Posts By admin
the many faces and personalities revealed when photographing a 6 month old
“My tastes are simple: I am easily satisfied with the best.”
-Winston Churchill
Carson – only satisfied with the best. The best hat. The best suspenders…..
The temptation to place a thought bubble or caption for every single picture of Carson Mathis (6 months) is killing us. KILLING US. Look at him!! So, since we value life,… we’re going for it. He’s a slice of Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, Bagger Vance and James Cromwell’s character in Babe.
Jay Gatsby meets Bagger Vance meets Carson Mathis
The great film director, Alfred Hitchcock was an obvious choice for a comparison to Carson. The cheeks. The intensity. The innate brilliance!
While little Carson cannot write or direct films, or control much of anything at the moment (like what smart and spiffy clothes his mom decides to dress him in), he’s got tons of personality. Mom Meagan chooses the hats, the clothes, the boots and shoes he styles. We invited them to our outdoor studio and had a blast with the costume changes and unexpected facial expressions. The pic above was his Easter outfit. All the attention shouldn’t go to the girls with their hats and gloves after all, right?? Below he is as our little farm hand with his Carhartt bib overalls, ball cap and John Deere tractor.
“HEY!… lift that barge, tote that bale… it’s hard out here on the farm.”
“I’m busy, people. And you’re making me sit here!!”
The farm outfits are a nod to Carson’s inclusion in a long line of family farmers. He’s already riding on John Deere tractors on his dad’s lap.
“Like my boots?? My grandpa gave them to me. And that’s me flying on the right with Mommy. Check out my leg extension. It’s important to keep you core muscles strong.”
“I look mighty, but I’m snuggly too. Just ask my folks.”
Winston Churchill said, “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Now there is a legacy to chase. Being kind, making an impact, being remembered….
“I’ve got the whole world ahead of me and my family beside me. Now, where’s my shirt?”
We look forward to seeing the Mathis’s many times over the coming years and watching their family grow and what Carson will do and become. He’s got the cute part down, the farming part is in progress and the dapper characteristics are developing as well. Who on earth will he be? And isn’t that the fun part anyway? The wondering and discovering?
the blend ~ engagement photos made up of sand, family, Christ, dreams, Facebook and gratitude
“One word, that’s all you said
Something in your voice called me, turned my head
Your smile, just captured me
You were in my future as far as I could see
And I dont know how it happens, but it happens still…” – Kenny Chesney
The Sand Ceremony. Heard of it? At weddings, it is very much like the lighting of a unity candle. Some of her. Some of him. But for Kendall Shepherd and Nathan Williams, this ceremony includes Christ. They believe that He should be a part of their ceremony and lives in every way. Kendall told us, “We will be using a picture shadow box to hold the sand instead of a vase. Also, instead of using two colors representing one another, we will be using three. An ivory color will be placed at the base of the shadow box representing Christ as the foundation of our relationship and home. Then we will have a color representing each of us to be poured in to symbolize that we are becoming one. We hope to pass this tradition down to our children one day.”
But back to Facebook. (You didn’t think you’d get away from it, did you?) That’s how these 2 connected in the first place. They started chatting after Nathan spotted a picture of Kendall at their local gym where her family works out. They “friended” and decided to go on a date. This led to a second date. And, the rest is …….. we’re not even going to say it, because you know already. History. Ok, we went ahead and said it.
2 dates quickly became love and commitment – and the first commitment was Nathan staying with Kendall when she had emergency surgery. How’s that for showing “for better or worse?” He gave up his hospital blanket for her to stay extra warm and once home waiting on her every need, nursing her back to health. We’re pretty sure that sealed it. Even Kendall said, “the love, care and commitment we showed one another is what formed us into An US!”
Their wedding in August of this year will be largely traditional, elegant and classic, and they have devised a way to include a very special member of Nathan’s family – his late grandmother, Mary, “who will be watching from Heaven.” A pearl pendant of Mary’s will be placed on Kendall’s bouquet for the ceremony. The pendant was a gift from Mary’s husband Ernest to Kendall and is a treasured possession. Since Kendall never met Mary, this gesture is a way for the couple to honor her.
