Raleigh Personality Portraits for Kids | J.Crane Photography

Some kids walk into a photo session ready to smile perfectly for the camera.

And then there are the kids who make a silly face the second I lift my camera.

The ones who wiggle.

Laugh too loudly.

Make the same ridiculous expression over and over because they know it makes Mom laugh.

Those are exactly the kids personality portraits are made for.

Personality portraits are simple black-and-white photographs focused almost entirely on your child’s expressions and personality. There is no elaborate setup and no expectation that they sit perfectly still.

The goal is simply to capture who they are right now.

Made for the Silly, High-Energy Kids

If your child has a big personality, these sessions give them room to show it.

We might start with a more traditional smile, but I am just as interested in the scrunched-up nose, the belly laugh, the dramatic serious face, and whatever completely unexpected expression comes next.

Especially with younger children, some of my favorite photographs happen once they realize they are allowed to have fun.

They don’t have to perform.

They don’t have to stay perfectly still.

And they definitely don’t have to give me the same smile in every photograph.

Personality portraits are about creating a collection that actually feels like your child.

Short, Simple, and Easy for Kids

These sessions are typically around 20 minutes, depending on how many children are being photographed.

That is usually plenty of time.

Kids tend to give us their best expressions when things stay fun and moving, so I keep the session simple and follow their energy rather than stretching it out longer than necessary.

If you have siblings, I photograph each child individually and will always try to create a few photographs of them together as well.

Sometimes those sibling images are sweet.

Sometimes they are completely chaotic.

And sometimes the chaotic ones are the most accurate representation of this season.

Why Black and White?

Personality portraits are delivered exclusively in black and white.

Without color competing for attention, everything comes back to your child’s face.

Their eyes.

Their smile.

The missing tooth.

The freckles.

The expression they make every time they are trying not to laugh.

Black and white keeps the portraits simple and timeless while letting all of those little details take center stage.

A Portrait You Can Repeat Every Year

One of my favorite ideas for personality portraits is making them a yearly tradition.

Children change so quickly, and it can be easy to miss just how much has changed until you put two photographs side by side.

One year they have a tiny toddler smile.

The next they have a gap where a front tooth used to be.

Then suddenly they look a little older, a little more confident, and somehow completely different.

Photographing your child in the same simple style each year creates such a fun record of those changes.

And because the portraits are intentionally uncomplicated, the focus stays exactly where it should—on them.

Remembering Who They Were in This Season

Of course I love creating beautiful portraits of children.

But I also want you to remember the things that made them themselves.

The laugh you hear all day long.

The face they make when they are being mischievous.

The way siblings look at each other when they are trying not to crack up.

The personality that fills your home right now may look completely different a few years from now.

These portraits give you a way to hold onto a little piece of it.

If personality portraits sound like the perfect fit for your child, I’d love to hear a little about them and help you plan a session.