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ashley & kevin ellis and their corporate son isaiah
Before Isaiah (3 months old in these pics) launches his financial planning consortium, he wants to get accustomed to the garb. The kid digs a tie – just look at his face.
Isaiah to the room: “does this color work with my diaper?”
We took Ashley and Kevin’s wedding photos in 2011 and then they asked us to take pictures of their newborn. Like some of our clients, the parents want us to focus on their kids (literally) and leave Mom and Dad on the sidelines. We encouraged the Ellis’ to be a part of this shoot and they complied. We’re so happy they did.
Between the smiles, nuzzling, Isaiah’s expressive eyebrows and the way he pulled faces in front of his glowing parents, it became a memorable shoot for all of us. We LOVE this family and look forward to being a documenting element for them for many years to come. Isaiah is a study in facial expressions, by the way…
Isaiah is now 6 months old and his secretary will begin taking calls at his new offices this September. We’re encouraging him to find some pants in the meantime.
Below, see an engagement and wedding day photo featuring Ashley and Kevin. They met, fell in love and have now – multiplied!
Left: Engagement Photo June 2011. Right: Wedding Photo September 2011
5 men in the making + one mom keeping mayhem at bay
“My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass’; ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.’”
-Harmon Killebrew
Now imagine being a single mom raising boys. Raising them in the grass and mud, watching over their bruises, scrapes and homework, their after school activities, preparing their meals, sorting out their arguments…. teaching them what they’ll need to become good men. She’s fearless and selfless and clearly understands the day-to-day and the big picture.
Meet Stacy Eldridge and her 5 (YEP – FIVE) boys. They are as interesting, kind, smart, curious, fearless and singular as she is. She’s also a nurse, by the way, and for all we know she secretly has a 4AM paper route. I mean why not? She’s superwoman.
The Eldridges are a tribe of the best kind.
Stacy allows them to be boys – riding dirt bikes, picking on each other, rolling in the dirt, playing pranks and keeping each other grounded and humble.
We fell in love with this crew and were excited to honor Stacy’s desire to capture them in their element, so we took photos on a family farm near Hamptonville, NC, with their big bikes and even larger personalities. We also focused on each young man, capturing them for Stacy to remember this time …… or use later for bribes.
For this post, we wanted to include a photo of the boys from 4 years ago for the sake of comparison. We look forward to seeing them grow up and into the men they’ll become.
Time passes quickly. We’d love to take photos of your family and then follow up in a year or two or when you’re ready. Call for an appointment and we’ll noodle with you about the best way to capture your tribe.
a day among the blooms ~ mckenzie goff and stacie shumate ~ spring photos and milestones
Stacie under the blossoms
Last April, we got to venture into the fruit orchards near Brushy Mountains with two subjects: McKenzie Goff and Stacie Shumate (with their loving moms in tow). It was hard to decide what was more beautiful: the girls or the venue. Petals were bright and showing off, some ready to fall, but the trees were perfectly lovely and camera-ready.
And so were the girls.
At Pixels on Paper, we love outdoor settings, and when a place like this one is so replete, you seize the moment.
McKenzie was turning 13 – (Welcome to your teens!!) – and after chatting with her mom, we knew that this girlie-girl would blossom (sorry for the pun, but there it is) in this field of natural pink perfection. And of course, she did. McKenzie was not shy in front of the camera and between her smile and the setting, it was magic …. the petals in her hair, the sunset behind her, and the gaze that captured her just at that moment, but seeming to be well beyond her years.
McKenzie – young woman
McKenzie with blossoms in her hair
McKenzie Goff with a sunset
Our other amazing subject that April day was 10 year old Stacie Shumate. She is that balance of American girl – toggling between sports and “dress-up.” Her mother, like many of our clients, understands the importance of documenting milestones and moments, time and place.
The highlight was capturing a pic of her from above (it’s at the top of this post). I’d already envisioned a photo of Stacie lying on her back under the blossoms, with me in a tree photographing down through the limbs. Easy enough, right? I ended up on a ladder hanging between branches with the sun directly above. The brightness of the sun was a bit much for her. Smile: eyes closed. Eyes open: squinting. We tried several times and then her mom began cracking jokes and both Stacie and I started laughing. I laughed so hard that petals began to fall over her and that’s how we got our favorite shot of her.
As always, we loved being a part of the day, the laughter and the memories.
Stacie in repose
Stacie’s green eyes
Pink and white blooms come out the first week or two of April and only last about 5 days. Times and dates are limited, but we want to fit you in. Reservations need to be made in advance, so call to make an appointment. Sessions start at $125.
the extravagantly beautiful orchard in bloom
leigh ann & jason’s wedding | elkin creek vineyard nc | pixels on paper wedding photographers
Seeking a destination wedding venue in the NC Mountains, Leigh Ann and Jason (eastern NC natives) wed at a hidden gem and one of the most beautiful vineyards in North Carolina, Elkin Creek Vineyard. It was a picture-perfect day and setting for vows that were shared under a grapevine arbor in the wooded junction of where two mountain streams intersect. Their entire wedding party consisted of only Jason’s daughter. It was refreshingly intimate. From the first minute to the last, every guest and all involved enjoyed this day of celebration and love as a very special couple said I do. Take a look at some of our favorite wedding photos and the new Mr. & Mrs. Moffitt. As always, we’re blessed and extremely grateful they trusted us to capture these memories for them.
angela & andrew’s wedding | alpen inn beech mountain nc | pixels on paper wedding photographers
I knew I adored Angela from the moment we met. She loves the mountains, photography, caring for people, and has a special fondness for large and small four-legged fur babies (to name just a few of her fantastic qualities). When we first met at our studio to discuss her and Andrew’s wedding, we spent hours talking about plans for their big day and everything else involving life in general. Over the course of the next year and a half we spent much more time together with her and Andrew, talking, photographing and connecting. Watching what began as ideas and a concept take shape and being there to photograph them over such a period of time leading up to their wedding day was priceless. The wedding at Alpen Inn atop Beech Mountain in North Carolina was beautiful. When deer are grazing on the lawn while you say your vows, you know it’s picture perfect. As we’ve said dozens of times before, for us, it’s about more than taking pretty pictures. It’s about being witness to one of the most intimate days of a couple’s lives. It’s about building lasting relationships and from that being able to anticipate even the smallest significant moments before they occur. I believe that we did just that and I also believe that we’ve added to our list of people that we not only call clients but also call friends.
In case you missed it, be sure to view Andrew and Angela’s engagement photos that were taken in Blowing Rock and were featured in Carolina Bride magazine by clicking here.
Learn more about our wedding photography packages in the NC Mountains, Asheville, Blowing Rock NC, Boone NC, and the NC High Country and packages for NC Mountain destination weddings by calling our studio at 336-990-0080, visit our website www.pixelsonpaper.net or send us and email at mail@pixelsonpaper.net.