Jennifer Gomez opened Once Upon a Storybook Studio in September 2019, offering portrait sessions with a Christmas theme called “The Real Santa Claus Experience” as well as traditional family portraits.
In mid-2020, Gomez added two new storybook experiences for child portraits: “The Magical Jungle Experience” and “The Magical Unicorn Experience.”
“[The unicorn] was very, very popular right away,” Gomez said. “We’ve really had to fine-tune the set. It’s come a long way.”
Gomez makes all of her sets, and the studio itself is a renovated stable house.
When children arrive, they are introduced to studio staff who take them to a room set aside for fairytale transformations. After a child changes into their costume, they receive a pixie makeover that includes glitter and butterfly hair clips.
Gomez said the pampering makes children feel special.
Once the fairy transformation is complete, the children meet Aurora the winged unicorn—also known as an alicorn.
“They’re glowing,” Gomez said. “We are photographing them with that magical wonder in their eyes, and [they] get to look back on that for generations.”
Gomez, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, said she began her photography career capturing images of pets before transitioning to children and families.
She recently added a revamped family portraiture option called the Regal Family Portrait to accompany her magical storybook experiences.
She said her most popular offering, the experience sessions, came from a place of wanting to give children a magical experience similar to major theme parks as well as to provide a portrait that might raise a child’s self-esteem and confidence.
“I’ll say that this is the most over-photographed, under-printed generation in history, and that we are taking risks and liberties by putting their portraits on our phones,” Gomez said. “So, while most of the images in their lives are digital and definitely susceptible to loss, we ensure that at least one portrait is going to be on their wall ... [as] a reminder of their childhood.”
Gomez said future plans for the studio include the construction and expansion into a castle-like structure to allow for an even more immersive photography experience.
Gomez said she is most proud of her charitable work, and Once Upon a Storybook Studio has donated hundreds of experiences to local fundraisers.
The donated photography experiences are bid on at charity events, and parents who win them bring their children in to the studio.
“This way we’re able to help raise our community and be part of the community, supporting it through our business,” Gomez said.
Once Upon a Storybook Studio
1514 E. Palm Valley Blvd., Round Rock
512-456-3508
www.onceuponastorybookstudio.com
Hours by appointment
