The Whitby Santa Claus Parade is a project near and dear to my heart not just as a resident, a parent of three boys and not just as a Rotarian in charge of making the float shine for the big Santa Claus himself (and Mrs. Claus).
Here are some memories we captured from the 2024 parade which we shot from the four corners as my knee is causing some issues with long walks/runs backwards for 10 km! I am pretty sure these are not in order so enjoy the community spirit regardless.
(Shown above our Rotarian crew and volunteers from Father Leo J Austin Catholic Secondary School)
Above (L) Whitby Fire – through the window of Aerial 35 | Above (R) And Elf and her grownup
Above (L) Comets Baton crew at the four corners | Above (R) A wee Vickery Electric Truck participant
Above (1) Dashing along the parade route | (2) Marine Rescue | (3) Dance crew piggyback
Above (ALL) By far the cutest dog in the parade supporting Durham Muay Thai & Kickboxing
Above (L) Air Cadets Band | Above (R) Girls Inc bringing the Girl Power Spirit
Above (L) Rotary Reindeer | Above (R) Deidre Newman is a tireless Rotarian and community volunteer, she will also be our 2025-2026 Club President
Above (L) Reindeer Energy | Above (R) Carrying on the tradition of marching and weilding the sucker props (which I love)
Doing double duty as Mrs Claus has a family emergency to cover – the one and only Santa Claus with an audio set this year so his HO HO HO energy can be heard loud and clear
Above (L) The joy of finally seeing Santa | Above (R) More Rotarian reindeer spirit.
The White Box is fun, we have done over 100 sessions and by far it is the favourite session of most of our family clientele. They are a chance to get a reluctant partner or child excited because they are quick, allow for creativity and are full of laughter. Yes, you actually sit inside a 4x4x4 box.
What to wear and what not to wear.
The White Box is “white” so it is what we call an alternative universe to regular family photos. The white means leave your dark and black clothing at home and embrace colour. A lot of families like to do christmas pjs – we only ask not to all match, because you all get mixed up. Instead pick coordinating outfits, so we know who is who by clothing as well as the “story” in each box.
These images show you how they all look the same until you focus on the face.
Many of our studio items are shown in this version from faux snow balls, head pieces like antlers and so many Santa hats, too many to mention!
How to plan your boxes.
We encourage you to bring items from your own Christmas celebrations to use in the box. While we do have a HUGE choice of items here for you from books, signs and other holiday items – your own adds that personalized storytelling.
See images for a sample of items we have in the studio for holiday sessions, the collection has grown so you are welcome to have use of anything we have in the studio.
We did this amazing card for the ladies of Elm Law group – each session includes a 6 image collage 5×7 .jpg to create Christmas cards (actual cards are not included).
During the session.
Here are some more handy tips:
+ Arrive 5 minutes ahead, no sooner please as we have back to back sessions all morning/early afternoon.
+ A session is 15 minutes with 5 minutes buffer between sessions.
+ Come dressed – there is not room for changing when we do this many experiences in a row – there is however a bathroom and in studio mirror.
+ Work with us to plan the 6 images for your card and then we also shoot as many other options for larger items which you can order at your in person review.
+ We cannot go past your 15 minutes, if one of your humans is not cooperating we can sort out another option at a later date.
+ If you are a glasses wearer put in contacts or remove them, our light set up will show light reflections and impact the image. If you are okay with that then we will do our best to reduce the impact glare.
+ Let us get your littles to look at us, I will have an assistant on that day and we know how to get a child’s attention.
+ Worried about your weight? We have poses that work well for all body types and sizes.
+ We have fit four grown men in the Box at one time, it is strong and can hold a lot more than you think. It is also reinforced with two by fours and raised off the ground – which all our knees will be thankful for.
Shown above is a styrene mounted print on a wood block (blocks are no longer sold) – but we have lots of great products for you to choose from to gift to family this holiday season.
Reveal and ordering session.
We host all sessions in the studio for an in person reveal to accomplish a few things:
+ We review your images in proof form and make your collage for your card – 6 images in total. This is included in your session – a 5×7 .jpg (no physical cards are included).
+ Then we determine if there are any other products you wish to order from prints backed with styrene, to mounts and a few specific items that work well with this type of session.
Note – ordering additional products is not mandatory. We do need to order them before mid November in order to get them by the holidays as our provider gets very busy.
Join us for the return of a day of limited edition Holiday White Box experiences.
+ Shot in our home studio in an actual box. + 15 minute time slots. + Up to 6 persons (due to time constraints).* + 1 collage included – 6 images in a 5×7 card format + In studio reveal to build card images AND order additional items such as larger collages, mounts and more.
* If you have a larger group we can book a solo session for you.
