Posts Tagged: wedding photos
Outdoor Rock-A-Billy Wedding Photos in Wilkesboro NC
When you decide to get married and important members of your family cannot travel, what do you do? You bring your wedding to wherever they are. That is exactly what New Yorkers Elisabeth DeMaio and David Gross did when they married at the Doc and Merle Watson Stage at Wilkes Community College on July 13th. Elisabeth lost her own parents not long ago and David’s folks moved to Wilkesboro, NC a few years ago. Since the elderly Gross’s are not able to travel, Elisabeth and David made the decision to come south for their ceremony and share the day with their family. We were honored to be their photographers.
David, a tattoo artist, and Elisabeth have been together for more than a decade. With their son and daughter by their sides, they planned and pulled off a completely cool and off-beat wedding: a Jewish ceremony with a Rock-a-Billy theme. While the weather was some of the worst we’ve ever shot through for a wedding ceremony – sheets of rain and lots of severe lightning – it still managed to be joyous and fun. The Rabbi who performed the ceremony shared that lighting during vows was a sign of good luck and that this couple was being blessed with more luck than they would know what to do with.
The groom’s mother surprised the bride by having a family friend bring their classic Mercury for photos. It was one of many times Elisabeth shed tears of joy since it went perfectly with their Rock a Billy theme.
This event was all hands on deck. The venue and food were provided by Wilkes Community College. The decorations, wedding planning and desserts for the reception were handled by family and friends. These newlyweds are loved! Some of the sweetest moments included the bride and groom’s first dance, followed by dancing with their children. Most touching was a dance between David and his Mom who only a few weeks prior had suffered a heart attack. When she wasn’t able to dance on her feet any longer, she sat and David laid his head on her lap for the duration of the song. There wasn’t a dry eye anywhere, including ours.
We sometimes forget that weddings aren’t just about the couple who are joining their lives; they really are about bonding closer to our own families while broadening our family to include new members. The Gross’s are perfect examples of the love and how it’s manifested. Good luck David and Elisabeth. Come back to Wilkesboro soon!
A Bride by any other name | pixels on paper bridal portraits
… is still as sweet and will always be the focus of her wedding day, at least for part of it. People will remember the dancing, the toasts, the goof-ups and sweet moments, but her entry happens one time and all eyes are on her. Maybe this is why bridal portraits are so important. You get more than one look at her in her dress and in a meaningful setting that will last forever in prints and on film. We photograph weddings pretty much all year, but wedding season is really summer. As this summer rolls along, I looked back at some bridal photos that we’ve taken over the last decade. I realized how it’s true that every bride – like every baby – is beautiful. The gown, the setting, the glow are all offshoots of the glorious woman about to start a new chapter. Brides – we celebrate you!
Gowns and settings are as signature as the brides we photograph. They are classical, modern, some want to be princesses, some want to look like photographs of their grandmother, one incorporated book pages into her bouquet, others repurposed brooches or lace or another memento, some seem like complete originals and others timeless. Capturing that is the fun part.
Consider a bridal portrait along with your wedding photography package as a way to experience a “trial run” before your wedding day. It’s a perfect way to try a new hair style and see how your makeup will look. It’s also a fun girl’s day with Mom, your best friend or maid of honor. The setting and season can be totally different from that of the wedding and the environment and timeline is typically much more relaxed giving us extra time to capture those magazine style covers you’ve dreamed of. Sometimes the session is for Mom to have the large portrait of you that she wants to display on the wedding day and then for years to come in her home to share with loved ones and friends. We are happy to help you plan and create the vision of beauty that defines you as a bride.
Don’t Waste Time & miss the little stuff
We have a dear friend who recently suffered a blow to his health: swelling of the brain. He’s been touch and go and he’s rallying with the right care and attention and prayer. We pray. Our pals pray – and it has been a reminder of how much love is shared in our various circles of friends, coworkers and family. While he is on the mend, it got me thinking about lost moments, little hugs or tender exchanges, laughs, cuddles and the peace that is sometimes in a micro-moment. Don’t waste time waiting on the big moments. When they happen, great. Celebrate the little stuff too, though. Make time for it. That’s our goal as a couple, as photogs and as parent-to-be.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
Happy Anniversary – Wedding Portraits of Celebration
Author and environmentalist Rick Bass has a great quote about the seasons of life:
“My life, I realize suddenly, is July. Childhood is June, and old age is August,
but here it is, July, and my life, this year, is July inside of July.”
Erica & Mark Makowski, 7 years July 2nd
For each of these couples, in their year, in July, they were in the beginning of their new lives. Childhood was June. But they were entering the July inside of July.
Anna & Jordan Isaacs, 6 years July 9th
Elizabeth & Chris Bankett, 8 years July 11th
Jessica & Jason Clinton, 1 year July 16th
Precious & Damon Murray, 9 years July 18th
Lila & Joseph Duke, 6 years July 23rd
From Jessica and Jason, who were married in 2016, to Precious and Damon who’ve been married for 9 years, we hope that for the best and longest Julys in their lives. August can wait. Keep celebrating. Keep enjoying each other. Keep planting and harvesting, knowing how loved you are. Happy Anniversary, all of you!
Exposed Photography Retreat | Part 2
Last time, I blogged I wrote about a photography workshop and retreat I attended in late March and the pay-off was not only that I learned about natural light and how to manipulate it for photography shoots, but about how – through exercises, conversation and the community and sharing of other photographers – I had some light shined on aspects of myself that needed my attention. Elly’s Photography – and specifically Elly – hosted this retreat, aptly called “Exposed” and in 4 days I learned so much. It was the shot in the arm I needed.
The photos in this blog showcase artificial lighting techniques, including the use of off-camera flashes, gels, and fairly unrealistic kelvin settings.
In case you missed part 1 of this blog post, catch up on it here.
I mentioned in that last blog that I love using artificial light at photo sessions and that Ryan teases me. You know, if two lights are good then 12 will “really get me what I want.” LOL. For these shots, I practiced with different angles of light and exposure settings, as well as perspective. Some of these techniques I had knowledge of, but suddenly I was able to manipulate them in a way that I never had before. Others were completely new and opened an exciting new world of possibilities for my photos and our clients. My mind was focused, but part of it was note-taking for sessions to come.
The setting and the subjects were perfect and while it was a working and experimental time, it felt fun and relaxed. I would wager that I learned as much if not more personally about me and my craft than I did about photography itself. I realized that I needed to be out of my comfort zone to experience all that was in store. I learned that allowing myself to be exposed and vulnerable gives me a different perspective in life and through my camera lens.
I learned that I can only go so far alone. And I learned that I was ridiculously supported during this adventure.