Hand-Delivered Gift

Santa Clause will deliver hand-picked gifts to your child(ren) provided by you.

First-Name Basis

Santa will know your child’s name, their Elf’s name (as applicable), and even their current interests, making even the unbeliever believe again!

Non-Rushed Conversation

Our Santa Experience sessions last long enough to capture all of the magic as well as enjoy a calm and relaxing visit with Santa.

Wardrobe Guidance

Our Exclusive Client Preparation Guide includes wardrobe suggestions, shopping links and style advice.

"We loved everything about our experience! You were amazing and we will be sharing our experience with friends and family! We enjoyed our session with you so much and the Santa we had was awesome! Thanks again for such a fun Santa experience for the boys!  We would love to do it again in the future!”

— Jenny M. 2021

“We absolutely love coming to Liz’s studio! The setting is fantastic and Santa is awesome! She captures every moment of Santa and the children and there are a few bonuses too. You can have Santa bring your child a gift and talk about his/her Elf in the Shelf!! That blew my kids away!! All in all this is amazing experience from beginning to end!!”

— Regina L., 2021

"We couldn’t be happier with our photos or experience at Liz Cook’s studio. Our little boy is autistic so having a quiet, peaceful experience is crucial for his needs. This is exactly what we needed. Not only did he have a great time, but both Liz and Santa were warm and welcoming and made us feel completely at home. I would recommend the Santa experience for any families with special needs children, as it is a welcoming, homey, quiet, peaceful experience.”

— Karla G., 2020

"What a wonderful experience we had with Liz and her Santa at The Santa Experience. It was magical. Liz is an amazing photographer and captured every emotion in each picture. While watching the interaction, I even cried, it was so precious. I would recommend Liz Cook Photography for any and all sessions.”

— April L., 2021

how long is the santa session?

Your time slot lasts 10 minutes from your scheduled start time. You and your family will be the ONLY guests inside the studio during your time with Santa. Please arrive early and wait in the parking lot to ensure your full 10 minutes with Santa. If you want more face to face time with Santa, you're welcome to book two back to back slots for a total of 20 minutes! Unless you have four or more children, we have found that 10 minutes is plenty.

will we get the digital files?

Yes! You will receive your online gallery of 15+ high-resolution, downloadable images with a personal print release for sharing with friends and family or to use as your Christmas card! (Check out a full sample gallery by clicking here.)

do you give full rights to all of the images?

Along with your downloadable images, you will also receive a Limited Print Release to use when you print your pictures. A Limited Print Release allows you to download all of the pictures and print them at your preferred print location. However, Liz Cook Photography will retain the full Copyrights which means you are not permitted to alter/edit the images, sell them, or submit them to any publications or contests without prior written approval from Liz Cook Photography. 

where do you suggest we print our pictures?

All clients are able to order both prints AND canvases straight from their online gallery! I’d hate for your investment to be ruined by using a non-professional, low-quality print lab. I’ve seen the comparisons and they just don’t match up to what my print lab offers. I highly recommend you order prints from your private gallery to preserve the color and quality! 

where are the sessions held?

Santa sessions take place in our private studio in the New London area of Forest, Virginia. The studio is one mile off of VA-460, located inside of a private residence. 

what if the weather is non-ideal the day of our session?

Not to worry! The sessions are held inside the studio and we use studio lighting to offset the darker winter days as well. And if by chance it happens to snow, let's just say Santa's sleigh has 4WD. :)

who is santa? is he a professional?

We will have a whole write-up in our Client Preparation Guide about our Santa, his backgrounds, and how he got started working as Santa! You will know his real name, where he lives and works (during the week) :)), and more from his resume before you even show up at the studio. 

is this a family session or just for children?

Just for children! That being said, if your child needs to be held by you to feel safe and secure with Santa, that's totally okay!

what should my child(ren) wear?

This is completely up to you! Upon registration, you will receive a Client Preparation Guide with clothing advice to help you with this process. We have had kids wear everything from their Christmas Finest to their holiday pajamas! We love Burt's Bees neutral pajama line, but any festive attire is welcome! Most importantly, help your child be comfortable.

i am nervous about my child’s reaction to santa. what if they cry the whole time?

This is a natural concern, especially when you are investing so much for this experience! To ease your concerns, please remember that these sessions are 10 minutes long (not 1-2 minutes like other places). This has proven to be plenty of time for most children to warm up to Santa considering we practice a child-led approach. It is important to note that our Santas are experienced and knowledgable and they do everything they can can to avoid the "crying baby" pictures.

If you are especially concerned about this, please let us know ahead of time. We have some tricks to ensure we get a couple of great shots of your child(ren) with Santa without them even knowing! We also welcome you to bring along a wrapped present for Santa to give to shy children (consider a favorite book that Santa could read to them, or a favorite toy or stuffed animal). Note: Please only bring something you are okay being photographed. 

We also include a couple of other preparation tips for you and your children in our Client Preparation Guide that you will receive after booking your session. Ultimately, if your child just really doesn't want anything to do with the man in the red suit, we will do what we can to make the most of your session time (with your permission, of course)! We like to take the approach of embracing these memories and allowing the photographs to depict the true activity of the session. It'll certainly make for a great story later! 

do i have to book a different time slot for each of my children?

No. Not at all! However, if you have more than four children coming, we highly recommend you book two back-to-back time slots to ensure plenty of time for each child to spend with Santa. 

your website says you are fully booked, is there anything we can do?

We sell out every year and expect to sell out in 2023. We have a cap on our spots, and once this cap is reached, the calendar will close. If you missed out on booking, please e-mail us to join the waitlist. Oftentimes we have a family whose child becomes sick and they need to sell their spot, and we'll go down our waiting list to offer it first come, first serve. Email liz@liz-cook.com to be added to our waitlist.

Liz Cook is a photographer based in Central Virginia. Her intuition and creative perspective allow her to connect both professionally and personally with her subjects, and thus, her portfolio is saturated with authentic emotion.

Over the past decade and a half, Liz has had the privilege of photographing hundreds of weddings, numerous birth stories, and countless families. She has provided families around the United States with timeless and priceless images to help tell their own stories to future generations.

Whether she's sharing her story with fellow entrepreneurs or enjoying quality time with her husband and two daughters, Liz is both present and passionate about capturing and celebrating life. Her work has been featured in People Magazine, The New York Times, O "Oprah" Magazine, The Glitter Guide, Essence Magazine, domino, Rue Magazine, and others.

Explore Liz's portfolio at www.liz-cook.com. View press publications here.