What are Heirloom Portraits? Everything You Need To Know
Heirloom portraits are classic and timeless—something to be seen and passed on from generation to generation. It is a photograph designed to be quality printed, framed, and hung to be cherished forever. Unlike a candid picture, heirloom portraits are meant to be classically styled with authentic expressions and capture sweet memories.
Why are they called “Heirloom Portraits”?
There is a reason these special portraits are treasured and passed down through generations. They often resemble the timeless family photographs our grandparents and great-grandparents left behind—images that give us a glimpse into who they were, from their quiet strength to their happiest moments.
Those photographs remind us of the importance of preserving the same meaningful moments for our children and future generations. An heirloom portrait isn't just a photograph; it's a preserving a family's history, for years to come.
Pictured below is an heirloom portrait I created of Mr. Lawrence Brooks, the oldest living World War II veteran in the United States at the time. It was an incredible honor to capture a small part of his remarkable story through fine art portraiture, while honoring his family's history.
How do we capture the same nostalgia today?
The funnest part about creating these heirloom portraits today is the fact that we have the ability to capture more personality through the lens. If you think about it, in the olden days, it was a long and drawn out process to first take a picture and then develop it. This long process definitely contributed to the lack of smiles and personality in the older photos (although, now that we think about it, maybe it DID showcase some personalities!) Nowadays, we have the luxury of high-end technology that allows us to create the same art in a much more efficient (and better) way. Even with better technology, we still want to showcase that “older”, nostalgic feeling of displaying family portraits in our homes. It's just CLASSIC.
What makes an Heirloom Portrait different?
Our everyday photos usually consist of so many tiny sweet moments that we never normally get to display (or we just don’t deem them worthy of displaying). These pictures usually stay stuck in our phones or forgotten or become something we just happen to flip through every once in a while. It is so worth being intentional on planning an heirloom portrait session knowing that you will be able to display your sweet family and little ones in your home to be seen and treasured.
You may notice that heirloom portraits seem to accentuate the beauty and simplicity of the actual person in the photo. The portrait may even have a dreamy and soft aspect to it. To achieve this, it is normally suggested to wear neutral clothing, maybe even with some added pastel colors to achieve this look. The goal for heirloom portraits is to show and accentuate the sweet nature and faces of those in the photo.
Need help with creating your own heirloom portraits?
I would absolutely love to help you capture your most precious moments in this season of life! Please click the link below to book your heirloom portrait session:
Book an Heirloom Portrait Session
xoxo, Morgan