How to prepare for your Santa Session
1. Expect the unexpected. Come prepared for hunger, thirst, scrapes, sweat, spit up, etc. You never know what will suddenly demand attention during your session.
​
2. Be sure to talk to your kids about Santa and Mrs. Claus ahead of time so that they know more about what to expect. The more you talk about it the better they react. Talk about how much fun they'll have playing with them, throwing snow balls, reading books, how nice they are, etc.
3. Get sleep! This sounds so simple but is so important to having happy, less stressful portraits. Sleep for mom and dad is important but even more so for little ones.
4. Full tummies make happy faces. Make sure to have eaten a big meal or substantial snack before coming. It's always a good idea to have simple, "clean" snacks on hand for little ones during the shoot as well.
​
5. Be ready early. Nobody is relaxed and happy when you're running late so the best plan is to get ready early and come to your session relaxed.
​
6. Come 5-10 minutes early. I find its always helpful for kids to have time to observe and explore their environment before being asked to do things in it. By getting there early it helps them to get their curiosity out. Plus, if you're like me you may have a tendency to run late. I try to stay as close to on time as I can so I don't have the ability to add extra time to your session if you're late.
​
7. Don't forget to bring a comfort toy/lovie for us to use in case your child is a little more hesitant about coming close to Santa.
​
​
During the session
Please wait in the play area until someone comes to get you. We'll introduce the kids to the photographer and assistant first and then slowly walk them in to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. We've done this many times and are used to the wide range of reactions from kids.
Relax and have fun! Your session will include some posed photos as well as some candid photos. Remember, not everyone has to be looking at the camera to create a beautiful photo. Therefore, come prepared to play, twirl, dance, tickle, have fun. There will be times where I just watch the interactions and capture those moments as well.
​
10 minutes will go fast and of course we have to provide a minute or two so they can tell Santa what they want for Christmas! ;)
What to wear
1. The scene is an outdoor night winter set so I suggest colors in the greens, tans, reds, blacks, or blues. Here is a Pinterest board to help give you some ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/ashlienicolephoto/what-to-wear/
​
2. Be sure to include a lipstick or lipgloss on the kids so that their lips won't look too dry.
​
3. Be sure to check faces for crusty eyes, mouths, clean noses, and anything else that you would not want on their faces for the photos. Because these are mini-sessions, photoshop work to remove anything extra will require additional costs.
When do I get my pictures?
The average turn around time is 2-3 weeks depending on the season. We realize that there is more of a time concern for the holidays so we will do our best to get them to you quickly.
Depending on what you checked on your contract, I will try to post sneak peeks if time allows.
Once your images are ready, you will receive an email to help guide you through a self-guided reveal meeting where you will see your images for the first time, decide how you want to use them, and choose the products you would like.
