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Customer Comments from 2025 Season
Who is our Main Photographer?
Victoria has been living in Brisbane for over 20 years and has been a professional photographer running her own businesses for decades. She loves working with kids and animals and being creative. In 2015 she teamed up with two female photographer friends to create Santa Beach Photos from scratch. Every year the business got bigger and more popular as Santa is a fabulous guy. This year two of the partners are retiring from Santa Beach Photos, so Victoria is running her own slimmed down, one beach boutique photography experience with the same concept, Santas and a fresh updated set. The sessions are still booked in the same way you are used to, with the same packages and terms and conditions and utilizing a lot of the same ideas, poses and fun. Victoria may be joined by helpers and other photographers in due course.
How Can I See What Spots You Have Available?
Click on BOOK NOW and then select an available link. You will be taken to the TryBooking website which is safe and secure for payment. We have been using Trybooking for a few years now and it’s a good system. Please choose your spot carefully allowing for other family events at this busy time of year.
What if You Are Sold Out?
First in, best dressed, as they say. Sometimes if we have a vacancy, we will advertise the spot on our Facebook page so look out for this.
Is Santa in Both the Small and Large Group Packages?
Yes, Santa will be on the beach to meet yourself, your children and pets but if you would like a photo without Santa, please let us know at the time of shooting and we are happy to do this for you. It’s a nice setting for a beach family photo with a professional photographer.
What Do I Do if I Have a Group of 8 People or More?
Our Large Group sessions accommodate 9 and over people with a 20 minute session and minimum 12 images. It takes longer to organize larger groups. Dogs aren’t counted as people in the packages.
How Many People Can Be in One Booking?
In the past we have shot large families of probably about 30 people with dogs. The more people in the photos the longer it takes to organize everyone, pose people and shoot many shots to allow for blinking. The smaller groups are much preferred and easier to shoot, so you will get better photos and more creative poses.
What if it’s Raining During My Booked Time?
You will be contacted about an alternative date so please make sure you put in your correct mobile phone number. We will endeavour to transfer your booking to suit you. Please monitor your phone to take our call, to make it easier for us to contact you. We may also issue a notice on our Facebook page about an impending weather event but you will be contacted to reschedule. If it’s just raining a tiny bit or is windy, we still shoot as we have lots of customers and only a limited number of days before Christmas Day.
What if I Need a Refund?
If you do need to change your booking and get a refund, you will have to pay the small TryBooking fees again if you rebook, and a $10 automatic admin fee will be deducted from any refunds given as we have to do the refund process manually. Please choose your spot carefully allowing for other calendar events in your family’s life.
What if I Have a Special Needs Child/Children?
We love seeing families with children of all abilities and always take extra care to make sure everyone feels comfortable and included. If your child has special needs or is unable to smile, please let us know at the time of your session or prior by email, and we will do our best to accommodate you. The Portsmouth Place beach area is much quieter than the main beaches of Raby Bay. It’s the perfect setting to meet Santa with just the sound of the waves and not a busy shopping centre environment with lights and extra noise.
Can I Bring My Dog/s and Other Pets?
We love dogs in our photos and in previous years we photographed Santa with some very cool cats, a bird, lizard and many Guinea Pigs. No snakes though as Santa might get up and run off. Dogs must be under control at all times on a leash, and you clean up any mess they make, but they are welcome to be in the photos with you, your family and Santa. We will be set up on the grass area so dogs can join us. As per every other Raby Bay Beach aside from the dog beach, dogs are not allowed on the sand at this location. Inspectors do patrol the area issuing fines even on Sunday afternoons for dogs off leash or on the sand. Photos with just your pet and Santa are fine too. Just speak to your photographer at the time of the shoot. Some of our past customers have dogs with their own Instagram accounts so a photo with just Santa is mandatory each year, and we are happy to do this.
What if We Cannot Attend our Booked Session?
You are welcome to contact us about an alternative date for your session or you can gift the session time to another family. We will happily refund if we have at least 24 hours notice and can rebook the spot. If your spot cannot be filled, the team will not be able to provide a refund as we have costs of Santa and helpers plus the beach council fees to cover.
