Eugene, Oregon Family Photographer: Christmas Mini Sessions 2017

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and getting ready for Christmas! I did my Christmas minis last month in preparation for the many Christmas cards and holiday greetings that are sent out at this time of year, and the sessions went really well.

Despite his busy schedule, Santa Claus was able to help me out with pictures again, which was a lot of fun! I changed things up a little this year and did all of my Christmas mini photography sessions indoors, which meant that Santa was in the studio! We both enjoyed the temperature controlled studio versus the outdoors in the unpredictable month of November. In years past we have had a wide variety of weather conditions to deal with, including rain, freezing temperatures, and even the occasional hot day when poor Santa’s fluffy red suit must have made him feel more like the turkey in the oven than the man in the sleigh! Staying in and using the setups I have in my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon definitely made the whole experience a lot less stressful for both of us. 

We used three different setups for these Christmas minis: a rustic country one on my dark wood backdrop, complete with a little plaid reindeer and burlap sack; a cozy and festive bedroom one with miniature Christmas trees; and a pretty white backdrop reminiscent of a snow-covered forest with gold and silver accents. They were all fun and provided variety and different moods to suit everybody’s tastes. 

Santa was just here for the morning sessions. We reserved the afternoon for those parents who knew their kiddos wouldn’t enjoy a visit with jolly old Saint Nicholas. Although older kids tend to have fun with it, babies are sometimes intimidated by that big white beard and bright suit, not to mention being held by a total stranger, so I thought I would leave it up to the parents to decide whether they wanted to include Santa in their photo shoot. We still got just a couple of tears from little ones whose mom and dad had decided to risk it, but actually much less than in previous years with this type of schedule, and for the most part everyone did very well.

All of these kiddos were so cute! I loved the different festive outfits they were dressed up in—everything from sweet lacy dresses to laidback plaid shirts to adorable elfish stripes. It was fun to work with all their unique personalities and see their excitement as they counted down the days to Christmas! We even had one of the families’ dogs join us for pictures!

Mini photography sessions are always a lot of work but a lot of fun as I meet with and photograph several different families. My Christmas minis this year made for a long but very successful day! I’m pleased with how the photos turned out, loved being in the studio with so many wonderful people, and am already planning for next year!