Decades of Magic: Rainy Chastine’s Santa Portraits Live On

For more than two decades, Fayette County families marked the Christmas season the same way — by stepping into Rainy Chastine’s studio and watching their children come face-to-face with Santa Claus.

From wide-eyed toddlers clutching Santa’s glove to teenagers whispering wishes into his ear, Chastine’s portraits captured not just holiday moments, but childhood itself. Displayed together now as a curated gallery, the images form a visual history shared by thousands of local families.

Chastine operated a portrait studio in Fayette County for nearly 24 years, including a longtime location near Jordan Salvage, before an unexpected turn brought that chapter of her career to an end. A whirlwind home sale during the hot housing market in late 2021 led to a move into a neighborhood where home-based businesses were not permitted.

“Overnight, my business was gone,” Chastine said. “It wasn’t planned. I didn’t quit — it just happened.”

Rather than rush to reopen elsewhere, Chastine chose to step away from studio portraiture entirely. The photography market had shifted, she said, becoming increasingly saturated and fast-paced. For a photographer whose work relied on physical sets, trained staff, and careful production, the model no longer made sense.

An artistry often mistaken for AI

Seen together as a curated gallery, Chastine’s Santa portraits almost feel unreal — not because they were digitally generated, but because of how meticulously they were built. Many of the Santa sets were custom-designed and often cost upwards of $10,000, replaced year after year with entirely new scenes so returning families never stepped into the same world twice.

The effect is a level of polish that today is frequently mistaken for artificial intelligence. In reality, Chastine’s work predates AI by decades.

Long before generative tools existed, Chastine was hand-painting her photographs in Photoshop, drawing on years of formal digital painting training and international workshops. She approached each image the way a painter approaches a canvas, shaping tone, contrast, and texture — never adding elements that were not physically present.

“Everything you see was really there,” she said. “The sets, the props, the costumes — all of it was built, lit, and photographed. Photoshop was just the finishing brushstroke.”

The result is a style that feels both nostalgic and cinematic. Santa’s suit appears richly textured. Children are framed in warm, intentional light. Backgrounds glow without distraction. The images are almost too perfect — not by accident, but by design — created to be timeless rather than trendy.

A partnership built on patience

Central to that magic was Chastine’s longtime collaboration with Santa himself. Michael Vogler of Peachtree City worked exclusively with her for nearly 20 years, a partnership rooted in patience and trust.

“He was wonderful with the kids,” Chastine said. “If it weren’t for him, I couldn’t have taken half the images I did. We created magic together.”

Sessions were never rushed. Children were allowed to warm up, cry if needed, laugh when ready, or simply sit quietly. Even the most chaotic moments were treated as opportunities rather than disruptions.

“Sometimes the kids were screaming,” Chastine said. “And we’d still turn it into something magical.”

More than portraits

For Chastine, the Santa sessions were never just about photographs. They were also a way to give back.

Families were encouraged to bring canned food donations during the holidays, with clear instructions to donate items people would actually use. Over the years, the studio supported food drives, adoption organizations, and other local causes.

“We loved the charity part of it,” she said. “Christmas was about giving big.”

Just as important were the relationships. Many of the children she photographed returned year after year, their Santa portraits forming a visual timeline of their childhoods.

“Now they’re getting married or graduating college,” Chastine said. “And they still remember Santa.”

A new chapter

Today, Chastine no longer photographs families or children and has no plans to return to studio portrait work. Instead, she travels extensively, focusing on landscape and cultural photography, particularly in Italy and across Europe. She also uses her photography skills to support medical volunteer efforts in Africa.

While technology continues to reshape the photography world, Chastine remains committed to hands-on artistry.

“I’ve never sent anyone an AI image,” she said. “Everything I’ve created was built, staged, lit, and photographed in real life.”

Though the Santa sessions are firmly in the past, revisiting the images has reminded her of their lasting impact.

“Thousands of children came through those doors,” she said. “To be part of their memories — that’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”

The curated Santa gallery appears alongside this story, offering the community a chance to revisit a holiday tradition that shaped countless Fayette County Christmases.

More of Chastine’s photography can be viewed on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rainy_chastine/. And while Chastine is no longer booking Santa portrait sessions, Santa Michael Vogler remains available for holiday appearances and events. For booking inquiries, email [email protected].