BOOKINGS FOR OUR 2024 SEASON WILL OPEN IN OCTOBER – Join our mailing list and follow our socials to stay up to date.

Sshhh it’s a secret! Our theme will be announced in October 2024. Join our VIP mailing list to be the first to know.

We are located at 51 Wellwood Road Drouin, Victoria.   1 hour East of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

We pride ourselves for being a bit different to the usual Santa photos, so each year we have a different Christmas scene. It’s normally rustic, a little or a lot horsie, and always AMAZING! We want it to be a real surprise for you and promise, it will be BEAUTIFUL.  It will always have a warm, vintage look and feel, as that is our signature style. We are unable to reveal our scene until just a few weeks before we start, as our sessions are held in a working photography studio. It takes alot of time and effort to build and set up our display and because the studio is used all year, we need it to function right up to when we start. 

Yes, you do need to book for a Santa photo session with us.  Just click on the bookings tab on the website menu and once redirected, go to the ‘All Products’ tab and choose the session time that suits you, then add to your shopping cart. Your booking includes ONE photo option – Photo options are selected on the day of your photo session.

You will be sent an email with your booking confirmation. (You don’t need to bring it on the day, your name and details will be at the door).

PLEASE NOTE: Bookings are limited to one per family unless pre-arrangement is made with management. Any multiple family bookings not pre-arranged will be automatically cancelled!

Normal family photo sessions are for one family (eg mum, dad and kids. Can include grandparents or two friends who want their two kids photographed together, but only want the one photo) One booking is enough time for one or two poses with Santa.

Multiple families wanting more than one photo (Eg; one of each family individually, plus one of the two families together, must book an individual session for each family IN THE EXACT SAME TIMESLOT. Booking in the same time slot will ensure you can have your sessions back to back/all in together. THIS IS ALSO FOR LARGE GROUP SESSIONS – (Max 4 families). If you’re not sure, please call or text Louise on 0412 942897 prior to booking.

There is an $85 booking fee, payable when you book, to reserve your session time slot. This also includes one photo option! 

Photo options such as our single 8×12″, our 4-4″x6″, our Multi and our digital file, are chosen on the day of your photo session.  Additional photo options can also be purchased then as well for $25ea. Check out our Pricing page for details.

Please call or text a minimum of 6 hours prior to your session if you need to cancel. Cancellations less than 6 hours prior to your session will forfeit all refunds of your booking fee.

Before you book, please choose your date and time carefully as rescheduling will incur additional fees and we cannot guarantee an alternative session time. Please check your calendar prior to making your booking.

Here’s some other things to check before you book:

• Do your kids have sports that day?
• Are all your family members available that day?
• Will cousin Bob’s poodle be due for a manicure that day?
• Do you already have a prior engagement on that day?
• Do your kids have their school concert/activities on that day?
• Is your cat booked for cataract surgery that day?
• Does hubby have his work breakup that day…or the night before?

Taking a few minutes to check your calendar will save a WHOLE lot of time and potential heartache if we can’t find you an alternative session, as we are usually booked out. PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR DATE AND TIME CAREFULLY.

Each Santa Photo session has a limited number of spots available in each 15 minute time slot.  (there are multiple spots available in every 15 minute time slot, so there are other families booked in to the same 15 minutes as you)

We suggest you arrive just a little early on the day in your chosen session time slot, as we cannot guarantee an opening if you are late. There will be a small number of other families here when you are, with the same session time as you, but the wait should be minimal. Occasionally we do run a little behind time and we appreciate your understanding and patience when it comes to working with little people.

Please come to the admin desk on arrival to check in.

We do suggest booking for your session quickly once bookings open, as session availability is often limited due to high demand.

Large group bookings will be available in 2024.  Large groups are required to book an individual session for each family unit within your group, in THE EXACT SAME TIMES SLOT! 

So, if you have for example, three families all coming together, with each one wanting an individual photo with Santa, as well as one of the whole group together, you would need to book three sessions IN THE EXACT SAME TIMESLOT! This will allow the extra time needed to photograph all families involved and the group shot, at the same time.

