Santa Mini Sessions 2017

Ell Photography's 5th Annual Holiday Mini-Sessions

This year we have Santa coming to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico !  Santa is stopping by Ell Photography on Saturday, December 2nd, 2017 to see who made the naughty and nice lists!

Santa Mini-Sessions

Double Sibling Sessions for Extra Time with Santa

Double Family Sessions for Photos with AND without Santa Only one timeslot left for photos both with and without Santa.

Add-On Items


WHAT TO EXPECT:
Santa is excited to meet all our ABQ kids!  I happen to know Santa personally.  He has an authentic white beard and is great with kids!  Sessions will be held at our studio, where most of your kids are already comfortable.  Mini-Sessions are 10 minutes long (25% longer than the Mall Santa and twice as long as some of the other studios). You will get all the pictures from your mini-session digitally delivered within a week of the session!  In the session, Santa will ask your little one what they want for Christmas and we will take photos of your munchkin with Santa and then the parents can also jump in a family photo with Santa as well. If you think your child might not want to sit on Santa's lap, our loveseat has room for either Mommy or Daddy to sit down next to Santa for the photos.

Our last mini-session ran on-time and moving the package structure to a digital package without a viewing worked really well to keep things flowing! We are going to include ALL the good digital images in this package and if you pick an Add-On Product above, you can choose from your digital delivery images for product fulfillment.  Please pick your product images within two days of receiving the images to make sure that your prints and gifts will arrive before Christmas!  For prints, gift boxes are available above in the Add-On drop down menu.

If you have multiple children or really want to make sure that your children are smiling together, you might consider adding extra time in the upgrades option.  (We highly recommned it!) Please contact the studio to make sure back-to-back times are available and so we can update the inventory for the checkout buttons.  We have reserved a few unlisted spots for families that need some extra time.

Due to time constraints, the mini-Sessions are all going to be with Santa in the same spot. If you want holiday portraits without Santa, we are going to offer a separate day on the same set without Santa (please call to inquire 505-933-5585).  OR if you want BOTH Santa photos AND Family holiday photos without Santa, we are offering 4 double sessions on the beginning and end of Santa's lunchtime and break where you can get both types of photos (Please Use the "Double Family Sessions for Photos with AND without Santa" purchase button for available times.)  

SET:
We ordered a gray mid-century loveseat just for this event. We will have a Christmas tree in the back, and Santa's gift sack is an uber-cute Buffalo plaid.

CLOTHING IDEAS:
Festive dress is encouraged. Fancy dresses can be super cute, but if you think the material will be itchy or tight or uncomfortable, you might consider other alternatives to keep your children happy and full of smiles. Ugly sweaters, holiday pajamas, or elf costumes can also be super cute!!  Right now I am obsessed with Buffalo Check Plaid, so that could be super cute too!!

TROUBLE WITH CHECKOUT:
If you have trouble checking out, or it won't allow you to purchase a ticket for a certain time, that time might be sold out. (The Paypal button doesn't update the dropdown for sold out times, but won't let you checkout. I will be updating the button once a week). 

If you continue to have trouble, please send me an email to kira@elltography.com or a text to 505-933-5585 and I can investigate to make sure there's not a bug.

POLICIES:

Since this is an event, you are purchasing a ticket for a certain time and your fee reserves your time on the calendar.  Photos will be taken smiling or screaming.  Santa screamers can also be cute, but hopefully the familiar studio environment will put your child at ease.  Please arrive early so you do not miss your timeslot. Mini-Sessions are non-refundable, but may be rescheduled to a different available timeslot up to 48 hours prior to the time.  If you miss your timeslot, we will allow you to stay on standby in case someone else misses their slot, however it is not guaranteed. Since the mini-sessions are short, please arrive at least 10 minutes before your timeslot to sign in and prepare. If you find out after booking that you will not be able to make it, you may gift your ticket to a friend, but please let us know to update our records. If you think your child might need more time to warm up, you may come earlier and play in the lobby, but you may not watch in on other prior sessions.

Halloween Mini-Sessions 2017

Halloween Trick-or-Treat Costume Mini-Session

Saturday, October 28th

(Halloween is on the following Tuesday)

Fall has Begun!  We are hosting our 5th annual Halloween Daytime Trick-or-Treating Event and Costume Mini-Session on Saturday October 28th, 2017.  I love seeing all the children year after year knock on my door in their adorable little costumes. Whether it's something amazingly intricate that Grandma made, or a quick costume you bought from the grocery store, we always have a lot of fun in the studio taking all kinds of pictures.  We will have our base set, then usually a few different activities or tricks up our sleeve to get the children to participate and have some fun to get those genuine smiles.  Come trick-or-treat at our door and stay for your costume mini-session!

PACKAGE DETAILS: There are several options of types of packages from prints, to collector's magnets that you get each year, to 4x4" Acrylic Blocks that you can decorate for Halloween with year after year, even after the children are grown. Then of course there are digital packages too!  Any image that is included  with your package will be posted in low-res to our Ell Photography Facebook album (unless you request to withhold yours), so even if you just get the magnet or acrylic block package, you'll still have one low-res digital to share with friends and family!  If you order a digital package, you will receive the images promptly via Dropbox and can choose from those which to fulfill your magnet, prints, or acrylic block!  

SHIPPING: Shipping is included in the checkout for Halloween sessions, so please make sure to type in your valid mailing address! The fall and holidays are so busy, we find it's easiest to mail them home!