We feel pretty confident that these two are an “US” that will last. They told us that they laugh together, love to listen to tunes together (Kenny Chesney’s “You Had Me From Hello” is a personal fave that reminds them of each other – see the quote at the top!), love to be outside together and are clearly inseparable. Their plans for the future are to start a family, but first with a Labrador puppy.
Learn more about Pixels on Paper’s portraits.
for Pixels, one family = engagement + wedding + newborn + 6 month old baby photos + whatever is next….
The brilliant Nat King Cole sang, “When I fall in love …. it will be forever.” For Meghan and Jeremy Arnold, this is absolutely true and demonstrated daily. It began when they fell in love (we photographed their engagement portraits and their amazing wedding in Charlotte in 2012) and that love continues in their unreasonably cute daughter, Berklee. 
Since their wedding, they’ve driven from Virginia to have us shoot Miss Berklee’s newborn session and later, back in Charlotte, asked us to capture her 6 month portraits. This is a couple with deep family traditions and a strong sense of the way they want to create their own family. They think of loving details for every event in their lives (a bag-piper played as part of their wedding recessional for instance, and we saw more than one pair of argyle socks as a nod to their Irish heritage) and we love complimenting those details with our own suggestions. In keeping with this, Meghan brought her wedding veil and Celtic inspired headpiece which we included in our newborn shots of Berklee.
We received this trio to our outdoor studios in Wilkesboro last month for Berklee’s 6 month session. Once again, we collaborated and Meghan brought a yellow dress that she wore during her own 6 month portraits back in the day. The results melted all of our hearts. We had so much fun setting up with them outside and watching the many faces of Baby Berklee. Apparently, Jeremy was accused of making funny noises to elicit expressions from his little girl. It worked.
The pictures just above – especially the one on the right – are funny, darling, delicious … and we all cracked up upon review. Meghan said, “She really worked the cam!” If we could caption her in repose, it would be something like, “Mmmmm. Feels good to put my dogs up, relax, lean back and I may need a beverage. Anyone interested in finding a bottle with my name on it?”
Meghan thanked us for our patience, but we love this work or we wouldn’t do it. Also, thank you!
“I’m Queen … of, um …. THE WORLD!!”
We are an organized, but laid back and relaxed studio and want that vibe for our clients and guests during shoots. We ask questions and chat and laugh. Planning is such a big part of what makes us successful, but we’re nimble and love to improvise. Learn more about us and be in touch.
pixels on paper graphic design showcases new appalachia foods for the western North Carolina locavore
New Appalachia is one of the those business ideas that people muse about but cannot always see through to success. It is an idea, however whose time has come and its Owner/CEO and visionary Caleb Crowell knew that implicitly. We’re in an American cultural chapter when people are giving more thought to what their families eat, where our food comes from, how to be healthier and save money, which produce is genetically modified and so on. We’re also nostalgic for those recipes that were shared by family or in church cookbooks, community circles and at neighborhood gatherings. Crowell understands this and built a business around it – focusing first of the farms and farmers themselves. Being a part of helping New Appalachia create a brand and the visuals, tone, typography and all the other graphic design elements that make a brand work was wonderful. We love the people, the cause, the strategy and what it represents as we are both lovers of farm food and the power of community in North Carolina and especially the Southern Appalachian region.
Creating a brand for this business was especially fun, because Caleb knew where his inspirations were born. He loved the old seed catalogs of the late 19th century and how they conveyed, in a few pictures and words, the care of the land and the artistry that went into being a grower. We spent time with these images, had many conversations about the vision for New Appalachia, shared our own memories and worked to personalize the business in such a way that everyone who came into contact with New Appalachia as a brand would feel that same sense of nostalgia and renewal.