Not only did I have the honour of capturing event photography of the Whitby Santa Claus parade this year, I also redesigned the Santa Claus parade float with my fellow members of the Rotary Club of Whitby. We crafted an overall redesign of the float and added in some key elements to bring it all together, including large lollipops, fur collars for the reindeer and popcorn strings to name but a few of the extras we wove into the already amazing original float.
I have long been a fan of Santa Claus parades and attended my hometown parade in Bowmanville with my parents and my own kids long after we moved to Whitby. The small town parade was always my choice over the city parade and it always will be. The magic is tangible, as I walked along the float kids eyes just light up when they see Santa Claus and Mrs Claus.
If you need coverage of your parade sign me up. I love the marching bands, the dance companies, the flag twirlers, the bagpipes and the clown cars. The stories of bright faces on the young and the old alike. The belief in Santa Claus is palpable – eyes alight and smiles grow on everyone. Kids gasp and wave, knowing Santa saw them and wished them all a Very Merry Christmas.
This October we are going to be at Blackstock Christmas Tree Farm for our annual “The Christmas Tree Farm Experience” for family photos for this Christmas season coming up. We love this farm – owned by a young family who graciously is renting us the farm for a day October 24, 2020 in the afternoon (plus the back up date the Sunday Oct 25, 2020).
Our sessions will be socially distanced – all outside and shot with a zoom lens. Both Kirsten and Kennedy will be there to assist wearing masks. Orders will be placed online during a 5 day window for any additional products you might need for the holidays.
What is also different is how we are managing the props. This year it is all on you to bring blankets and that one single, family Christmas item. Our son is shown above with a star that always hangs on the back of our front door. Choose something timeless like a star, a snowflake, a lantern or maybe a copy of the Night Before Christmas. This keeps everyone safe with no reuse of props and an outdoor setting for fresh air. It also ties the session into your family traditions, making it a classic story of YOU.
Also very important is to note we are only taking a $50 deposit now and the remainder two weeks ahead of the date. This non refundable deposit can be moved to another session should we have stage changes due to the pandemic or worse a lockdown. This year we have tried to think of everything so you have a little less to worry about and more to look forward to.
Please see the link below to book your session and thanks for choosing us to Capture the Experience with this year.
Limited Space is left - we have already booked 25% at the time of this blog post.
From toddlers, to teens and in-betweens – we capture all the experiences – including that new puppy.
Time is ticking on a child’s belief in Santa. While true it might continue after the age or 8 to 10 it’s rare for it to last much longer (insert the sadness here from all parents/grandparents). So when our 8 year old, who last spring announced he knew about the “Santa thing” we thought our third had joined the ranks of the children who carry the secret of “believing” for the younger kids.
When he sat down this October and announced he needed to be “good for Santa” our family saw a reprieve – courtesy I would like to think from some Christmas magic from the big guy himself. (Yes, some of us still believe).
Shown above is the holiday version of our White Box experience – a different take on family photos. Also a collage composite this has been a mainstay of our studio for the past three years at holiday times and year round.
We just added this third composite to the collection because we “believe” in magical portraits at Christmas. All three are amazing backgrounds from the magical Tara Mapes collection.
I am in love with the simple magic of the window and our third “believer” with his letter to Santa which by tradition was mailed through our studio mailbox (it works every time).
If you are interested in a holiday portrait with us we thought it would be helpful to show you how they work. Each child or pet is captured in their holiday finest in the studio. We then hand edit a magical portrait using the talented and gorgeous digital composites we own – the window and roof by Tara Mapes.
Our studio has a lot of Christmas accessories, a number of Roots Cabin Sweaters and other items you can borrow for portraits should you need it. That being said we do encourage you to bring your own special holiday items and PJs/robes. These touches can make it a much more personal story for your Christmas keepsake portraits.
Our lovely girl Sydney is a secret operative of Santa. Unlike the house eleves her job is to extend the season of belief with her boys. We created this portrait to show her explaining to Santa that yes her assignment was going very well and her youngest boy is a believer again. The story is literally melting my heart and this will be a printed keepsake for years to come in our family.
Sydney loves to watch for Santa in the window, she’s a magical addition to our family.
To book a spot in the studio connect with us as soon as you can – our supplier deadlines are fast approaching. Connect via our website form: Book the Magic of Christmas
It may be July but for the past 6 months we have been planning the most amazing, exclusive “The Christmas Barn Experience” for our clientele for this year’s experience seasonal. We are passionate about keeping our promise to keep you warm while capturing the experience and loved the idea of the barn for indoor comfort with on location ambience.
