Photos With Santa: Tips for Kids, Families, and Dogs

A Santa photo is one of the few pictures a family takes on purpose every year. It goes on the card, on the fridge, and eventually into a frame next to last year's, which is exactly why it is worth a little planning. Most of what makes one great happens before anyone sits down: the time you book, what everyone is wearing, and whether the dog has already had a long walk.

Here is what we have learned from photographing families, kids, and a remarkable number of dogs on Santa's lap.

Book the Time Around Your Youngest

The single biggest factor in a good Santa photo is the mood of the smallest person in it. So book around them, not around the adults.

For babies and toddlers, pick a time right after a nap and after a meal, never just before either. A well-rested, fed two-year-old is a different child from the same two-year-old an hour later. Morning slots tend to suit little ones best. Older kids are more flexible, but even they do better when they have not just spent three hours at a holiday party.

Arrive a few minutes early rather than right on time. Rushing in from the parking lot with coats half off is a quick way to start the photo with someone upset. A few minutes to settle, take off layers, and look at the set makes a real difference.

Let Kids Watch Santa First

A child who has never been near Santa may decide, at the last second, that a large stranger in red is not for them. That is completely normal, and there are gentle ways around it.

Give them a minute to watch from a few feet away while another family goes first. Talk about Santa on the drive over. Let them hand Santa something, or sit next to him instead of on his lap. For very young children, a parent can sit beside Santa with the child on their own lap, which is often the photo families end up loving most.

And if there are tears anyway? Honestly, the crying-on-Santa's-lap photo is a classic for a reason. Some families come back to that one for years.

What to Wear

Coordinate, do not match. Everyone in identical outfits can look stiff, while a shared palette looks deliberate and warm. Pick two or three colors that work together, such as deep red, cream, and green, or plaid with solids, and let each person wear something different within them.

Holiday pajamas are a great choice for kids, especially matching sets, and they photograph beautifully against a classic holiday set. Velvet, knits, and plaids all add texture that reads well on camera.

A few things to skip: large logos and characters on shirts, which pull attention from faces; very busy small patterns, which can shimmer in a photo; and anything a child finds itchy or tight. An uncomfortable kid looks uncomfortable. Bring a comb, a wipe for faces and hands, and a spare top for toddlers in case of a snack accident on the way in.

Bringing the Dog

Dogs are some of our favorite Santa guests, and a family photo with the dog included tends to become the one everybody shares. A little preparation helps them shine.

Take them for a long walk before you come. A tired dog sits. A dog who has been in the car all morning wants to investigate everything, including Santa's beard.

Keep them on a leash until it is their turn, and bring a few small treats. Holding a treat just above the camera is one of the easiest ways to get a dog looking in the right direction. If you have more than one dog, or a dog and young kids, bring an extra adult whose only job is to handle the dog between shots.

A holiday bandana or a simple festive collar looks great. Skip costumes that make the dog uncomfortable, since that shows on their face just as clearly as it does on a child's.

Who Stands Where

When it is your turn, one parent should stand right behind the photographer. Kids look toward the person they know, and if that person is next to the camera, their eyes go where they need to be. A familiar voice saying their name, or a silly noise, gets a real smile far more often than "say cheese."

For the adults in the photo, the advice is simple: sit or stand close together, lean in slightly toward the center, and keep hands relaxed on a child's shoulder or lap. Gaps between people read as distance in a photo, even when there is none.

Santa at the Conklin Barn

This year Len Marks Photography is once again teaming up with the Townwide Fund for Santa at the Conklin Barn in Huntington, on Saturday, November 21 from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM and Sunday, November 22 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, at the Conklin Farmhouse and Barn on High Street.

There will be a beautiful old-world holiday set, physical prints made right there at the barn so you leave with your photos the same day, and digital files, holiday cards, and holiday novelties available. Kids, families, and dogs are all welcome.

Times are booked ahead, so the best way to get the slot that suits your youngest is to book your photo time early. We look forward to seeing you, and your dog, at the barn.