We were also inspired by the recent trend found in boutique and micro breweries of presenting themselves in more retro iconography and when Caleb mentioned his love of the old Blue Ridge Parkway promotional posters (just above), the New Appalachia’s look was born.
New Appalachia’s website states simply:
“The food system we envision has a face and story and a connection to our region. It is fueled by the values for our land, our people and our economy. We are motivated by the economic opportunities created for the family-operated farms of Southern Appalachia that we get to work with, and by the stories we share along the way. We assist our farmers in crafting their harvest with our production planning phase over the winter. The diversity of our markets range from specialty niche greens for fine restaurants to volume potatoes for institutional buyers. We also love working with chefs to help them maximize their local food use or assist in their farm-to-table events.”
Chef creating dishes from farm fresh and local foods
The largest portion of the New Appalachia mission is based on creating a “region-wide food” network, so that farmers can maintain sustainable businesses by providing food that the market is craving. It’s symbiotic, because the process is a collaboration between New Appalachia and each farm using a planning process that promotes “crafting the harvest.” So whether it’s organic greens or rabbits or root veggies, each farm designs their planting for the community and region. While that is the more practical side, so much heart and listening and personal investment is involved. Speaking of heart, an important additional component is uncovering and sharing stories and truly reviving the community table. This is where the Sunday Supper Series comes in and where we were able to synthesize Caleb’s inspirations with our own.
This series is indeed a revival of community gatherings and is open to the public, family-friendly and includes dishes created by local chefs made from the farm fresh and seasonal ingredients from local growers and farms. The series kicks off July 12 with many to follow, so look for one in your area if you live in Western North Carolina or parts of the Southern Appalachia. As fans of this business, their style and idiom, we invite you to learn more about New Appalachia and come to a Sunday Supper. It is summer after all, the crops are coming in and the food and company is fine!
Pixels on Paper loves graphic design work, especially when it strikes a chord with us, but we end up loving every single client we’ve worked with. Learn more about our graphic design work and be in touch with if you have a specific project or want us to noodle with you.
“I Got Rhythm” …… who could ask for anything more?
Ira Gershwin was the lyricist to his more famous brother George. THE George Gershwin of An American in Paris, Rhapsody in Blue, Porgy and Bess. They were both geniuses. But we love and remember George because he provided the music we love and know so well. Ira wrote and George played and composed on the piano.
And apparently so does Peter, … the Ledbetter’s cat.
You heard me. Feline, with a captial F-sharp. He’s got rhythm. He’s got music. He’s got incredibly tolerant and loving parents.
Peter the Cat – Piano Player Extraordinaire
So, let’s set this up. The Ledbetters are a couple we met during our November Pumpkin Patch Portraits in 2014. Their beloved pup was with them and we took a shot of the trio that they ended up using as their Thanksgiving card. Since then, their dog has passed away to that perfect world where no one follows you with a baggie or makes you wear seasonally appropriate/holiday costumes. Their highly photogenic and piano loving cat, Peter, is now making his own mark, noise, nuisance, irritation, laughter, eye-rolling, ….you get the idea.
The Ledbetters with their precious pup, Thanksgiving 2014
Peter is active during the day, but especially busy at night. The Ledbetters told us that the most interesting times are around midnight when they sit bolt upright in bed and then realize that Peter is merely inspired and on the move across the keys to try out some new ideas. Cole Porter, Elvis Costello, Beethoven, Elton John, Harry Connick, Jr., Ray Charles, Thelonious Monk – Peter loves them all. His parents often find him under the piano with his noise canceling headphones jamming out to his faves. Currently, though he’s devoted to more experimental and original compositions.
These two, like so many of us, love their pets, treat them as family, and we were happy to take photos of Peter for them in our studio, where pets are not only welcome, they can be the subject. Peter is not our first nor will he be our last family pet photographed. Visit us and find out more about the Pixels on Paper’s studios and check out our other blogs about pet portraits: Woof Session, Kristen + Dustin + Tiger, Chelsea’s Tennis Ball.