"I first saw John Hershey's artwork in the home of a friend," says Laury Hartman of Naperville, "and it stood out in my mind.  I went home and told my husband that I wanted to have one of Hershey's canvases done someday."

Two years later, this mother of two small girls called Hershey and described the portraits she wanted of her children.  "My goal was to capture their innocence," Hartman explains.  "I wanted something very natural, and John was gracious as I talked with him about my ideas.  The day we had the pictures taken, I took the girls to Hershey's studio in their blue dresses and bare feet.

For about an hour, the children wandered through the wildflowers and sat beside the pond in Hershey's outdoor studio.  "His philosophy is, 'Let the children play.  They'll forget I'm here.'" Hartman adds.  "John captured them as I want to remember them - their profiles, their chubby little arms.   In one of the pictures, they were even holding hands."

Several weeks later, Laury and her husband, Dan, went to Hershey's studio to view the photographs Hershey had taken of the girls, Lyndsay and Keri.  Laury Hartman explains, "We went hoping we could find one that we would love.  We left feeling we left treasures behind - because each photo told a story.  We ended up with two different pictures.  One day we'll give one to each girl - on portrait on the pond and one in the wildflowers.  They are magnificent!"

Continually referring to these canvases as "art." Laury Hartman adds, "To me, they are ageless art of our children.  I can see these in my children's homes when they are adults, and they'll still turn as many heads.  John Hershey has given me the best thing I could ever cherish"

The children seem to share their parents' enthusiasm for John Hershey.   Lyndsay, a first grader, recently asked her mother is she could invite the photographer to school for Bring-A-Guest Day.  "He made me feel special when he took my picture," Lyndsay explains.  Honored and touched that the six year-old would think of him, Hershey accepted the invitation.

According to Lyndsay, "He took pictures of everyone in our class.   And he let all of us look through the camera.  It was cool, because he showed how a person's head could get cut off!"

John Hershey enjoyed his time with the first grade class as well.   "It was fun!" he says enthusiastically.  "The children were very attentive, very curious.  Lyndsay showed the class the pictures I had taken of her and her sister, Keri, and she showed them her picture in the phone book yellow pages.   It was especially wonderful to see first graders standing up in front of everyone in class and giving a presentation. It really prepares them for speaking in front of a group as they get older,"