merlefest 2016

4 days, 18 bands, 13 stages, 74,500 roaming festival goers and 22 miles of steps for both of us. And all God’s children and Mastercard ad lovers said, “Priceless.”
We were asked to be official photographers again this year for Merlefest 2016 and were there from Wednesday to Sunday, so we’re splitting this blog into 2. We simply saw and photographed too much to try to load it into one. Like last year, it was amazing: the music, the lively vibe, the pace (read: non-stop) and we’d be lying if we didn’t say we were thrilled OUT OF OUR MINDS to have 3 of Misty’s shots picked up by major media outlets: Rolling Stone, Huffington Post and HCPress.pixels on paper photography merlefest 2016 rolling stone photoRanking the bands would take WAAAY to much negotiation, so we’re just gonna show you shots of those we covered and let you investigate those you’ve never heard of and grin at those you know well.
Barefoot Movement – a bluegrass, folk trio out of Nashville.
Pixels on Paper Photography Barefoot Movement Ryan photoPixels on Paper Photography Barefoot Movement Merlefest 2016 photoPixels on Paper Photography Barefoot Movement Merlefest 2016 photoBecky Buller – bluegrass fiddler, with a classical violin background and Old-Time/Country flair (Minnesota meets East Tennessee)
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Becky Buller photo

Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Becky Buller photo

Becky Buller’s high-spirited accompaniment

Girls, girls and more girls! In order….
Emi Sunshine – a 12-year old dynamo/prodigy whose surname is spot on (from Tennessee)
Jennifer B & the Groove – Americana rock band out with a kick-butt front woman (Austin, Texas)
Sarah Potenza – Raw vocalist who leaves it all on the stage (Nashville, Tennessee)
And, finally April Verch, who Rolling Stone said best embodied the spirit of Doc Watson. She’s a CHARMER!
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Emi Sunshine photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Emi Sunshine photoJennifer B & the Groove…Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Jennifer B photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Jennifer B photoSarah Polenza…Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Sarah Potenza photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Sarah Potenza photoApril Verch…
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 April Verch photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 April Verch photoNow for some boys, starting with We Banjo 3 – a brilliant mix of Irish and American strumming, fiddling and flash.
Below those guys are Old Crow Medicine Show out of Nashville. We may have lost count, but there were at least 2 banjos, an upright base, guitars and fiddles.
And finally, the Wood Brothers – an amazing trio out of Nashville.
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 We Banjo 3 photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 We Banjo 3 photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 We Banjo 3 photoOld Crow Medicine Show…
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Old Crow Medicine Show photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Old Crow Medicine Show photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Old Crow Medicine Show photoThe Wood Brothers…
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 the Wood Brothers photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 the Wood Brothers photo<Happy Sigh> enough for now.
Ok – two more: Sunday Morning Blues and South Carolina Broadcasters.
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Sunday Morning Blues photoPixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Sunday Morning Blues photoSouth Carolina Broadcasters…
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 South Carolina Broadcasters photoMore in our next blog about the new-comers, the regulars like Steep Canyon Rangers and the old-timers who’ve made Merlefest every year for 29 years.
We’ll leave you with another media love-up, this one from Huffington Post. We couldn’t be more honored or humbled!
Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Huffington Post photo

 

We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden.Pixels on Paper photographs babies and kidsengagements and weddingsbrides and special events and portraits of all kinds in our Wilkesboro, NC studio. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your family and be a part of taking special portraits that will become, we hope, family heirlooms.

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