Today we’re excited to be connecting with Renata Lutz again. We’re excited to feature one of their services in our gift guide – learn more below and we encourage you to use your gift budget to support small businesses & creatives whenever possible.

Renata, so thrilled to have you joining us again, this time to talk all about your services and so let’s jump right in. Please give our audience some background on your services.
Thank you so much for having me! I’m really excited to share more about my Santa Experience, a service that has become a true highlight of the holiday season and one of the most meaningful parts of what I do for families.

As a luxury family photographer here in San Diego, my goal has always been to create timeless and heartfelt moments that families can hold onto forever. The Santa Experience is so much more than a holiday photoshoot—it’s an immersive, magical adventure that brings the spirit of Christmas to life in a way that feels personal and unforgettable. It’s something I’ve poured so much thought and care into because I believe families deserve something extraordinary, especially during the holidays.

The idea for this came from my own experience as a mom. I know how overwhelming those mall Santa visits can be—the long lines, the short interaction with Santa, the photos that don’t quite capture the magic you hoped for. I wanted to change that and offer families something truly special. With the Santa Experience, kids get to spend real, meaningful time with Santa in a private and beautifully styled setting. It’s a moment just for them, where the magic of Christmas feels tangible and real.

Every session is designed to create joyful memories that parents and children will treasure forever. From the moment a child steps into Santa’s cozy “home,” they’re welcomed into a world of wonder. They’ll listen to Santa’s stories, write their own letter to him, and even help out in his workshop. It’s slow-paced, relaxed, and tailored to make every child feel like the star of their own Christmas adventure. These moments are captured in stunning, fine art professional photos that feel timeless and magical.

One of my favorite parts of the experience is the personalized storybook we create afterward. This custom heirloom features photos from the session and tells a rhymed story with the child’s name woven into it. It’s not just a book—it’s a keepsake that becomes part of your family’s holiday traditions, something you’ll love reading together year after year.

What makes this service so special is the level of care and detail that goes into every step. Before the session, families fill out a short questionnaire, so Santa knows personal details about the child, like their favorite activities or toys. This makes the interaction feel genuine, like Santa’s been waiting just for them. Parents tell me how much they love this touch because it feels so different from anything else out there.

The Santa Experience is really about giving families a chance to pause and connect during the holiday rush. It offers something that was missing—a way to create meaningful holiday memories in a calm, intimate setting. It’s for families who value quality, tradition, and the joy of seeing their kids fully immersed in the magic of the season.

For me, the best part is seeing a child’s face light up during the session or hearing parents say, “This was so much more than we expected.” It’s such an honor to create these memories and help families hold onto the wonder of this time in their lives. I’m so excited to share the magic of the Santa Experience with even more families this year!

What’s been the most exciting part of the journey of taking this from idea to real life?
When I first had the idea, it was rooted in wanting to create something different—something meaningful, immersive, and completely stress-free. I had this vision of stepping beyond the typical rushed Santa photos and offering something truly magical, but seeing it come to life has been even more fulfilling than I imagined.

The most exciting part has been creating the personalized storybooks. Seeing the photos from each session woven into a rhymed story with the child’s name included—it just adds another layer of magic. When I hand those books over to families, I can feel their excitement and pride. Knowing that this will be something they read together every Christmas, something they’ll hold onto for generations, is incredibly special.

The journey of designing and refining every detail—from the way the sets are planned and executed, to creating a storyline that will guide how Santa interacts with each child to the quality of the photography and storybook—has also been so creatively fulfilling. It’s about creating a seamless, luxurious experience where families feel cared for every step of the way. Hearing parents tell me how much easier and more meaningful this is compared to what they’ve experienced before is what keeps me excited and inspired to continue building on this idea year after year.

But most of all, the magic for me comes in realizing how something I dreamed up is now becoming a cherished part of families’ holiday traditions. That’s a kind of magic you can’t plan—it’s something you feel, and it makes all the work completely worth it.

If you had to boil your services or brand down to one core message – what would that message be?
At the core of what I do is this: I create meaningful, lasting experiences that celebrate the beauty of family, capture cherished memories, and bring joy for years to come.

My work is about so much more than just taking photos—it’s about preserving the moments that truly matter. Whether it’s the excitement of a child meeting Santa, the quiet glow of an expectant mother, or the tiny details of a newborn’s first days, my goal is to give families something they can hold onto forever. I want families to leave with more than just beautiful photos—I want them to leave with memories that feel like magic and keepsakes they’ll treasure for a lifetime. That’s what my work is all about.

What’s next on the service or brand roadmap?
What’s next for my brand is all about finding new ways to give families even more meaningful experiences. I’m always thinking about how to make what I offer more personal, more special, and more memorable.

For the Santa Experience, I want to make it even more magical. I’m exploring ways to add new touches, like creating personalized video clips of the experience, or offering more keepsakes like heirloom ornaments. It’s about building on the joy families already feel while giving them even more to cherish.

On another note, I’m really passionate about mentoring other photographers, and I’m excited to offer more guidance to photographers looking to grow their craft and their businesses. I also want to host more in-studio events for families, like my parenting workshops – The Mama Series, to create a space where families can connect, learn, and celebrate their journey together.

For me, the next chapter is all about creating deeper connections and finding new ways to tell the stories that matter most.

Image Credits
Photo of Renata Lutz by Carina Fleckner Photography All other images by Renata Lutz – The Portrait Mama