If the booking system won’t allow you to book multiple sessions (max of 4) in the exact same timslot, this means there are not the number of sessions you require available in that time slot. You will need to find another time slot with the amount of sessions you require available.

Large group bookings are for big family groups who require multiple (more than two) poses with Santa, which require more time.  If your group only requires one or two at most, photos with Santa, there is no need to book multiple sessions. 

Yes we do. We love all the families that visit Drouin Santa Photos. We offer limited 10 minute private sessions for families who’s kids struggle with crowds, noise, flashing lights, waiting in ques or families that require wheelchair access. These bookings are strictly for special needs familes only. We suggest you arrive a minimum of 5 minutes before your session time to give your child some time to adjust to our surroundings.  We have allocated the whole session time just for you and may not be able to honor your booking if you are late.

You’ll see the special needs sessions on our booking platform, they are different to our regular session. Look for the green rocking horse when booking.

Yes, in 2024 Santa can hold your baby! Please note that many children can find it scary and can get quiet upset with Santa, particularly ages 2-5. Please be aware that while every attempt is made to make your child feel comfortable, sometimes it simply isn’t going happen…(we’ve seen it all!) and as our sessions are walk-in walk-out style, we are very limited with time. We ask that parents please understand that you might not always get a smiling photo of your child with Santa.

 PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR SESSIONS ARE ONLY EVER A FEW MINUTES LONG – WALK IN, WALK OUT STLYE!

There is a $85 fee, payable when you book, to reserve your session time slot. This also includs one photo. Photo options are chosen on the day of your photo session and additional photo options can be purchased for $25 each. 

You can check out our pricing/photo-options in more detail here.

There are four photo options to choose from on the day you visit. An 8″x12″ single photo. ~ 4-4×6 which has four 4″x6″ photos one one sheet. ~ A Multi which has one 6″x8″, one 4″x6″ and four 2″x3″ wallet size photos all on one sheet. ~ The digital file option is one single photo (digital file) that is sent to you via We-Transfer and sized at 8″x12″ ( approx A4). 

Each photo sheet has the same photo on it, so if you are wanting multiple poses with Santa, you need to purchase a separate photo for each pose.  Photo options are chosen and additional photos paid for when you arrive, just prior to your session. You can find more info about packages and pricing by clicking here.

After booking your chosen session time online, and poping the date and time it in your diary so you dont forget, your session is confirmed. You can arrive anytime during your booked session time slot, although we suggest arriving slightly early in your chosen timeslot. There may be a very small number of other families in front of you who have booked during the same session time slot, but you won’t have to wait long.

This is a walk-in, walk-out photo experience. Your session will take just a few minutes. Time for your family to have their photos taken and enjoy our special unique Christmas scene. While we want to give your family the best possible experience, please note that our sessions are NOT mini photo shoots. Our business model is to offer our services to many families, and therefore, our sessions are short and sweet.  Please bare that in mind when visiting us.  PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR SESSIONS ARE ONLY EVER A FEW MINUTES LONG – WALK IN, WALK OUT STYLE!

After your session, printed photos are always ready to collect the following weekend. You won’t receive a notification to say they are ready. Photos can be collected the following weekend from our admin table. Just come and speak to our lovely admin ladies who will get your photo for you. Digital files are usually sent within a few days of your session. Check your spam/junk folders as they sometimes end up there. If you order the digital file and don’t receive it within a few days, please contact us via email with the name your booking is under, and the date and time you visited.

We try our best to make all children feel safe and comfortable near Santa, but as you know, children have a mind of their own sometimes. It is often out of our control how your child will react and while we know in an ideal world, that a smiling Santa photo is what you want, sometimes it is not possible. We also have a very limited amout of time with each family, and as such, it is very difficult to always get a perfect smiling photo of a child who may be very upset or unsure. PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR SESSIONS ARE ONLY EVER A FEW MINUTES LONG – WALK IN, WALK OUT STLYE!

