About Us
A Little Out of the Way.
Exactly Where Magic Should Be.
Magic of Santa® - Sail n' Sea is located in Hubert, North Carolina—where Christmas traditions date back nearly 250 years.
I went to Chris’s class in June 2026 as a photographer, hoping to learn the art of the Magic of Santa® experience. My boys were asked to model for the session. And somewhere between their laughter, their wonder, and the look in their eyes - I was just their dad!
I came to learn. I left believing.
That experience changed everything. What began as a photographer wanting to learn became something our whole family fell in love with. We wanted to create that same feeling for other families—a place where Christmas slows down, memories are made, and children can simply believe. Now, we’re inviting you into the MAGIC .
For more than a decade, Magic of Santa has welcomed families from across the country and around the world. Many of our families return year after year, and some travel hundreds of miles to continue a Christmas tradition that has become part of their children's story.
This isn't a stop at the mall or a few hurried minutes in front of a Christmas backdrop. Magic of Santa is a portrait experience built around the relationship between your child and Santa—and the moments that happen when we give that relationship time to become real.
Sail n' Sea Photography is proud to join the Magic of Santa® tradition and commit to the Edwin Standard as an officially licensed studio—bringing this experience to Eastern North Carolina for the very first time.
Have a question before your visit? Chat with Elfis, Santa's Chief Public Relations Elf, right here on the website. For anything requiring a slightly more responsible adult, you can also reach us through our Contact Us page.
The Artist Behind the Magic
Adam Barth is the photographer behind Sail n' Sea Photography and the artist bringing Magic of Santa® to Eastern North Carolina.
A Certified Professional Photographer, Adam believes the best portraits aren't created by asking children to perform for the camera. They're discovered in the moments when children forget the camera is there.
His approach is rooted in patience, connection, and storytelling—giving children room to laugh, wonder, talk, and simply be themselves. The camera comes second. The relationship comes first.
That philosophy is at the heart of the Magic of Santa® experience where Santa is part of the story. The conversation, the laughter, the quiet moments, the wonder—those are the moments Adam is there to preserve.
And learning how to create those moments is where Chris Fritchie became more than a teacher - he became a mentor. Through Chris, Adam discovered a different way to approach Santa portraiture—one built not around getting the perfect photograph, but around creating the kind of experience from which a perfect photograph naturally emerges.
Because the photographs we treasure most aren't the ones where everyone looked perfect. They're the ones that take us back to how it felt.
The Mentor Behind the Artist
Chris Fritchie, M.Photog., M.Artist, Cr.Photog., CPP , created Magic of Santa after a career spanning more than two decades as a professional photographer.
Today, Chris is recognized for his children's fine-art and Santa portraiture and is an award-winning photographic artist, educator, and judge. His work has been recognized at the international, national, and state levels, and he teaches photographers around the country the craft of creating portraits built around genuine moments rather than simply photographs.
But accolades have never been the destination.
Throughout his career, Chris has held to a simple commitment: the work must continue to deserve its place in someone's home.
That belief is at the heart of everything we call The Edwin Standard.
The Edwin Standard
Craftsmanship. Authenticity. Permanence.Three words define what we believe a portrait should be.
Craftsmanship means details matter. From the sets we build and the light we shape to the final artwork placed in your home, good enough has never been our standard.
Authenticity means the moment has to be real. Santa doesn't spend your session staring at our camera. He's talking, laughing, listening, reading, playing and building a relationship with your child. Our job is to preserve what happens between them.
Permanence may matter most of all. We believe photographs shouldn't simply live on a phone until they're forgotten. The most meaningful images deserve to become something tangible— something your children may someday hold long after we're gone.
It's why we continue to study our craft. It's why Chris continues to place his work before his peers in professional photographic competition. And it's why, after more than a decade of Magic of Santa, we're still trying to make every year's work better than the year before.
Because ultimately, our measure of success isn't another award.
It's whether the portrait we create for your family still matters generations from now.
Selected Awards & Honors
International & National Recognition
- MPI International Portrait Photographer of the Year
- MPI Top Santa Portrait
- MPI Top Portrait of a Child
- MPI Top Portrait in Digital Storytelling
- PPA Grand Imaging Award — 2nd Place, Creative Open
- Multiple PPA Grand Imaging Award Nominations
- PPA International Photographic Competition — Platinum Photographer
- Six Consecutive Years of PPA IPC / Grand Imaging Award Recognition
State & Professional Recognition
- TPPA Best of Show
- TPPA Best Portrait
- TPPA Best Portrait of a Child — Three Consecutive Years
- ASP Texas State Elite Award — Two Consecutive Years
- TPPA Best AI Fusion Image
- TPPA Top Portrait of a Group
- GPPA Top Portrait of a Group
- TPPA Texcellence Award
Chris Fritchie
Master of Photography · Master Artist · Photographic Craftsman · Certified Professional Photographer