LOVE AND LEGACY

Children's Heirloom Portraits

St. Louis portrait photographer Shana Watkins speaking with two young children during an heirloom photo session in her studio in St. Louis, MO.

TREASURED FAMILY HEIRLOOMS

Classic, hand-colored portraits for mothers who love tradition

Heirloom children’s portrait of young boy in light blue sweater and classic belt, created in fine art style by St. Louis portrait photographer Shana Watkins.

Heirloom portrait of young girl in pink dress and bow, photographed in fine art style by St. Louis children’s portrait photographer Shana Watkins.

Fine art portrait of young boy in white and blue outfit with cherry detail, created by legacy photographer Shana Watkins in St. Louis.

Legacy children’s portrait of young girl in smocked white dress and pearl headband, created in a fine art style by St. Louis photographer Shana Watkins.

About the Experience

As a portrait artist, I often think about how we can best preserve our children's most precious memories that will one day connect generations. I truly believe the magic is in the time-tested tradition of printed portraits.

Heirloom photo of young girl in light blue dress with pink bow, framed in gold and created by St. Louis portrait photographer Shana Watkins.

FAMILY LEGACY

Imagine that one day these archival, fine art portraits will be passed on to your child's children.

I am creating painted portrait art of children that is not only beautiful, it is also empowering. When children see themselves featured on the walls of their family's home, there is no doubt that they are loved beyond measure.

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1 Your portraits, perfected

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Behind-the-scenes of heirloom photo session with St. Louis photographer Shana Watkins photographing young girl in pink dress and bow.

Shana will talk about options and the clothing pieces that work best for these portraits and for your child.

Legacy photography session with St. Louis portrait photographer Shana Watkins, speaking with young children in a fine art home studio.

This is an experience that will become a core memory for your child. With Shana’s experience as a photographer for more than 20 years, she knows just how to keep your child engaged and works quickly to ensure the children leave just as happy as they were coming in to see her.

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Shana Watkins reviewing mixed media portrait with client during frame selection for heirloom photography session in St. Louis.

Shana meets with each client for these in-studio appointments that include a projected slideshow of all the sweet moments from the session. Together, you will narrow down the options to choose the best reference photo for the finished portrait. You will be able to see the portrait on the wall in different sizes and also oval and rectangular frames. With her virtual design software, you can see these options on your own wall from a simple photo taken with your phone. Clients love this part of the process.

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Heirloom portrait of young girl in blue dress with pink bow, framed in gold and displayed in sunlit home interior with floral arrangement.

Clients are invited back to the studio with their children for the big reveal. The children love seeing their portraits for the first time, and it is truly such a sweet moment. For out of town clients, we will arrange for shipping.

Behind the Scenes

Before and after of heirloom photography by St. Louis portrait artist Shana Watkins, featuring young boy in classic smocked shirt with reindeer design.

FINISHED PORTRAIT

REFERENCE PHOTO

The foundation for an heirloom portrait is classic, traditional clothing that sets the scene for a timeless art piece. Without the distraction of trendy clothing and busy backgrounds, each child's sweet personality shines through.

Each heirloom portrait is created using museum-quality materials and finished with the most beautiful custom frames. Hand gilded and aged by artisans using similar materials and techniques from hundreds of years ago, these frames are available in both silver and gold leaf. Both oval and square corner frames are available.

I can assure you these portraits will only increase in value as your child matures and this stage lives only in your memory. To give each step in the process adequate care, please allow up to four months for completion.

Shana Watkins preparing fine art portrait for framing during client consultation in St. Louis heirloom photography studio.

Investment

To begin the process, the initial session fee is $325, and finished artwork is priced separately. Our fine art, hand-colored and painted portraits start at $2800 for a 16x20 inch portrait and $3200 for a 20x24 inch portrait. We also offer custom framing with both oval and rectangular frames.

