As a Eugene, Oregon family photographer, I start thinking about the holidays way before anybody else does. Which means that yes, I am already so excited about Christmas photos for this year that I decided to share the photos from last year’s sessions, just to get us all in the mood!
I usually plan my Christmas minis by November…for the following year, so I’m always about 11 or 12 months ahead of schedule. Over the many years I have been providing holiday photography in Eugene, I’ve learned that this is the best way to make sure I’m prepared. I do my Christmas minis in late October or early November, and since not all stores have a large selection of Christmas décor out yet at that time, I’ve found that I need to shop the year prior during the Christmas season. That way not only do I have all my current year props ready to go, but I’m also on the lookout for ideas for next year’s setup.
I have been planning on doing cookies with Santa since November 2019 for the 2020 Christmas minis. And then…COVID-19. I just didn’t think food was a good idea with everything going on in 2020 and 2021, so I ended up going with a couple of very simple studio setups instead. I was sad that I couldn’t go with my original plan, but glad that I could still provide families with a safe and beautiful option for holiday photos during such a crazy time.
Last year though, things finally settled down enough that I and my families felt comfortable with more hands-on Christmas pictures. I was so excited to finally do this theme and had pretty much everything ready to go and just waiting. Santa Ken was able to join me again, which was wonderful! We all missed him during the pandemic!
For Christmas minis 2022, we did traditional photos on a rich green backdrop with my small red couch. Then Santa slipped his coat off and his holiday apron on and it was time to decorate cookies! This was a HUGE hit with all the kiddos. Some that had been reluctant to sit with Santa in the first setup were more than happy to eat cookies while sitting with him in the kitchen. :) Just proves that everything is better with cookies…even Santa!
I’m so thrilled that I finally got to create this Christmas setup that I’ve been dreaming about for a while now. It turned out just as fun and magical as I’d hoped! I like to do something a little different every year for Christmas photos. It’s become an annual tradition for many of my clients so I want them to have a nice variety in the photos they’ll be using for holiday cards or artwork. This year’s Christmas minis are already in the works, so be sure to contact me if you’re interested, or follow along on Facebook or Instagram for all the latest announcements!
Is anyone else excited? Only 129 days until Christmas…not that I’m counting. :) Hope I’ll be seeing you in the studio this holiday season!
