Monthly Archives: February 2016
a blowing rock engagement portrait session ……. with Dr. Who
“There’s a lot of things you need to get across this universe.
Warp drive… wormhole refractors…
You know the thing you need most of all? You need a hand to hold.”
— The Doctor, Season 6, Episode 6 of Dr. Who
These two are die hard fans of Dr. Who. “Who? Precisely.” No kidding, their wedding color is Dr. Who blue.
Meet Kyle and Elizabeth. They are gamers and voracious readers. They love Disney and are easily one of the most interesting couples we’ve ever photographed. And interesting isn’t a euphemism for “we don’t understand them.” We do understand them. They are singular and share the same interests, goals and loves and they are…..in love. What’s fun, as an “old married couple” who still adore each other, is knowing that what’s ahead for them is going to be the ride of their lives, starting with their March 2016 wedding and WE. CANNOT. WAIT.
“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” — The Doctor, Season 2, Episode 2
But let’s set the stage. They met while both were employed at Gamestop in Boone, NC and after realizing how much fun they had working together, they also realized how much they had in common….. which led to wanting to be together all the time …. which led to the biggest epiphany: “We are an US.” It was only a matter of time. They both love games, as I mentioned, they have favorite books and authors they’re devoted to. [To wit: Elizabeth has multiple copies of Black Beauty and couldn’t decide which edition to use for our photo session.] In fact, while shooting the photos of them with their favorite books, we feel confident that they weren’t posing for us – they were actually reading. Each wedding party member was asked to name their favorite book of all time and pages of those books will create the bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding day. How incredibly cool is that? We got a sneak peek of a bouquet during Elizabeth’s bridal portrait session and let’s just say, it’s amazing!
“I am and always will be the optimist. The hoper of far-flung hopes and the dreamer of improbable dreams.” — The Doctor, Season 6, Episode 6
The details for their March wedding don’t just encompass the things they share as a couple with their friends, but also include family heirlooms and traditions. Elizabeth will be carrying a small silver purse and locket when she walks down the aisle and will wear pearls just as her mother did at her wedding. Kyle’s family has a tradition of dancing as married couples from oldest to youngest and then sharing wisdom during the reception. It’s a nice mix of old and new that is going to make this wedding – and marriage – work.
“Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person.” — The Doctor, Season 3, Episode 6
Harry Potter and Dr. Who scarves made an appearance in photos and these two were naturally candid in front of the camera and totally into one another. Kyle loves photography and not until the end of the day did we know that he came to the session with lots of photo-related concerns and thoughts in mind. At the end of our session he told us that we had taken care of everything and fulfilled all his ideas even better than he had envisioned. It’s a great feeling to know that we’re intuiting before we set up the first shot and it’s why we spend so much time getting to know our clients. We always ask tons of non-photography related questions for this very reason, and the answers allow us to create images that are personal and truly reflect our subjects.
“We’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” — The Doctor, Season 5, Episode 13
Like the good Doctor, we too are hopers of far-flung hopes, but before we get too far down the road, let’s celebrate the now. We’re excited about the wedding and reception of Elizabeth and Kyle, with the bouquets of sonnets, board and electronic games at the reception, emblems of their beloved interests and family mementos – it should be a wild and beautiful ride.
“When you’re a kid, they tell you it’s all… Grow up, get a job, get married, get a house, have a kid, and that’s it. But the truth is, the world is so much stranger than that. It’s so much darker. And so much madder. And so much better.”
— Elton Pope, Dr. Who, Season 2, Episode 10.
colorful outdoor family portraits on the blue ridge parkway
This family means a lot to us.
Kim Hatfield is the owner of Waggles Pet Supply. You may recall that we provided portraits for pet food and donated along with Waggles to the Wilkes Animal Shelter. We collaborate with her and her business on so many great causes and we simply adore her and her family as humans. But the best gift, the biggest compliment is that we get to photograph her family. Kim and Terry have a precious daughter, Rayne.
We photographed Rayne’s newborn session and she’s only gotten more cute and more animated. She grins with her mouth open like she’s in the middle of a sentence or a funny thought. It’s hilarious to watch. Kim and Terry’s one request for this session was that we include mountains as a backdrop, which is not a tall order. We’d been eyeing this location along the Blue Ridge Parkway for months, but had never photographed there before. Pretty lighting, great views and a spectacular sunset! We love the outcome.
We know we’ve said this, but we’re outdoorsy so we’re saying it again. We live in a beautiful place. North Carolina, particularly our mountains and valleys, will stop you in your tracks. And it’s not just the mountain views, it’s the details of rock and moss, sky and grass. This family stood out in their bright clothes in every setting we placed them in.
