Back-to-School POP UPs in Springhill, LA: Real Kids, Real Joy
Back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA wrapped up this year with ten kids in ten completely different five-minute windows, and I am still going through the gallery grinning. I do these every year at the same old yellow school bus, and every year I forget how much personality can show up in such a short window until I am sitting behind the screen watching it all again (without pouring sweat). This round had pre-k babes, elementary kiddos, and a senior all cycling through the same set, and somehow every single session still felt like its own little story. That range is exactly why I keep coming back to this format, and exactly why I wanted to walk you through it here instead of just posting a highlight reel and moving on. If you have followed along with my back to school pop up mini’s in Springhill, LA before, this year’s group might be my favorite yet.
The Regulars
This year’s crew genuinely could not have brought any more laughter, but I didn’t expect any less. My favorite brother-sister duo, going into fifth and first grade, officially kicked off the hour with his typical knuckle-head antics while she always counters the crazy with the sweetness, but I literally wouldn’t expect anything else from him LOL! Followed by one of my goofiest clients, a pre-k kiddo, basically launching himself off the bus steps mid-laugh with barely any direction from me, and it is one of my favorite frames from the whole day.
A pair of second graders came through back to back, one a cowgirl at heart who wanted her belt buckle to be the whole point of the photo, and one who somehow manages to look GQ no matter what he is doing while cracking me up the ENTIRE time. Two sisters heading into kindergarten and first grade were an absolute comedy duo, and I made sure to grab a couple of them together because their differentiating energy side by side was too good not to capture. Every single one of these kiddos showed up completely as themselves, which is really the only requirement I have for a good session.
The Becoming Thread: Ten Years Behind the Same Camera
One of the sessions this year hit differently for me personally. I have photographed one of these girls since she was a newborn, and she just turned 10 and is heading into fifth grade this fall. Watching her change year over year through my lens is exactly why I do this work in the first place. It is not really about back to school mini’s or Christmas mini’s as a one-time event, it is about the thread running through every single year I get to photograph the same kiddos as they become more and more themselves. That is the whole heart behind everything I shoot, whether it is a five-minute po up or a full senior session, and it is a big part of why families keep coming back to me year after year for milestones big and small.
Not Just Kids
This round also included a senior who is graduating early because he has worked so hard and applied himself so consistently, and who is somehow still one of the funnest guys I have the pleasure of photographing. His younger brother came through too, and that one is a session I will remember for a while. He only agreed to one photo, just to make mom happy, and I asked him if he’d rather drum the blocks with my pencils instead of posing. He ended up not wanting to leave. Some of my favorite moments this year came from kids who needed a few extra minutes to warm up, or who only signed on for one picture and stayed for a dozen, and I built these pop up mini sessions specifically so there is room for that. Meeting a kid exactly where they are, whatever that looks like that day, is the whole point, and it is a piece of how I photograph every session, mini or full length.
The Vintage, Barely-Posed Style
My style has been evolving toward something warmer and more vintage over the last year, and this batch of back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA is where it really clicked into place. Think soft, film-like tones, worn wood and books instead of props that feel staged, and real expressions instead of practiced ones. I am not chasing a trend here, I am chasing the feeling of an old photo pulled out of a shoebox, the kind that makes you remember exactly what a season felt like.
That means less directing and a lot more waiting, letting each kid do their own thing for a few minutes and catching it exactly as it happens, belt buckles, drum solos, and all. This is the same style you will see across my senior sessions and family milestone sessions too, it just happens to show up especially well in five fast minutes at an old school bus.
Booking Your Session
If you have loved following along with my back to school pop up mini sessions in Springhill, LA this year, here is the good news: this is the same style I bring to every single session, not just these pop-up minis. If this is the kind of session you want for your own family, whether it is a milestone session for your little one or a senior session for the one about to graduate, that same feel is what you will get. I would love to help you catch your kid exactly as they are in this season, gap-toothed grins, GQ faces, and all. Send me a message and let’s talk about what your session could look like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long is a pop-up mini session?
A: Max five minutes of shooting per kid. It’s a quick window to pop in, so it never overstays a young kid’s attention span, plus if someone ends up sick there’s no need to try to reschedule.
Q: Do you offer pop up mini sessions besides back to school?
A: Yes. I have three more coming up this year: a Rodeo theme on September 17, a Fall theme on October 10, and a New Year's Eve theme on December 31. These all typically run in my studio rather than the rare sessions like at the bus.
Q: Are these sessions only for younger kids?
A: No. This round included pre-k through senior year in the same format, but as long as your child can sit-up unassisted, come on! Keep in mind, pop-ups are not family sessions, they’re geared towards children only.
Q: What should we wear?
A: Wear what feels like your kid, not a costume. Something they'd actually pick, belt buckle or GQ fit included.
Q: How do we get our photos after the session?
A: For pop-ups specifically, you'll get a curated online gallery, with the option to add prints or wall art if a shot from the set deserves a permanent spot in your home.
Q: If I loved these, how do I book a senior or milestone session?
A: Send me a message through the website. This is the same style I bring to every session I shoot, not just the pop-up minis.
