Tips to Prepare Your Little One for Holiday Portraits with Santa-Colorado Photography

It’s not quite the holidays without a few pictures with Santa and if this is the first time your baby or toddler will be having their photo taken with Saint Nick, it’s particularly exciting. However, if your child isn’t great with strangers, you might be feeling a bit concerned about whether you’ll be able to get any good photos at all – these tips should help make the experience more pleasant.

Before the Santa Shoot

• Get your child excited. When a child sees Santa in real life for the first time, it can be a little overwhelming. The hat, the bright red suit and a giant beard can all be a little much for some children. However, by getting them excited and showing them what to expect, the whole process might go a little smoother. Watch a few Christmas movies or read them a book about it to get them acquainted.

• Visit the mall. Another way to get your little one used to the idea of Santa is to visit the mall the day before your photo shoot so that you can show him/her what he looks like and what they can expect during their photos.

The Day of the Santa Shoot

• Get there on time. Our sessions are only 15 minutes long so please come with your child dressed and ready to go. Because we care about each client and do our best to get smiles for each family, we may get 5-8 minutes behind BUT we will still provide you a full 15 minutes. 

• Book around your child’s schedule. Obviously, if booking early is going to interfere with your child’s naptime or snack time, you’ll want to work around that. A well-rested child who has a full tummy will be much more pleasant.

• Jump in the photo. If your child is feeling nervous, you should be prepared to be included in a shot or two to get them to feel comfortable. This means making sure you arrive photo ready just in case.

Just go with it. Don’t be disappointed if your child doesn’t play along for photos,  this is something you can’t predict or avoid so it’s best just to roll with it and enjoy the experience as much as you can. Crying photos are adorable and always end up being the favorites!