It should come as no surprise that there are beautiful children here in Charleston, SC. And there is no better subject than a face like this when he or she is well dressed! Henry was dressed by his grandma Kathy who purchased his "gentleman" clothing at Southern Belles - I LOVE this store. They have a lot of different styles and also a lot of heirloom clothing. The store is not far from my studio, just a 20 minutes in Mount Pleasant, SC and the owner Susie Moloney is the sweetest lady on this earth. Love when my clients take the time to dress children so beautifully!

This little guy, Henry is four years old. Oh that face.... just so perfect! It's God's work of art, and He certainly made this one exquisitely.  The innocence of a child is the most beautiful thing in the world... and Henry does not fall short. He stole my heart!

I LOVE children, and my FAVORITE ages to photograph is between 2 and 5 years old. To me, in general that is the sweet spot. Why? Well, I think its because they no longer look like "babies" BUT their face also has'nt changed enough - its also like they are not a baby but they still have the "baby face" - if that makes sense.

I wanted to hang this painted portrait I spent countless hours working on in my West Ashley Studio... so help me settle a debate! Color or Black and White... its been 3 days since I have finished this piece and love both versions to much I am really struggling to decide!

So what do you think? Should Henry's portrait be created in Color or Black and White? Help me out and give me your 2 cents!

Artistically Yours,

Maria Sampaio