Mini Sessions in Colorado Springs
Once a year, I open up a small handful of mini session spots at a few curated locations around Colorado Springs and the mountains beyond. Same intention, same connection-first approach as every other session, just smaller in scope and shorter in time.
This one is for the person who is always taking the photo and never in it. Whether you are booking it for yourself, gifting it to someone who needs it, or surprising the person who would never ask for it but absolutely deserves it, the invitation is the same. Come exist in the frame this year.
I want to tell you why this exists on my calendar at all.
So many of you have shared the same quiet truth with me over the years. There are almost no current photos of you with the people you love most. You are the one holding the phone. You are the one cropped out of the group text. You are the one who said next year, and then next year came, and you said it again. I kept thinking about that. About time, and how it keeps moving, and how someday the people you love will go looking for you in the photo albums.
So once a year, I open up a short window of golden light, and I ask you to be in it.
The Quiet Details
Fall 2026 Mini Sessions
Three dates, three locations, one small window before the season turns. Pick whichever calls to you.
Each session includes time with me at your chosen location, a full digital viewing gallery to choose from, five hand-edited heirloom images to keep, and the option to upgrade to your full gallery or purchase additional images a la carte.
You will receive personalized wardrobe styling guidance and a session prep guide ahead of time. Galleries are delivered through your online portal with full reprinting rights and access to my professional print shop.
Friday, September 25, Brainard Lake, Ward, Colorado
5:45 - 6:00 pm
6:05 - 6:20 pm
6:25 - 6:40 pm
Tuesday, September 29, cheyenne mountain state park, Colorado springs
5:15 - 5:30 pm
5:35 - 5:50 pm
5:55 - 6:10 pm
6:15 - 6:30 pm
Monday, October 5, Ute Valley Park, Colorado springs
5:45 - 6:00 pm
6:05 - 6:20 pm
6:25 - 6:40 pm
What’s Included in a Small Session?
15 Minute Session in Colorado Springs
Full Digital Viewing Gallery to Select Images
5 Hand-Edited Heirloom Digital Images to Keep
Option to Upgrade to the Full Gallery or Purchase A La Carte
Personalized Wardrobe Styling Guidance
Session Prep Guide with Outfit Tips
Online Gallery with Professional Print Options
Full Reprinting Rights
$300
How Do I Book a Mini Session?
Booking is simple:
Select your preferred date and time using the booking calendar (linked below).
Fill out the short form with your information.
Watch your inbox over the next few hours. I will reach out with access to your client portal. There, you can pay your invoice, sign your contract, and start planning for our time together.
Once your invoice is paid and your contract signed, your spot is officially yours.
If you don’t hear from me by the end of the day, check your spam folder. Still nothing? Reach out directly, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.
Why These Locations
Brainard Lake Mini Session
Brainard Lake sits high in the Indian Peaks, and by late September the aspens surrounding it have gone gold, the kind of gold that shows up in a photo without any help from me. The lake itself sits close to the parking area, so despite the drive to get here, the session doesn't ask for a hike once you arrive, just a short, flat walk to water that mirrors the peaks back at you. Brainard Lake Recreation Area runs on a timed entry permit system year round, so there's one extra step to book this location compared to the others. I'll walk you through exactly what that looks like once you're booked, no research required on your end. It's new to the mini session lineup this year because it's the mountain experience so many of you ask for, just condensed into fifteen minutes.
cheyenne mountain state park Mini Session
This one is for families who want the mountain feel without leaving town. The park sits right at the edge of the city, with wide, easy, well-maintained trails and parking close enough that a fifteen-minute session never turns into a fifteen-minute hike first. It's where prairie meets mountain in a single frame, open grassland giving way to foothills, and it holds extended family and little ones equally well because nobody has to work hard to get to the good light.
Ute Valley Park Mini Session
Ute Valley Park is one of those places that gives more than it asks for. Tucked into the northwest side of Colorado Springs, it's a quiet sweep of red rock formations, open meadows, and scrub oak, accessible without being crowded, beautiful without being precious. Parking sits right along the trailhead, so there's no trek involved before the session even starts. In the evening, there's a particular way the light moves through the rocks here, slow, generous, like it has nowhere else to be.
For the One Who's Never in the Photos
Here is the thing I want to say plainly.
Most of the people I photograph have hundreds of photos of the people they love and almost none of themselves in the frame with them. You are the documentarian. You are the one capturing first steps and lost teeth and sticky-fingered birthday cake moments. You are the one who hands the phone to someone else and says, get one of me too, and somehow it never quite happens.
I am not telling you this to make you sad. I am telling you because it is the most common thing I hear from people who finally book a session. I just want them to have pictures of me with them. That is the whole thing. Not a perfect outfit, not a curated aesthetic, just proof that you were there, loved and loving, in the season you were in. The gift of this IS being in the frame.
Two Ways This Session Might Find you
One, for yourself. Maybe you have been the one quietly wishing for current photos with the people you love. Maybe you have been waiting for the right time, when the schedule clears, when the kitchen is clean, when things feel more together. I would gently say, stop waiting. Book it for you.
Two, as a gift for someone else. If someone in your life has been on your mind, this could be it. A session with the people who love them, or just with you, on a piece of land that asks nothing except that they show up. I have physical gift certificates I can mail to you or hand off locally, so you have something tangible to give.
A Few Things You Might Be Wondering
How often do you offer these? Once a year, at a small handful of curated locations I choose ahead of time. Follow along on Instagram or join the list below so you don't miss the announcement.
Can I bring my whole family, or just some of us? Either works beautifully. Mini sessions are designed for immediate family, so think of you and your kids, you and your partner and kids, or you and your own parent. If you want to include extended family or grandparents, I would recommend a full Hometown or Rooted Connection session so we have time to capture everyone with care.
What should we wear? You will receive my full styling guide once you book, with access to my client closet for borrowable pieces. If you would like to start dreaming ahead of time, my post on what to wear for family photos in Colorado walks through everything in detail.
What if it rains or snows on session day? I will make the call the day of and provide an alternate date if conditions do not cooperate.
How long until we see the photos? Your gallery will be ready within two weeks. You will get a link to view your images online, download your included photos, and decide if you would like to upgrade to your full gallery.
Can I gift this to someone? Yes. I have physical gift certificates I can mail or meet you with locally. You will still need to book the time and complete the booking on their behalf.
What if all the spots fill before I can book? I will not be adding more dates this season. If you miss this round, my full session collections are always available, and I would love to find another date that works for your family.
A Soft Invitation
If something in you is already saying yes, listen to that.
Maybe it is for you. Maybe it is for someone you love. Maybe it is for the person who would never ask for this on their own. Whoever it is for, the offer is small, the spots are limited, and the window doesn't stay open long.
Let this be the season you stop being the one behind the camera.
Important Notes About Small Sessions
Session fees for small sessions are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Outside of weather, sessions cannot be moved to another date, as small sessions are only offered on select dates each season.
In case of inclement weather, I’ll make the call the day of your session and provide alternate dates if we cannot meet due to conditions.
Changes or cancellations within 24 hours of the session time cannot be accommodated.
Small sessions are designed for immediate family only. If you’d like to include grandparents or extended family, a full session is recommended.
Sessions must take place at the designated locations listed above. For custom locations or extended time, please consider booking a full session.