Posts Tagged: NC

Outdoor & Day in the Life Portraits

We love outdoor photo sessions during the warm months and summer provides plenty of opportunities for these. Yes! We can and will socially distance for the session, but that is not a hindrance when you decide you’d like some day in the life documentary photographs or portraits. Below are some favorite shots from summertime in the outdoors with some documentary sessions thrown in for good measure.

Reid family Pixels On Paper Boomer NC outdoor portrait 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 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.

Small Business Love-Up: Elkin Creek Vineyard

We are celebrating and loving up on small businesses and showcasing some of our favorites. Today we’re raising a glass to Elkin Creek Vineyard.

This small but fabulous vineyard and winery in the Yadkin Valley in the NC mountains is run by two families that Ryan and I love dearly. Not only have we photographed at their venue, but Elkin Creek is a favorite spot for us, especially on Sundays. We collect our energy, relax and reflect.

On Sundays, we sit on their porch by the river, eat wood-fired pizzas and fresh sour dough bread and drink their amazing wines. They’ve extended their food service days during quarantine to include curbside pick up, special menu items and wines to go.

If you are in the area and love wine, or love amazing food and want to support this special place, we encourage you to stop by. In the meantime, we hope you’ll follow them on Facebook, where you can see what they are serving and how to feed yourself while supporting these amazing folks!


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

Roman Turns One. Airplanes and Cake Smash

We cannot stop it. Time is going to do what it’s going to do….. keep passing. Suddenly Roman, below, is a year old.

Pierce One Year Portraits cake smash airplane by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers

The third child of Andy and Traci Pierce just celebrated his first birthday and this family does not “phone it in.” They come to PLAY with themes and props and outfits and the big dessert – cake.

Father Andy is a commercial pilot and we have used themes before in photo shoots with his two older brothers. Holden was Pierce baby number one and the aviation them was chosen for him. Then Sawyer came along as a little surfer and pharmacist like his Mom. He even had (and still has) the curls of a man who lives by the sea and in hammocks during his downtime. Roman is the last and third child for Andy and Traci, so they decided to go for it one more time. Traci got the idea from Pinterest of shooting on location, and tasked Andy with finding a plane.

He did. From WWII. Decked out in flack jackets and aviator shades, we all met up in Concord on a gorgeous mid-March dad, with perfect blue skies and lots of wind.

The weather always plays a role, if only to bless you or challenge you. Thank goodness that it was merely a challenge instead of a curse. Traci is detail-oriented, admittedly type A – something she and I share, so she wants all of our time and effort to be worth it. With the wind blowing us all around, Roman was freezing, but Holden and Sawyer were loving it! They fit the roles of pilot and copilot already. We had a couple of “is this going to work?” moments, but we couldn’t be happier with the results.

I feel confident that the family will be having caption contests with the image above for many years to come. Holden with his tongue sort of sticking out conspiring the plan, Sawyer with his curls and “about to pounce lets get do it” posture and little Roman looking like “LETS TAKE A MINUTE TO THINK ABOUT THIS BOYS.”

We ended up back inside, playing around the hangar and avoiding the wind and Roman’s mood shifted from “I’m freezing” to “this ROCKS!” Everything turned out beautifully and I loved capturing the colors of the plane, the natural light and the boys. We adored the plane’s owner who was so accommodating and cool too. He helped make the day a success.

The cake smash went off well too. First birthdays have to have cake and like his older brothers, Roman was able to get the anticipated – and much deserved – sugar rush. Cake theme: why yes, planes!

Roman: we’ve said this about your older brothers, but we are serious when we say it to you: we cannot wait to watch you grow up in front of our lenses and in our midst. Congratulations on your first year on earth. Here’s to so very many more.


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.

Why We Love Photographing Faces

Well I don’t know why you guys love faces, but for me, it’s the unexpected, the surprised, the tender, the ridiculous, the charmed… you get me? It’s the expressive nature of the human face. I love the expressions that enter my lens and end up in frames or in albums or on holiday cards. I read that “researchers” have identified 21 distinct facial expressions, but I would swear that there are more.

Baby Faces…

York family six months baby portrait photos by Pixels On Paper Photographers Wilkesboro NC photo
Pixels On Paper Photographers Becerra baby photography six month portraits Wilkesboro NC photo
pixels on paper photographers newborn studio portrait photography photo

Couples

Fall in love and suddenly all of it – the excitement, the fascination, the bewilderment, the abject helplessness in the face of the one you love – is easy to spot on the faces of the newly engaged and just married. Cases in point are below.

Charlene Gourlay Jon Rathbun Pixels On Paper Photography Raleigh NC Museum of Art Wedding Photo

Happy, Fun Faces

And then there is just love, tenderness, humor, and peace. I could blog about the expressions I’ve seen on people’s faces for months and never repeat a photo.

Kids

Seeing the 21 + expressions on the faces of kids is its own reward.

Pixels On Paper Photographers Parsons Family Christmas 2019 Photo
Marion one year old portrait photography photo

When families come to us for photographs, I am always excited to see and meet new faces. Once we start the shoot, it becomes more than a joy…. the faces that are displayed remind me why I love my job. There are just too, too many great faces. Bring yours to our studio or let’s plan a day out to capture the faces of those you love the most.


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

Family Time – Portraits Together, Part 2

Hi Gang,
Just continuing to encourage you all not only to think about your families and planning a family portrait session this year, but to consider where and when and why.

Location

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers Senter family and baby outdoor portrait photo

The Senter family wanted a specific woodland fairy feel for baby Ava’s 6 month portraits. After we chatted, I knew just the spot. If you have an idea in mind, tell me! I’m all ears and have been a scout long before I was a professional photographer.

The Overby’s love and have a generational connection to the orchards and we’ve photographed their lovely and growing family there more than once. If it ain’t broke……

pixels on paper photographers overby family outdoor peach orchard portrait photo

The When

Summer and winter photo sessions outdoors are not off limits. The Blue Ridge, family property, local parks and greenways are all perfect places for casual family sessions. These only require a change of outfits.

The Why

The why is up to you. Why schedule a family portrait session? Because deep down you’ve been wanting to and this is the year.

And here are a few more reasons…

Figure out your place, time and reason – your where, when and why – or let us help and let’s schedule your family portrait session. In the meantime, contact me if you want to discuss your thoughts and hug those you care about.

Love,
Misty


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