Heirloom Portraits Are Forever
If you had to pick one thing to save from all of your possessions, what would it be? For many of us, we would pick a family portrait. Nothing else captures and records that moment in time when your family is together like a family portrait. This is an article about the emotional value of portraits for families.
Back In Time
The summer before I entered second grade, my childhood home caught fire. The brick exterior was not badly damaged. The interior and contents were a different story. While we were able to repair much of the interior. Some of the contents could not be replaced including our photographs. All of our baby, family, pet and other photos were gone forever.
As you move through your home, it is a pleasure to see portraits of your family and children. Even as you rush out the door to work, you catch yourself pausing to see your nineteen-year old daughter when she was twelve. She looks so different with braces. And could you possibly be happier about the investment you made in your children’s baby portraits. Your family portraits are truly priceless works of art.
As an artist, my goal during a consultation for a family portrait session is to figure out what I need to do to create an heirloom portrait that their grandchildren will treasure. Because of the experience I had where all my family photographs were destroyed, I have opinions on how to catapult the emotional value of a portrait. For example, whenever possible more than one family member should appear in a portrait.
Going Forward
Let’s take an example of a mother commissioning me to photograph just her children. After describing the session I have planned, I ask her how much it would mean to have the same portrait of her and her siblings when they were children. What would the value of that portrait be to her now?
I ask how she would feel if that childhood portrait included her parents. Would it matter if her mother’s dress was not perfect or if her father needed a haircut? Then I ask her how valuable that portrait would be if I could magically reproduce it today and hand it to her. All of a sudden, the dress, the haircut and any other reasons for her and her husband not to be in the portrait are inconsequential. Her vision doesn’t have to change because of this. She still has the choice of ordering the family portrait or the portrait with just the children. The important point is to consider and take advantage of this unique opportunity to document her entire family.
Remembering Family Pets
For those of us that grew up with family pets, the same is true. A portrait of my parents, siblings and me would be priceless to me. Our dog was as much a part of the family as the rest of us. Including him in the portrait would make it even more special.
Adding Extra Value
You can add extra sentiment to your heirloom portrait by including a special piece of jewelry, a setting or a special gift. Adding these will make your family portrait even more personal.
What is an heirloom portrait to me? Let’s say I have time to grab one thing before running out the door of my burning house. No question about it, that family portrait is coming with me. And there is no need to offer me 100 trillion dollars for it. I won’t give it to you. Why? It is an heirloom for my future great grand children.