Let’s face it. The heart of Summer in Virginia can be a little unbearable.


Sure, there is some relief early in the morning and those evenings around 7 and 8 pm can be beautiful with the sun fading into a fiery sunset as the heat of day slowly dissipates. But! Most of the daylight hours are just too hot and too bright to really do anything outside of or away from a body of water. 

Richmond Virginia Best family and children's portrait photographer
Richmond Virginia family and children's portrait photographer

Summer mini sessions are a great compromise for those wanting to document their days but who also want to spare themselves flushed faces and overly sweaty brows in their photos. A quick 30 minute session early in the morning or in the evening can be a nice activity to break up the routines we have all grown accustomed to over the past few months. For the rest of the summer I’ll be running a little promo on my mini sessions. Just shoot me an email with the title of this blog post as the subject title and you’ll get $10.00 off any mini session scheduled before September.


Mini sessions are brief, therefore I believe it is even more important that they remain client centered, that the emphasis stay on facial expressions and emotions, and that clients aren’t limited in the deliverables they receive. 



Y'all know I strongly believe in photography as a tool to create and document special moments. But I also strongly believe in giving clients the space needed to tell their unique stories candidly. You won’t see me holding mini session open calls at specified locations. This “rinse and repeat” approach, while it may work for some, doesn’t support my values of photography. Clients can know that even on an abbreviated timetable, their sessions will remain centered around their individual needs and styles. 


I get asked all the time, “What should I wear?” “What should I bring to the shoot?” And I always reply, “Wear what makes you feel good and keep it simple.” Props play a minimal role in my sessions. With mini sessions especially, time is short and a single favorite toy or clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in can go a long way to make what’s important —the face of your child laughing or the look of love on their face as they get a big hug from a parent — stand out.


Finally, I believe in transparency with my clients. I am paid for my time behind the camera and my skill in capturing the moments before me. Afterwards, it is my responsibility to the client to deliver on that. I do not believe in limiting the number of edits clients receive. What is delivered is what was taken that day. I believe in working as hard as I can for clients and being as generous as I can with their moments. 

Richmond Virginia Best family and children's portrait photographer

I love mini sessions because they’re like concentrated bubbles of creativity and fun. I know I may conduct my minis a little different than most, but I believe in photography as a powerful tool for story telling. I want to conduct my sessions in a way that speaks to that ideal.