Mini Session Portrait Guide

Information

and

helpful tips

Let's create some beautiful artwork together!

I’m so glad you’re considering a portrait session with Jodi Walsh Photography, and I’m really looking forward to working together to create some beautiful images for your family to display and treasure. This page will provide more detailed information about my style as an artist, my pricing for sessions and products, and my process for booking and planning your session. As your photographer, I not only want to provide you with a stress-free photography experience but I also want to make sure that you have all the information you’ll need to select the images to print and display in your home.

Mini sessions are a fun way to simply update your portraits or to capture a special experience or milestone moment for your child. I offer mini-sessions with different themes at different times throughout the year. And I'm always interested in new ideas so if you have an idea that isn't offered, let me know and we can create something together.

Princess mini North Park

The Process

purchasing your session and collection with Jodi Walsh Photography

Step 1

your session fee

To book your session, first, pay the session fee and sign the digital contract. The session fee includes a small collection of 5 digital files for you to keep for personal printing and sharing.

Step 2

your slideshow

After your session is complete and your gallery is edited, you'll be invited to watch your slideshow. Here you can see all of the images that will make up your final gallery. Feel free to ooh and aah and enjoy every moment

Step 3

your gallery

Now it's time to select your digital files included with your session fee and make any additional purchases from your personal gallery store. From albums to framed prints, from wall-sized to fit-on-your-nightstand-sized, there are products for all homes and all budgets.

mini session calendar

Winter

January | February

winter & snow sessions (jan, feb)

Spring

April | May

celebrating moms (apr, may)
families (may)

spring princesses (may)

Summer

June | July

wildflowers (june, july)

Fall

November

fall family minis

black and white image of a little girl sitting the tall grass next to a tall tree in North Park near Pittsburgh.

image of a littel boy and girl, brother and sister. They're standing in the tall grass in the shade of a big tree. She has a basket of pink flowers at her feet. He's wearing a newsboy cap and suspenders. They're holding hands as they look at each other.

North Park, summer

black and white image of a little boy wearing suspenders, a bowtie, and a newsboy cap. He's in a grassy clearing with a large tree in the background.

Where to begin

why choose a mini session?

Mini sessions are perfect for fun, themed experiences that let you update your portraits without the pressure of a big time commitment. They're great for kids that have short attention spans or teens with limited time in their schedules. They're great for getting that yearly family portrait for the holiday card but they can also be great for documenting those milestone moments like your child's first holy communion.

Themed mini sessions are super special experiences perfect for mermaids and princesses! Giving kids the opportunity to play pretend and be fancy with some special images they'll treasure forever.

general info about the session and gallery

Session Length: Typically 30 minutes.
We work quickly but without the pressure to perform. My mini sessions are not scheduled back-to-back-to-back so if your little ones need some extra time to warm up, that's fine.
Location: TBD
Because of the limited time, I like to have a specific location in mind where I know best how to make use of the light to create the best images. Most family, kid, and princess mini sessions are in spots around North Park. Mermaids need water so they're often located in Sewickley.
Styling:
For specific themed costume sessions (mermaids, princesses, etc) I provide the costume and props or accessories needed to complete the look. For non-costume sessions, I'm happy to help with outfit styling.
Gallery:
Clients can expect to see at least 25 hand-retouched final images in their online gallery.

Wildflowers!!
offered every June & July

little boy with blonde hair sitting in a field of wildflowers near Pittsburgh

Mommy & Me!
offered in May

black and white image of a mother kissing her toddler girl. They're both wearing flowered dresses and they're in a garden at Mellon Park in Pittsburgh.

Fall Families!

offered in November

image of a little boy with blonde hair wearing a blue plaid shirt and blue jeans. He's standing in the woods in fall.

frequently asked questions

How do we hear about mini sessions?

my email list

The best way to be the first to know about my mini session dates, sign up for my email list and follow me on social media. Typically, I send out a quick email that announces the mini session details then a few days later I'll share the information on social media open to anyone.

Where are mini sessions scheduled?

a few different places

I schedule mini sessions in a variety of places. North Park is my favorite spot. It's close to my home, has a wide variety of spots, and it's pet-friendly for my families who like to include their four-legged friends.

