Discover how MiniShoots transforms chaotic mini session management into a fully automated booking system. Create events instantly, share one link, and get paid while you sleep. Here's exactly how it works, step by step.
Join photographers automating their bookings
From creating your event to getting paid, here's how MiniShoots handles everything automatically
MiniShoots eliminates the manual work that makes mini sessions exhausting. No more spreadsheets, DM chaos, payment chasing, or double-booking disasters. The entire booking workflow runs on autopilot while you focus on photography.
Here's the exact process from start to finish, including what clients see, what you see, and everything happening automatically in the background.
Everything you need to run sold-out mini sessions, fully automated
Setting up your mini session event is lightning-fast. Enter your event title, date, location, session duration (typically 10-15 minutes), pricing, and add-ons. Then create your time slots—either individual slots or a batch of back-to-back sessions.
Behind the scenes: MiniShoots creates a mobile-optimized booking page, sets up payment processing, configures the hold system to prevent double-bookings, and activates the waitlist. Everything is ready to accept bookings immediately.
When clients click your link, they see available time slots in real-time. They select their preferred slot, enter contact details, choose any add-ons you offer (extra prints, rush delivery, additional family members), and pay instantly via Square. Payment is required to complete the booking—no more chasing Venmo.
Payment holds: When a client selects a slot, it's held for 10 minutes while they complete payment. This prevents two people from booking the same time. If payment isn't completed, the slot automatically releases back to availability. Zero manual coordination required.
After clients book, you do absolutely nothing. The system handles confirmation emails, 72-hour reminders, 24-hour reminders, payment collection, waitlist management, and client self-rescheduling. You simply show up at your event location at the scheduled time ready to take photos.
Hands-free management: MiniShoots runs completely on autopilot. You'll never send another "did you pay?" message, never manually update a spreadsheet, and never worry about double-bookings. It's like having a full-time booking coordinator working 24/7.
A seamless, professional experience from discovery to confirmation
Clients tap your booking link from Instagram or wherever you shared it. They immediately see a beautiful, mobile-optimized page showcasing your event with photos, pricing, date, location, and all available time slots displayed in real-time.
Available slots are shown clearly with exact times. Clients simply tap their preferred slot. The system holds that slot for 10 minutes exclusively while they complete their booking. They see exactly what's available with zero back-and-forth messaging.
Your add-ons appear at checkout—extra prints, rush editing, additional family members, holiday cards, or whatever you offer. Clients can easily add these with one tap, boosting your per-session revenue by 30-50% automatically without any sales pressure from you.
Payment is processed securely through Square. As soon as payment completes, clients receive a detailed confirmation email with event information, location details, what to wear, parking instructions, and a unique link they can use to reschedule if needed. The entire process takes 2-3 minutes.
Complete visibility and control without manual work
See total revenue, booking count, average session value, and add-on performance at a glance. Watch your events fill up in real-time and track exactly how much you've earned. No manual calculations or spreadsheet exports needed.
View all upcoming events with fill rates, available slots, waitlist counts, and revenue totals. See which events are selling out quickly and which have availability. Everything organized in one clean interface that updates automatically as bookings come in.
Every booking creates a client profile automatically. See names, contact info, time slots, payment status, add-ons purchased, and booking history. Tag VIP clients, add notes, and send targeted campaigns to past customers for early access to future events.
Send SMS or email updates to all event attendees with one tap. Perfect for sharing last-minute parking details, weather updates, or what-to-wear reminders. The rain plan feature lets you reschedule all bookings and notify everyone automatically in 60 seconds.
Here's everything MiniShoots handles automatically while you sleep
The moment a client books, they receive a detailed confirmation email with event information, location, parking, what to wear, and their unique reschedule link. No manual sending required.
Reminder emails are sent automatically at 72 hours and 24 hours before sessions. These friendly reminders reduce no-shows dramatically by keeping your event top-of-mind for clients.
For deposit-based bookings, the system automatically charges remaining balances 7 days before events. Clients receive friendly payment reminders, and everything happens seamlessly without your involvement.
