Blog

Kristin Wood Photography, LLC specializes in Newborn, Maternity and Family Photography serving Fairfield County and surrounding areas including Darien, Greenwich, Westport, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Stamford, Fairfield, New Haven, Manhattan, and Westchester County. Follow along on the blog to see some of our favorite moments from sessions!

If you missed Monday’s post all about photos with Santa at the Darien Community Center, you’ll want to check it out first. Today I am going to share more details about how you can be part of next year’s photos with Santa in Darien, CT.

I may be a bit biased, but I think that I offer the best Connecticut Santa Experience…not because of me, but because of SANTA himself! Darien natives know him as Joe Warren, but to the kids, he is Santa and has been for over 40 years now. He loves and serves his community well through the local sports shop and also as a volunteer firefighter. This is his 3rd year with KWP, and each year it’s an honor to donate proceeds from the event to the local fire department where Joe volunteers.

The Santa Experience really is more than just having photos taken with Santa. It’s become a holiday tradition for many of my clients. This year each family received goody bags where I share some of the traditions that our family loves (reindeer food to put out on Christmas Eve, special ornaments for the tree, holiday activities, and Christmas cookies). The kids get quality time with Santa and gone are the days of waiting in long lines.

So, how do you get to be part of the KWP Santa Experience?

Book a classic session (maternity, family, or newborn) with KWP in 2021 and secure first access to the 2021 Santa Experience. Contact me HERE for more details.
Purchase the Elf Pass during the 2020 Santa Experience.

What is the Elf Pass?

Elf Pass holders get first access to Santa sign-ups. Santa sessions sold out within minutes this year and they seem to only go quicker and quicker each year. This year we offered an upgrade to include an Elf Pass + Framed 5x7 print and a personalized handwritten letter from Santa, wrapped and ready to go under the tree.

What if we haven’t scheduled a 2021 session or have an Elf Pass?

Sign up for our newsletter HERE! Don’t worry, I do not spam you with a ton of emails. I just use this to send out information to everyone interested. Newsletter subscribers will get priority after classic session clients and Elf Pass holders.

When will Santa sign-ups be for 2021?

I typically hold sign-ups at the end of summer.

And now, without further adieu, more Santa photos! As a reminder, any photos where Santa does not have a mask were photoshopped using photos I took of Santa before the children arrived!

Photos with Santa in Darien, CT | Best Connecticut Santa Experience | Kristin Wood Photography

Kristin Wood Photography, LLC specializes in Newborn, Maternity and Family Photography serving Fairfield County and surrounding areas including Greenwich, Westport, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Stamford, Fairfield, New Haven, Manhattan, and Westchester County. If you are interested in booking a session, please contact me here.

I would love to begin planning a portrait session for you. Whether you want an outdoor beach or field setting or a cozy in-studio or in-home setting, we will design the perfect session to suit your family. I provide a luxury photography experience with a full client closet, personalized wardrobe styling, hair and makeup artists, and custom album and wall art designs for your home.

Due to COVID, I wasn’t sure if Santa photos were going to happen or not. Santa photos in Darien, CT is something my clients and I look forward to every year. It’s become a KWP signature event over the last 3 years. And this year, more than ever, I felt like I needed to make it happen for my clients.

In years past I have hosted Santa sessions in my studio in Darien. But due to Covid, we needed outdoor space, and this year they were held at the Darien Community Center's historic Meadowloads home. The Darien Community Center is a non-profit organization in my community in Farfield County. Their primary income is as an event space, and they have been struggling due to COVID and event cancellations. I was so happy to be able to support another non-profit this year with Santa sessions.

To be totally honest, I had never been more nervous about Santa session sign-ups. I wasn’t sure if offering Santa sessions this year was the right thing to do or not. I wasn’t sure if anyone would book…or be comfortable. Yet….at the same time, I felt like everyone needed the extra cheer this year.

To start, I only offered 20 Santa sessions. Within two minutes…yes just TWO MINUTES, they sold out. I opened a second day with 20 more time slots…and when those were gone I scrambled and added a third day. Minutes later, 60 families had signed up for Santa photos at the Darien Community Center.

It’s not about the number of sessions. It’s not even about the photos with Santa. It’s about the experience. It’s about the tradition for your children and the joy it brings your family. There was no standing in lines or seeing Santa over facetime - just pure joy, something “normal” for your children in the midst of a year that has been anything but normal.

But that didn’t come without a lot of precautions from our amazing Santa. He came early to get a couple of photos without a mask so that I could photoshop 1-2 photos for families (example below!). We also limited the sessions to the same weekend so that any outside exposure Santa may would encounter would be minimized.

Although Santa may have looked a little different with his mask and the location was different this year, the experience was the same. Each of the kids got to spend quality time with Santa. Sessions last 10-15 minutes. We start with a portrait of just the kids before Santa arrives so we almost always have at least one smiling photo for the ones who are a tad afraid. Then Santa comes in and they have time to chat, read a book, share their wish lit, and put an ornament on the tree. It really was 3 days filled with magic and a wonderful start to the holiday season!

I know….you’re ready to see the photos! Be sure to check back for part 2 on Thursday. I’ll be answering some FAQ’s and sharing how you can have early access to Santa Photos in 2021! And of course, more Santa photos too!

Santa Photos in Darien, CT | Fairfield County Santa Photos | Kristin Wood Photography

Let me take care of everything for you!

I aim to provide the ultimate customer service experience in providing you with a luxury photography experience. With styling consultations, wardrobe, professional hair and makeup, and the finest quality products, you will receive stunning portraits styled to represent you authentically and naturally. I work with the finest craftsman to bring your museum-quality wall art and heirloom albums that tell the story of your family for yours to come.

For indoor portraits and newborns, I have a commercial studio located in Westport, CT. I even include design services to create custom wall galleries for your home and offer in house custom framing!