growing children without a big commitment.
What we shoot in twenty minutes.
A mini moves quickly, and that's the point. I usually capture a clean group portrait of everyone together, a candid frame of the parents looking at each other, and one of the children doing something small — running, holding hands, picking flowers. If there are siblings, I'll pull each one aside for an individual frame too.
Twenty minutes isn't a lot of time for a full family portrait session, but it's enough for these. The trick is having the location ready, the light right, and parents arriving on time.
Why spring works for blossoms.
The first week of October usually catches the jacarandas in full bloom around Brisbane, with frangipani and bougainvillea picking up later in the month. I scout the location a week ahead and confirm the morning two days out, when the forecast is firm. If a storm rolls in we move to the rain date in the same week, and nobody loses their slot.
Spring minis run at golden hour rather than mid-morning. The blossoms photograph richer in warm light, and Brisbane spring afternoons are usually mild enough that small children are still happy at six o'clock.
What to wear.
For spring at Samford, soft pastel tones suit the blossoms well: dusty pink, sage, cream, pale lilac. Avoid hot pinks and reds, which fight with jacaranda purples in the frame. Group everyone in the same palette without matching exactly. A flower in the hair is welcome; a tiara isn't.
For the kids, simple cotton dresses or plain shirts and shorts are best. Nothing too dressy — the photographs read better when the children look like themselves rather than wedding guests.
Who they suit (and don't).
Mini-sessions work best for families I've already photographed at least once, and for families who want a yearly ritual without the fuss of a full session. They're not the right fit for first-time newborn portraits, large extended families, or sessions where the children are particularly small or wary. For those, a longer one-on-one session is a much better experience.
If you have a baby under six months and you're tempted by minis, I'd gently steer you towards a sitter session in the studio first. Once a baby can sit unaided and engage with the camera, mini-sessions become lovely.
When the next round opens.
The Christmas mini-session morning is the next one in the calendar — a Saturday in mid-November, location confirmed once I've scouted it. Bookings open by email two weeks before the date, and the spots usually go inside a day. If you'd like a heads-up before the public announcement, send me a note and I'll add you to the early-access list.
More from the journal: Golden-hour family portraits at Samford →