Doesn’t Rayne look like she’s going to grow up to be a great chat? The woman you’re going to want to sit next to on a flight from Toronto to Dallas? She’s a charmer and people are attracted to her every expression. Even butterflies have attached themselves to her shoes…. oh wait. Nevermind.
A fun aside: At Pixels on Paper’s 10 year anniversary, the Hatfield family attended of course and Rayne was the star of the day. She was wearing the most adorable outfit, everyone wanted to hold her and she wanted to be hitched to the hip of the funnest and snuggliest among the partygoers. Those dancing were at the top of her list since she could bounce to the rhythm on the dance floor. Our dear pal, photographer Michael Anderson, of Michael A. Anderson Photography, captured the shot below of her.
I wanted to end with the shot below, mostly because Rayne looks like she’s just blown a kiss and is saying “That’s All Folks!” Watching her grow up is going to be the biggest treat. Kim, Terry and Rayne: WE LOVE YOU!!!!
Brock turns one and celebrates in our outdoor portrait garden
“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” We scheduled this outdoor shoot months in advance and planned a large number of portraits with Master Brock to celebrate his first trip around the sun. And Mother Nature shook her head and said, “sorry, guys.” It poured rain.
We first met sweet Brock as a newborn in 2014 when his parents Becky and Jackson brought him from South Carolina to our Wilkesboro studio. He wasn’t as big as a minute, but grinned in one of our first, and favorite, shots of him. We saw them again for his 6 month session and he was even smilier. That hasn’t changed. He’s a happy kid.
Check out Brock’s mini work boots!!
“mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…………. SPRINKLES.”
Because we don’t pull a switch-a-roo with families who make arrangements months ahead and then travel to us, we LOVE having the backup options we do. These outdoor photos of Brock were taken on our covered front porch while the rain was coming down. When there was a slight break in the rain, we used a wagon rather than plopping in onto the wet ground. The lush green of the yard ultimately made a perfect backdrop for this little dude in his plaid shirts and work boots.
For those who don’t know us – YET – we converted a piece of property and restored a farm house that is 162 years old. We’ve spent hours, days and weeks on every square inch of the studio both inside and out, creating spaces everywhere than can be used for photos. We have even more plans for creating portrait scenes in our outdoor portrait garden for 2016! Whether you have a little one or two (or 3) you want photoed outside, or creative maternity portraits shot, or are newly engaged, please get in touch. We’d love to get to know you and work with you whether it’s at our studio or at a location you love.
newborn portraits taken in the comfort of home
So much can be translated through a simple black and white photograph. There’s something about them that conveys more with less.
We love photographing in color and black and white depending on the setting, the subjects, the mood and desired results. We didn’t take every single image during this shoot in black and white, but my favorites just happen to be those. When you take away the color, there isn’t less life, there is actually more. The distractions are removed and you have a more documentary feel, more emotion. Your eyes go to the subject, place and story. And because most of us have family photos in black and white of grandparents, there is something universal and timeless about the look.
We joined parents Anita and Mitch, big brother Rohan and grandfather Bhushan at their home in Boone, NC for an intimate family photo session to celebrate their newest member, Anya. She landed in warm arms, surrounded by those waiting for and excited by her.
In-home sessions are less about posed photography and more about capturing a family’s lifestyle. Images tend to be candid moments shared in the home during daily life and interactions with each other. I try to focus on emotion and finding moments of connection. Babies, newborns especially, are sort of mesmerizing because they’re so new. The world was one place and then – BOOM – it changed with a new member of the human race. Molecularly, chemically, socially, emotionally, naturally – the planet shifted.
I loved watching the way Mitch held Anya in his lap and talked through her crying and comforting her. Daddy love is real. Another sweet moment was when mom Anita held Anya and softly explained to Rohan why he needed to be gentle with his little sister. Rohan gently explored Anya’s fingers and toes while she was in his lap and locked eyes with her when she was wide awake and taking in her new world. The entire family gathered together on the couch and read a book together (mostly in an effort to get Rohan to sit still long enough for a family photo). It was so beautiful and simple that the black and white just seemed to capture the day.
We don’t do too many in-home newborn sessions because there is no control over the environment, what natural light is available vs. the lighting we can transport, backdrops and props, temperature, etc. But I bend to families in situations such as a C-section or tough schedules or when a baby’s health prevents them from coming to me. I’m more than happy in those cases to go to them. While I let parents know that I may not be able to capture what I can create in the studio, it’s a fun challenge and often the elements of home and comfort shine through. This was true of the Parry family and sweet, sweet Anya. We look forward to watching her grow up.