Photographer Captures All 11 of Her Kids in One Stunning Heirloom Portrait

Lisa Holloway Heirloom Portrait

Photographer Lisa Holloway is perfectly poised to capture stunning sibling photography—she has a beautiful brood of 11 children! For years, we’ve marveled over her striking portraits of her kids, each of them in the midst of a tranquil landscape and bathed in natural light.

Holloway’s children are often shot individually or in pairs, but for one of her latest photos, she’s combined all of them in one long black and white portrait. The image has the kids arranged, from nearly 2 years old to 20, in a single line as they all face a side-angle view. The result is what Holloway calls an heirloom portrait, which her kids can appreciate long after they’re grown.

So, how did Holloway create this photo? It’s easier than you think. “Each child was shot separately using natural window light and black fleece fabric for the backdrop,” she tells My Modern Met. “Once I had an image I liked of each of my children, I converted them to black and white and then lined them up and combined them into one image in Photoshop.” The piece is currently hanging as a 30-inch by 60-inch acrylic print in their home. “It was a fascinating experiment and such a fun way to compare different genetic traits—who has the same nose, chin, etc.”

The heirloom portrait is not only an eye-catching way to showcase the idiosyncrasies of Hollway's children, but it’s also a celebration of their entire clan. In the time since we last featured her work, Holloway has added another member to her family, Sylvie, in April 2016. Although she’s young, Sylvie has already proven herself to be a fighter; she was born with a congenital heart defect and had to endure open heart surgery at just three months old. But don't worry—Holloway says she's “doing fantastic now” and has joined the rest of her family for the photography fun.

Check out more of Holloway's sibling photography below!

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Child Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Child Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Child Photography by Lisa Holloway

Child Photography by Lisa Holloway

Child Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Sibling Photography by Lisa Holloway

Lisa Holloway: Website | Facebook | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Lisa Holloway.

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Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled "Embroidered Life" that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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