The Ultimate List of Mini Session Themes

One of the strongest marketing tools a photographer can use is the creation of session themes. This concept uses the theme as a way to create fun photoshoots for your clients which give them something new and fresh to shoot. You could have the same clients coming back time and time again for different themes – or annually for their favourites. It becomes a fantastic upsell that has so many different possibilities.

However, when it comes time to plan out your year and think of your mini session themes, you might be stuck for ideas. Never fear, because we’ve got a whole ton of them right here for you! We’ve even organised them by category to help you out. So, without further ado, here’s our ultimate list of mini session themes!

For babies and children

• Baby’s name announcement mini session
• First day of school mini session (set up with props and uniforms your clients can borrow – it’s a theme, not you showing up at the school gates!)
• Cake smash mini session (doing a whole day of cake smashes means only one cleanup right at the end!)
• Lemonade stand mini session
• ‘What I want to be when I grow up’ mini session
• Fairytale mini session (the child can be photographed alone, and magical creatures and settings added via overlays later!)
• Unicorn mini session 
• Monster mini session 
• Alien/Space mini session 
• Cowboy/cowgirl mini session 
• Superhero mini session
• Prince or princess mini session
• Fairy mini session

For teens

• Prom mini session (think of classic prom themes to make this even more specific – you could even coordinate with local high schools to find out what theme they are using every year!)
• Homecoming mini session (obviously, everyone is the king and queen in your studio)
• First car mini session
• Graffiti mini session
• Cap and gown/graduation mini session
• Sweet 16 mini session
• Pillow fight mini session (great for a group of friends!)
• Slumber party mini session
• Horse and pony mini session
• Fantasy knights and princesses mini session
• Cosplay mini session (pick up costumes of popular characters that teens love right now)
• Spring break mini session
• Cheer squad mini session

For families

• Sunset/sunrise mini sessions (exclusivity of just one per day means you can raise the price!)
• Kitchen cooking mini session 
• Favourite fast food mini session 
• Band mini session (bring prop instruments for the whole family to choose from!)
• Mini golf or crazy golf mini session
• Sports team mini session (get uniforms printed for cheap in lots of different sizes! You can pair up with a garment printer to promote their services)
• Water fight mini session
• Finger painting mini session (the painting goes on clothes, faces, backdrops, and everywhere little hands can reach!)

For couples 

• Proposal mini session (real or recreated)
• Paint fight mini session
• Pillow fight mini session 
• Horse ride mini session
• Valentine’s Day mini session
• Trash the dress mini session 
• Bridal shower mini session
• Kissing booth mini session
• Boudoir mini session

For everyone

• Earth Day mini session
• Easter mini session 
• Egg hunt mini session
• Easter bunny mini session (use our overlays to pop in some real bunnies)
• Christmas tree mini session
• Christmas present opening mini session (all fake, of course!)
• Santa Claus mini session
• Military mini session
• Police force mini session 
• Firefighters mini session 
• Doctors and nurses mini session
• Camping mini session (complete with a tent!)
• St Patrick’s mini session
• Fourth of July mini session 
• Fall harvest mini session
• Halloween mini session
• Halloween makeover mini session (not only do they get great shots, but they’re also ready to go out to a Halloween party afterwards! You can often get away with several days for this one as people will celebrate all weekend long and on whatever day Halloween falls on)
• Spring mini session (flowers, baby animals, bright colours and pastels)
• Summer mini session
• Winter/snow mini session 
• Puppy party mini session
• Kitten party mini session 
• Farm zoo animals mini session 
• Dancing mini session
• Old Hollywood Glamour mini session
• Dress-up era mini sessions (Victorian, Elizabethan, pilgrim, the eighties, etc, etc)
• Classic car mini session 
• Farm mini session (tractors, hay bales, goats!)
• Silly string fight mini session 
• Confetti mini session 
• Picnic mini session 
• Beach party mini session 
• Flower field mini session 
• Mermaid and Merman mini sessions
• Tea party mini session 
• Ice cream party mini session
• Apple orchard mini session 
• Candy mini session 
• Glitter mini session 
• Hot air balloon mini session (whether you go up in a real balloon – or just pose with a prop!)
• Roller skating mini session 
• Ice skating mini session 
• Sand castles mini session 
• Fantasy pets mini session (you can use our overlays to pop in whatever animals your clients dream of posing with!)
• Fantasy animals mini session (more along the lines of unicorns, three-headed dogs, and centaurs – all done in post, of course)
• Pirate mini session 
• Sailor mini session 
• Forest mini session 
• Circus mini session (at the circus? Or just themed makeup and props? You get to decide!)
• Carnival mini session (same as above!)
• Rainbow mini session 
• Colour-themed mini session (for example, an all-pink set where your clients must dress head to toe in pink)
• Wild West mini session 
• Safari mini session 
• Nature mini session (based on whatever your local area is known for – it might be flower fields, dramatic cliffs, wild forests, etc)
• Bring your pet mini session 
• Movie tribute sessions (pick classic and popular movies, like a Grease mini session where everyone gets to dress up as Pink Ladies or Greasers)
• Drive-in mini session (can be combined with the classic car mini session)
• High school mini session (best for adults – you can encourage everyone to dress up as stereotypes, like the jock, the princess, the nerd, etc)
• BBQ mini session (great for summer!)

There are so many ways you can get creative with mini session ideas. Don’t just stop with our suggestions – go ahead and let your imagination run wild! Remember, the more specific you are, the better: if you run a flower fairy session this season, you can always put on a woodland fair session next season. Don’t have access to the locations you need? Summerana Academy has got you covered. We offer thousands of overlays, digital backgrounds, and even marketing templates to create the mini sessions of your dreams and really take your photography business to the next level!

Images are courtesy of Tracy Joy Photography, Shannon Squires Photography, Holly Lund Imagery, Sara Hunt Photography, Oh My Goddard Photography, & Sierra Pearl Photography.