Posts Tagged: Asheville family photos

5 Reasons to Have Professional Portraits

We know that you guys are busy. Believe me – we’re right there with you. You have a million things to do, so a lot of those “things” end up happening quickly and less deliberately. We’re running around constantly.

Boar’s Head – the premium deli meat purveyors – have created a tagline to get us to think about how we have to thread the needle of decision making: Compromise Elsewhere. It’s a good one, huh? And, sadly or not, it’s necessary in a busy, noisy world.

“Choose your battles.” “Spend your time wisely,” etc. and it’s true. So I would like to co-opt this idea of compromising elsewhere with regard to keeping your biggest moments in life, those things that matter and will someday become the heirlooms on film and not stuck in your phone or in a cloud. For that you need professional photography and a little bit of planning.

So here are my 5 reasons why hiring a professional photographer – ie someone who is seasoned, great at it and loves it – to capture the most important moments in life.
5 – If you make the time, the results are worth it. The quality is better and Ryan and I have worked for well over a decade to make this is true.

4 – It’s more fun than you think it will be. Seriously. People make appointments thinking it’s a box to tick because they need good photos of milestone (AND YOU DO!!), but our clients come back again and again for sessions, because there is a vibe and flow and a lot of laughter. We’re easy like Sunday morning, as the song goes, and the vast majority become our dear friends. We try to make shoots fun no matter where we are or who we’re with because who wants a job that stinks? And honestly – WE DO HAVE FUN. We are real people who are married with a baby and who love music, craft beer, gardening, hockey, family, travel and capturing portraits.

3 – Proper portraits, shot by professional photographers, are of the best quality. It’s just true. Your social media “story” or travel snapshots provide a sense of a moment and some narrative, but professionals portraits do not have to be stuffy. They are real AND turn out better than something shot on the most expensive smart phone or personal point and click digital camera. Part of this is our equipment. We use only the best cameras, lens, and lighting and then the best technology for clarity, cropping, processing and retouch. And then part of it is our experience. We don’t take photos as part of a holiday. It’s how we make our living. Enough on that. You get it. The last part is our passion. We know what we’re doing, do it with the very best equipment and software and we absolutely LOVE IT.

Madelyn McGuire Family and Child Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography photo

2 – Professional portraits make amazing gifts. We’ve all seen the sort of “great, but blurry” or pixelated framed images and while the sentiment is there – the quality isn’t. If you’re going to give a gift, give a nice one. Whether it’s framed for your own home, made into calendar or used for some fun type of gift, your friends and family will appreciate it if it doesn’t look like it was created on someone’s lunch break in an alley.

The number ONE reason to have professional portraits taken is because the time will indeed pass quickly and when the moment is gone it is indeed actually gone. Kids grow up, the wedding day comes and goes, the beautiful bride goes back to her life and job or career path, the family disburses to the 4 corners of the earth and getting that minute back is just impossible.

Consider where you are in your life right now, what big events, milestones or celebrations are on the horizon during the next few months or even year and give us a call. We’d love to be the ones to create those heirlooms for you.


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, engagements 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Autumn Family Outdoor Portraits

 

Autumn in North Carolina is pretty gorgeous and while we’re a little ways out from leaf season (it’s still August for Pete’s sake), it’s good to get a jump on scheduling outdoor portrait sessions for your seniors in high school and for your family.
Hatfield Photography, Family portrait photography by Wilkesboro NC Photographers Pixels On Paper photopixels-on-paper-child-family-fall-portrait-photographer-photopixels-on-paper-child-family-fall-portrait-photographer-photoOur lenses have focused on too many rocks and trees and rivers to count, but we love the fall for that reason. We love the changing seasons, the shock of cool air, the wool sweaters, the boots and the memories created that AREN’T beach, sea and sand. Get out your calendars, choose your location and clothes and give us a call! We’re ready when you are!


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, engagements 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Family Reunion Portraits – Pick Your Spot and Let’s Go!