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Frequently Asked Questions

It is not an expectation that the child sit still. We will simply be chatting and interacting, and the session is complete before children become bored or stressed. I love that we get the one-on-one time to chat about the things that are most important to them: fire trucks, koalas, dance class.
With two decades of experience photographing children, it doesn't take long before I have all of the expressions we need to choose the portrait that best reflects each unique child. Meanwhile, they're having so much fun that they're not ready for the session to end.
My hope is that they leave feeling like celebrities! A 4 year old I photographed for his heirloom portrait told his Mom after the session, “I think I did a very good job. I was VERY handsome.” I absolutely love that.
I love photographing children of every age. For this project, it is important that young children be old enough to sit independently. Traditionally, these portraits capture an age between one and six years old. However, I would love to include older children who would absolutely feel treasured and celebrated during the years when that can be its most challenging.
Classic, timeless styles work best. Clothing colors should complement the room where the portrait will be displayed. The Woman's Exchange has beautiful options for little ones, including custom cherry dresses and suits as well as smocked outfits with the sweetest details. You can also see our portraits on display at The Woman's Exchange in St. Louis.

Heirloom picture of smiling baby boy in white outfit with blue gingham cherries, created in fine art style by St. Louis photographer Shana Watkins.

Fine art children’s portrait of young girl in white dress with red cherries, created by St. Louis children’s portrait photographer Shana Watkins.

Heirloom photo session portrait of young girl in pink dress with puffed sleeves and bow, created by St. Louis photographer Shana Watkins.

Fine art portrait of young boy in classic white and blue outfit with embroidered cherries, created by portrait photographer Shana Watkins in St. Louis.

WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING

Testimonials

Ashley Obradovits

I dreamed of having a portrait like this done as soon as I became a mom 💕 Shana made my dreams come true! From the initial meeting till the final product reveal, it was an amazing experience and my daughter Piper will remember it forever. I told my husband we needed to move so I had a proper foyer for it 🙃

Megan Ellis Bicklein

Working with Shana has been a dream come true! We worked with Shana for my daughter’s 2-year heirloom portraits in St. Louis, and the entire experience from start to finish was seamless and luxurious- everything I could have asked for and more! Not only was she amazing and patient with our daughter (she’s a busy bee) but she captured more amazing photos of her in 30 minutes than I have in her entire life. Her in-person photo choosing session really added a layer of specialness and luxury, but as you can imagine- it was almost impossible to choose a favorite! We’re having our daughter’s heirloom photo created into one of her mixed media Love and Legacy portraits, and I couldn’t be more excited. Counting down the days until it’s In our home, and until then- recommending Shana to everyone I know!

Kayla Nahorski

I reached out to Shana about helping me create an Heirloom Portrait of my daughter. This wasn't just a photo - it was a tradition that I wanted to carry on. My mom, my sister, and myself all have a photo around the same age, wearing the same dress, and in the same chair. I really wanted to continue the tradition with my daughter, but was struggling to find someone who could match the style of these portraits from 30 years ago. Enter Shana. She was the most amazing, accommodating, compassionate, kind human being. She not only worked wonders with my daughter the day of the shoot - making it fun, relaxed, and getting her personality to shine, but afterwards, she worked so hard with me to make sure that we got the look I wanted and the end result is something that myself and my mom will cherish forever. If you are thinking about it, DO IT!!! You can thank me later ;)

Julie Greene

Shana has been our family photographer for over 16 years and we couldn't be more happy. From newborn pics, family pics, milestone year pics and even pet pics - she's simply the best! We've also had pics in her studios and at landmark STL locations. Her pictures are timeless pieces of art that fill our home and we couldn't be happier. On top of everything, she is a wonderful person who is great to work with and contributes back to the community. We look forward to future sessions and would highly recommend to all! Thanks Shana!!!

Victoria Dysarz

Shana Watkins Photography first caught my attention when I was pregnant nine years ago with beautiful maternity images. Nine years and four children later she is our go to photographer for newborn and infant sessions. She captures exactly what I see when I look at my children and family. Even during sessions where my children run wild and crazy Shana captures their unique spirit and expressions perfectly. Her images are ones you will look at and remember wonderful moments with your loved ones. Every time we sit down to review our photographs from a session I tear up; each image is beautiful. The hardest part is choosing your favorites (or just take them all instead)! She is very talented. I am so glad to have met her and shared our family for the last nine years and more to come.

Heather Lea

Moments turned into magic; Shana makes sure that our family’s moments in time turn into beautiful memories captured with her perfect eye, hanging on our wall. We are so grateful.