What If My Child Cries During Santa Photos?
What if my child cries during Santa photos?
Every year, there is at least one parent who walks into our Tampa studio and says some version of, “I have no idea how this is going to go.”
Maybe your baby has hit the stranger-danger stage. Maybe your toddler talks about Santa nonstop at home but you’re fairly sure a six-foot version of him in person is a different story. Maybe last year’s Santa picture was three seconds on his lap followed by an immediate evacuation.
Here’s what I want you to know before you ever walk through our doors: that’s okay. Your child does not owe us a smile. Crying does not mean your Santa experience went wrong.
Why are toddlers sometimes afraid of Santa?
Think about meeting Santa from your child’s perspective. We spend weeks telling them about this magical man they’ve never met. He has a giant white beard. He’s dressed head to toe in red. Everyone suddenly wants them to walk up to him, talk to him, maybe sit beside him. And we’re all standing nearby with cameras, waiting to see what happens.
Some kids are all in — they walk through the door ready to tell Santa exactly what they want for Christmas and fourteen other things nobody asked about. Other children stop dead in their tracks. Some stare. Some hide behind Mom. Some need a few minutes. And yes, some cry.
None of those reactions are wrong. They’re just kids experiencing something brand new.
What is BEP actually trying to capture?
We love a beautiful photograph of your children smiling beside Santa. But that’s never been the whole point.
We’re watching for the way they look at him when they first walk in. The suspicious side-eye. The death grip on Mom. The moment curiosity starts to win. The questions. The wish list. The belly laugh. And sometimes, the tears.
Because those are the things that tell the story of who your child was this Christmas. Years from now you may not remember what was on the wish list. But the photograph of your two-year-old dramatically deciding Santa was absolutely not happening? You’ll probably remember that one — and laugh about it every Christmas after.
What does BEP do if my child cries?
We don’t immediately try to “get the shot.” We pay attention to your child instead.
Sometimes a little one just needs a moment to take everything in. Sometimes they’re more comfortable staying close to Mom or Dad. Sometimes Santa can interact with them without expecting an immediate lap-sit. Sometimes distraction or play changes everything. And sometimes, they’re just not that into Santa that day.
We do not force a child to sit with or approach Santa. If they’re not comfortable, we don’t ask it of them.
We’re photographing children, not directing a performance. Our job is to meet them where they are and photograph the story that actually unfolds.
How can I prepare my child beforehand?
If you’re worried about how your child will react, the best thing you can do is avoid making the photo itself the big event.
Instead of “you’re going to sit on Santa’s lap and give me a BIG smile,” try talking about what they’re actually going to do. They’re going to meet Santa. They can tell him what they want for Christmas. They can bring their wish list and ask him questions.
Make Santa interesting. Make him magical. Just try not to make your child’s performance the measure of whether the visit worked. Then, when you arrive, follow their lead.
Should I book a longer Santa session if my child is shy?
Sometimes the answer isn’t getting your child to stop crying. It’s giving them more time.
A toddler may walk in, see a large stranger with a beard, and decide instantly they want nothing to do with this. That’s normal. It’s also why we built three different lengths of time with Santa — not every child needs the same thing.
Classic (up to 5 minutes) is our traditional session, photographed to capture your child’s actual reaction, not a posed smile. For a child who walks in ready to go, five minutes holds plenty.
Luxe (10 minutes) gives your family more room, and parents can be photographed too. Santa has time to slow down, learn your child’s name, and let a real interaction happen — which matters when a nervous child wants Mom or Dad close by.
VIP (20 immersive minutes) isn’t a promise your child won’t cry. It’s time — Santa already knows details about your child before you arrive, there’s a bag of toys to explore, and there’s simply more room for a relationship with Santa to unfold at their own pace.
What if my child never warms up to Santa?
Then we photograph that child — not the imaginary one we hoped would walk in that day.
Maybe they stay in Mom’s arms. Maybe they’re skeptical the whole time. Maybe the only photo we get includes a tiny face that very clearly says, I cannot believe my parents have done this to me. That’s childhood, and there’s something freeing about deciding ahead of time to let the experience be what it is.
The photograph you thought wasn’t “perfect” this year might be the one everyone wants to see again in twenty years.
A few things you can do before your session
- Talk about Santa beforehand. Show them a photo so the beard, the suit, and the larger-than-life situation aren’t a total surprise.
- Talk about the experience, not the smile. Ask what they want to tell Santa instead of reminding them to smile for the camera.
- Don’t promise the lap. Let the interaction develop on its own.
- Bring comfort with you. In Luxe or VIP, having Mom or Dad in frame can make a nervous child feel more secure.
- Manage your own expectations. This might be the year you get the smiling portrait. It might be the year you get the photo your family laughs about for the next twenty Christmases. Either one is worth having.
There’s no such thing as a “perfect” Santa reaction
One of the things I love about photographing children is that you can’t fully script them — and I don’t think we should try.
Christmas changes fast when your kids are little. One year they’re terrified of Santa. The next they’re climbing into his lap. Eventually you realize the years of truly believing were much shorter than you thought.
That’s why I don’t want to photograph only the polished version. I want the real one — the tears, the belly laughs, the hesitation, the tiny hand finally reaching toward Santa once they’ve decided he might be okay. Those are the moments you’re actually going to miss.
The Magical Santa Experience at Brittany Elise Photography
Our 2026 Magical Santa Experience runs November 7 and 8 at our Tampa studio, with Classic, Luxe, and VIP options built for however your family shows up.
Whether your child runs straight into Santa’s arms or spends the first few minutes deciding whether this whole situation can be trusted, we’re here to photograph their Christmas story — not manufacture a perfect one.
Real moments. Lasting magic.
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