We know that the temptation with family gatherings, especially with the vacation season already here, is to use your phone to grab little candid moments in photos that are impromptu and casual. They don’t always turn out that way though. Not everyone ends up being happy with the results. As pro photographers, our instinct is always to be capturing memories where people really do feel like they look their best. We make our subjects feel comfortable, we love to laugh, learn the little relational connections and inside jokes, and we absolutely – ABSOLUTELY – understand the family dynamic.

This is our case for scheduling a family portrait session this summer season. Pick out your duds, your location, who you want included (WE LOVE A FULL ON FAMILY REUNIONS) and let’s create a moment on film where everyone looks and feels awesome. You’ll be glad.

Here’s to families!

Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space.” – Evan Esar 

My family is really boring. They have a coffee table book called Pictures We Took Just to Use up the Rest of the Film.” – Penelope Lombard

Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts.” – Wayne Huizenga

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family… in another city.” – George BurnsThe other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.” – George Carlin

Obviously, if I was serious about having a relationship with someone long-term, the last people I would introduce him to would be my family.” – Chelsea HandlerSo, the jokes are because laughter is ultimately what keeps us together, but we seriously love day in the life photo shoots, posed portraits and outdoor gatherings of family. Tis the season to get everyone around a place or a day you love and let us capture some images of 2018 that will last long after this season is over.


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, engagements 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Love Your Mama! | Celebrating Motherhood

No matter what it looks like, motherhood is profound. Mothers declare – with this first amazing act of carrying a child and then giving birth to it – that they will forever share their food, put their immediate needs aside, hold their child’s head above the rising water, look for sacred lost things, and provide comfort, perspective, structure, laughter, physical and emotional affection, joy and support till the very end.

Minick Outdoor Maternity Portrait Photography

Pixels On Paper wedding photographers. Biltmore Estate engagement portrait Asheville NC photo

I’ve heard that a mother’s job is to be a witness to whoever your child is and turns out to be. They are not you, just of you. Kahil Gibran, said that right? You are the bow and your child is the arrow being shot out into a world ready to be discovered. What gets them out there into that wide world armed with humility, confidence and strength is steady mother love.
Pixels on Paper Photography Outdoor Portrait garden photoMadelyn McGuire Family and Child Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography photo
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there. If your mom is still with us, call her, take her to brunch, go for a walk with her, invite her over and cook her a meal. But most importantly, tell her thank you.
Morning Song
Love set you going like a fat gold watch.
The midwife slapped your footsoles, and your bald cry
Took its place among the elements.
Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue.
In a drafty museum, your nakedness
Shadows our safety. We stand round blankly as walls.
I’m no more your mother
Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow
Effacement at the wind’s hand.
All night your moth-breath
Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen:
A far sea moves in my ear.
One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral
In my Victorian nightgown.
Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s. The window square
Whitens and swallows its dull stars. And now you try
Your handful of notes;
The clear vowels rise like balloons.
– Sylvia Plath
Hatfield Photography, Family portrait photography by Wilkesboro NC Photographers Pixels On Paper photo

Save

Fall Portrait Sessions – Time to Book!

We’re now booking our fall outdoor portrait sessions beginning in late September and running through October. Our clients are brides, engaged couples, couples with their pets, siblings, and families of all sizes. Because of our heavenly locale, clients tend to prefer the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blowing Rock, Boone, and West Jefferson for their photo session, but the Pixels portrait garden in Wilkesboro is also ideal. If you have a special location, please get in touch with us and we’ll work out details and any special requests.pixels-on-paper-child-family-fall-portrait-photographer-photopixels-on-paper-child-family-fall-portrait-photographer-photoFall photos are often framed or turned into holiday cards or both. Bring props or we’ll bring them, but let’s create some memories. Contact us today to book your date! We cannot wait to see you.

Some of our favorites!
The Allen Family
The Hatfields
The Picards
The Vanmeters

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, engagements 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.