Personality Portraits: A Timeless Preservation of Childhood

A Personality Portrait captures, you guessed it, the unique personality of your child in a photograph! Unlike traditional portrait sessions demanding stiff poses and resulting in artificial smiles, Personality Portraits capture spontaneous moments, genuine expressions, and authentic emotions.

Why schedule one for each of your kids? These photographs become a time capsule preserving your child’s unique personality as they are NOW. The curls of their hair, the squint of their eyes when they smile, the innocence defining them at this very moment is preserved forever. 

I’m excited to share why parents love this unique photography experience and tips for you to keep in mind when preparing for your child’s Personality Portrait with Caeli Richter Photography! 

1. Let your kid dress themselves and celebrate their unique personality!

• Personality Portraits, all in black & white, focus on your child’s expressions, not outfits.
• Allowing your child to choose their clothing boosts confidence and celebrates their unique style!

If you are anything like me, when my girls dress themselves in clashing clothes, mis-matched outfits, or simply an outrageous outfit, I can’t help but to cringe. I quiet my Type A thoughts and compliment their choice of clothing for the day. 

Lucky for you, and your child, Personality Portraits are done in black & white. This means the focus of the photograph is on your child, their expressions and personality. Their clothing will not detract from that – no matter how wild it is!

Giving your child ownership over their clothes for the day will make them feel more comfortable, boost their confidence, and increase excitement about the whole experience by celebrating their unique style!

2. Quick and convenient – Personality Portraits sessions are only 5-minutes!

• Designed for efficiency, Personality Portrait sessions are only 5 minutes long.
• Pop-up events take place at convenient locations and run with a streamlined and efficient workflow.

I get it. Having their photo taken is not on the top of most kid’s list of things to do. I also know if I get three consecutive minutes of focus and cooperation from my kids I have reason to celebrate!

This is why I structure Personality Portrait Pop-Up events to be as efficient as possible.

• Sessions are only 5 minutes
• Pop-ups are hosted at convenient locations in your community – places you are already frequenting and are close to home
• I have an efficient workflow that allows each child enough time to acclimate in the space and produces a gallery of at least 6 different images

Dedicating just 5 minutes, of the 1,440 in any day, will give you years of joy and memories looking back at your child as they are now. 

3. Kids change so darn fast!

• Kids grow rapidly, and Personality Portraits capture those fleeting moments.
• Document their details now, before they become memories, allowing you to celebrate the unique versions of your child as they grow.

Kids grow taller seemingly overnight. Baby fat disappears in the blink of an eye. One day they can’t get enough of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and the next I’m hearing “no Mom, that show is for babies.” 

If you’re nodding along politely as you read this, go dig out your kids’ school picture from last fall. (Hint: It’s probably sitting mixed into a pile of papers and old mail on the side of your desk.) They look a lot different now, right? Older somehow? Maybe not quite as soft and snuggly? Their wispy hair has filled in?

Kids, especially young toddlers, change so quickly. If we aren’t diligent about documenting all the details that make them who they are, then why do we think we will remember the awkward gap in their smile from their first lost tooth? Or the soft bouncy curls that inevitably grow out and get cut off?

4. Boost your child’s self-confidence!

• Studies show children with photos of themselves displayed at home have greater self-confidence.
• Personality Portraits capture your child’s authentic self, boosting their self-esteem.

Studies show that children who grow up in houses with photos of themselves on display, show a greater sense of self-confidence. During our session, I create a laid-back environment where kids feel relaxed and comfortable to be their authentic self. Serious and quiet, or goofy and silly, I welcome it all. I work hard to make sure I am capturing who your child is NOW. 

5. Bring your child’s favorite item for a personal touch.

• Capture memories with your child’s beloved toy, blanket, or stuffed animal.
• Documenting these unique attachments creates lasting reminders of their childhood.

My daughter Blaire is 6 years old and has been attached to her bunny since she was 6 months old. It went everywhere with us. It has been lost (and found) multiple times resulting in the purchase of back-up BunBuns.

I know lots of children have a security item they form an attachment to early in life. Still, I was not prepared for when Blaire decided her bunnies would stay at home instead of tagging along everywhere she went. I no longer had to make sure BunBun was in her carseat before backing the car out of the driveway. No more checking her cubby to make sure BunBun was coming home from school each day. Sure, there is still mild panic at bedtime if BunBun isn’t immediately located, but I miss the days she swung that poor bunny by its ears everywhere she went.

After all these years, I don’t have a beautiful portrait of Blaire with BunBun that honors how special that stuffy is to her. Blaire and BunBun were inseparable for half of her life short life. As she gets older and matures, she no longer craves the constant comfort she once did. I wish I had documented her with her bunnies to be share the comfort and ease those stuffies brought her as soon as they were tucked under her arm. 

So please, bring your kids’ favorite stuffy, dinosaur, or whatever their favorite toy is that they won’t put down (even if you hope it just happens to go missing one day)!

6. Get your photos off your phone!

• We are raising the most photographed generation.
• Your online gallery is connected to a professional printing lab for easy ordering of physical prints and products.

Right now, we (parents) are raising the most photographed generation ever! Before you give yourself a pat on the back, it is crucial to also recognize and accept that those photos are rarely seeing life outside of the cyber world. They are stuck on your camera roll, lost on a hard drive, floating around somewhere in the cloud. 

After your Personality Portrait session, your images will be delivered via an online gallery. In an effort to streamline and simplify the process of getting out of cyber-land, your gallery is connected to my professional printing lab so you can order prints and products with just a few clicks.

So what will you do with the images we create at your Personality Portrait session? Here are some things families have done in the past.

• frame photos to display in your house
• create a life-size portrait wall (Smallwoods)
• gifts for grandparents
• Father’s Day gifts (socks or air fresheners)
• Mother’s Day gifts (engraved Yeti or notepad)
• create personalized Memory game
• create personalized board books

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What questions do you have before joining me at the next Personality Portrait Pop-Up event? I can’t wait to hear from you!

For more information on upcoming pop-up events and to join my email community to be the first to snag a spot, follow this link.