This family was anticipating the departure of their oldest as she headed off to college. So the mom wanted family photos of everyone together before their daughter left. Family photoshoots are wonderful milestone markers, and I’m always honored to document them for families.

Mini shoot photo sessions are perfect for busy senior guys who don’t want much fuss. Which means we didn’t have to brave the erratic weather for too long.

I was just talking with a friend who wanted family photos. Her oldest is about to go away to college, and they wanted a session while they are all still under the same roof. Must be one of the reasons I am getting the senior family sessions so often.

Did we get this little guy to play along and sit down with his family? We sure did! The trick is not to panic. I also bring along my husband, who is excellent at making our session seem more like a big game we are all playing.

Going through this gallery, I thought about strengthening the compositions. I used to deliver horizontal and vertical images. I quickly learned that it’s better to shoot horizontally all the time. That way, if a client wants to fit a photo in a verticle frame, that’s still an option. This means, clients, you can get creative with cropping. Here are a few tips to consider.

Even though teenagers have packed schedules, a Mini Shoot like this only takes a small amount of time. I don’t think this Mini Shoot lasted more than 15, maybe 20 minutes at the most.

The last time I photographed these kids was…11 years ago. It’s fun when clients come back, and I see kids grow. From this far back, I can see I grew too as a photographer! I now notice that I placed brother and sister the same way as I did eleven years ago. Let’s see what else I can dig up….hold on.

Have a said this already? I love families. Young families are a hoot. I love them because I remember those crazy days of trying to get my kids dressed and organized for whatever special occasion.

Absolutely! Bring your dog! The dog is a part of the family, and I think it is important to document them in the family. This guy was great, especially considering that we were at the entrance to a dog park. It’s like a slow parade of dogs coming and going from the park. Good dog!!

These girls were so excited that they got a chance to include their dog in the family photos. The family dogs I’ve worked with have been well behaved so far. And I think it’s important to document them.

In the past few years, this one especially, I’ve received specific requests for Mini Shoots. Which tells me they have grown in popularity. Mini shoots are an excellent way for families with small kids to get their family photos taken with the least amount of stress on everyone.

Ah, the weather. The day before this shoot it was an absolute downpour. That’s why I like to ask clients for alternative dates just in case the weather gets impossible. What a difference a day makes!

I remember when the youngest little lady was a baby. I am a photographer for a local preschool delivering custom photographs of students. One fun part of that job is watching the kids grow up.

This year I am offering a Fall Mini Shoot on Saturday, October 7 and Saturday, October 14. The cost is $200 which includes a 25-minute session, 5 digital images and a “What to Wear Guide!” The Fall Mini Shoots will be held at the Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Naperville IL.

As soon as I saw these two brothers running toward the field I was shooting in, I swapped out my memory card for a faster memory card. I might have even upped my shutter speed to make sure my camera caught them.

Right when these siblings walked up the sun softly appeared. I love how the sparkle of the sunshine matched their happy faces.

As I’m looking at the above image of those three smiley girls I remembered what was making them smile. As you can imagine, when shooting families it takes a bit of effort to get everyone looking at the camera or thereabouts.

Like with many families I photograph, this group was well prepared for their shoot. So much so, that we had time to spare at the end. So we took a little walk to another part of the park to get them walking down a path.

These three girls were full of smiles and energy which made this photo shoot fly by. It’s always fun when a family is up for anything. And I’m glad their mom and dad were able to enjoy their spunk

I could have taken photos of this family all day. But this is a busy family and they had activities planned. So a mini shoot photo session was just the right fit for all of them.