Posts Tagged: pixels on paper studios

Newborn Baby Photos of Miss Astrid

Macy and Jesse are now the brand spanking new parents of a pretty spectacular little girl. Meet Sweet Astrid Jane.

If you follow this blog, you’ll remember the maternity shoot we shared of this young couple, taken what feels like yesterday, outdoors near some great views. They were excited and expectant, and Macy looked gorgeous in a blue maternity dress.

Well, she gave birth in November and is already such a loving and attentive mom. Father Jesse also impressed me with his gentleness. He’s always that way with Macy, but watching him gingerly and so quietly attend to his newborn daughter during the photo shoot was a reminder of the importance of dads as comforters and loving caregivers, not just breadwinners and protectors.

The quiet, gentle, easy nature of both mom and dad is clearly a part of their new love. Astrid was so sweet and calm and compliant. It was a wonderful portrait session, even with the social distancing and key protocols, the world fell away and we could all just revolve around this new little being.

The name Astrid, for those of you who’ve never heard it before, is a Scandinavian name that combines a “god” with “beautiful” or “fair.” This little girl is definitely a fair beauty and absolutely worshiped by her besotted parents. We’re pretty crazy about her too.


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.

happy 4th of july from your photographers and fellow americans

Today is Independence Day in the U.S. and it’s no newsflash that we Americans feel, at times, like we don’t recognize our country… or each other, or what we grew up with. Some days, it feels like we’re truly coming apart at the seams. If you watch the news – any American news, really – this is the topic: We’re divided. Social media hasn’t helped us find our better angels, either. And the result is that we’re world-weary, anxious, suspect of others, and sad. Did I say, “weary?” Well, I’ll repeat it.

But as I sit here thinking about all of this angst and noise, and then think about what today means, I don’t have to grasp for gratitude. I still feel it because I’m surrounded by things that make me feel it.

I was “brought up,” as we say in the South, with love. Then I found a partner in life who loves me and I him. We understand that crazy balance of partnership love and personal independence and we try to keep the two in harmony. We also have our core values: Be kind, be open-hearted, be respectful, give grace when you want to judge, show integrity, do your best and assume the best in others – live the golden rule, etc. Ryan and I try to live out these values daily.
I’m grateful for that.
We started our life and our business and there have been ups and downs, and there will be more, but we’ve made a point to reach out, because two people are just two people. It’s not enough.

You need more. You need community. You need others of all stripes. We found that community and we keep finding it. We found all of you!
We discovered tribesmen and women in our home community of Wilkesboro, and in Charlotte, Asheville, Charleston and many points beyond. These cohorts are made up of locals and transplants, fellow travelers, passers-through, memorable acquaintances, artists, business professionals, beer lovers, kid lovers, photogs, music junkies, rabid gardeners, home renovators and creatives. Our freedom grew by letting others in. It all – YOU ALL – make our life better. We’re grateful for that.
Then God sent us this Nut. I say it with Christian love, but he’s a nut.

Finley James joined us just over 8 months ago and our home life and community – and what that even meant up til then – expanded yet again. Our son is a gift, but he’s also our teacher and in-house comedian who cracks us up, makes us scratch our heads, and finally flop into bed exhausted. But I tell, with gratitude, that we’ve never felt more happiness in our growing sense of life, community and love. This little disruptor is a gratitude machine.

We know, sweet community, that you’re celebrating the 4th of July and that’s as it should be. Showing gratitude makes your life expand in ways you might never expect. We are celebrating too. My hope, and Ryan’s as well, is that during this major U.S. holiday that you’ll find a minute in the chaos to really identify the things that you’re grateful for and sit with them – mentally or physically if you can.

We as parents and friends and community members are all still intact, despite the stuff that worries us in the daily news. We still have work to do to be better and more inclusive, more civil and more tethered to each other in the right ways….. but community, expansive hearts, curiosity, care and feeding, forgiveness, affection, tolerance and resilience are as much a part of the American core value system as liberty — in fact, those things undergird liberty.

Happy Independence Day.
Go Celebrate! We love you,

Misty & Ryan


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.

