When it’s time to memorialize a loved one, photos are a great place to start. Sifting through a stack of family pictures, or a photo gallery on your phone, can bring comfort. But when a single image is needed to express all the things that made your loved one so special, a single photo often will not do the job.

When a photo isn’t enough, you need a portrait.

What makes a portrait different from a photo?

A photograph captures the image of a person during a single moment in time. A portrait, as the name suggests, portrays the full person: it may show scenes from their life, or incorporate things they loved or a job they held. Even without any of those elements, a portrait will go the extra mile to show how your grandmother’s smile seemed to the light up the room, or the way her eyes sparkled as she watched the grandchildren at play.

A portrait shows what the camera can’t always catch.

In addition, a photo may be of any quality but a portrait is a high quality, idealized depiction of the person you love. It may look like a painting or a professional studio photograph, according to the family’s wishes. As opposed to the happenstance of a photograph, every element in a portrait is thoughtfully engineered to flatter the subject and honor the person’s life.

How do I decide if I need a portrait?

Look through the photos you are considering using to remember your loved one and take the following into consideration:

  • Size: Is my photo too small? Would I like a larger version?
  • Condition: Is my photo faded, torn or damaged?
  • Distortion: Is the photo at a bad angle? Does it change the way my loved one looks?
  • Distance: Is the photo zoomed out? Does it not focus on my loved one enough?
  • Unwanted elements or people: Are there other people in the photo? Are there distracting elements surrounding or partially blocking my loved one?
  • Color: Is the photo discolored? Are there favorite colors I would like to incorporate that aren’t in the original photo?
  • Black and White: Would I like my black and white photo colored? Would I like a color photo transformed into vintage black and white or sepia?
  • Special backgrounds: Would I like to incorporate a favorite pet or flower, or a profession or other precious memory into the background?

After examining your photos, you may find there are things you want to alter or improve to tell the full story of your loved one. Here are some of the ways a portrait artist can solve these problems:

A portrait can be sized to your specifications. If you need more space to show all the details about your loved one, a portrait can be enlarged accordingly.

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Damaged photos can be restored to make beautiful portraits. Even a very old or damaged photo can glow in the hands of a portrait artist.

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Portrait artists can colorize a black and white photo. Maybe your old photos don’t show the beautiful red paint job on your grandpa’s first car. A portrait can restore that memory.

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A portrait can combine memories. Not limited to one photo, a portrait can incorporate several memories or elements that are special to your family.

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How do I get a portrait made?

Memory Portraits is honored to serve funeral homes and the families in their care with their special memorial needs. The artists at Memory Portraits can help with all of your portrait needs, as well as offering memorial videos and other services. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your questions.

 

About the author:

I’m Heather Landry, an artist at Memory Portraits. The most rewarding part of my day is being able to comfort families by making special portraits (“Can you add butterflies? Grandpa loved butterflies!”) and restoring difficult photos into something that can bring a smile to their faces and help with the healing process.