A while back, we blogged about engagement portraits as heirlooms. While 21st century portraits are no longer as severe and in grainy sepia tones, they do still serve a purpose as historical artifacts. I look at these young sisters below and think of the photos we’ve taken of children that their mothers cherish.

When we look at images today and see the amazing things we can do with filters and timing, it’s no wonder that everyone wants to be their own archivist, storyteller, photographer and keeper of the family history. Consider finding those moments where it will mean the most to have professional shots and remember that they will one day be heirlooms. And consider getting a professional to take them. You won’t regret it.

Two young brides above and below. They are a mere 150 or so years apart.

One family portrait – posed above.
A family portrait – posed below.

Sometimes the heirlooms are not heirlooms because they are posed. Images become heirlooms because they capture something specific – like the bride reading her favorite book for her bridal portrait. It was important to incorporate it for her. Sometimes, it’s the place – like the mountain home that a family rented so they could converge from all over the country for a reunion. Or it’s the mountains that became a back drop for an engagement photo shoot. And sometimes it is the unexpected moment, like the one above we caught of the bride and groom sharing a happy, sorta private hug.

Maternity portraits and new family portraits are heirlooms as well for generation and these shots, especially in informal outdoor settings tell a beautiful story of time, place and love.

Consider the photo albums and images in frames that you love seeing from those relatives you’ll never meet and schedule a photo shoot that will some day be relished by your future family.

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We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels on Paper photographs, engagements and weddings, brides, and special events and portraits  of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.