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Baby Luka’s Six Month Milk Bath
It doesn’t seem possible that just 6 months ago, we were taking little Luka’s newborn baby shots, but the calendar doesn’t lie. He was as snuggly as he could be, but just look at him now. Fresh as a bowl full of summer cream, so to speak.
Luka’s Mom Sierra had some specific ideas in mind for the session and one was that we do something really different. She suggested a possible bubble bath, but I’ve recently discovered during my son Finley’s bath time that bubbles don’t last very long. Add a six month old to the mix and what sounds like a good idea could easily turn into the loss of a day. So I suggested a milk bath instead. These aren’t just for Cleopatra, ya’ll, and it allowed us to incorporate the antique tub his brother was photographed in as well. Win-Win!
I’ve been wanting to try this for a while, but without interest from a client, I just kept it filed away. Once we agreed on this for baby Luka, I experimented with how to keep the temperature just right and the color opaque. A simple white background and some greenery for bit of color were all we needed. And 3 pairs of hands! (God Bless parents who jump in.) Luka was the true centerpiece, literally bathed in white and even when we added some rubber ducks and bubbles to elicit various reactions, he’s the focus. He was comfortable, alert and his parents and I, while a bit tired and covered with milk in the end, are all in love with the final outcome.
Sierra was also keen to have Luka’s 6 month photos coordinate with Conner’s. Connor was captured in an orchard in the height of summer during peach season. We used lots of props and cute outfits for Conner, that July. It’s a tad hard to replicate this in January though, when the temps are barely above freezing, but we stuck the landing with forethought and planning. I was able to coordinate similar colors with Luka’s attire and created a handmade backdrop inside the studio. The 6 month portraits for these brothers are different yet complementary.
Any photo session where the clients feel understood and we’ve succeeded in getting the goals images is a great session. And then there are those where we try something entirely new to great success. This session was both. We love collaborating!
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
Newborn Atticus shines in his Grandfather’s Shadow
Atticus Ford belongs to Micala & Tyler and mom Micala shared with us that this session was particularly special because it was their “first official moment as a family of three.”
A great deal of thought and planning went into the theme and backdrop of his session prior to his birth. Micala had a vision and Pinterest board, but her true inspiration was her grandfather, someone she’s incredibly close to. She wanted to dress Atticus in the clothes and surround him with items that would convey the man that she hopes he’ll be some day. His hat was chosen because it’s so like one that his grandfather wears. She found his outfit on Etsy and I had all the props to create the scene. Thank goodness for my love of antiquing, reading and thrifting. Between us, we pulled it all together.
Is Atticus going to be an attorney who shines the light on injustice, even when it’s not easy for him and his family? His name would certainly suggest that. Will he join the ministry and spread the gospel? Or is he a writer of fiction who illuminates the lives of the common man? These pictures make you wonder, but there is no mystery surrounding his parents’ love for him.
For additional images for their home and for giving to others, I stuck with classic neutral / earthy tones and textures to highlight his beautiful dark red hair and coordinate with his nursery. His mom thoughtfully shared their home interior and colors through photos. On the day they came to the studio, we were more than ready.
Atticus was good throughout the entire session. No crying, awake when he needed to be with great eye contact, and asleep when it was picture perfect. I kept taking pictures long after I’d gotten more than we needed.
As wedding clients, the Rash’s took advantage of our packages and received their newborn session free. We also shot their wonderful engagement session when Tyler surprised Micala with a song before proposing. This couple is really about making memories with a purpose and being present during the entire photo process. We encourage others to adopt this attitude and let a pro handle your milestone portraits … hint hint!
Atticus: we love you little man! Cannot wait to see you soon!
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
Newborn Sofia
This little nugget is Sofia and she telepathically shared with us that shades of purple are her favorite. Ok, she didn’t, but that’s what moms and older sisters and pro photographers are for. We can coordinate.
I tend to request that newborns and parents come to our studio for baby’s first portraits within the first week to 10 days, but little Sofia was delivered by C-section, so her mom brought her in at 3 weeks. She was scrumptious. Accompanied by siblings, she slept peaceful tucked into their arms or lying in warm bundles, and when she was awake she would look into the camera like a rock star.
Sofia’s mom Jessica learned about us, was actually referred to us, by our dear friend and client Lindsey York, who reaped the benefits of our referral program.
