Happy New Year + Heirloom Portraits

Happy New Year to all of my amazing clients and families. I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that 2025 brought Kendall Dean Media to life — and I’m so incredibly grateful for every family, milestone, and memory I had the honor of capturing along the way. I’m stepping into 2026 with so much excitement and big plans for growth… and there may be something in *store* this year that gives me more opportunities to photograph you even when it’s freezing cold or sweltering hot. 👀✨ (stay tuned.)

That said — January is cold, and things naturally slow down a bit this time of year. Which means I’ve been practicing on the most willing (and adorable) models I know… my own kids.

Lately, I’ve been playing with the idea of heirloom photography, especially timeless portraits for children. And honestly, I’m completely obsessed with how these images turned out.

So… what exactly is heirloom photography?

Heirloom portraits are simple, classic, and emotion-forward. They’re not about trendy props or elaborate setups — they’re about preserving a child exactly as they are in this fleeting season of life. Light and airy. Thoughtful styling. Honest expressions. The kind of photographs you can imagine hanging on a wall for decades, or tucked into an album that gets pulled out year after year.

These are the photos that don’t age. The ones that feel just as meaningful now as they will when our babies are grown.

Experimenting with this style has been such a creative reset for me, and I can’t wait to explore it more as the year unfolds. I’d love to hear what you think — would heirloom portraits be something you’d want for your own family?