Storybook Santa Sessions
Where Christmas Magic Becomes a Family Heirloom
For just a little while, Christmas is completely real.
Santa knows their name.
He listens to their wishes.
They laugh together, whisper secrets, and perhaps even discover a little Christmas magic.
And while your child is caught up in the wonder of it all, we preserve those fleeting expressions so you can remember them long after they stop listening for sleigh bells.
Welcome to Storybook Santa at Long’s Photography.
A private, beautifully styled Santa portrait experience created for families who want something more meaningful than a traditional Santa photo.
2026 Storybook Santa Sessions Are Now Booking
Classic Santa Portraits, Beautifully Remembered
THIS ISN’T A MALL SANTA PHOTO
No crowded lines.
No rushing your child onto Santa’s lap.
No trying desperately to get one decent smile before your time is up.
Storybook Santa is designed to give children something increasingly rare:
Time to believe.
Your family will enjoy a private appointment with Santa in our beautifully designed Christmas setting.
Instead of simply posing for a photograph, your child gets to interact with Santa naturally.
They can talk.
They can laugh.
They can tell him what they want for Christmas.
They can show him their Christmas list.
And somewhere in the middle of all that magic, we create extraordinary portraits.
The result is a collection of images that feels less like a photo session and more like pages from your family’s Christmas story.
FOR A FEW MORE CHRISTMASES...
They will believe without hesitation.
They’ll search the night sky for Rudolph.
They’ll wonder how Santa fits down the chimney.
They’ll leave cookies by the fireplace and wake you far too early on Christmas morning.
And then, almost without warning, Christmas changes.
The questions get harder.
The magic becomes a memory.
That is why these portraits matter.
Storybook Santa captures your children during the wonderfully short chapter when Christmas isn’t something they pretend to believe in.
It’s real.
One day, these photographs won’t simply show you what your children looked like.
They’ll remind you of who they were when they still believed in magic.
MORE THAN A PORTRAIT SESSION
Our Storybook Santa experience is intentionally designed to encourage genuine interaction instead of stiff poses.
Depending on your child’s personality, their visit might include talking with Santa, sharing their Christmas wishes, looking through a storybook, checking the Nice List, laughing together, or simply having a quiet moment with the man they’ve been waiting all year to see.
Some children arrive ready to tell Santa everything.
Others need a little time.
That’s okay.
Giving children room to interact naturally allows us to photograph something far more beautiful than a perfectly rehearsed smile.
We capture wonder, curiosity, laughter, excitement, and connection.
Those are the photographs you’ll treasure.
CREATED FOR TIMELESS HOLIDAY MEMORIES
Every detail of the Storybook Santa set is carefully chosen to create photographs that feel rich, warm, and timeless.
Rather than trendy Christmas props or brightly colored holiday clutter, our styling is designed with a classic Christmas aesthetic that photographs beautifully and complements your home.
The result?
Portraits you’ll be proud to display this Christmas…
and twenty Christmases from now.
1
Before Your Santa Session
Santa takes the time to send a personalized letter and small gift to your children, inviting them to the session and letting them know he’s been watching all year. Included in the package are wish lists for each child to complete and bring to the session.
2
During the Session
Your family will enjoy a private Santa experience created specifically for beautiful, natural interactions and portraits.
We’ll guide the session while allowing plenty of room for spontaneous moments to happen.
Because sometimes the photograph you never planned becomes the one you love most.
Each session includes more than a dozen different activities your children will do with Santa- sharing cocoa and cookies, checking the nice list, painting magic, getting a gift from Santa’s magic bag, or even taking a ride on an enchanted sled!
3
After the Session
Parents come back to the studio for an appointment the week after the portrait session. You’ll select your favorite portraits and choose the images and collection that best fits your family.
As the sessions are designed to tell a story, most families choose to preserve these memories as a one-of-a-kind storybook. Each storybook is completely custom to your session and will include their names and activities, making a unique storybook that you can share year after year- even saving it for their children to read one day!
Whether you choose a storybook or some of the other products we offer, such as wall portraits, ornaments or even Christmas cards, these images will become part of your family’s Christmas memories- forever!