If you have a spot in mind, let me know and we can discuss planning a mini there.

Can pets come too?

see above 😊

I love getting to include pets in family photo sessions- even in mini-sessions. The only reason a pet might not be included is if our mini-session location prohibits pets. If you are hoping to include a pet in your session, just let me know, and we can discuss location possibilities.

Can I do a smash cake?

sorry, but no

First birthday smash cake sessions are some of my favorite sessions to do. You can never know how a little one will react to that first taste of frosting. Unfortunately, 30 minutes is not enough time to fully capture this milestone. We can definitely schedule first birthday photos, but for a smash cake, please check out my full session options.

Can I schedule a Senior Mini?

sure, but not here

I do offer senior mini sessions, and you can learn all about those on my senior page. Senior mini sessions are a little longer than regular mini sessions to allow enough time for 2 outfits. Contact me to learn more about senior mini session scheduling.

What are custom mini-sessions?

Custom mini sessions for past clients. Sometimes my clients need a quick session but it doesn't fit in with the mini-sessions that I'm offering currently. That's where custom mini-sessions fit it. Clients who have booked sessions with me before can schedule a mini-session anytime and anywhere, depending on my availability. All mini-session pricing applies.

Mini Session + Base Collection

$400

Pricing starts at $400 for the session and base collection with options to upgrade collections and/or purchase a la carte products from your personal gallery store.

what's included?

30-minutes of on-location portrait time
an online gallery of fully retouched images
a personal gallery store where you can view your images in products
5 digital files with a release for personal printing and sharing

what to expect before the session

No Pressure: Even with a shorter timeframe, sessions are relaxed with no pressure to perform but always with a little guidance to help you look your best in front of the camera.
Organized: Before your session, you'll receive your session plan that includes all of the details and a breakdown of how we'll use the time.

what to expect after the session

Updates: You'll receive email updates on the progress of your gallery and my process of working on them
The Slideshow: All the images from your final gallery are put into a slideshow set to music. It's the perfect way to enjoy your images.
Black & White images: All images are shared in both color and black & white for more options. (Black & white images are sold separately and not included automatically with the download or purchase of a color image)

Mini Session Collection Upgrades

starting at $300

when you need a bit more of your gallery

All mini sessions include a base collection of 5 digital files that clients can download immediately from their gallery. For families who would like to purchase more of their images, I offer collection upgrades that include additional digital files as well as a store credit for purchasing prints or other print products.

petite collection upgrade

$300

10 digital files

$50 store credit

essential collection upgrade

$390

20 digital files

$100 store credit

complete collection upgrade

$495

your complete gallery including both color and black & white

50 digital files in total

$200 product credit

the products

off the cloud and into your home!

everyday prints

printed on professional photo paper with a semi-gloss finish, for the highest quality long-lasting print.

standard sizes available

canvas

fine art canvas wraps are printed directly onto museum-quality canvas using archival ink, with a beautiful finish and arrive ready to hang.

frames

photographic print on semi-gloss paper, mounted with a thick 8 ply mat board, protected by a front acrylic, permanently sealed with a black backing paper.
pre-assembled and ready to hang.

metal prints

press-printed coffee table books are created using the strongest binding system that allows the pages to flow like a traditional book, and are printed on matte paper for incredible quality and longevity.

image of a square linen covered photo album. the cover is beige and the album is set on a dark wood floor

acrylics

printed on fine art paper and set under a clear acrylic with a glare-free finish, featuring polished edges for a modern-looking display.

small canvases

perfect for small spaces, these canvas minis come ready to hang or display on a shelf. available as a set of three in two sizes, 5x5 square or 5x7.

wood box with prints

carefully handcrafted, print boxes include 20 matted prints perfect for display

albums

beautifully printed on Fuji Deep Matte paper, these albums are carefully constructed by a team of skilled artisans to create a tremendous visual impact with rich colors and pure whites.

and many more

If there are products that you're interested in but don't see here or in your personal gallery story, please send me a message and I'll be happy to find that perfect product for you!