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catching dreams with Holden
“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. If they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I’d really like to be.”
– Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
The catcher. The saver. There are heroes in fiction and Holden Caulfield is one of the greatest. Care-taking, tender, filled with contradictions, incredibly quirky and loving while questioning life. The Holden (below) who belongs to Traci and Andy Pierce is surely made of all of those things; they’re just brewing under that sweet exterior. We defy you to look at this face and tell us he’s not conspiring to do something and be someone special – even in his sleep.
The best among us usually sleep soundly and well.
We were asked to create the Pierce’s baby announcement to alert friends and family that this little person was going to join the world. We created a Christmas card to drop the baby bomb and Traci’s sister wrote a poem to accompany it.
Holden’s father Andy is a pilot, so Traci set up Holden’s nursery in the colors, icons and theme that would allow Holden to dream of travels and get a sense of his dad.
We also took Holden’s 6 month photos and loved watching him with Traci, as they snuggled. Traci chose the all white theme and it turned out to be so pure and sweet. The Pierce’s bought our full-year baby plan, and we love being able to watch the growth over these shoots, not just in the babies, but in the families … how they orbit around each other, how they show their love for one other, what makes them light up. Capturing all of that makes our job the absolute best.
And coming full circle, we loved taking the Christmas photo for them following Holden’s birth in our outdoor studio.
Holden Caulfield said, “Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.” We know that Traci and Andy feel this way about their boy.
Stay young, Holden. Take your time. But as you grow…. grow up into a man who makes a difference. In the meantime, messing with your toes is a fine idea. There’s time for that now.
the huffmans ~ when you actually get what you pray for
When we met with Nikki Huffman for the first time, she asked that we capture as many moments as possible of her pregnancy because she wasn’t certain that she and Chris would be parents more than this one time. They struggled to conceive, as so many couples do, but with the help of smart medicine, they found themselves pregnant, elated and eager to conspire with us. We knew the Huffman’s were expecting before many of their friends and family. They wanted Pixels to create photographs for an announcement card (both above), so we happily plotted with them.
After following and documenting Nikki and Chris through the various stages of anticipation, there she was.
It’s always amazing when a new creature joins us on this little marble, but suddenly there was Harper … the longed-for baby and new member of planet earth.
The Huffman’s participated in our full year baby package, so we got to photograph, marvel, crack up and capture them all as Harper started to grow and move beyond mushy cute to curious cute to “she’s mobile!! look OUT!” cute.
A note: It’s rare that Dad’s speak up with a request. Chris shared with me that he had seen a huge close up image of a baby’s face during one of their many doctor’s visits. He wanted an image like that of Harper to hang in their house. Because of this, we created a beautiful 24×36 canvas portrait in sepia tones that was a close up of Harper’s face when she was sleeping in Nikki’s arms. We also created a keepsake photo album that included images from all of Harpers first year sessions.
We’d be lying if we didn’t say how awesome an experience it is to photograph a peaceful sleeping newborn and then watch her grow in front of our camera lens to a one year old who’d rather run through the yard than sit still for photos.
The Nikki, Chris and Harper Story has a happy ending. It also has a new beginning. Nikki is now expecting twins.
ready for your close-up? ~ jessica greene is …
We love clients of any age and stripe (hopefully, that’s clear), and we certainly love helping anyone who is following a dream. Jessica is interested in modeling and whether it’s in print, on a runway, or in other visual media, we loved spending time with her creating the head shots that will add to a successful portfolio.
Jessica is 15 and when her mom contacted us to take some portraits to build her modeling portfolio, we got in touch with Emily Parker. Emily is studying fashion at Appalachian State University and has an eye for details, trends and teasing out an individual’s sense of style. Emily worked to find the right clothes from Jessica’s closet, shopped a bit with her, discussed ideas and was a true partner for us at Pixels.
With help from our hair and make-up artist, we enjoyed creating a variety of looks for Jessica … casual, glamorous, chic, youthful and sophisticated.
