Posts Tagged: creative photography

Looking back at 2023

We are diving head first into 2024 but not before completing a blog post that recaps the photos of our client’s and friends from 2023. We continue to feel incredibly blessed that so many each and every year trust us to photograph and capture the most important memories of their lives. We met some amazing people, felt like a part of so many of these people’s lives, and more often than not were right there along side of them having just as much fun. We gained numerous friendships last year. 2023 brought senior portraits, family portraits, newborn photography, photos of children, pet pics, and commercial photography both in our studio and out and about on location. We are inpatient when it comes to figuring out what 2024 will bring and excited about the photographs we will capture and designs we will create

The following are a few of our personal favorite images from some of those we photographed in 2023. Enjoy the view!

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 newborns and families, 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.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License All photos are ©2023 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photos

It’s hard NOT to get sentimental writing a blog about this family. For starters, we’ve been taking pictures of them for over a decade. Secondly, we love them. They are friends that go into the True Blue category.

We took these images at Blue Ridge Mountain Club in Blowing Rock where the views and weather rarely disappoint. We go way back with these guys, as you’ll see in the image blocks below with dates attached. They are so photogenic and I love looking back to see how much kids Slater and Alarie have grown. Documenting their lives has been a pleasure and each photo shoot is way more Good Time than Work Time.

Slater is a Junior PGA Golfer, which is mind-blowing to me. The boy’s got skills! But it’s watching him play with my son Finley, really taking the time to create a bond with him that touches me. I’ve said it many times: great parents make great kids. The Meade’s are proof.

Mom Carisa is and has been a wonderful friend to me. I remember bringing my son Finley home, with all the emotions attached to those first weeks, and there was Carisa with dinner and outstretched arms. She wanted to snuggle a newborn as much as I needed to get a bit of peace and reassurance.

Husband, dad and man of a million smiles Bradley owns MBI Builders and has contracted with Pixels on Paper to capture images of the amazing work MBI does. To see more of those images, check out our Commercial category.

Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo
Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo
Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo
Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo
Meade Family Blowing Rock NC Outdoor Family Portrait Photo

Alarie is a lively little sprite – ready to run, laugh and plays softball like a champ. Watch out for her pitch! I don’t want time to hurry, but I am excited to see what this girl becomes as she grows into a young woman.

Outdoor family portrait photography by Pixels On Paper photo
2010
2010
2013
2013
Meade Outdoor Family Portrait Photography photo
2014
2014
2017
2017
Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo
Pixels On Paper Blowing Rock NC Meade Family Outdoor Family Portrait Photo

I would be no kind of entrepreneur if I didn’t mention that we offer an extra service for those clients who want to create a wall in their home with images that Pixels has taken. We don’t make you download from a site, or spend hours in the cloud, only to have to sort out sizing and framing. People are too busy and we consider it part of doing what we do best: creating heirlooms and memories. For the Meade’s, this wall is in their staircase and seeing it fill up does my heart good.

Needless to say, I look forward to many more photo sessions with this wonderful family in the years ahead.


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 newborns and families, 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.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License All photos are ©2022 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Newborn Photos Magdelyn Gwynn

How do I love being behind the camera capturing shots of newborns? Let me count the ways, people!! This precious nugget is the daughter of a couple whose wedding we shot 6 years ago. Meghann and Josh had a gorgeous mountain top event that was outside, colorful and filled with so much joy. I remember it like it was yesterday. After their honeymoon, they continued to be pet parents, and proceeded into their new life with vigor and no real thoughts of parenting actual humans on the horizon.

Enter Magdelyn Gwynn. I imagine a movie director’s jump cut to today, where we all find ourselves besotted with Maggie. There were several moments during this newborn photography session that brought each of us to tears. She is absolutely precious in every way that newborns are, and these two are amazing parents.

Meghann shared that she had a theme in mind for the portraits when she contacted me, and together we worked to create it for the nursery and for these portraits. The palette was inspired by the couple’s trip to Hawaii, and along with the flowers and other accessories – including a purple heirloom blanket that was woven on an actual loom by a family member – made for some images that will become heirlooms themselves.

One of our favorite shots from their 2016 wedding (above) was inspiration for several images I took of Maggie. Wrapped up in her mom’s gown, she looks like a little angel floating in a bedding of clouds. We even used Meghann’s garter as a headband for Maggie. I love the effect. She looks crowned like a princess weighting to grow up to reign – and enjoy cheddar goldfish.

Maggie’s parents are App State alums and boosters, so we included Mountaineers paraphernalia, as well as a helmet of Josh’s from high school. It doesn’t ALL have to be frilly. Josh is already so incredibly in love with his daughter, but when we’d arranged her into the helmet and gear, he got a little emotional. I love how these images turned out too. Her little golden tutu and crossed legs are the cutest.

There will be more images of little Maggie to come in the months ahead, and I for one cannot wait to see her again. Welcome to the wide world, little dumpling.


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 newborns and families, 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.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License All photos are ©2022 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Barn building complete + the finishing touch

So my mom raises charolais cattle – pretty white cows with pink noses and has for a while now. As if she doesn’t have enough to do. If you can today – call your Mom and tell her that you know how amazing she is.
Now where was I?
A while back our clan built a barn on their property for these cows and it’s completed now. We still had one finishing touch to add and that was something Ryan and I worked on.

There is a beloved member of Mom’s charolais cattle and her name is Shiloh. She is both matriarch and pet (she finds time to be both in her busy schedule) and was the inspiration for a quilt/plaque that Ryan designed, I painted and he built. We knew it would be the keystone of the barn and a signal to my mom’s love of what she does.

After we finished creating the quilt/plaque, we took it to share with Shiloh, …. you know… to get her approval.

I promise that we’re safe. Seeing Ryan atop all of those pallets would make your heart stop if you didn’t know Ryan. He wrapped up the project by hanging the quilt above the barn door exterior.

We love it! Mom loves it, and Shiloh – while seemingly underwhelmed – appears to be a fan too. She celebrates her 12th birthday on March 9th. Happy Birthday, OG (that stands for old gal!!)
To see the beginnings of the barn build, check out this blog!


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 newborns and families, 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.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License All photos are ©2022 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.