100 Faces of Childhood: A New Heirloom Portrait Experience for Michiana Families

Imagine walking into a gallery with 100 portraits of children on the walls. It's nighttime. All of the families are dressed up. You hear live music coming from a large common room where desserts are being served. Families are enjoying their dessert and the music while they walk around, looking at all of the portraits.

Each portrait has something in common.

There are no trendy backdrops, no themed chaos, nothing else to distract you from one thing: the child.

Instead, there are 100 stories, 100 unique personalities, and 100 moments in time that will never exist again. Since each portrait was taken, some of the children have lost their front baby teeth. Some had a growth spurt. Some will never wear their hair in braids again.

Now imagine that one of those faces belongs to your child or grandchild.

That is the vision behind 100 Faces of Childhood—a year-long heirloom portrait project celebrating the children of Michiana through timeless portraiture and an exhibition designed to honor this fleeting season of life.

What Inspired This Project?

I recently shared why I've fallen in love with heirloom portraiture and why I'm so excited to begin offering these timeless sessions here at Hartstein Photography.

(If you missed that story, you can read it here: "More Than a Photograph: Granger Indiana Heirloom Portraits.")

For nearly two decades, I've had the privilege of documenting some of life's very first moments as a birth photographer. Being invited into those sacred hours has always been one of the greatest honors of my career.

But over the years, I've found myself wondering:

How can I continue serving these families as their babies grow up?

I've always been drawn to heirloom portraiture. There's something timeless about it. No distractions. No trendy props. Just a child—their personality, their expressions, and this beautiful season of life, preserved forever.

For a long time, though, I hesitated.

Not because I didn't love this style of photography, but because I wanted to do it well.

These portraits look beautifully simple, but there is an incredible amount of artistry—and even a little science—behind them. The lighting has to be intentional. The posing has to feel natural. The editing requires patience and precision to create a finished portrait that feels timeless while still looking completely authentic.

Then, last December, something happened.

I came across a local Facebook post from a Michiana mom searching for an heirloom photographer.

Normally, I would have kept scrolling.

Instead, I sent her a message.

To my surprise—and gratitude—she said yes.

The session itself felt almost effortless. I knew exactly how I wanted to light the portraits. I knew how I wanted the children positioned against the white backdrop. I could already see the finished images in my mind.

The real work began afterward.

Hours were spent experimenting with color, refining skin tones, preserving every expression, and making sure each child still looked unmistakably like themselves. Every adjustment taught me something new.

Every portrait became a lesson.

And somewhere in that process, I realized...

This is what I want to create.

Not just beautiful portraits, but artwork that captures who a child is at this exact moment in time.

That first session left me wanting more.

It made me want to become a better heirloom portrait photographer. Not just good enough, but truly excellent. I wanted to refine my craft, learn from every child who stepped in front of my camera, and create portraits that families would treasure for generations.

Then, because one simple thought crossed my mind, 100 Faces of Childhood started to emerge from a simple question:

What if I photographed one hundred children?

I knew that if I committed myself to photographing one hundred children in this style, each portrait would teach me something new. Every session would help me grow as an artist, and every child would become part of that journey.

But the more I thought about it, the more another idea began to take shape.

How do you find one hundred children to photograph?

And then...

What if this became something bigger than my own journey?

What if, instead of quietly photographing one hundred children, we celebrated them?

What if every family received a timeless piece of artwork to hang in their home?

What if, at the end of the year, we gathered together for an exhibition where all one hundred portraits filled the walls of a gallery?

As I looked back at those very first portraits, I realized the goal of 100 Faces of Childhood isn't simply to create beautiful portraits....

It has more to do with preserving & celebrating childhood.

And that's when one idea refused to leave me alone:

What if we celebrated one hundred children this way?

So, What Is 100 Faces of Childhood?

Two Beautiful Options

One thing I'd love you to know is that you don't have to participate in 100 Faces of Childhood to enjoy an heirloom portrait session.

If you're simply looking for timeless portraits of your child to display in your home and pass down for generations, I'd be honored to create those for your family.

At the same time, I'd also love to invite you to consider becoming part of 100 Faces of Childhood.

Because of a special partnership with one of my framing suppliers for this inaugural project, I'm able to offer the same heirloom portrait session and beautifully framed 16×20 portrait for $600 as part of the project.

Outside of the project, that same heirloom portrait experience is $1,275.

Families participating in 100 Faces of Childhood will also have their child's portrait displayed in our gallery exhibition and receive complimentary admission to our Exhibition Gala, along with two guest tickets to celebrate with the people they love most.

The gala itself is my gift to participating families. Thanks to the generosity of local business sponsors featured in our exhibition program, families can simply come, celebrate, and enjoy the evening together.

Whether you'd simply love a timeless heirloom portrait of your child or you'd enjoy being part of this once-in-a-lifetime community celebration, I truly believe there's a beautiful option for every family.

One hundred children.

One hundred stories.

One hundred moments in time that deserve to be remembered.

If you're raising a child anywhere in Michiana, I'd be honored to invite your family to be part of this very first 100 Faces of Childhood collection.

Together, we'll create a timeless heirloom portrait, celebrate your child exactly as they are today, and preserve a piece of childhood that your family will treasure for generations to come.

Participation in 100 Faces of Childhood is intentionally limited, and waitlist families will receive the very first opportunity to register when registration opens.

I'd love for you to join us.

👉 Join the 100 Faces of Childhood Waitlist here: Join the Waitlist

I can't wait to meet the faces that will make up this very first collection.

Wondering what children wear for heirloom portraits? I'll be sharing that next week.