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Usually 15 to 30 minutes per slot

Mini session photography, planned and delivered

A mini session is a 15 to 30 minute slot at a date and place the photographer sets, and shoots.page delivers each family its own gallery link with no client account. Pixieset describes back-to-back slots at one location on the same day, and ShootRate's pricing table lists 10 to 15 final images for a standard 15 to 20 minute mini. Set max picks, price extras and add an expiry date; it's free up to 2 GB.

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The short answer

Mini sessions are short, fixed-format shoots sold as a set of slots. Pixieset says they usually take 15 to 30 minutes and come with fewer images and a lower price than a regular session. HoneyBook gives the same 15 to 30 minute range, and VSCO's guide describes a mini day as 10 to 20 clients in a single day.

The hard part is logistics: fixed slots with buffers, a fixed image count, and fast delivery of many small galleries. That last part is where shoots.page fits, with one gallery and one link per family, an optional pick limit and a price for extras.

Mini sessions at a glance

Published figures in USD, checked 29 October 2026.
WhatTypicalSource
Length15 to 30 minutes; 15 to 20 if your full session is an hourPixieset, HoneyBook, VSCO; ShootProof
FormatBack-to-back slots at one location on one dayPixieset
Clients per day10 to 20VSCO
Buffer between slots5 to 15 minutesVSCO
Edited photos10 to 15 for 15 to 20 minutes; 15 to 25 for 25 to 30 minutesShootRate
Price per slot$100 to $150 entry level, $150 to $225 mid-market, for 15 to 20 minutesShootRate
DeliverySneak peek within 48 hours, full gallery within one to two weeksVSCO
shoots.pageOne gallery link per family, max picks with priced extras, expiry date; free up to 2 GBPricing

What a mini session is

Pixieset calls a mini session a smaller version of the photo experience you normally provide: usually 15 to 30 minutes, fewer images, a lower price, and run back to back with other sessions in the same location on the same day. ShootProof's guide, by Anne Simone, calls it a smaller version of the portrait packages you already offer; if your usual session lasts an hour, a mini should only last 15 to 20 minutes. It is not your regular session sold at a discount, and it works best as a limited-time offer.

HoneyBook adds that minis are often tied to a theme or season. Rebecca Rice draws the line tighter: 10 to 20 minutes, stacked in a specific time block, at a location and on a date the photographer chooses, with 3 to 5 images. For a full list of what clients get, see what a mini session includes.

How to run a mini-session day

  1. Set the offer before you open bookings

    Decide the slot length, the number of edited photos, the price of extra images and the limits on family size and pets. VSCO's guide says to set a specific image count and hold it, and to price and present extra files during booking rather than after delivery. ShootRate's table puts a standard 15 to 20 minute mini at $100 to $150 a slot at entry level and $150 to $225 mid-market. Not sure of the count? See how many photos to include.

  2. Plan the slots with buffers

    VSCO describes a mini day as 10 to 20 clients, often with young children, and recommends a 5 to 15 minute buffer between every slot. It also says a single location or simple backdrop is what makes back-to-back scheduling feasible, because extra locations on the same day add setup time and travel.

  3. Shoot to a short list

    With 15 to 30 minutes per family, work from a short shot list: the whole group, each child, the parents. Stop when you have the frames you need; every extra frame is culling time later.

  4. Edit family by family

    Import each family into its own folder as soon as the day ends so names and files never mix. Cull to the count you promised, keep the grade consistent across the day's light, and export full-size JPEGs.

  5. Deliver one gallery per family

    VSCO suggests a sneak peek within 48 hours and full delivery within one to two weeks, which it calls the standard mini clients expect. Give every family its own gallery and link.

Deliver 20 small galleries without the chaos

Create one gallery per family on shoots.page. There is no limit on the number of galleries or photos per gallery, so 20 families means 20 galleries, each with its own unlisted link. Families open the link in a browser, see 2000 px previews and download the originals byte for byte, one at a time or as one ZIP, with no account or app.

Turn on proofing for each gallery. Set max picks to the number of photos in the package (the default is 25) and add a per-photo price for extras. The family stars favorites, sees a live "n of max" count and a running price for extras, and submits with name and email; the submission locks until you reopen it. You settle any extras with the family yourself. Add an expiry date so mini galleries close on their own, and a password if a family asks. Weighing proofing against plain delivery? See delivery vs proofing.

Storage is the only cap, and it counts published galleries, so you can stage drafts while you edit. At about 8 MB per exported JPEG, 20 families with 10 delivered photos each is 200 JPEGs, about 1.6 GB, which fits in the free 2 GB. Posting 30 edited proofs per family for them to choose from is 600 JPEGs, about 4.8 GB, which needs Pro: 100 GB for USD 9 a month or USD 90 a year before tax, or EUR 8 a month or EUR 80 a year in Europe with VAT included. See pricing.

What shoots.page does not do

shoots.page is delivery only. It does not handle booking, scheduling, contracts or invoicing, it does not take payments for slots or extras and takes no commission, and it has no print store. Keep your booking tool and payment method, and use shoots.page for the galleries.

Common questions

How long should a mini session be?

Pixieset, HoneyBook and VSCO all give 15 to 30 minutes. ShootProof suggests 15 to 20 minutes if your full session runs an hour, and Rebecca Rice uses 10 to 20.

How many families can you photograph in one day?

VSCO's guide puts a mini day at 10 to 20 clients, with a 5 to 15 minute buffer between slots.

How many edited photos should a mini session include?

ShootRate lists 10 to 15 final images for a standard 15 to 20 minute mini and 15 to 25 for 25 to 30 minutes. Rebecca Rice includes 3 to 5.

How fast should mini session photos be delivered?

VSCO suggests a sneak peek within 48 hours and the full gallery within one to two weeks.

Can families buy extra photos through shoots.page?

They can pick extras above the included count and see the running price, but shoots.page never collects the payment or takes a commission. You collect it from the family yourself.

Deliver your next mini-session day

Make one gallery per family, set the included picks and send each link. Free up to 2 GB, with no client accounts.

Prepare a gallery

Sources

Checked 29 October 2026.