Posts Tagged: event photography

Bride Jackie showered with love

The beautiful girl in the pic below is a hyphenate to us.
No she’s not a singer-producer-actress.
She’s a chef-photographer-niece. And she’s FAB.

Jackie's boho asheville nc bridal shower photo

Jackie was our niece first, of course, and we’ve loved her forever. During her college days, she acted as our assistant for extra large weddings when we needed another pair of great eyes, swift feet and brilliant can-do attitude. Now, this girl-lady-woman is a talented chef in Savannah, Georgia … a town that knows its food.

Just last month, I photographed her small bridal shower in Asheville. We’re all still hip-deep in Covid World, but this event mattered so much to us. The couple expertly created a delicious spread for the party, in-part because food and catering sources are limited/strained, and because these two are so great at what they do. Cookies and cupcakes were custom created by Love & Butter Baking Co to accompany the small bites, luscious sliders, chicken and waffles and more.

Hosted by Jackie’s sister Krystin and a dear friend, the theme was bohemian in both atmosphere and goodie bags. Family members and friends gathered from VA, FL, NC, GA, and while others joined through Facetime from CA and South Africa to shower the bride with love and gifts.

The pair planned to be married in September, but since the country isn’t quite ready to reopen just yet, they have rescheduled their ceremony to May of 2021 and Pixels is definitely looking forward to photographing the occasion at Crest Center & Pavilion in Asheville.

In the meantime, we love you, Jackie. Stay safe and know how loved 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 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Merlefest Memories Part 2 – the music

Merlefest 2020 would have started tomorrow, April 23rd and Ryan, Finley and I would have joined our official photographer pals and hundreds of others who love music to celebrate. Wilkes County fills up with vendors, fans and of course, some of the best bluegrass, blues, indie, folk and country singers and musicians in the nation.

Pixels on Paper photography Merlefest 2016 Steep Canyon Rangers photo

The line-up of musicians each year is impressive to say the least. For 2020, this was true too. Sadly, on April 7, 2020 one of the most beloved musicians and performers around, John Prine, passed away due to Covid-19 – the very reason there is no Merlefest this year. Prine was on the schedule to perform and we were all looking forward to it. Other famous performers included the Avett Brothers, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush and many more from years past.

What began as traditional Appalachian style music that Doc Watson and son Merle just exploded in both interest and talent. The festival benefits Wilkes Community College. If you want to learn more, I would encourage it.

We also want to encourage everyone to consider a gift this year too, since costs were incurred gearing up for the 2020 lineup, set up and coordination. To donate to Merlefest, visit the site.


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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Event Photography

If you are new to our blog, welcome! Look around and make yourself at home. One thing you’ll notice fairly quickly if you visit the commercial page of our blog, is that we have been Official Photographers at Merlefest every year since 2015. And we love it. We love ALL OF IT.

We love the dynamism, the energy, the chaos, the crowds and fans, and BOY do we love the music. As photographers, we are all over the place during that weekend of bands, vendors and community celebrations. Our task is to capture all of it – not just the various stages where some of the best performances you’ll ever see are taking place. We roam on a schedule and freely and it’s all amazing.

Pixels on Paper photography Merlefest 2016 Steep Canyon Rangers photo

Event photography in the form of weddings is a completely different animal and when we were grabbed hold of by music event photography, it grabbed us hard!

Pixels On Paper official photographers MerleFest 2015 music festival photo

Not all events we shoot are days long and with multiple performers. Grievous Angels is a North Carolina band that Ryan and I love and we’re pals with the members. When they asked for photos of them playing, it was a no brainer. Like Merlefest, we were able to capture the energy and the musicians while enjoying the music. They play at smaller venues like coffee houses and they play to tried and true fans as well as newcomers who find themselves drawn in.

Pixels on paper photography charlotte band music photo

Pixels also covers non-musical events be they community or family. Last year in June, Ryan and I took Finley to Touch-a-Track, an event and fundraiser where we volunteered and captured photos.

Pixels On Paper North Wilkesboro NC Touch-A-Truck 2019 Event Photo

If you have an event, musical or otherwise of the non-wedding variety, please contact us. We would love to hear more about it and help you capture and promote it with professional images and good vibes.


We love graphic design and commercial photography whether logo design, brochure design, head shot photos, architectural photography or product shots. At Pixels On Paper we pride ourselves in listening to a broad range of clients and customizing our photography and graphic design services to meet each individual request. Our skills, styles, and visions come together to be a permanent record that either reflects an identity or delivers a message that speaks to thousands. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your business needs. Email us at mail@pixelsonpaper.net or call 336.990.0080 to learn more, receive a quote or to let us know how we can put our skills to work for you.

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 ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Our Merlefest 2018 – Part 1

You know there is a through line – a connective line that runs through your story – when you can link times of the year and events as if looking back at a journal from childhood or college or even a few years ago. Like the seasons bring the exciting and inevitable, Spring for us brings Merlefest. It is an example of that through line for us. We have been official photographers for Merlefest since 2015, making this our 4th year and since our first venture, we’ve had so much other life, including the addition of a child.

For 2018, it was a reclamation and revisiting and – poetry aside – a crap-ton of work – and this time, Finley was with us. We found ourselves again, remembering what we love as event photographers and serious music-lovers. Below is just a selection of some of our favorites!! Stand by for more in a couple of days!

We Banjo 3

Elephant Revival

Cane Mill Road

Kruger Brothers

Lindsay Lou

The Barefoot Movement

Piper Jones

Midatlantic Band

Nu-Blu

Rhiannon Giddens

Scythian

The Mavericks


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.

music, memories, & the magic of merlefest ……..

We joined the Merlefest brigade of official photographers in 2015 and as our 4th year approaches and we prepare for our badges to arrive and the admin stuff to cross our desks, we’re getting jazzed. I just wrote about dreaming of spring and the orchard we love. This feels the same to me. There’s heat and sweat – the layers come off as the spring air evaporates the dew, lawn chairs are set in rows, the stages are literally set and the throngs arrive to listen to the very best in blue grass and Americana. We love Merlefest.

The Stray Birds Merlefest 2017

Avett Brothers Band Merlefest 2017

James Taylor with Transatlantic Sessions Merlefest 2017

Pixels on Paper photography Merlefest 2016 Steep Canyon Rangers photo

Pixels on Paper Photography Merlefest 2016 Lindsay Lou & Flatbellys photo

Our first year credentials and we loved every single second of it. Cannot wait for 2018. The line-up is still  evolving and the dates are April 26 – April 29. Get your tickets now and we’ll see you there!pixels on paper merlefest 2015 music festival photographers 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, 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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.