Part of every shoot is showcasing personality and italicizing what already exists with each client – each person. Both Ryan and I worked with Jessica during the day to allow her to know what it’s like to be in different settings and working with different photographers. We are all so idiosyncratic and the combination of person and client is magic.
Whether Jessica turns out to be a Cindy Crawford (minus the famous mole) or a Mila Kunis, a spokesperson or a Senator, we support her and want her to continue to search. Like her eyes, her future is bright. Confidence is key and she’s on her way.
college football ~ waterfalls ~ baby girl and a bright future ahead
There is a moment in the life of every bride-to-be when she worries about how she’ll look in her gown posing 5 feet from a waterfall. If we had a nickel…… So we’re going to start at this point in the Minick story – the moment when Rachel navigated her way through hill and dale for bridal pictures, looking radiant in her wedding gown and Keen’s. You heard us. You gotta do what you gotta do.
She told us, it was the funniest part of all the shoots we’ve done with Pixels. “Hiking around the location where my bridal portraits were taken was a blast. Wearing Keen’s with my wedding dress and getting strange looks from people fishing at the waterfall was the best!”
Rachel and Ryan met at an Appalachian State football game and so began their relationship. 4 years later we are still photographing them and enjoying not only their company, but watching their family grow and their lives take the various twists and turns it does.
For us, this is not just a business of photography. We’re documenting, watching history unfold, and creating heirlooms that will link generations. The Minick’s, like many of our clients, have become our friends. We “do life” together when there are no cameras around. We feel very strongly that God has given us this gift so that we can become another supportive resource, cheerleaders and advocates for the married couples we’ve met through Pixels. We love seeing them create families and celebrate milestones and feel honored to be a part of the journey. Creating relationships has become as important to us as the photography work.
Below are just a couple of wedding pictures, but we hope you’ll view more of the Minick’s Big Day (teaser: check out Rachel and her bridesmaids’ shoes – they are not Keen’s, but they rock!)
Not surprisingly, people who love each other as much as these two do were destined to add to their family. So two became three with the arrival of Amelia. We’ve enjoyed capturing her with her parental units in a variety of settings. Always fun!
Pixels has an expansive and versatile photography studio for certain shoots, and we love photographing newborns, family portraits, prom pictures, weddings, engagement photos and the like. But we also absolutely embrace those moments when we can be creative in mother nature, and are experienced outdoor photographers in NC. We’ve been able to do both with the Minicks.
Rachel: “I want to remember the early days of our marriage and family and look back at the stages of Amelia’s growth. I know that I will delight in these portraits for years to come and love creating future family heirlooms with Misty and Ryan.” WE look forward to it, too. We love you guys.
the dinner ~ the dresses ~ the hair ~ the limo …. THE PROM!!
It’s nearly prom season, people. Do you hear me?? PROM SEASON.
Do you remember yours? Most of us sweated over asking someone or being asked, finding the right dress or renting a tux, where to go before and after, borrowing the family car or renting a limo. Maybe you got ready with friends and double dated or you had a steady boy or girlfriend to plan with. Well, maybe you have teens in the throws of these Big Decisions and we’re here to help. This group of glamorous and hammy students (and certified pals) from Wilkes Early College High School decided to do it up right with a photo session at our studio.
Needless to say, with regard to feeling and tone, it was a dead heat between glamour and silliness. We loved watching them interact both in the studio and in our outdoor portrait garden. They were clearly excited and it brought back memories for us. At Pixels we talk a lot about creating memories, but honestly that is the point afterall if you do what we do. We are not overseas in a war zone or chasing stories for the media. But we are blessed to be documenting moments — moments that our clients will look back on with fondness, laughter, the “Oh my Lord – look at my hair!” facial expressions and all the while recounting the memories attached to each shot.
We hope this crew feels this way about their pics. “We love these.” “One day I’ll show these to my own kids…. maybe.”
Studio photos for prom start at only $55 per person. Grab your date or a group of pals and let us create and capture your 2015 prom. Now’s the time!