No you don’t. So we can offer our unique service and keep it affordable for the many families we service, we choose your santa photo for you on the day. This is so we can keep the flow moving, keep our sessons on time and offer our service to many families. We guarantee that we will always choose only the very best photo of your family. By doing this, it means you get the simplicity and affordability of a chain store Santa photo experience, but with a completely unique atmosphere and a beautiful Christmas scene that changes each year. You will get to see your photo and confirm you are happy with it before leaving the studio.

Each photo sheet comes with one photo on it. For photo sheets with multiple images on it, the same photo is used for each of the various sizes. If you would like more than one pose with Santa, say one of the kids with Santa and one with the whole family, you need to purchase a separate photo for each. Each session has enough time for up to two or three different poses with Santa. If you require more poses than that, you will need to purchase an additional booking in the same timeslot, to allow the extra time needed.

We like to change our special Santa scene each year, so not every year will have a horse in the photo. We have also found that having one of our actual horses in the Santa scene is quite impractical. They move around ALOT, so it’s hard to maintain consistency within the backdrop of your photo, they POOP a lot and that can be unpleasant for everyone (it often makes the dad’s gag!) Some people are really scared of horses.  And some people have severe allergies to horses. 

We love dogs and all pets at Drouin Santa Photos and welcome them during our Santa photo sessions. We do require that your dogs be on a lead at all times, that you clean up after them and that if your dog is male, that he doesn’t lift his leg while entering or inside in the studio. Your dog should also be well socialized and controllable as we have young children,  horses and other animals on the property. And while we love your dog, other families may not. Yes, you can also bring your cat/bunny/birds/lizards/ferrets/snakes and any other small pets are welcome too!

Please note, dogs not on a lead may be asked to leave the property. Many children are scared of dogs and our families safety and comfort is our number one priority.

We ask that you keep your dog on the lead while in our studio. When seated and ready to have your photo taken, we will ask you to remove the lead. We have lots of elements that can be knocked over easily and we often have outdoor elements in our scene such as stones, grasses, branches etc that smell like the outdoors to your dog.

FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND OUR TEAM, WE ASK THAT IF YOU, OR ANYONE IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD ARE UNWELL, HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH A COVID POSITIVE PERSON WITHIN THE LAST 7 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR PHOTO SESSION, HAVE ANY COVID19 or GASTRO LIKE SYMPTOMS, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND.

Please advise us as soon as possible so you can either choose to get a full refund of your $80 fee or you can reschedule to another session time if there is one available.

We have many newborn babies visit as well as immune compromised people who are very vulnerable. We take every precaution and clean our studio regularly, as well as have an air purifier going at all times.

If you order a digtal file, it will be emailed to you via We-Transfer within a few days of your photo session.  ALL PRINTED PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECT ON THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND AFTER YOUR SESSION! You won’t receive a notification, they will just be here at the admin desk awaiting collection.

Priority Postage is $15. Photos are posted within 5 to 7 days of your photo session. Please allow up to two weeks from your session to receive your photo order by priority post.

Digital files have to go through the same editing process as all the photos do, so please allow a few days after your photo session for your digital file to be emailed to you via we-transfer.

Our studio can cater to pretty much any kind of weather. While we have an undercover area to shelter from the rain, the walk from the carpark is open so bring a brolly in the event of rain for your walk too and from the carpark. And if its hot, there is some shade, but your brolly is perfect for that too. If we have A LOT of rain, we may need to change where you park, as our paddock gets very slippery when wet. In this case, we will contact you directly via phone to inform you with the details on the day.

There is strictly no street parking at our studio so please do not attempt to park along the roadsisde anywhere.  Parking is close to the studio and you will enter and exit via the studio driveway. You will see our signs as you approach from either direction and parking is located next to the studio.

Yes it is a paddock, so may be a little rough, but it’s not too bad. If we have A LOT of rain, we may need to change where you park, as our paddock gets very slippery when wet. In this case, we will contact you directly via phone to inform you with the details on the day.

Once parked, just follow the signs and walk to the studio from the carpark (not far). It is suitable for prams etc but if you have a wheelchair, we suggest you book a private, special needs session where you can park right at the studio door. Special needs sessions are strictly limited. If sold out, please contact management on 0412 942897 so arrangements can be made for you.