We are hosting this event along with our assistant, Kennedy Tinsley (of Kennedy Ann Photography), at Clarington’s Gallery on the Farm – an exclusive on site event that features a beautiful indoor barn setting. So authentic we listened to the moo of the cattle while we captured this test session in June 2018.
To see the site watch our introductory video below and for Frequently Asked Questions we are going to attempt to answer some below:
Frequently Asked Questions (last updated Aug 7, 2018)
How do I book?
We are launching this event in a new storefront this week, so you can grab your spot. Only VIP Email list subscribers have access to this store front in August so submit your name via CONNECT to be on the email list.
It is first come first served which is a new process for us. Read the terms carefully.
Credit cards can be used.
How long is “The Christmas Barn Experience”?
Each experience is 10 mins long with a 5 min buffer. These sessions move fast so arrival on time is key.
What is the first date you are releasing?
Sunday October 14, 2018 will be released for purchase via our storefront week of Aug 6, 2018.
Where is Gallery on the Farm?
Located just east of the Oshawa Zoo Gallery on the Farm is a private family farm. The Bowman family has been farming in the Durham Region for over 150 years and for many years on this property in Enfield. The fee to be on this location is included in your session fee. The site features a lovely barn and an on site store featuring local artisans and sales of organic meats.
When should we arrive?
We recommend about 5 mins before your start time – we will have a greeter at the door.
What happens if we do not attend the experience?
If you fail to give 24 hours notice and fail to attend your session your fee is not refundable or transferable.
Is there parking on site?
Parking is free and we ask you be understanding this is a working farm and home, park where signs indicate this is permitted.
How many people can attend the experience?
Two immediate adult family members and up to four children are included. For example, the following is allowed:
Parent + Parent + 4 kids (we support ALL families)
Can we bring “insert name of extended family” along?
Due to the short length of these sessions no extended family is permitted. For extended family sessions please book a FULL FAMILY EXPERIENCE session.
Can we bring our “insert pet name” to the experience?
This is a working farm with cows, dogs and cats – to name just a few. Unfortunately pets cannot attend these sessions for this reason and because they are time consuming to capture.
May we do a non Christmas themed session during this event?
No. We get asked this EVERY YEAR. This is a Christmas themed event and cannot be changed. For a regular family session book our FULL FAMILY EXPERIENCE session experience.
My child has special needs or needs extra time, can you help?
We recommend booking the last experience of the day so your child feels comfortable. All children/parents/caregivers deserve to feel great during our experiences and we work with families all the time to make this a reality.
What kind of preparation is needed?
We will send each booking a PDF preparation document in September to help you in preparing for this event.
We will also send a contract which must be signed ahead of the experience confirming your agreement with the terms of this experience purchase.
We will also send a liability waiver for you to sign that covers both Gallery on the Farm and Trinity Design Photography and gives you access to the farm location.
What kind of images are being taken during the experience?
We will take one family image.
The remainder will be portraits of your children.
When time allows we will pair adults and children.
What is included in the sitting fee?
When buying this experience the following is included:
Photographers time and talent using professional photographic gear
Photography assisting courtesy of Kennedy Tinsley
5 digital files (photographers choice), fully edited
online delivery of files printable to 8×10
a set of 3 metal ornaments with the year inscribed on the back for your tree
exclusive Print the Christmas Experience online store open for one week after delivery to order additional items for the holidays (administration fees will be charged to reload a gallery after expiry).
Are you insured?
Our registered business has a full compliment of business insurance.
Will there be other days/dates?
We sell one date at a time. We hope to host another date but there is not guarantee of this happening.
What if our child/we are sick?
Our limited edition “The Christmas Barn Experience” is not refundable. We will gladly move you to a studio session in 2018; but as this is a limited edition event on a private property we cannot guarantee “barn images” should you not be able to attend due to illness.
We have “insert sport here” and might have a conflict – what is your policy?
We have three kids in soccer and dance so while we understand, sports/activities are beyond our control. Please note our limited edition “The Christmas Barn Experience” is not refundable.
We will gladly move you if there is room to another spot in the barn experience. If not then to a studio session in 2018; but as this is a limited edition event on a private property we cannot guarantee “barn images” should you not be able to attend due to sports scheduling conflicts.
I hear there is shopping on location, what does this include?
Join Eric and Jenny in the Gallery shop for some of the following local items:
Organic meats raised and prepared on the farm.
Local art from Eric and other local artists
Cards from several local artisans
Local items such as soaps, crochet, honey and other fare all available.
Enjoy shopping local for the holiday season after your session is complete.
As questions are asked I will add more content to this blog post to keep you in the know.
Still feeling your questions are unanswered?
Give us a call between 9-2 weekdays – 905.925.7529, please do not contact us via FB messenger.
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