“remind me what he looks like…”

A story that a friend shared with me that a chaplain once told her … sort of a parable – and a sweet one that comes to mind sometimes when I look down at my own son’s face – is about a little girl, aged 5, being told that she was going to be a big sister. No joy in Mudville for her, so to speak. She was not interested in the role or title of sister, not interested in a new companion, in sharing, in change and let her parents know it with her scowls and body English. She became disobedient and/or quiet and lost her own excitement about simple things. The couple hoped it would pass when the new baby arrived.

The baby was born – a little boy – and when the pair was introduced, she gazed at her little brother but wasn’t affectionate or warm. She mostly just stared at him.

 

Because the parents were trying to be good parents and had read books about siblings and parenting and the struggles that come with introducing a newborn to an established 5 year old with opinions and agendas, they kept an eye on her and were always careful to be near her when she was with her little brother. She never showed affection or interest; she was just watchful. She was always staring at him, they noticed. She never spoke to him.

One day, she asked her Mom and Dad if she could be alone with him in his crib, and warily they finally said yes. They cracked the door, though, so that they could watch her in case she decided to hurt him.
Anya Parry Newborn Portrait Photography photo
Through the crack in the door, they watched as she stood silently by his crib and gazed through the slats. Nothing happened for the first several minutes. Then she leaned in and they heard her say, “Hi, baby. Will you tell me what God looks like. I don’t remember.”I love this story and the idea that babies are heavenly makes perfect sense to me. But it’s also a reminder that when we are far from God, we sometimes forget His face and His love for us. It’s in those times that a perfect little creature is sent to remind us.

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.

commercial prom portraits for Bridal Traditions

Recently we were hired by good friend and fellow wedding aficionado, Kelly of BeYOUtiful Prom Boutique at Bridal Traditions to take some commercial fashion photos for her. We go way back with Kelly and with her amazing business, so we were jazzed to jump in and do our part to help her as she prepares her marketing materials for 2018’s prom season. We photographed model and real junior-prom attendee Stacie Shumate in her actual prom gown purchased from BeYOUtiful Prom. The fashion shoot took place in our outdoor portrait garden at the Pixels’ studio in Wilkesboro. We photographed Stacie’s portraits just three short years ago in the peach orchards and can’t believe how much she has changed in such a short time. It was a pleasure and a treat! Thanks for letting us be a part of your business and life and for letting us watch you grow Stacie.Stacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoStacie's outdoor portrait Bridal Traditions prom commerical photography by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers photoWe 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.

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Outdoor Photo Shoots – It’s About Location

In my recent blog about summer photos, I mentioned that you don’t have to be getting married to plan a photo session with us during this gorgeous time of year. Although….. look at these two below. Pretty fab standing in the Church of Mother Nature. Potential outdoor shots are practically everywhere.

Charleston SC engagement portraits photo

Amanda Walling and Bonnie Hostetler On The Windfall outdoor Wedding West Jefferson NCThe Blue Ridge Parkway, The Biltmore House and Grove Park Inn in Asheville, The Piccione Vineyards in Ronda, NC, trails and fields in Blowing Rock, your own family property, camps and cabins, and any number of beaches in North or South Carolina, state parks or favorite neighborhood recreational spots make perfect destinations for a photo shoot. Green/Bell Pixels On Paper Photography Engagement portrait photography photoSchultz Crestwood Resort Blowing Rock NC High Country WeddingSydney & Cherokee beach portrait photography by Wilkesboro NC Photographers Pixels On PaperNC Blue Ridge Mountains engagement portraitsPixels On Paper wedding photographers. Biltmore Estate engagement portrait Asheville NC photoOur own portrait garden at the Pixels Studio is often the best option for those who want a beautiful outdoor shot but cannot travel too far. And honestly, we have more than a few clients who DO make a long drive to us BECAUSE they love our gardens and the relaxed feeling of the place.
Meade Outdoor Family Portrait PhotographyBrock's 12 month baby photography, pixels on paper studio family portrait photography

Pixels on Paper Photography outdoor portrait garden photo

pixels on paper 10th anniversary party wilkesboro nc photoContact us about your summer adventure and if you’d like to commemorate it with photos!

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.

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