A Picture With Santa, Made From a Photo at Home

Getting a photo with Santa from PhotoForPass takes three steps and a few minutes, from your couch.

1. Upload a photo

Choose a recent photo of your child, your family or your pet where faces are sharp and looking toward the camera. A normal photo from your camera roll works.

2. Pay once

Four photos with Santa cost $12.95. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, a card or Link. There is no subscription.

3. Download your Santa photos

Within minutes, your 4 photos with Santa Claus are ready. You get one photo in each of the four scenes: Santa visits home, North Pole workshop, Sleigh ride and Reading letters. Save them, share them or print them.

Many families search for pictures with Santa near them every December, then face long lines, timed tickets and a toddler who melts down at the front of the line. A photo with Santa made from a photo at home is a calm alternative or a fun extra.

A real Santa visit is a lovely memory, and nothing here replaces it. But it is not always possible. Maybe your child is shy or unwell, you live far from a mall, grandparents want a photo of the cousins together, or your dog is part of the family. In those cases, a Santa photo from home fills the gap.

Anyone you love can appear in your photo with Santa, as long as their face is clear in the photo you upload.

• Kids and toddlers: the classic choice, and no tears in a line.
• Babies: a first Christmas with Santa, without passing a newborn to a stranger. Use a photo where the baby's face is visible.
• Siblings and cousins: combine kids who are rarely in the same place at the same time, using one photo of them together.
• Whole families: parents and grandparents can join too.
• Pets: dogs, cats and other pets make some of the most-loved Santa photos. Use a photo where your pet is in focus and facing the camera.

Parents and guardians may upload photos of their own children. For anyone else, ask before you upload.

The better your starting photo, the more your Santa photos will look like your family. These tips take a few seconds.

• Pick a close photo. Faces that fill a good part of the frame keep more detail than a wide shot.
• Use good light. Daylight from a window or outdoor shade works best. Avoid dark, grainy evening photos.
• Show every face. No hands, toys or pacifiers covering faces, and nobody cut off at the edge.
• Look toward the camera. Kids and pets looking at you, not away, give the most natural results.
• Choose a happy moment. A real smile from your camera roll is often better than a forced pose.

No great photo yet? Take one now: sit your child by a window, crouch to their eye level and snap a few shots.

Your order includes 4 photos with Santa Claus, one in each scene, in a warm, traditional Christmas style. You download them as image files you can keep forever.

The four Santa scenes

• Santa visits home: Santa Claus beside your kids by a glowing tree in a cozy living room.
• North Pole workshop: a visit to a cozy wooden workshop full of handmade toys.
• Sleigh ride: a snowy night ride in a red wooden sleigh with Santa.
• Reading letters: Santa reading wish lists with your kids by the fireplace.

The photos are suited to standard prints such as 4x6 and 5x7, so you can print them at home, at a store photo counter or with any online photo service. They also look great on phones, in messages to family and on social media. For a ready-made holiday card with a preset greeting, see Christmas photo cards.

You can download your photos right after they are ready, and again later from the link in your order email, until they are deleted automatically after 90 days.

Your Santa photos are newly created images: Santa Claus and the setting are created around your photo, and they did not happen as a real visit. We think it is important to say that clearly, and then leave the storytelling to you.

• Faces come first. Each photo is made to keep your child recognizable, and a clear source photo helps a lot.
• Small details can differ. Hands, hair or clothing may not match your photo exactly.
• How you share it is your choice. Some families present the photos as a fun Christmas keepsake; others make them part of their own Santa traditions.

If a photo does not look like your child, ask for a redo (3 free redos per order), or use our 14-day money-back guarantee.

Four photos go a long way during the holidays. A few ideas families love:

• A holiday letter or photo book page with your favorite Santa scene.
• A framed print for grandparents, especially when they live far away.
• A yearly tradition: one Santa photo every December, from baby to teenager.
• A baby's first Christmas keepsake for the baby book.
• A pet Santa portrait for the fridge, the office desk or a pet lover's stocking.

Want more festive scenes? Our Christmas portraits turn one family photo into 6 holiday scenes, from a glowing fireplace to holiday baking. Every holiday and keepsake collection is in the photo studio.