Social Santa 2026 is Officially Open

     If you have been following the page recently, you’ve probably noticed that things look a little different. There is a massive shift happening here—a change in quality, the integration of new digital art, and a very distinct, gritty style to our photography. Every Moment is a Choice Studio is evolving, and with that evolution comes some hard truths, some big changes, and a completely new vision for what Christmas means to us.

     For the last few years, Social Santa operated almost as its own standalone entity. But running multiple brands under different umbrellas has become too much to sustain. Going forward, there is only one house. Social Santa isn't going anywhere, but it is now officially operating as what it was always meant to be: the dedicated charitable arm of Every Moment is a Choice Studio.

The Reality of the Red Tape

     I have always promised to be 100% transparent with this community, so let’s talk about last winter.

     Over Christmas of 2025, we ran into massive bureaucratic walls. Red tape prevented us from delivering the Patchwork Bears we had funded to children in the hospital on Christmas Eve, and that same bureaucracy led to a breakdown in our plans with the Sendero Center. Much of that pushback stemmed from the fact that I was also shooting boudoir photography at the time.

     To protect the charity and clear those hurdles, I made the choice to stop shooting boudoir completely. I won't lie to you—that was a massive financial hit for the studio, as that income is what historically funded the philanthropic side of Social Santa.

     But the mission didn't stop. Because the institutions closed their doors to us, I took those bears and quietly passed them out throughout the year to individual children who fit the mold of what is in my heart—kids who desperately needed a guiding light through their darkest times. A teddy bear isn't just a toy; for a child in crisis, it becomes their best friend and a safe place to hold onto.

The 2026 Vision: Adopting Families

     This has been an incredibly hard year, but it has forced us to dream bigger and act closer to home.

     This year, the goal isn't just to drop off bears at a front desk. I want to take the proceeds from Social Santa and work alongside organizations like the Christmas Bureau or Central Alberta Co-op to physically adopt local families in need.

     I want us to provide the Christmas meal and the gifts, and I want Santa to deliver them personally. More than that, I want the community to be part of it. I know there are supporters who have backed me for the last six years who love Christmas as much as I do. When the time comes, I want to invite a group of you—our own spirited team of helpers—to join me in hand-delivering these baskets and Patchwork Bears to families who need a miracle this year.

The Safe Space: Our Core Mission

     As we grow, our core mission remains fiercely unchanged: we cater to families that have children with special needs.

     If your family struggles to get quality Christmas pictures in traditional, chaotic environments, we want to be your go-to home. We have an intake section right in our booking platform to let us know exactly what we can do to make your appointment run smoothly. I know from my own experience and education that the littlest things—turning down the volume of the music, dimming the brightness of the lighting—can be the difference between a good appointment and a bad one, especially for children on the spectrum. We aren't moving away from this; we are diving even deeper into it.

The Evolution of the Set: Green Screens & Digital Magic

     It is with great excitement (and a little bit of fright) that we are changing how we do things in the studio.

     Real-world talk: the cost of materials, cross-border tariffs, and shipping have skyrocketed. To combat this while actually upgrading your experience, we are shifting our setup. We will still offer our standard, high-quality fleece backdrops (capped at 5 physical options), which are quickly interchangeable during your session.

     But new this year, we are officially offering a Green Screen Backdrop.

     What does that mean? When you book, you still get to select up to three backdrops for your photos. Now, you can choose the green screen as one of those options. This is a digital editing tool that allows me to drop your family into incredible, larger-than-life digital backgrounds on the back end. We will have around 10 custom digital backdrops prepared and on display for you to choose from. (We are working on updating the booking software to handle this paperwork ahead of time to keep things seamless!)

The Man Behind the Camera

     This year out on the rodeo trail, I discovered just how much I truly love being behind the camera. So, we are introducing a new dynamic to the studio.

     Our classic stock camera will still be set up on a tripod where "Santa Magic" takes the picture while Santa visits with the kids. But for the green screen composites, and for straight-up family pictures, we will be using a second camera operated directly by Santa 🎅.

     If you have older kids, or if you are a couple who doesn't necessarily want Santa sitting in the picture with you, but you still want a stunning, high-quality Christmas card photo that supports our charity—this is for you. Come get your photos taken by Santa himself.

The Details: How to Book

     Oh, and the wild outdoors of the yard? We have massive new decorating themes happening outside this year, but I’m not giving those secrets away. You have to come see it to believe it.

     To make all of this happen, we need to pack the studio. We are asking for your shares, your prayers, and your belief in Christmas magic to help us get back to the 2020 days where we were booked solid, night in and night out.

Bookings for the 2026 Social Santa season are officially OPEN today.

Here is how the calendar works:

• Opening Night: Sessions officially begin on Thursday, November 13th.

• The November Schedule: Thursday through Sunday (Nov 13th - Dec 13th). November is by appointment only.

• The December Crunch: Open every single day from December 17th to December 23rd. Appointments are preferred, but drop-ins are always welcome and will never be turned away.

• Hours: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM (The last booking slot of the evening is 7:45 PM).

     We are doing Christmas differently this year. It is about community, transparency, and perfectly imperfect magic.

Hit the link to secure your time slot, share this post with your friends, and let’s go adopt some families.

🎅

Lee J. Kemp

Every Moment Is A Choice Studio 🔗 emiacstudio.ca

Social Santa 2026, Central Alberta Photographer, Sensory Friendly Santa, Autism Friendly Christmas, Red Deer Photography, Emiac Studio, Green Screen Christmas, Patchwork Bears, Adopt a Family Alberta.

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