This year was a big first for us - not just our first Christmas minis but our first ever themed indoor sessions. Up until now we’ve primarily photographed families outdoors, using York’s natural scenery as our backdrop. Moving to a full studio-style setup was definitely a change but the minis were a real success and we learned a lot along the way!
Christmas Minis Season Wrapped
These sessions were all about testing the waters - figuring out what works, what doesn’t and creating a bank of images to promote next year’s minis. We experimented with everything from our booking system to backdrop setup, lighting and session timings. By the end of the day we felt confident that next year’s minis will be even stronger.
We held the sessions on 22nd November at St James the Deacon church hall, where six lovely families joined us for cosy, festive portraits in front of our Christmas backdrop. We went for warm tones, soft furnishings, and simple props - the atmosphere was brilliant! A huge thank you to all the families who came along; your patience, laughs and high-fives made the day feel like a success from start to finish.
Behind the Scenes
We chose a local church hall because neither of us currently has a studio space big enough for a 3-metre backdrop, lighting stands and props. The hall worked really well - spacious, warm and hired at a very reasonable rate. Massive thanks to St James the Deacon for being so accommodating; we’d genuinely recommend the space for shoots, parties, classes… anything that needs a big room!
Of course, we hit a few classic first-year challenges:
Creases in the fabric backdrop - the backdrop arrived neatly folded, which meant a solid hour of battling creases with a handheld steamer. Yes, we could have Photoshopped them out but as we previously learned: fixing things in-camera is always better.
A slippery backdrop base - on the hall’s glossy wooden floor, the base shifted more than we liked. An anti-slip mat is now firmly on next year’s shopping list.
Hiding the backdrop-to-floor join - we masked it using rugs, wrapped “presents,” and a few props. It worked, but we plan to refine this even more next year.
All in all the setup came together far better than we expected. For a first attempt, we were genuinely chuffed with the results.
Plans for Next Year
We’ll definitely be running Christmas minis again - ideally over multiple days and hopefully in our own studio space. That said… the hall worked so well that we’re open to hiring again if needed.
Next year’s focus will be perfecting the set: cleaner backdrop transitions, smoother workflow and a more refined overall look. We’ll also be introducing a fair and simple pricing plan for the minis, along with optional printed products (which make brilliant Christmas gifts).
Thank you again to all the families who came along - we hope you love your photos!
Until next time ✌️
