Heirloom Child Portraits in Maplewood, NJ

Heirloom portraits are designed to celebrate the unique beauty of your child with simple, yet timeless images meant to be cherished, displayed, and preserved for generations.

Ours are a modern take on the traditional Southern portrait style with a white vignette; think of them as modern child portraits.

You will choose either a white background or our hand painted dark grey canvas drop; please be sure to take a look through our galleries to decide which style you love most.

Heirloom portraits are especially well suited for school-aged children, middle schoolers, high school seniors, and children celebrating milestones such as a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah. These ages often photograph beautifully in the simple, focused heirloom style, allowing personality, confidence, and expression to take center stage.

These portraits are especially meaningful during seasons of growth and transition, whether your child is entering middle school, preparing for graduation, celebrating a milestone event, or simply at an age you never want to forget.

Toddlers are absolutely welcome, but if your child is very active, would benefit from more time to warm up, or if you may need to be included in the portraits, I recommend booking a Signature Session instead. Signature Sessions allow for more movement, flexibility, and family interaction while still creating timeless portraits.

Yes. Each child will each be photographed individually for 15-20 minutes, and then we can try to create a sibling portrait together in the same setup for cohesive portraits that will look beautiful displayed together.

Please note that participation and results for sibling portraits depends on the ages, moods, and personalities of the children that day. I will do everything I can to create a beautiful and cohesive sibling portrait, but I never force a child to perform or cooperate beyond what feels natural. Happy kids make the best portraits, so, please, no pressure.

Heirloom Portrait Sessions are designed specifically for children and teens, so we do not create full family portraits during these sessions.

If you would like a full family portrait, parent-child images, or a variety of family combinations, please book a Signature Session, which allows for more time, flexibility, and a fuller gallery of images.

Simple, classic clothing photographs best. Plain white, ivory, gray, navy, or black tops work beautifully, including short sleeve or long sleeve t-shirts, knit sweaters, button-down shirts, and simple dresses.

Some children wear something more formal or personal, such as a special occasion dress, a piece with a detailed collar, or an outfit that feels 100% true to them. Your child may also choose to borrow a stunning dress from our studio wardrobe, available for all children ages 2 to 14.

The most important thing is that clothing should not distract from your child’s face, and they should be happy, or at least comfortable, wearing it.

If you are hoping for a smaller, more focused image collection, one outfit is usually best. A second outfit can be lovely, but it will naturally create more variety and may increase the number of images you love. With multiple children multiple outfits may also result in your loving images that are less visually cohesive.

A day or two before the session, moisturize any dry areas on the face, arms, and hands. Please remove chipped nail polish, temporary tattoos, and anything else you would not want preserved in a finished portrait.

Please have your child arrive fed and with a clean face, clean hands, and brushed hair. Many children do not enjoy having their faces wiped right before portraits, so it is best to do this at home before you arrive.

Most importantly, make sure your child knows these portraits are to celebrate how amazing they are, and that it will be fun. The most beautiful portraits are created when children feel no pressure to perform. I have a prize box (and lollipop box), but some parents also plan a special treat or meal after the photoshoot to make the experience extra special.

That’s completely normal and totally expected. Heirloom portraits are not about stiff posing or perfect behavior. My job is to connect with your child, build trust, and bring out natural expressions.

Some children need a little time. Some are serious at first. Some are silly, wiggly, or full of energy. It’s all expected, and all okay.

The best portraits usually happen when children feel relaxed, unpressured, and free to be themselves. Trust that they are in good hands.

Heirloom Portrait Sessions take place at Nicole Hawkins Photography, a family and child portrait studio in Maplewood, New Jersey.

The studio is convenient for families in Maplewood, South Orange, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Livingston, Chatham, Westfield, Montclair, and surrounding North Jersey communities.

Many families also travel from beyond the immediate area for these simple, timeless child portraits, including Westchester, Central Jersey, the Jersey Shore, and New York City.