the ability to choose a time slot that works best for you & your family
no waiting in long store or mall lines
a private waiting area with refreshments
a quiet setting without the pressure of a public audience
a beautifully, curated and aesthetically pleasing setting
your child's reaction documented as Santa surprises them when he enters the room!
professional & high quality images documenting your child's entire Santa experience
a full digital gallery of images for you to love and enjoy!
Santa will even know your child's name and deliver a gift (provided by you) to your kiddos!
Meet Our 2022 Santas:
We're incredibly excited to welcome back Santa Rick from 2021! We are also so thrilled to be expanding our Santa family with Santa Bob this year too!
Santa Bob:
Santa Rick:
Meet Santa Rick! Santa Rick is a retired Chesterfield County Police officer. His career seemed to steer itself to the service and protection of children. Rick spent 5 years as a DARE officer then 3 years as a high school resource officer. Rick was then promoted to the child exploitation unit working with physically and sexually abused children. Rick was trained as a computer forensic examiner working internet child exploitation cases. Rick retired from Chesterfield Police in 2008 and currently works as a computer forensic examiner for Dominion Resources.
Rick began taking pictures as Santa with his grandchildren which led to more appearances for friends and family. Several years ago Rick decided to make more appearances as Santa because he saw a need for a safe, trustworthy Santa. His natural ability with kids and gentle nature has made him a successful Santa.
Meet Santa Bob! The idea of being Santa came to Bob after a child tentatively approached him in a local restaurant and asked if he was Santa Claus. The excitement in this child's flushed face filled him with so much happiness, he knew in that moment, becoming Santa Claus was going to be in his future. Having realized an innocent child with a pure heart could believe he could be Santa, was so inspiring.
Santa Bob has a long history of working with children and the general public. As an employee of Richmond's Department of Recreation and Parks, he began as an assistant to the City Drama Specialist, instructing city staff and playground participants in improvisational games among other interactive activities. This led to becoming an instructor in developmental games and activities for the physically handicapped, senior population, and ED /LD youth in the city.
In a nutshell, he has worked directly with the public interacting on a personal level and been trusted by families to provide services to their children and parents for over forty years. Becoming Santa is the perfect ending to his varied occupational history.
the ability to choose a time slot that works best for you & your family
no waiting in long store or mall lines
a private waiting area with refreshments
a quiet setting without the pressure of a public audience
a beautifully, curated and aesthetically pleasing setting
your child's reaction documented as Santa surprises them when he enters the room!
professional & high quality images documenting your child's entire Santa experience
a full digital gallery of images for you to love and enjoy!
Santa will even know your child's name and deliver a gift (provided by you) to your kiddos!
Our Santas are prepared! They hide away so we can get a "good" photo first, and THEN we get your child's reaction when Santa sneaks up around the corner! 😍
Our Santas will know your children(s) names ahead of time, adding that extra magic touch! 😉
You can have a stress-free Santa Experience by booking your time slot ahead of time by using our online booking system!
We only allow one family in the studio at a time. This will help prevent your children from seeing other children's reactions to Santa, to help increase your child's chance of happiness with Santa!
Your EXPERIENCE INCLUDES:
5-10 minutes of one-on-one, private time with Santa
no waiting in long store or mall lines
a private waiting area with refreshments
an optional gift delivery by Santa (gift provided by you)
an online gallery of at least 10 digital images
print release
$300 plus tax
What To Expect:
You'll visit our Northern Virginia Studio in Warrenton, VA for your children to experience the magic of Christmas with our Santa. You'll have your reserved private one-on-one time with Santa himself. We'll capture the magic in your child's eyes as Santa enters the room, and continue documenting their experience as they tell Santa what they want for Christmas, and even open a hand-delivered gift (provided by you)!
After your session, you'll receive a digital gallery of 10+ high resolution, professionally edited images.
A NEW ADD-ON OPTION:
AN ELF PASS, WHAT'S THAT?!
Our Santa sessions sold out quick last year and we had requests for more spots for weeks until Christmas came and passed. We expect this year to be no different... and next year to be even crazier!
With that being said, we're now offering an Elf Pass add-on!
What's an Elf Pass?! It includes:
- Priority registration for our 2023 Santa Experience (next year)
- A luxury framed 5x7 print of your favorite Santa photo
- Priority editing and delivery of your 2022 Santa photos! You get put right to the front of the line!
The Elf Pass is limited and once they're sold out, they're gone! They're only available at registration and cannot be added on once your session has come and passed.
What's next?
Registration: Click the link in the email to choose your spot!
Booking: Please choose your package selection, fill out your contract/retainer, and questionnaire.
Planning: You will receive a planning guide from me prior to your session with guidance on what to wear and other tips & tricks to ensure your session goes smoothly!
Session Time: Please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your session start time. Only one family is allowed in the shooting area at a time. My assistant will wave you into the studio when we are ready for you. Please make sure babies are fed and fully dressed before entering the studio. Because these sessions are back-to-back, the studio changing area and wardrobe is not available for mini sessions.
Gallery Delivery: You will receive your full gallery within 2 weeks (1 week for the December dates) so you have plenty of time for Christmas cards!
COVID POLICIES:
Fevers/Illness: I will be monitoring my temperature prior to the sessions and ask that all clients please do not attend if they (or household members) are experiencing fevers or any illnesses. If you are sick, please do not attend. Your retainer will be credited to be used in the future towards another full session or mini session event within 6 months of the original session date.
Health Measures: Disposable masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves are available in the studio.
Santa: Santa will be changing his gloves in between clients! Santa is also vaccinated! :)
Sanitizing: I will be washing my hands in between sessions as well as sanitizing the studio shooting area.
One Family Limit: Only one family is allowed in the studio at a time. Parents will be asked to stay in the waiting area to reduce the amount of people congregating, but also to allow for more genuine reactions to Santa.
Shoes: No shoes are allowed in the studio.
WHERE IS YOUR STUDIO LOCATED?
Our luxury full-service studio is located in Warrenton, Virginia 5 minutes from town. While most clients live within 1-1.5 hours of the studio, we have had clients travel 3 hours one way just for a studio session! We are conveniently located in the middle of downtown Warrenton with lots to do nearby!
ARE THE DIGITAL FILES INCLUDED?
For Santa mini sessions only, the full gallery of digital files is included. This includes at least 10 digital files with downloading rights and a limited print release.
HOW LONG IS THE SESSION?
Your time slot lasts 10 minutes. We may need the entire 10 minutes or we may get all that we need in the first 2-3 minutes. Every child is different, but we never need more than 10 minutes! :)
SHOULD WE ARRIVE DRESSED?
Yes! Your children must be fed, changed, and fully dressed upon entrance to the studio. Because these mini sessions are back to back, the studio changing area is not available. Please make sure to feed, change, and dress your children in the car or at home prior to your session.
WHAT ABOUT BAD WEATHER?
These sessions will be in the studio, so the show will go on rain or shine!
WHO ARE THESE SESSIONS FOR?
These sessions are for babies/children and siblings only. No parents are allowed in the photos unless your child is an infant and cannot sit up on their own - one parent will be allowed in the photo to hold the child, so please dress appropriately. If you have more than 4 children, you must book 2 consecutive spots. Cousins may schedule two consecutive slots and combine sessions for group photos, as well as individual photos.
WHAT EDITING IS INCLUDED?
Basic color correction is included. Additional edits beyond the photographer's control will be subject to an additional fee if this is something you're interested/require. Small blemishes are typically easily removed, but if an extensive edit is needed, these edits take a massive amount of time and will require an additional fee.
DO YOU ALLOW PETS?
The studio is not pet-friendly.