In the months ahead, I’m so looking forward to photographing Sofia for her full one year package and we’re already working to design wall collections in her home. We love this sweet family and how they are welcoming Sophia and planning around her addition to their family.
If you would like to learn more about photo sessions for preemies, newborn babies or our referral program, please contact 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 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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
2019 highlights
If this is our 2019 Year in Review, then little Riley above has perfectly summed up how we felt at the end of the year. Contented and tired! We did it! I wanted to share the visual breadth and depth of what our year looked like, but that would be volumes… volumes of images, stories, back-stories, comedy segments, prayers and all of the rewards that come with this gig. It’s a full life.
So instead: enjoy some of the highlights. There are plenty more, but here’s a sampling of people and places we had in our lens last year!
Above: on the commercial side – we took headshots for Krusch Divorce Resolution – a wonderful firm out of Charlotte. The cozy plaid, attic bedroom was captured to promote a real estate project from Kathryn Lily of Kathryn Lily Interiors in Cornelius.
Below: Spring in the orchard, included prom portraits, the Overby family’s return to the orchard, baby Ava checking herself out in a mirror, the expecting Orozco family of 3 about-to-be-4, and finally little Miss Paisley in a fabulous tulle skirt. The blooms and trees provided the backdrop, but the people made the experience and results perfect.
Late spring, early summer is the mix we always hope it will be.
Below: senior portraits (gorgeous McKenzie on the left), several delicious babies, kids and pets, some commercial work for the Wilkesboro Town Council and, of course, Merlefest!!
Above: more commercial photo sessions for MBI Builders, Wilkes Community College’s new Culinary Building, architectural exteriors and real estate projects, the chef and owner of the elegant Craft Bistro in West Jefferson, and a special trip to the Touch-a-Truck event.
Below: more prom images of high school besties dressed “to the nines,” and the full-on summer portraits of families with new babies, those expecting babies, family reunions at mountain homes, and a couple getting married at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.
And finally, a round-up of faces we’ve known and watch grow for years, some very, very new faces, a celebration of high school and college grads and a destination wedding at The Biltmore Estate.
It seems fitting to start and end with babies. They are our symbols of hope, our reminder that life keeps moving no matter what and, let’s face it, they are cute as heck. Again, we want to thank the families and businesses we worked with last year. What a blast and a privilege and your commitment to working with professional does not go unnoticed. We’re looking forward to seeing all the highlights that 2020 is going to bring.
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.
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.
Finley turned two
And just like that, ….. he was headed for college.
Good Lord, can you imagine? Me sitting here typing through tears!! Wash that image away. Finley is two and THAT went by in a flash of sorts. More hair – red and curly and wild like the little scamp who sports it. More activities and racing around and more kiddie power tools. This boy is full on living his best life. Happy Birthday, Sweet Finley.
We’ve had a ritual these last couple of years that we loved continuing: we bring treats to the staff at North Wilkesboro Wake Forest Medical Center where Finley was born. They were indispensable to say the least in bringing him into this world, and we love hugging their necks and letting them see how big our boy has grown.
Finley has received an assortment of tools and he is keen to use them every chance he gets. For his birthday, he made use of his chainsaw in between helping with the baking. We spent the days around his birthday making memories, spending time with him and our families and letting him celebrate as only a two year old can.
And of course, Ryan’s parents and mine joined us for group portraits in our studio. Parents of young kids: we don’t just preach it, we live it. Get professional portraits of your clan every year. Not only is it a way to make and capture memories, but you can celebrate those relationships in more casual settings. Our Day in the Life style sessions are popular for this reason and will be a big focus for us in 2020. I promise you will not regret making annual photo sessions a tradition.
2019 
2018 
2017
Finley with Nanny & Pop 
Finley with KeKe and KawKaw
I cannot thank Joy Davis enough for capturing even more photos for us so that we could not only be in them and fully present, but enjoy Finley on his birthday. All of the images that follow are copyright Joy Davis Photography.
We love this boy and are already throwing ourselves into 2020 and his next trip around the sun – OUR trip around the sun as a family. So let’s do this!! Do you have a milestone or celebration to capture? Is there a season you love as a family or a special place you go as a couple or a family where a documentary style photo session would be perfect? Contact us and let’s discuss making it happen this year!
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.
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.