13 Merry Outdoor Christmas Mini Session Ideas

Looking for outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas for your next shoot? At Peerspace, we get it! With the impending hustle and bustle of holiday activities and events, a chill way to spread cheer is to send your loved ones a Christmas photo.

Hire a photographer to do a mini photography session – or take those photos yourself. A shorter session is a perfect way to create those cherished keepsakes without taking a whole day out of your busy schedule. To make it even easier, take advantage of the natural light and shoot outdoors, where your photos can effortlessly highlight the brilliance nature has to offer in the merriest of the seasons.

Along with photoshoot ideas, we’ll also share outdoor photoshoot locations courtesy of Peerspace, the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, So don those festive sweaters or pajamas and dive into this list of cool outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas.

1. Book the perfect photoshoot location with Peerspace

When you use Peerspace, you get access to thousands of outdoor photoshoot locations across the US and internationally, with hundreds more venues being added every day. Just head to the website or app, enter the date and location that you want to book your mini session, and search through listings of fabulous outdoor photo shoot locations.

This stunningly gorgeous farm near Asheville, NC is a great example. It features backdrop options like native fields, fence lines, gardens, and a gazebo, serving as one of the most fantastic outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas.

2. Do a mini-shoot at a mini-home for a playful effect

When you use Peerspace, you can find and book spaces to fit any theme. So why not book a tiny house for your “tiny” session to create a major impact? For example, you can book this modern metro mini home in Minneapolis, MN, and gather in front of its wreath-strewn front door. If you can book your mini-session on a snowy day, then all the better!

3. Cozy up at a Christmas tree farm

Outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas don’t get any merrier than this Christmas tree farm in San Juan Capistrano, CA! It provides you with a charming, rustic backdrop that includes a 2,000-square-foot red barn festooned with market lights. We also love how the barn is surrounded by a red sleigh and hay bales you can use for props. And, of course, acres of Christmas trees. Tree farms tend to have all sizes of trees growing throughout the year, so if you’re doing your shoot early, you’ll still have that festive backdrop. No one will be able to tell whether it’s July or December!

4. Spend your outdoor Christmas mini-session by the seashore

Choose some sand and sea scenery for your outdoor Christmas mini session ideas in a location like Pacific Grove, California’s Asilomar State Beach. You can bundle up and soak in the West Coast beach vibes while you shoot your mini session among the lovely coastal rock formations, with the deep azure ocean in the backdrop while waves crash gently to shore.

No matter your location, Peerspace can help you book a beach house for your shoot or event. Learn more with our guide on how to rent a beach house by the hour.

5. Get wintry in scenic West Virginia

Get some adorable shots in the outdoor space at this cottage on the river in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. With a deck overlooking a riverbank lined with deciduous trees, the beauty of the colder season provides a merry, wintry backdrop.

Families can pose on the deck, or at the picnic table pavilion with some string lights for seasonal ambiance. The wooden deck, benches, and chairs provide plenty of places to set up – and if you’re lucky maybe a local deer will make a cameo appearance. Remember, you can always shoot next year’s pics in advance if it’s too late to get those cards out.

6. Keep up with the Joneses at a British country manor

Set up your photoshoot on the sprawling lawn and gardens of this fabulous riverfront mansion in Molesey, England, just a few minutes from London proper. Immaculately curated lawns, stone walkways, and garden beds flank the estate. The adjacent River Thames acts as a beautiful mirror reflecting the sky and trees along the bank and supplies a stunning natural winter backdrop for an elegant outdoor Christmas mini-session.

7. Pile into the pickup for an unforgettable mini-session

Hop into the pickup truck, or borrow a friend’s, and drive to the closest scenic countryside – a nearby woods or country road will do just fine. Park and pile everyone up in the bed of the truck for one of the easiest and cutest outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas. You can pick up your Christmas tree on the way for the perfect prop, or just dress up in pajamas or holiday sweaters and snuggle under some festively colored blankets for your photo op.

8. Pick a rustic seaside space and do the dunes

The outdoor space at this cottage by the sea in Pett Level, on the southeast shore of England, brims with possibility. You can set up on the lawn with a backdrop of the gorgeous large thatch cottage, or you might take some beautiful winter seashore photos on the smooth, outstretched beach. Consider cozying up on the natural wood deck leading up to the dunes or find a backdrop in the natural gardens around the property.

Best of all, you can head indoors and relax after your outdoor mini-session. This fabulous cottage also includes a toasty kitchen area and a private cinema room.

9. Go verdant and head to your nearest botanical garden

When shooting outdoors, you can’t go wrong with choosing a location like your local botanic garden. For example, the Denver Botanic Gardens is known as one of the most beautiful winter botanical gardens in the US. Glass-like waterways, icy fountains, and sweet gazebos populate the exquisitely maintained gardens. For an extra cheery outdoor Christmas mini-session idea, go in the evening when the entire gardens are covered in twinkling holiday lights!

10. Go west for an unexpected Christmas mini-session setting

Does your family or client love the Western desert aesthetic? Don your favorite holiday western wear and giddyap to this desert space in Littlerock, CA. Take advantage of one of the many boho and western-themed sets already in place at this space, so all you have to do is point and shoot. Lounge around the vintage camper or classic cars, the Moroccan set with an arched seating nook and filtered light, or simply take advantage of the classic western desert scenery. Peerspace reviewers give this venue five stars, and it’s easy to see why!

Love this mini-session suggestion? Then check out these desert photoshoot ideas that will help you nail the shot!

11. Go classic with a festive log cabin backdrop

Nothing says classic Christmas like a cozy cabin in the woods – and this log cabin in the mountains of Bayfield, CO is an architectural beauty with a pitched roof, natural logs, and large, sparkling glass windows. Gather in the gardens out front for your photo, in the Ponderosa pines just beyond the door, or on one of the covered porches to warm up.

12. Add a touch of red with a rustic barn mini-session

Set up your mini shoot at this picturesque farm in West Linn, OR with a large, handsome red barn for the perfect Merry Christmas backdrop. And don’t stop there! Enjoy a photo or two amid the flowers, fields, or woods. It would be extra special to book the farm after some snowfall when the deep red barn color will really pop!

13. Plan a mini-session beneath the massive pine trees

Why not use your outdoor Christmas mini-session to play with scale? Start by booking a spacious, verdant outdoor venue like this country forest in Camino, CA. Then, pose beneath the huge pine trees as the sun starts to set to create an amazing effect that just screams winter. If you’re wearing festive sweaters, then all the better.

Outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas: conclusion

We hope these outdoor Christmas mini-session ideas have inspired your festive shoot! Rely on Peerspace to connect you to inspiring spaces that bring all your creative projects to life! With amazing venues that are also helmed by helpful hosts, using Peerspace is rewarding and easy.

Find outdoor photoshoot locations on Peerspace