When someone cancels or reschedules, the top 3 waitlist contacts are automatically notified via SMS and email. The first to pay gets the slot. Zero manual coordination, maximum revenue recovery.
Clients can reschedule themselves using their unique link up to 24 hours before sessions. Old slots automatically release to availability and the waitlist is notified. You never touch a calendar.
Every booking automatically creates a detailed client profile with contact info, booking history, lifetime value, and tags. Build a valuable client database without data entry.
See exactly how photographers use MiniShoots for different types of mini sessions
Setup: Create event "Fall Family Minis at Golden Park," set 20 slots from 9am-2pm on October 15th, price at $175 with add-ons for extra children ($25) and rush editing ($50).
Share: Post booking link to Instagram Stories with "Fall minis are LIVE! 20 slots only 🍂" and pin to bio.
Result: Sells out in 48 hours. 8 clients add rush editing, 5 add extra children. Total revenue: $4,300 from 20 sessions. Zero coordination DMs. Automated reminders reduce no-shows to zero.
Time saved: 6+ hours not building spreadsheets, answering DMs, or chasing payments.
Setup: Create "Santa Mini Sessions" with 30 slots across two days, price at $125 with add-ons for holiday cards (20-pack for $45) and digital downloads ($30).
Share: Email past clients 24 hours early access, then post publicly. Link shared in local mom groups.
Result: Both days sell out. 22 clients order holiday cards, 18 add digital downloads. Total revenue: $5,610 from 30 sessions. Waitlist fills with 15 people. One rain date activated via one tap—all 30 clients notified automatically.
Time saved: 8+ hours not coordinating schedules, printing cards orders, or manually texting weather updates.
Setup: Create bluebonnet mini event with 25 slots, price at $150 with add-ons for sibling sets ($35) and matching outfits styling guide ($15 digital).
Share: Instagram Reels showing last year's bluebonnet photos with booking link in bio. Stories countdown to booking opening.
Result: Sells out in 72 hours. 12 clients add sibling pricing, 18 buy styling guide. 3 clients reschedule themselves when conflicts arise—slots instantly filled by waitlist automatically. Total revenue: $4,545.
Time saved: 5+ hours not answering "when do bluebonnets peak?" DMs and manually rescheduling conflicts.
Common questions about how the MiniShoots booking process works
You can create a complete mini session event in under 60 seconds. Simply enter your event details (title, date, location, pricing, time slots) and MiniShoots automatically generates a professional booking page ready to share. The system is designed for speed and simplicity—no technical skills or design experience required.
Clients visit your unique booking link (shared via Instagram, email, or DM), view available time slots in real-time, select their preferred slot, enter their contact information, and pay instantly via Square. The entire process takes 2-3 minutes and requires zero coordination from you. They can complete everything from their phone.
Clients pay immediately at the time of booking via Square payment processing. You can choose to collect full payment upfront or require a deposit with the balance charged automatically 7 days before the event. All payments are deposited directly to your bank account, typically within one business day. No more chasing Venmo payments or tracking who still owes money.
After booking, clients instantly receive a confirmation email with event details, location, what to wear, parking instructions, and a unique reschedule link. The system then automatically sends reminder emails at 72 hours and 24 hours before the session. All communication is fully automated—you don't send a single manual message.
Yes. Each booking includes a secure reschedule link that allows clients to move their appointment to a different available time slot up to 24 hours before the original session. When they reschedule, their old slot automatically becomes available and the waitlist is notified instantly. This is completely self-service and requires no work from you—no more back-and-forth emails about schedule changes.
MiniShoots automates: instant booking confirmations, 72-hour and 24-hour reminder emails, automatic balance charging 7 days before events, waitlist notifications when slots open, payment hold system to prevent double-bookings, client profile creation, revenue tracking, and mass communication tools for rain plan activation or important updates. Everything runs automatically 24/7 without manual intervention. It's like having a full-time booking coordinator.
Join photographers who've eliminated spreadsheets, DM chaos, and payment chasing. Start running sold-out mini sessions on autopilot.
Learn more about MiniShoots: