The Exclusive Session is a 45 minute interactive experience that you and your child will remember for a lifetime! It is most suited for children age 3 and up. During the session Santa uses a wide variety of props and invites the children to pletend as he works through various interactions.

Mini-Sessions is a much shorter session because they were designed for children under 3 or those that aren't quite ready for the full Exclusive experience. (The Christmas Dream Storybook Album is not offered as a product with this session because there is not enough time to accomplish all interactions needed for the storyline.)

Both sessions include receiving a cookie (if you allow) and a small gift from Santa!

The studio address is 14215 Highway 231 / 431 North, Hazel Green, AL 35750. If you're using Google Maps, simply type in Karen Nicole Photography and it will bring you directly to the parking lot! It's a white and black building on the corner of West Limestone Road and the Highway. Park on the North or West side of the building and come in the front door, located on the East side.

• Extensive session prep information will be sent via email, but in general:

  • Arrive dressed and ready unless you have alerted me on the questionnaire that you want to use pajamas from the Studio Wardrobe. (We will need to be aware of sizing before the session.)

  • Deep, rich colors such as red, burgundy, green and navy are gorgeous on the background sets and pajama’s are our look of choice. Stripes, large patterns and anything with characters and/or text are strongly discouraged because it will distract from the photos of your children. Little girls in off-white night gowns and little boys in pajama's, robes and slippers are darling!

Of course, but quietly please!

There is a specific section of the studio where up to 4 adults are allowed to sit/stand and watch, however -

• NO photos or videos are allowed inside the studio before or during the session.

• Phones must be silenced and absolutely no phone calls or distractions because a phone conversation or loud video playing in the same room is very distracting and will have an effect on the outcome of the photos and experience.

• IMPORTANT:
  Please refrain from interacting with or giving direction to the children during their time with Santa and Mrs Claus unless called upon to help. Santa, his assistant and the photographer are all trained to work with the children and our common goal is to create and maintain a calm and enjoyable atmosphere for the children with a goal of capturing natural expressions, whatever those may be! Our hope is that the children will be focused on Santa and their magical time with him.

• When/if your children want to come to you during the session, please encourage them to stay on the set and participate. We will do our best to ‘wrangle’ but never forcefully. When a child needs his/her parent, we will absolutely allow them to come to you, but help encourage the experience without causing them to become upset.

I encourage you to sit back and enjoy watching your children experience the magic of Santa during their session.

As a mother (that’s a photographer), I know how tempting it is to capture your own photos and videos because after all, they are the cutest kids in the world… but please, please please refrain from taking photos of your children until after their time with Santa because….

Based on years of experience, I can tell you with 100% assurance that if you wear them with taking pictures on your phone before they arrive, they will be annoyed by the time they get to us!

One of the assistants will likely be taking ‘behind the scenes’ photos and videos during the session and we are more than happy to share them with you, so sit back and enjoy the experience with your kids!

It’s common for young children to be apprehensive or scared, but they usually warm up quickly. Our staff, Santa and Mrs Claus are all incredibly patient and would never force a child to do anything... but we will definitely try to coax/ bribe/ beg them if needed!

These sessions are all about giving your child a positive memory of Santa so we'll do our best to comfort your child... however... some children simply can not be consoled, so we encourage you to try to get a nap and snacks in them, then roll with the punches and embrace whatever personality they give us! Crying pictures can be actually be cute!

Absolutely! I want you to have a family portrait! We will ususally end with it so be ready when we near the end of your timeslot.

If you’re booking a Mini-Session and want several family poses and interactions with Santa and Mrs Claus, simply purchase two back to back sessions to allow enough time!

If you’re booking an Exclusive Session, we already have plenty of time for a few different poses built into the timeframe!

(For cousin photos, see the extended family section below.)

Our session reservations are for immediate family members only, however if you schedule your families back to back, we would be happy to capture a group pose together in between sessions at no extra charge, however each family unit will need their own session. (This is especially helpful if you would like poses such as a 'cousins photo' for Grandma!)

If you haven't noticed, we do things a little different at KNP because you're getting much more than just "pictures made"… this is an experience with Santa!

At the session, we will show you all the Artistry Products and set your Order Appointment that will take place via Zoom video chat or in person at the KNP Studio.

Before the appointment, you will receive a gallery so you can see the images, but your order will be placed at your appointment. I will answer your questions, help you choose your favorites and purchase the Artistry Products you want as keepsakes!

All orders will be placed during the order appointment so it is very important that all decision makers are present. It is recommended that you not bring young children to the order appointment. I have allotted 1 hour for this process.

The session reservation for the Exclusive session is $175 and is due to book the session on the schedule.

The session reservation for the Mini-session is $75 and is due to book the session on the schedule.

There is a $250 minimum product order requirement for all sessions. This fee is due on the day of the session and will be used fully toward your print/product/digital purchase.

BONUS: When booking, you have the option to pay the booking fee only or you can pay the minimum order requirement as well. If you choose to pay both upfront, you will receive a FREE GIFT with your order!

When ordering your Artistry Products, be sure to take advantage of the Create Your Own Package deal to save even more!

It is impossible to say exactly how much you will spend because each family is different. Past clients have spent anywhere from $300 to $3500 in the past - some spend less and other more. *I do not recommend booking a session if you are not comfortable with this range, because we want you to be happy and pleased with the entire experience!

Please know that a lot of work goes into each session, image and product... not to mention the costs of running a business and paying staff.

Each Artistry Product created is one of a kind created especially for your family! From simple photographic prints, ornaments, and Christmas cards to elaborate albums, and even oil paintings, you’re sure to love your products!

As a creator and artist, I believe in the power of beautiful artwork being presented in it's best form so it is for this reason, I will not sell the high resolution, raw digital images or copyrights to the imagery created. We do, however, sell lower resolution digital images for the purpose of printing small sizes AND we gift the social media resolution digital image of every photo that is purchased!

Yes, but hear me out…

• See, it's our mission to provide you with so much more than 'ordinary' pictures so I chose many years ago to make KNP a full-service, custom photography studio. This means that I want to provide you with tangible Aristry Products that will serve as heirlooms that your family will enjoy for many generations to come.. even past when your kids have grandkids! (You can't do that by scrolling back through all the photos on your phone to find your family picture from 'whatever year that was'!)

• Any amateur can provide a bunch of pictures in a gallery, but the problem is that they’re leaving you to figure everything out on your own.. not at KNP! Would a chef ask you to cook your own steak? Ummm no. Very few photographers will stand out from the crowd to provide Artistry Products that will stand the test of time for your family... but I do!

• Your Christmas portraits can be transformed into artwork as wall portraits, albums and more! Everything we create is a one of a kind piece and will be finished in whatever medium is our clients' favorite.

And for the second part of the answer..

• I sell digital images for the purpose of printing sizes 8x10" and smaller prints even though my pro-lab’s prints are far superior to the ones available online or at drug stores and big-box stores.

• AND.. we gift the social media resolution digital image of every image that is purchased in any way! You can post it on your favorite social media channel to share with friends and family!

• Cash, card, Paypal and Venmo are accepted.

• Interest-free payment plans and financing are available if desired.

  - In-house payment plans: 30, 60 and 90 day interest-free plans for orders over $250 (Application not required.)

  - Interest-free financing available through Synchrony Financial: 6 months for orders over $500, 12 months for orders over $2000 (Application required.)

• Your order will be fulfilled after it is paid in full.

Please notify me ASAP and do not bring a sick child to the studio. In the event that your child is sick on the day of his session, I will do everything possible to reschedule. If that is not possible, your booking fee can be applied to a future session. You must communicate because failure to show up for your session without prior communication will result in a forfeiture of your booking fee/retainer.

If you see that you will be running late, you must text me asap at 256.653.4675.

(I will not be taking phone calls or monitoring email during session times.)

If you are running more than 10 minutes late, we may have to reschedule your session (if possible), have your session time cut short, or as a worse case scenario, you may have to forfeit your session. We will do all we can, but it is your responsibility to keep your appointment time.

As a reminder, the reservation fee and minimum deposits are nonrefundable under any circumstance.

It is best to reschedule your appointment rather than cancel. Session fees are non-refundable as Santa, Mrs Claus and assistants must be paid for their time.

There are limited appointments available and I invest a lot of time, knowledge, expertise, and resources to ensure your children love their Christmas experience. For this reason, we will do our best to reschedule your family, although we cannot guarantee it and we do not refund appointment fees.

In most cases, orders only take a couple of weeks to be edited, processed, designed, ordered and delivered, but please allow up to 4 weeks for your products to be ready.

Please note: Hand painted portraits typically take 6-9 weeks.

You will be notified once your order is ready. All orders will be available for pickup at my studio or may be shipped directly to your home.

Absolutely! When filling out the questionnaire that you will receive before your session, there will be a space where you can let us know about any special needs your child may have.

If your child is wheelchair bound or requires the use of a walker or other aids, we will arrange for special parking so you can enter the studio through a different door when it is time for your session.

If you have a child with any special needs, please let me know so that we can do our very best to ensure that your child has an amazing experience with Santa!

Each year I change up a few things on the set, which means that each season will look a little different but rest assured, I put in a lot of thought, time and energy to ensure that each year is as equally beautiful as the ones from the past.

My set is filled with antique and vintage furniture and toys to lend to the feel of Santa’s ‘real’ livingroom and workshop!

• Build excitement leading up to the event by talking positively about meeting Santa and Mrs Claus.

• Include kids in a few of the preparations, like selecting wardrobe or bringing their Elf or stuffed animal, etc.

• Don’t schedule a session during a normal nap time. Make sure your child is well rested.

• Don’t schedule a session after another activity (sports, dance, gymnastics, etc.) on the same day as their portrait session, please consider skipping the other activity for that day.

• Don’t schedule a session at a meal time. Make sure your child is well fed before coming for the session. Hangry is not a good look on children!

• Food is not allowed in the studio or on the set, but all children will be given a cookie to take home with them after their session. (with your permission, of course)

• Please do not use bribes or threats to try and coerce your child.

• Please refrain from taking your own photos of your child until after their time with Santa. Young children have short attention spans and tire easily, so if you wear them out taking photos before they arrive for their session, it is very likely they will be annoyed or have nothing left for the Santa and the photographer!

• Please make sure that your child's clothing is pressed and wrinkle free. I'm not talking about the wrinkling that can occur with the use of car seats and seat belts, I'm talking about the deep set wrinkles that are present when you remove clothing from the package or bring them home from a store. Please iron or steam out those deep wrinkles and hang the clothing until time to dress for the session.