San Diego Holiday Portrait Sessions – Stress-Free, Fun, and Festive!

San Diego Holiday Portrait Sessions – Stress-Free, Fun, and Festive!

https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/FHE2024xmas_03.jpg 1000 667 Hillary Gustaveson Hillary Gustaveson https://stillsbyhill.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Camera_Element_Hillary-LachmanEPS-08-100x100.jpg September 9, 2025 September 9, 2025

The holidays sneak up fast, and before you know it, your calendar is full of parties, school events, and shopping lists. That’s why my San Diego holiday petite sessions are the perfect way to get beautiful portraits of your kids or family without the stress of a long photoshoot.

These holiday mini sessions are short and sweet, set on an adorable festive backdrop in my studio. In just a few minutes, we’ll capture portraits that make your holiday cards shine. Even better? You’ll have the option to order seasonal artwork, prints, digital images, and custom-designed cards all in one place… no extra errands, no added stress.

The best part is this holiday season we are raising money for a local San Diego Non Profit Blossom & Bloom Creative Arts! $100 of your $125 creation fee is donated directly to them!

Every family I work with gets a customized experience so your portraits feel personal. With 18 years of experience photographing San Diego families, I know how to make kids feel comfortable and how to create portraits you’ll treasure for years.

I have extremely limited spots available for these San Diego holiday portrait sessions. If you are looking for an on-location session, please let me know. You can see details of all family session options here.

KIDS SET

September 20

October 19

November 7

FAMILY SET

October 5

November 2

📅 My San Diego holiday mini petite sessions book quickly each year, and spots are limited. If you’re ready to cross “holiday photos” off your to-do list and enjoy a fun, festive session, now is the time to reserve your spot!

Author

Hillary Gustaveson

All stories by: Hillary Gustaveson

Melissa Nguyen

02:27 08 Feb 25

Did my professional headshots with Hillary and they turned out better than I could’ve imagined. I hate taking professional photos and she made me feel so comfortable and made the whole experience pleasant. She’s quick - sent me the pictures in a quick turnaround. Highly recommend!!!

aubreann macnally

00:12 03 Dec 24

Such a wonderful experience, she was just delightful especially with my two littles

Patsy Collins

21:31 03 Nov 24

Hillary was such a pleasure to work with on the holiday photos we took with her. Our kiddos kept us on our toes the entire time and we had concerns we wouldn't get very great shots due to their unwillingness to cooperate at times, but Hillary worked her magic and knew how to get a smile out of them when it mattered most and snapped the photo in time to catch it. You'd think our session consisted of such well behaved toddlers! Her studio is located in a convenient area and her communication about her process was so detailed when I first reached out - I knew exactly what to expect and boy, did she deliver. Highly recommend!

Diana Davidson

03:09 23 Oct 24

Hillary is incredibly talented, professional, and so fun and easy to work with! In addition to taking beautiful photos, she captures the mood and the emotion behind every shot. She is not only a great photographer but she is so helpful with everything from making sure the setting and scheduling works, making me and my family feel relaxed and comfortable in front of the camera, and guiding me through the product ordering process. Every time I've worked with Hillary has been amazing. No need to look elsewhere, Stills by Hill Photography is it!

Frances Foster

20:08 20 Oct 24

Hillary did an excellent job with my author headshots and was very receptive to my ideas. She is easy to work with and the results were amazing!

Almitra Badger

10:33 18 Oct 24

Possibly the best photographer ever! From newborn pictures to senior photos and all the milestones in between, Hillary captures the moment exquisitely and provides a finished product of the highest quality. We lost our son and found that the moments captured in pictures were a great source of comfort and help every day through the grieving process.

Brice Porter

23:19 15 Oct 24

My personal experience with Stills by Hill Photography was nothing but impeccable. The communication between myself and Hillary was both professional and proficient. When getting my headshot, I had no need to fake a smile. If you're looking for a photographer, I could not recommend Stills by Hill Photography enough.

G M

05:56 15 Oct 24

I met Hillary over 10 years ago at a mommy and me class being held at her studio. After seeing her work I inquired about a Halloween portrait event she was having and she took the most amazing outdoor natural light photos of my then 15 month old daughter. 5 years later she gave me priceless 4 generational photos of my daughter, myself my mother and my grandmother. Fast forward to 2023 & she’s still documenting my now 16 year old and my family annually and the photos are the most priceless thing I am so proud to be able to pass to my children. I have to say the most beautiful thing is that my children both know her by name, they looks forward to seeing Hillary and the warm and friendly feeling that makes them SO comfortable is why her talent is so incredibly showcased in every photo she takes. My children’s personalities (lol) are so genuine, we always look great and I’ve never recommended anyone more or cherished a service more than I do stills by hill.
You won’t find a better person to document your life.

Maria B

03:11 15 Oct 24

I am so glad I made an appointment with Hillary to take my still photo for my business. She had the enthusiasm out of this world and it shows. Thank you, Hillary! Keep up the amazing work. Which I'm sure doesn't feel like work when you love what you do!

Admin Carlin

16:22 24 Apr 24

Cant say enough about Hilary’s skill as a photographer for business! She did an amazing job capturing our business operation. We have so much content that is ready for social media. I cant recommend her enough!!! Amazing experience.