Fall Mini Sessions Near Me | NOW BOOKING
It’s almost fall in New Jersey and you know what that means - the leaves change color, the Bennies go home for the season, my favorite coffee is released (yes, I LOVE my PSL) and best of all - MINI SESSIONS! It also means it’s time to update your family photos for your holiday cards! I have two Saturday’s and a Sunday set up this fall for mini sessions - one weekend in October and one Saturday in November!
2021 FALL MINI SESSIONS!
It’s almost fall in New Jersey and you know what that means - the leaves change color, the Bennies go home for the season, my favorite coffee is released (yes, I LOVE my PSL) and best of all - MINI SESSIONS! It also means it’s time to update your family photos for your holiday cards! I have three days set up this fall for mini sessions - one weekend in October and one Saturday in November!
Around every turn in N.J., picturesque scenery soaked in golden light & brilliant color practically screams to me, “THIS is the perfect spot for a photoshoot!” Lately, I’ve really been eyeing a particular spot in the Brookdale Park Rose Garden. See below for more mini session details!
Details - What IS a mini session?
A mini session is a great idea if you really just want a couple family portraits for holiday cards or to frame for family as gifts. They are quick and to the point! Mini sessions are also perfect if you want to document your pregnancy but don’t want to do a full session.
I definitely suggest a full session if you have little ones that may take a while to warm up; want to be more selective about date, time or location; and want more of the candid images of your family with some of each child by themselves.
This year, two packages will be offered! If you choose the Ultimate package, please note that in the form at the bottom of this page and select the two time slots you’d like paired together.
A $50 non-refundable session fee is due at booking and the remainder will be due 7 days prior to your mini session date. If you book before Oct. 1st, a $25 ‘early bird’ discount will be applied.
Packages
There are two mini session packages to choose from:
Classic - $200
15 minute session (outdoors)
5 high resolution, fully edited digital photos
Private online proofing gallery with final downloads AND full print release (so you can get them printed at any place of your choice at any size you want). You can also inquire about my print products as well!
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - Book by Oct. 1 for a $25 discount
Ultimate - $350
30 minute session
10 high resolution, fully edited digital photos
Private online proofing gallery with final downloads AND full print release (so you can get them printed at any place of your choice at any size you want). You can also inquire about my print products as well!
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - Book by Oct. 1 for a $25 discount
Dates and Locations:
Saturday, Oct. 16: Orchardside Farm in East Windsor, NJ (51 Orchardside Dr., East Windsor, NJ)
Saturday, Nov. 13: Sayen Gardens in Hamilton, NJ (155 Hughes Dr, Hamilton Square, NJ) - FULLY BOOKED
Orchardside Farm - Oct. 16 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/orchardsidefarm/
Orchardside is a small, family owned and operated farm in Cranbury, New Jersey. They grow seasonal spring/summer vegetables, as well as pumpkins in the fall, and Christmas trees for the holidays. They are also well known for their delicious baked goods, and homemade ice cream.
Schedule
1 p.m. - AVAILABLE
1:20 p.m. - AVAILABLE
1:40 p.m. - AVAILABLE
2 p.m. - AVAILABLE
2:20 p.m. - AVAILABLE
2:40 p.m. - AVAILABLE
3 p.m. - AVAILABLE
3:20 p.m. - AVAILABLE
3:40 p.m. - AVAILABLE
4 p.m. - AVAILABLE
4:20 p.m. - AVAILABLE
4:40 p.m. - AVAILABLE
Sayen Gardens - Nov. 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. - FULLY BOOKED
Photo by Marilyn Menago
Frederick Sayen was an avid gardener and world traveler. In 1912 he purchased a 30 acre parcel of land not far from the family rubber mill in Hamilton Square, NJ. He built a bungalow style home and surrounded it with plants and flowers acquired while he traveled the world. His collection includes species from China, Japan and England, many of which are still flourishing today. According to Harry Robinson, Sayen Garden's horticulturist, there are more than 1,000 azaleas and nearly 500 rhododendrons thriving under the vigilant care of the dedicated Sayen Gardens groundskeepers.
Schedule
1 p.m. - BOOKED
1:20 p.m. - BOOKED
1:40 p.m. - BOOKED
2 p.m. - BOOKED
2:20 p.m. - BOOKED
2:40 p.m. - BOOKED
3 p.m. - BOOKED
3:20 p.m. - BOOKED
3:40 p.m. - BOOKED
4 p.m. - BOOKED
4:20 p.m. - BOOKED
4:40 p.m. - BOOKED
PLEASE NOTE
You have no idea how much each photographer wishes they could control the weather, but it’s not possible. In case mother nature does not allow us to take photographs on one of the days – for example if it rains – we will reschedule sessions for that day. Your time slot for a given day will not change however. Please make sure that this works for you.
So, bring on the PSL, the colors, the smiles and the family. I look forward to seeing familiar and new faces!
The Pros & Cons of Mini Sessions | New Jersey Photographer
I wanted to break down some of the pros and cons to a mini session. Is it right for you? Click here to find out!
With our recent Summer and Beach Minis announcement and the amount of interest and bookings, we have been hit with many questions and we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to list some of the pros and cons of minis!
The Pros to a Mini Session
For those who don’t have a photographer they exclusively use, mini sessions offer a little peek and a chance to work with that photographer to “try them out” and just see how it goes.
Everything is essentially taken care of, the props and location - you just need to show up!
If you have kiddos with particularly short attention spans, sometimes mini sessions and the shorter times can be helpful! You get their best attitudes and attention for 20 minutes and they are all done. Of course, this could be a con as some kids need some warmup time (we will talk about that later).
It fits busier schedules and are usually held on weekends. Weekend schedules for photographers fill up quickly and as long as you can snag a spot in time, you’re good to go!
They are much cheaper than a photographer’s regular rate and usually have a theme! Since we can stack multiple sessions back-to-back, there’s no travel cost so we can eliminate that off the top which makes it a third of the price!
It’s a great way to keep your family photos updated through the year.
This one mainly is for photographers, but minis are a great way to build your clientele. Usually once you post one sneak peek of a family from your minis, their family and friends will also see your work and may contact you also!
The Cons to a Mini Session
They are short! Going back to one of the pros with the kids, if it takes a while for your child to come out of their shell - it could be tough and a little challenging.
You won’t receive as many images. Typically, our full sessions yield 60-80 images with a wide variety of looks. With our Minis, you can expect anywhere from 10-20 images.
Sometimes there’s a limit on the amount of people. With large groups, it can eat up a lot of time posing and swapping out the groups which can decrease the number of images you will get.
They aren’t as personalized as full sessions. We really like to give each client their own photo shoot and find ideas they love or even a place that is meaningful to them. Mini sessions don’t allow a lot of time for those fun and more artistic photos, though we do the best we can!If you’re late, it will severely cut into your time and the outcome of your shoot. Bouncing off that, we’ve known photographers and heard stories of those who won’t allow you to come if you’re late or won’t refund your money if you can’t make it. It’s important to get that information beforehand so you are at least aware of their policies.
They are super limited and sometimes fill up before even getting a chance, so keep an eye out if you’re holding off for an event!
Those are the main points of the pros and cons, as you can see much of it deals with time. I like to be sure mini sessions fit for those potential clients we haven’t worked with so we can be sure you are going to have a great experience in our short time and beautiful images you’ll love. We love Mini Sessions as photographers, sometimes we catch up with the families we work with all the time or we meet new families that end up being fantastic clients and friends!
We are so excited to meet our new clients this go around and cannot wait to catch up with our friends!