What if We Are Late?
If you are late, please text to the number you would have received the day before, and we will try to put another family into your spot and then you can have their spot when you arrive, as we have to keep things flowing due to the sun setting. If you are too late and the sun has set and Santa has gone home, then I’m afraid you have missed out. Leave home with plenty of time to spare.
What if We Forget to Turn Up?
Just like if you paid for a concert and forgot to attend (or too late and the musicians went home), you won’t be given a refund unless you give us at least 24 hours notice so we can try and rebook your spot with another waiting family. If you fail to give any notice and just don’t turn up your monies will be not refunded as we won’t be able to rebook the session.
Can I Take Mobile Phone Photos?
Our photographers use professional cameras so please don’t take any unauthorized photos of Santa or your portrait session before, during or after your time with Santa, or of any other families. We don’t allow Santa to pose with children on the beach who aren’t booked in with us, as it’s not fair to our paying customers.
Can We Bring Outfits or Props?
Feel free to bring along any cute costumes, fun hats, festive outfits or quirky props for your family or furry friends — just make sure they’re not too big, libel to blow into the ocean or get in the way. Reindeer ears and outfits on dogs? Absolutely adorable! Some families love to give their Christmas photos a twist with a Hawaiian theme, giant lollipops, colourful ice blocks, or even a cheeky glass of “Santa’s fake wine.” You can also get creative with fishing rods, cricket gear, or a cosy picnic setup — the more fun, the merrier!
Can We Do Cute Announcements with Santa?
Things like engagements, pregnancy announcements, gender reveals, introducing new babies, ‘save the date’ pictures are okay with us as long as they fit into your allotted time. We have had this in the past and it’s wonderful to be part of something like this. Just bring your props and let us know at the time.
Can I Purchase a Session for a Friend or Family Member?
Just book the session in the gift recipients name on the form and pay through TryBooking as normal. Make sure you include the recipient’s name and email address rather than yours, so the email link to the images can be sent directly to them.
Can I Share a Session with My Friends or Relatives?
You can share a session with another family so book a 20-minute session, be photographed for 10 minutes each as well as a large group together and save money. This is a great idea for grown up siblings or best friends. Only one photo link email will be sent to the person who does the booking, but you are welcome to share this link with other people in the images.
Can I Bring My Staff Members for a Group Photo?
Yes if you have more than 8 people in your staff, you can book a 20-minute session, have a large staff photo then change clothes and have a family photos too. A great idea for your end of year staff newsletter or social media pages.
How Do I Get Our Photos?
After your portrait session, roughly 2 to 4 days, depending on how many shoots we have undertaken, we will email you a private Google Photos link so you can receive your images quickly. Please make sure you have given us your correct email address. You don’t need an account to download your images. If images aren’t received in 4 days, please contact us after first checking your junk mail folder. You are responsible for downloading, storing and backing up your images but we do keep copies. The Google Drive delivery method is just temporary storage, not long term, and will be cleared out in January. A personal email address is better than a work one, as sometimes our emails are caught in spam filters because they are coming from a business at Christmastime.
Can I Leave my Photos in the Google Drive forever?
No unfortunately the Google Drive is just temporary storage to get the images to you. YOU MUST DOWNLOAD and BACKUP your own images on your computer and other forms of storage. We do keep copies but cannot guarantee to replace them in case of circumstances out of our control.
What Can We Do with the Images?
Some people make them into canvases for the wall, especially Grandparents. Some save them on their phone and upload to social media or send to their families overseas. Others make gifts like mugs and cushions. Sometimes the images are used in children’s baby albums, Christmas cards, scrapbooking or turned into big prints for the wall. The options are endless.
Do you use Photoshop on the Images?
No, Photoshop will not be used to edit the images heavily, but light editing is undertaken on the images. We don’t fix messy hair, faces, pimples, bruises, removing plaster casts, health and skin issues, adding pets or people who weren’t there etc.
Do Santas and Photographers have Blue Cards for Working with Children?
