Christmas Photoshoot Near Me: Bronx, Yonkers and Westchester Options

Near the Bronx, Yonkers and lower Westchester, a Christmas photoshoot is one of four things: an outdoor park mini, an indoor decorated studio set, a full family hour outdoors, or photos at home. Mine start at $129. Here's where, how long and what you get.

I'm Emmanuel Fuentes, a photographer based in Riverdale, and I shoot three of those four myself. I don't sell the fourth, an at-home session, so for that one I'll tell you what to look for instead of quoting a price.

Four Christmas Photoshoot Options, Side by Side

Each of my three options covers the whole family. All of them are paid in full when you book, and rescheduling is free with 48 hours' notice.

The outdoor mini runs November 14 to December 6. Studio set days run on select dates only, and the open one is always listed on the Christmas minis page.

The Outdoor Christmas Mini in Van Cortlandt Park and Riverdale

The Christmas Family Mini is 20 minutes outdoors for $129, with 3 retouched images. It's built for one job: the photo on the front of your card, plus a couple of alternates.

I shoot it in Van Cortlandt Park or on the quiet streets of Riverdale and Fieldston, a few minutes from where I'm based. Late fall gives you stone walls, bare branches, the last gold leaves and low, soft light. That reads as the holidays without a single prop.

It suits families who want something natural and don't mind coats in a few frames. Toddlers tend to do well outdoors because they can move, and I work around them instead of asking them to hold a pose.

Getting there is simple from most of the Bronx and the river towns. Riverdale is on the 1 train (238th and 242nd Street) and the Metro-North Hudson Line. My Bronx photographer page and this guide to Van Cortlandt Park photo spots show more of the area.

The trade-off is weather and daylight. December afternoons are short, so book a weekend slot early. Overcast skies are fine, even flattering; actual rain is what moves a session.

The Indoor Christmas Studio Set Day in Yonkers

If you want a tree, gifts and no coats, the Christmas Studio Set Day is the indoor option: $229 total for 20 minutes on a decorated set, with 5 retouched images.

It's in a rented studio in Yonkers, a short drive from Riverdale, Bronxville and Scarsdale. Two sets stand side by side in the same room and you pick one. Red & Gold has a decorated tree and a burgundy velvet loveseat. White Winter has snow-flocked trees, silver ornaments and a cream sofa.

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The difference from the outdoor mini is $100. That pays for the built set, the warm room and two more retouched images. The set is built once for the day and families are booked back to back.

Light and weather don't matter indoors, which makes it the safest pick for babies, grandparents or anyone who hates the cold. Set days run on select dates, so check /minis for the date that's open now. The full address comes with your booking confirmation, and my Yonkers photographer page covers what else I shoot in the city.

Untermyer Park & Gardens for a Longer Holiday Session

Untermyer Park & Gardens in Yonkers is where I'd go for holiday photos that look like you traveled. The walled garden, columns, fountains and carved stone give you a new backdrop every few steps. It's one of the meeting points you can choose when you book a session.

Because there's so much to use, Untermyer pairs best with a full hour rather than a 20-minute mini. I wrote up a real mother-and-son holiday session at Untermyer, spot by spot, if you want to see how a session moves through the gardens.

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It's a public garden on North Broadway, so expect other visitors. Weekend mornings are usually quieter, which keeps strangers out of the background.

Timing matters here more than anywhere else on this list. The best color runs from late October to mid-November. By December, plan for bare trees, coats and a more wintry look, which can still be beautiful against the old stone.

A Full Family Hour When You Want More Than the Card

The Family Portrait Session is $249 for an hour outdoors and 10 retouched images. It's the option for families who want the card photo plus frames for the rest of the year: one for the grandparents, one for the hallway, one for a frame on the desk.

Here's the arithmetic on my three options. The outdoor mini works out to $43 per retouched image, the studio set day about $46, and the full hour about $25.

An hour also changes how kids behave. A toddler who refuses the camera for the first ten minutes still has fifty left to warm up. We can move between spots, say from a stone wall in Fieldston to a path in Van Cortlandt Park, or through Untermyer's gardens.

It covers lower Westchester too, from Bronxville to Hastings-on-Hudson. My Westchester photographer page lists the towns. If you want something for the wall afterwards, prints start at $45.

At-Home Christmas Photos: What to Look For

I don't sell an at-home session, so I won't put a price on one. If your heart is set on your own tree and your own couch, here's what to ask any photographer you're comparing:

• Light. Do they work with your window light or bring their own? December daylight fades early, so an afternoon session leaves little window light.
• Image count. How many retouched images are included, and what do extra ones cost?
• Travel. Is there a travel fee for your town?
• Space. How much clear floor do they need around the tree?
• Card files. Do you get files you can send to any card printer, or only prints through them?

Before they arrive, turn off mismatched overhead lights and clear the clutter behind the tree. The honest trade-off: home is the most personal setting, and the hardest to make look polished in a small apartment.

How to Choose: Kids' Ages, Weather and Your Card Deadline

Here's the short version, as a few hypotheticals:

• A baby or a newborn grandchild? Go indoors. The Studio Set Day keeps everyone warm with coats off.
• Toddlers who need to run? Go outdoors. The park mini or the full hour gives them room.
• A big extended family? Take the full hour, so there's time for every grouping.
• You only need the card? The $129 outdoor mini does that job.
• You want a tree in the photo? The Studio Set Day, or a photographer who works in homes.

Then mind the calendar. The outdoor mini ends December 6, booking closes two days before each session, and card printers need their own time on top. Earlier is easier. All three of my options are on the holiday card photos page, and my notes on preparing for a portrait session help whichever you pick.

FAQ

Where can I get a Christmas photoshoot near the Bronx? In Riverdale and Van Cortlandt Park for the $129 outdoor Christmas Family Mini, or in a rented studio in Yonkers for the $229 indoor Christmas Studio Set Day. Both are a short trip from most of the north Bronx and lower Westchester.

Is the Christmas Family Mini indoors? No. The $129 Christmas Family Mini is outdoors in a park. The indoor option is the Christmas Studio Set Day in Yonkers: $229 total, 20 minutes on a decorated set, 5 retouched images.

Can we do Christmas photos at Untermyer Park & Gardens? Yes. Choose Untermyer Park & Gardens as the location when you book. The one-hour Family Portrait Session gives you time to use several spots there.

What if it's freezing on the day? Cold alone doesn't move a session. Dress in layers and take coats off between frames. If you'd rather not risk it, the Studio Set Day is indoors, and rescheduling is free with 48 hours' notice.

Do you come to our house for Christmas photos? No, I don't offer at-home sessions. My options are the outdoor mini, the indoor studio set day in Yonkers and the full family hour outdoors.