A Little More About Your Santa Session
When are Santa portrait sessions available?
Storybook Santa sessions are ONLY available on November 22nd and November 29th, 2026.
Where are Storybook Santa sessions held?
Sessions are photographed by Long’s Photography in our studio located on Tharpe St. in Tallahassee, Florida. Complete location and arrival information will be provided before your appointment.
How long is the session?
Each session is a full 30 minute private experience with St. Nick. There are no lines and no waiting- your scheduled time is YOUR time with Santa.
Who can be included in the portraits?
Children and families are welcome to be photographed with Santa. Let us know who you hope to include when you inquire so we can help plan your session.
What should we wear?
Think timeless Christmas rather than trendy Christmas.
Beautiful choices include:
Classic Christmas dresses
Velvet
Plaid
Rich reds
Deep greens
Cream
Ivory
Navy
Traditional children’s clothing
Sweaters and dress pants
Classic pajamas, when appropriate for your chosen look
Try to avoid clothing with large logos, characters, neon colors, or busy graphics.
The goal is simple:
When you look at these portraits years from now, you should notice your child first.
What if my child is shy?
That’s perfectly fine.
Children don’t have to perform for us.
In fact, some of our favorite portraits happen when a child quietly studies Santa, cautiously approaches him, or finally decides that maybe this bearded stranger is worth talking to after all.
We allow the experience to unfold naturally.
There is no requirement that your child sit on Santa’s lap. We can even have Santa just sneak in the background of the images for extremely shy children. We always recommend that parents of children younger than four be prepared to be in the portraits with their children.
Beautiful Santa portraits can happen sitting beside him, standing nearby, talking together, reading, or simply sharing the same space.
What if my child doesn't smile?
Then we photograph who they are in that moment.
Christmas wonder doesn’t always look like a giant grin.
Sometimes it’s a serious little face listening carefully to Santa.
Sometimes it’s wide eyes.
Sometimes it’s curiosity.
Sometimes it’s laughter.
And occasionally…
it’s profound suspicion of the gentleman in red.
All of those expressions are part of your child’s story.
Can siblings be photographed together?
Absolutely.
Sibling portraits are one of the sweetest parts of Storybook Santa.
We can create images of the children together as well as individual interactions with Santa. We can even include some images of the whole family!
Because siblings may share a Santa appointment…
but they rarely share the same Christmas list.
What about babies?
Babies are welcome! In fact, we have done Storybook Santa sessions with babies as young as a week old.
Even though they won’t remember meeting Santa, you will.
Their first Christmases pass astonishingly quickly, and photographs allow you to preserve the tiny details that are so easy to forget.
Those little fingers.
Those round cheeks.
The way they fit perfectly in Santa’s arms.
Someday, you’ll show them the photograph and tell them about their very first Christmases.
Are digital images included?
Your booking includes a single digital image. Additional digital images, storybooks, ornaments, wall portraits, etc. are available as add-ons at your order session. Storybook Santa sessions have a separate, exclusively curated product menu.
WHY FAMILIES RETURN YEAR AFTER YEAR
The most beautiful part of Storybook Santa may not happen during your first session.
It happens several Christmases later.
You begin looking back.
One year, your child barely reaches Santa’s knee.
A few Christmases later, they’re confidently explaining an extremely specific toy request.
Then suddenly…
they’re almost as tall as Santa.
Photographing this tradition year after year creates something extraordinary:
A visual history of your child’s Christmases.
One portrait becomes a memory.
A collection of them becomes a family story.
BEFORE THEY STOP BELIEVING...
The most beautiful part of Storybook Santa may not happen during your first session.
It happens several Christmases later.
You begin looking back.
One year, your child barely reaches Santa’s knee.
A few Christmases later, they’re confidently explaining an extremely specific toy request.
Then suddenly…
they’re almost as tall as Santa.
Photographing this tradition year after year creates something extraordinary:
A visual history of your child’s Christmases.
One portrait becomes a memory.
A collection of them becomes a family story.