Our photographers and Santas have blue cards but they aren’t technically necessary as the children are never alone with our Santas and parents are always present.
Do you Have Social Media?
We have a Facebook page but not an Instagram since most of our customers are Facebook users, and we would rather put our energy into the Facebook platform rather than too many options with regards to social media. Please use Messenger, email or text to contact us. Follow us on Facebook to hear of events, get ideas, weather updates and vacancy spot announcements. Follow us on Facebook here.
Can Grandparents Come Too?
Of course Grandparents are welcome. Our 8 person package allows for two parents, two children and two sets of grandparents. If you want to include more children and more adults, please book a bigger session or two small sessions back-to-back. Single spot prices will apply.
Where Do We Park?
There is plenty of parking at the end or sides of the road in Portsmouth Place, off Masthead Drive in Raby Bay. It’s a very quiet beach and not popular with families. Park there and walk towards the ocean until you see the big man in red.
Where Are the Nearest Toilets?
Just a short walk along the path or a quick drive to the nearest toilets further up Masthead Drive.
What if All the Small Groups Spots Are Taken and We Have a Large Group?
Please try to book two small group spots back to back. If this is not possible, contact us to be put on the waiting list in case a large group cancels, or watch our Facebook page for vacancy announcements. A larger spot link may be able to be generated depending on the sunset time on the day you are wanting, but please ask.
What if I Don’t Want My Photos to Be Used for Advertising Due to Family Privacy Issues?
Just let us know by email at the time of your booking.
What if I have a Special Photo Request?
If you want to turn your favourite photo into a wall canvas that has a wrap around feature on the sides, please let us know at the time of shooting, so we can shoot wider to accommodate this when it’s time to print. Not all images are suitable for canvases. Feel free to quickly discuss your needs with the photographer before your shoot starts. Also if you don’t want to be in the photos, just your children, we can accmmodate that too.
What Do We Bring?
You may need to bring water and sunscreen plus any props you would like in your photos. Sunglasses help when the sun can still be hot and bright and look cool in the photos. Santa can wear sunnies to match as well. We have some plastic sunglasses that you are welcome to use. Hair ties and head bands or tight-fitting Santa hats are helpful for windy days. We can’t fix messy hair later on in post-production.
How Can We Make the Most of This Experience?
Here are a few tips to help your session go smoothly:
Choose your session time carefully. Make a note in your phone calendar.
Be early, not late. There’s lots of seats you can rest on to watch other families before you. It gives you all a chance to relax rather than being rushed.
Make a trip of it. You could combine your visit to see Santa with the nearby twilight markets at Raby Bay (check online to see when they are on), go out to dinner or have fish n chips on the beach, visit the playground up the road a bit further, visit the Cleveland Lighthouse area, or take a dip in the water at one of the other beaches. There’s also a dog friendly beach further along on Masthead Drive (the last beach before you get to the turnaround).
Feed and rest the little ones (especially babies) before you come. A full belly and a good nap work wonders for big smiles with Santa.
Bring along a few treats to help your pup pose like a pro. Cats with harnesses and other pets welcome but we draw the line at the snakey guys.
A bit of bribery never goes astray. A promised treat or a trip to the playground after or dinner out for well-behaved children, as you only have a short amount of time with Santa and the photographer. If your children are upset for most of that time, it will be difficult to get photos.
Please note you can’t play on the beach behind after your session, as the next family will be needing the space to be photographed, so we urge you to be considerate of other families. They don’t want you in their photos.
A bit of thought into outfits and props always pays off — matching colours, festive touches, or a fun theme make your photos pop.
Take care of your hair for the photos as it’s often windy by the beach.
If your child is a little shy or might get upset, let us know on the day. Our Santas are warm, gentle, and wonderful with kids — but if your little one isn’t ready for the big man, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves.
Where Can I see your Terms and Conditions?
You can read them here:
Terms & Conditions
I Have Another Question That Isn’t Listed:
Please contact us by email or Facebook Messenger and Victoria will respond as soon as possible.
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Customer Comments from 2025 Season
