The Coolest Santa in Atlanta visits das Hinterhaus in Marietta, GA

Tired of the same old Santa pictures? Just when you thought you couldn’t be more bored by Santa, in strolls the hippest Santa around. Such was the case at das Hinterhaus this Christmas!

A New Spin on Saint Nick

As a photographer, I’ve never had any desire to shoot Santa sessions. I know many of my peers make a chunk of their income shooting these sessions year after year, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it! I took my own kids to see Santa, but never for the pictures. I just wanted to give them the opportunity to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas so I could make the magic of Christmas come to life. I always purchased the bare minimum for photos cause, aesthetically speaking, the images didn’t suit my style. I know, I know, super snobby that way but it’s the truth!

Fast Forward to das Hinterhaus

Now many years have passed since my kids were little and we visited the Town Center Santa. I’ve recently built the greenhouse and one day while I’m flying, I have this sudden idea that I need to offer Santa sessions at das Hinterhaus. The only thing was, I knew they had to be Santa done my way and that wasn’t going to be a traditional red suit, no way! Santa needed to vibe with my greenhouse, feel vintage and boho and, most importantly, play the guitar! After all, how cool could a Santa be if he doesn’t jam? But where do you find a Santa suit that’s not red?

Where will I find this suit?

First things first, I asked my talented seamstress of a neighbor if she’d be willing to help me make this vintage-inspired suit. She said to find her a pattern and she’d be game. Step one, check. Off to find the pattern, step two. That was also a breeze thanks to McCall’s and Amazon. Step two, check. Next, I needed fabric. This step surprisingly only required one stop at my local, favorite fabric store- Fabric and Fringe Warehouse. I found several options, but the one I liked best was a remnant bolt with (luckily) the perfect amount of fabric on it! Serendipity- step three, check!

Who will wear this suit?

Selena and I got together a few times to work on the suit. She told me what to do and I followed directions as diligently as I could. I can sew enough to make me dangerous, but I’m not great at following directions so I definitely do not sew well. Selena is 100% my polar opposite in this sense. She understands patterns and their strangely worded directions and follows them to a tee, producing flawless works of art. I wing it with all I’ve got and hope for the best. Of course, I chose to veer from the pattern on occasion and I know that left Selena scratching her head, but she never gave up on me!

With the suit finished, step 4 was up next- the one I doubted the most. Who would I find to wear this? With shockingly little effort, I came across the perfect guy while doing a Facebook search. Not only did he look the part, he played the guitar as well! Score! And to boot, he was available!! The stars were aligning, people!

Exactly who is the coolest Santa in Atlanta?

That, my friends, is The Singing Santa in Atlanta. Paul is a 6’4″ sweetheart who made me feel comfortable from the moment I met him. He came to das Hinterhaus to shoot some promo shots one afternoon. I told him all about my Santa hang-ups & explained my vision (I also had to explain the difference between BOHO and HOBO. He was confused by that one). I told him that I was confident the suit would look awesome in the greenhouse, cool as shit with him in it while jamming on the guitar & together would make for some killer images. What I wasn’t sure of is whether or not my vision of this version of Santa would be marketable in my community? Perhaps people only want traditional Santa photos. Maybe not everyone longs for something unique the way I do. I wasn’t sure, but I knew I’d never know unless I tried so that is what I did!

Groovy Santa at das Hinterhaus for one day only!

Being so late in the season, I was lucky to snag Paul for one Saturday afternoon. I set up my marketing material and hoped for the best! Gratefully, I booked 7 out of 8 sessions and that was good enough for me! I was relieved to find out there is a market for my funky Father Christmas. Happy to know that others saw the beauty in my set-up and wanted the opportunity to have their kids photographed there. All was right in my Santa world, and now I’m ready for next year!!

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All my best!

XOXO

Mel

Interested in an Atlanta or Marietta Mini Session of Your Own?

Head to my mini sessions page to see what I’ve got cookin’! I only do a handful of minis a year and usually in the fall so if I do not have mini sessions available, please reach out for a full session. Your memories can’t wait and neither can I!