EARLY BIRD: Book your Halloween Costume Mini-Session before October 1st and get Early Bird Pricing on Digital Packages! 

SIBLINGS: We are excited for our 5th Halloween mini-session What we have learned from experience is that when there is more than one munchkin in a costume, there is a lot going on, and it is best if you add some extra time. Since mini-sessions are only 15 minutes, if you have more than one child and any of the children are under 6, please add an extra 15 min of time to your booking so we can capture each child at their best or good ones of them together!  We don't like the "smiling or screaming" policy many studio's have for their mini-sessions. We want great pictures of them having fun!  Every year there is a family that doesn't think they will need the time, but the children are overly excited for Halloween, and we have to go overtime to get good photos of them together or have enough time for individuals. We don't want to go overtime and be late for the next family, so we have made the extra time affordable. You can either add a second package if you want one product of each child to do individuals, or we can do them together and you can just add the extra time. Thank you for your consideration!


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ADDITIONAL TIPS

SHY CHILDREN:  If you know your child might take a little bit to warm up to a new situation or location, you have two options. You may come early and play in the lobby (but you may not watch in or distract prior sessions).  Many families also choose to add extra time, even for just one child to make sure they are warmed up, happy, and get good smiles!

HOW TO GET THE BEST PHOTOS IN A MINI SESSION: Every parenting style is different, but here is what I have learned works best to get children to participate!
* Have your child try on or play in their costume the day before so you make sure it fits and they feel comfortable in it and are not scared of it since it is new (and sometimes more confining than regular clothes).
* Make sure the costume is not uncomfortable. Clip any tags that might be scratchy. If there is a tulle tutu or other scratchy parts, have them wear leggings underneath, or an undershirt or onesey between the skin and the itchy part.
* In general, the children will be sitting or standing, so barefeet is the best unless the shoes are part of the costume. If the child is not yet walking, please do not have them wear shoes as all we will see is the soles.
* Make sure to get your child to nap appropriately for their start time and try not to give them candy, sugar, or anything new before the session that would throw their regular energy cycle off.
* Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Make sure they are not too hot or cold, make sure they have a good meal before coming and bring water or a light colored juice (like apple juice) in case they are thirsty.
** IMPORTANT: (Again, I do not want to tell you how to parent your children, but this is my experience with hundreds of families) RESIST ALL URGES TO BRIBE YOUR CHILDREN!! If children are too young to understand bribes, they want the reward in question NOW, and do not understand later. If they do understand bribes, they generally will do the most minimum thing possible to get the reward.
* Instead, try to make the mini-session sound fun and all the things they can do to act like their costume character and how their grandparents and aunts and uncles can't wait to see photos of them in their costume! Treat the session as a play-date and show them how much fun they will have! 
* Last but not least, if your child is a bit obstinate, or unhappy, DO NOT let them see your frustration, keep trying to make the activities fun up until the time is up. When a parent snaps, there are more emotional obstacles to overcome (fear, shame, hurt feelings & tears, anger, frustration)  to get to that happy place where we get good pictures.

Crystal & Johnathan Tie the Knot in 9 days!

In only a few short days, Crystal will be marrying the man of her dreams, the best cuddler she's ever met, and hopefully someday, the most loving father her children could ever have.

I got to meet them last fall and we've been saving these photos to surprise the guests in their engagement album guest book!  It has been pure torture not to be able to share these sooner!

Here are just a few of my favorites. And here is a link to their wedding registry!

 

Spring Babies Photobooth

We had an amazing turnout for this year's Spring Babies Mini-Session! Seriously, can these kiddos with the little babies be any cuter!?! This is one mini-session I look forward to each year because the children are sooo happy and so adorable when they get to hold all the little animals. Every year it's a little different with what babies are born at that time, but it's such a sweet photo session!!

This session wouldn't happen without the support and help from my friends!!  Thank you to Stephanie and Aldo who let us use their barn. Thank you to El Pinto Restaurant for the baby chicks and thank you to Laura Gene for letting us borrow her baby goats from ABQ Miniature Farms!

Here's a few of my favorites.  Just look at the wild glee and the genuine smiles!!!  Sooo cute I can't stand it!!!

Spring Babies - Live Baby Animal Photobooth

Back by popular demand - we are hosting the 2017 Spring Baby Photobooth at a barn in Corrales this year!  We will have baby ducklings, newborn chicks, kid goats, and puppies! 

SIGN UP BELOW!!

Here are just a few of my favorites from last year!  This photography session is great for all ages. Last year we had ranging from children 3 months to 14 years. If you have more than 1 child, please book two back-to-back session times so that we can get individuals of each child and a few of the siblings together.  If you have 3-4 children, you may also book two back-to-back sessions, but we will photograph them all together for the full time.   In each session, you will be able to take photos with different baby animals - you choose which you want to do first!!

With each session, you will receive am 8x10" Canvas Gallery Mini.  It is printed on canvas material and mounted to a thin rigid board. It comes with an optional easel, but the board will also fit into a frame if you prefer.

One of my clients last year sent me this picture she took of what she did with her canvas boards. She purchased her own easels and put them with her Easter and Spring decorations and brought them out again this year!

Just from posting on my Facebook page, the day almost completely booked up, so we extended the end time to add extra afternoon sessions. Below are the remaining timeslots.

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