A Picture of Giving: Nicole Serafin’s Photos with Santa Tradition
For nine years, one neighborhood photographer has been turning holiday portraits into hope for families facing homelessness.
For Nicole Serafin, the holiday season has always been about more than capturing smiling faces in front of the camera. For the past nine years, her annual Photos with Santa event has brought families together in her studio while quietly changing the lives of others behind the scenes.
Hosted as a one-day event at her Elma studio, Photos with Santa is open to Nicole’s VIP clients and designed to feel festive, welcoming, and meaningful. Families stop in for photos, holiday treats, and a special visit with Santa. For a small $25 per family fee, participants receive multiple digital images, and every child leaves with a goodie bag. But the true heart of the event lies in what happens beyond the camera lens.
Each year, Nicole partners with Family Promise of Western New York, an organization dedicated to keeping families together while helping them overcome homelessness and housing insecurity. Family Promise focuses on prevention, shelter, and stabilization services, with a strong emphasis on children. In fact, nearly 75 percent of those they serve are children, a statistic that deeply resonated with Nicole.
Through the event, Nicole “adopts” a family identified by Family Promise and shares their wish list with attendees. Families can sign up to donate specific items, allowing the community to come together in a very tangible way. This past year, Nicole and her clients supported a family of eight — two parents and six children — who were working to get back on their feet after experiencing homelessness.
“Being able to provide for a family with so many needs is incredibly powerful,” Nicole shares. “We’re talking about basics like boots, coats, clothing, and hygiene supplies, along with the fun things kids dream about toys, games, and special gifts. We’re also able to include food and gift cards to help them truly feel supported.”
With approximately 80 to 90 families participating in the event, the generosity adds up quickly. By the end of the day, Nicole’s studio is filled with donated items and holiday cheer. When it’s time to deliver everything, her SUV is packed front to back with gifts.
“These families are often moving into a home after having nothing,” Nicole explains. “To be part of that transition, to help make their holiday feel special, is incredible. The studio is filled with so much love and happiness during the event. I can’t stop smiling.”
A resident of Crabapple Lane, Nicole is the owner of Nicole Serafin Photography in Elma, where she specializes in photographing families, children, and newborns. A wife and mom of two, her love of photography began when her husband gifted her first camera. With a background in childcare and a natural connection with kids, Nicole is known for creating joyful, timeless images families treasure.
Through Photos with Santa, she’s also creating something just as lasting: a tradition rooted in kindness, community, and compassion.
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