Jenny Hoffman said she and her husband Phil had booked JadyBug Photography's Jade Dawson to photograph their sons Jet, 14, and Sunny, 10, every year since Ms Dawson started taking Santa photos a decade ago.

"I'm pretty sure I'm still going to make my boys go even when they're in their 20s and 30s," Mrs Hoffman said.

"It's about the tradition and I love seeing them grow.

"Jade makes it beautiful and we love the driftwood Christmas tree and the surfboard seat, we just thought it was a wonderful Australian perfect-for-our-family beachy photograph."

Starting small: Jet and Sunny Hoffman in their first photo, at the bluff. Jenny said Jet might wear his wetsuit and Sunny might bring his tennis racquet for a future photo.

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She said she makes a booking as soon as they become available and aims for mid-November, so she can use the photos for magnets to give family and friends.

"We'd assume some of them would just take it down and put it away, but we have some friends who have all 10 of them on their fridge and their kids wait for the next one every year.

"We joke it's not Christmas without a Hoffman on your fridge!"

Jade Dawson said four families had been coming every year since 2012, when she had 20 bookings over two one-hour sessions.

This year she had more than 1000 bookings across 48 sessions, which have grown to up to three hours each, and four locations. Some sessions had to be modified due to rain.

She started in mid-October, was fully booked by mid-November and held her last session on Sunday.

"It gets busier each year," Ms Dawson said.

"I think a lot of people chose to have outdoor Santa and maybe even a few families who were enjoying themselves in lockdown were starting a family tradition with their first babies, so lots of new families came with first bub trying to start a tradition.

"Demand has been quite big, I'm even still receiving phone calls today wanting to know if they can book in."

She said the 2020 and 2021 photos looked a little different to previous years, with families maintaining a social distance from Santa, who "likes a good chat" and copes well with heat, even in 40 degrees.

She said some bookings in her last week couldn't go ahead because people were sick or in isolation.

"Everybody has been super respectful and called if their children have even the slightest runny noses."

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