FAQs about Santa photos in
Sydney, Melbourne and Perth

• Each Santa session costs $99 (incl. GST) and includes:

  • A 5 minute group photo session with Santa

  • 5 different high res digital files, emailed within 5 business days

  • A personalised online photo gallery with the option to order prints

  • A very Aussie Christmas themed set on the beach.

  • Council permits, GST and credit card fees included - no hidden costs

  • No watermarks! For private use only. For commercial use, contact us.

  For more details about what’s included please visit ‘What to Expect’.

Our 2026 Santa photo locations take place at beautiful beaches around Australia, including Sydney’s Northern Beaches (Curl Curl, Narrabeen, Bayview and Manly), Melbourne (Brighton) and Perth (Rockingham).

For the full list of dates, locations and details, visit this page.

• Select the BOOK HERE button top right to find dates and times for both dog-friendly and no-dog sessions in 2026.

• Select an available date and time and complete the booking form.

• Choose your payment type. We accept PayPal, Google Pay and Credit Card (via Stripe).

• Once your payment has been accepted, you’ll receive an instant booking confirmation via email from hello@santaonthebeachpics.com.au. Check your spam if not received within 10 minutes.

• Your confirmation has a link to all the information you’ll need on the day including where to find us, parking info, what to bring etc.

• Look out for a reminder SMS the day before your session and don’t forget to show up!

Read more about timelines before, on the day and after your Santa photos here.

Sure are! Outside of Sydney, all our beaches are dog-friendly for our Christmas photos - we want all members of the family to be part of it!

Council restrictions make it trickier in Sydney, however we have found two dog-friendly locations with sand and water: Bayview Dog Park (Rowland Reserve) and North Curl Curl Beach.

Dog-friendly sessions always book out fast, so get your booking in early to avoid missing out!

For the best experience, we recommend up to 8 ‘bodies’ (humans + dogs) per session. If you have a larger group you’d like to accommodate, please book a double session to allow enough time to get the best pics.

At least one adult should be present per dog. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure the dog is on a leash and under control at all times. We suggest bringing a few treats, plus lots of water to help keep them comfortable and happy during the photo.

Yep! We’re excited to offer our premium sessions at the iconic Q Station in Manly again this year. Sessions are 10 mins and include the standard 5 mins Santa on the Beach session, plus a 5 min mini family shoot. You’ll receive a minimum of 15 photos from your shoot, delivered in an online personalised gallery.

More information about Premium sessions can be found here.

When you book online, you’ll receive an instant booking confirmation email with your booked date, time and location.

The email includes a link to more detailed information, including maps, parking options, local amenities, what to bring/wear and exactly where you’ll find Santa.

Summer weather is always unpredictable, and over the years we have experienced extreme winds, heatwaves, cold snaps, torrential rain and pretty much anything else you can imagine running an outdoor business.

We go ahead in most conditions, however if there is persistent heavy rain, high winds or thunderstorms we will cancel the session and offer an alternate date (if possible) or provide a full refund. In this case, we’ll notify everyone who is booked in via email and update our social media + website. If you choose to not show up due to weather but the session is going ahead, you will forfeit your booking - no refunds will be offered.

Throughout the season, we factor in a few wet weather dates in case we need to cancel a session, and try to reschedule people here so you don’t miss out.

Reschedules: As sessions book up quickly, reschedules aren’t always available. If there is availability, you can reschedule free of charge up to 48 hours before your session, via the button on your confirmation email.

Cancellations: All cancellations incur a $15 processing fee and are subject to the following terms:

• Cancel more than 7 days out = full refund less the processing fee.

• Cancel 2 to 7 days out = 50% refund less the processing fee.

• Cancel within 48 hours of your session or no show on the day = no refund.

You can cancel your session online via the button on your confirmation email.

Transfers: To avoid processing or cancellation fees, you may transfer your booking to another person, free of charge. Email hello@santaonthebeachpics.com.au with the new contact details including name, email and phone number and we’ll update your booking details. You can then get your friend to transfer the money to you directly, or gift it to them for Christmas.

Allow 5 business days for post production and delivery of your 5 digital photos. Photos will be emailed in a personalised online gallery, where you can download both low and high res pics for sharing and/or printing.

Our photo platform includes the option to order professional quality prints, Christmas cards and frames directly from the platform for an additional fee. When you receive your gallery, head to the ‘shop’ to see pricing and options.

You can also take your downloaded images to local printing places such as Officeworks, Kmart and online sites such as Snapfish - just beware that the quality can vary a lot!

Absolutely! We want you to have fun and love the photos we take. We have some set ideas of what you can do for each of the 5 photos, but if you have other ideas just let the photographer know on the day. Just remember you only have 5 minutes so need to be super clear about what you want before getting in the set.

You’re welcome to bring your own festive props to add your unique personality to your photos, and can choose any combination of people/pets in your pics too.

Check Santa on the Beach Pics out on Instagram for a few ideas over the year.

As you can imagine, we photograph hundreds of families over a few short weeks leading up to Christmas.

While every care is taken to avoid people, dogs and other ‘extras’, the nature of the beaches (especially on a sunny Summer’s day) means it’s very challenging to get an empty background within a 5 minute time slot.

To keep turnaround times fast, we do not Photoshop or digitally alter individual images. Simple colour correction, touch-ups, and a little crop are usually all that’s needed to make your images beautiful while staying authentic to what you experienced on the day.

There are plenty of simple apps and AI tools that will allow you to make further edits to your photos if required.