Posts in Category: Kids
polka dots + bows + 12 Monkeys jumping on a bed = the release of spring
OH, Winter. We do love you. We love it when you land on us and grace every limb, hill and valley. We also love saying “BUH-BYE. We’ve enjoyed our time with you and now need fresh green things and a new day.”
Seriously, aren’t we glad that we’re close to the end of this season with its spring sucker punches of warmth and then more frigid temps?
That said, part of what makes the winter thaw special for us at Pixels is that it releases little sprites from their dormant stage and jettisons them into spring. Amelia (even her name is fairy-like) broke loose from a chrysalis and landed in our studio, glorious in pink and purple with blooms on her shoes, polka dots on her coat, big blue eyes and that grin.
For these Easter portraits, we placed her in a garden of blooms of our making – a backdrop where we could play kiddie tunes and make her come out of her shell. The song “12 Monkeys Jumping on a Bed” turned out to be a fan fave and Ryan jumped around, pretending to bump his head, and crack her up. It worked.
She is the smiliest (is that a word?) child and we’ve had her in our lenses since she was a newborn (see the last couple of photos).
With Easter on the horizon, and winter season packing up for a while, schedule your session with us. Whether you have 1 tot or 10 kiddos, we’d love to photograph them before they are lost to playing in the woods, building forts, finding fireflies and trying to escape capture. The studio backdrop is still available for Easter, spring and special occasions when you just need to be surrounded by flowers.
Amelia at almost two months old
Amelia at six months old.
the meade family ~ a visual narrative
A dear friend of ours tells a story about coming home to his very young sons one evening, the oldest of which was around 4 years old. The sitter left a note that was found later saying that she’d prompted the boy about how much he loved bears. She took the time to write down, “he said adamantly, ‘I don’t love bears!!! I love my daddy!”
Our pal still has the note, even though his son is now in his 20s.
What if she hadn’t taken the time to write down that little moment, that little throw away comment? It would be gone.
This life of ours is a continuum, isn’t it? At any given time, bits can be solidified or lost.
We do our part at Pixels On Paper Photography to help with this by being your journalists, and sometimes archivists, of sorts. We capture and catalog your family by establishing a set time, a studio, amazing outdoor settings, imagination, photos and a great amount of care.
The Meade family continuum has been a blessing to us. We first photographed them in 2010, in a field near a family farm in the NC Mountains.
2 years later, we took pictures of their newborn second child, Alarie – a bundle of sugar that put all of us dangerously close to becoming diabetic.
Our third session was in the fall of 2013 near the Blue Ridge Parkway and Blowing Rock, and their last session in the summer of 2014, included pictures of Carisa, Bradley, Slater (their eldest and boy-man) and Alarie. Mom, Carisa told us, “it’s a blessing to watch our two children interact, and show their love for one another. This summer session revealed a great example of sibling love, and capturing those moments was priceless!”
Slater and Alarie are a study in complete opposites. Slater is a 40 year old man stored handily in the body of a 6 year old. He is the only child that age we know who worries more about others more than he worries about himself. He’s an old soul combined with great parenting.
Alarie could not be more different. She is fearless, silly and may have Red Bull running in her veins where there should be blood. We’re waiting to hear back from her pediatrician. She will take on anything at any time. She finds trouble, gets into it and when punishment is doled out, leaves Slater often saying, “well I guess now we’re not going to be allowed to [fill in something fun here].”
They love each other though. All 4 of them and it shows. Can’t you tell?
We asked Mom, Carisa: What do you want to remember most or tell yourself when you look back at these photos in 5 years?
“To be very thankful we captured these special moments that I can’t ever go back to relive.”
The Meade’s have committed to this concept by having us create a wall in their home of some of these captured moments.
We could not be more proud to be their journalists and archivists.
We’re looking forward to seeing them this summer and for many more to come!
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
Aaron’s outdoor portrait photography | Pixels On Paper Photography photo studio, Wilkesboro North Carolina
Who says outdoor portrait photography isn’t ideal in the middle of winter in the North Carolina mountains? Fortunately Pixels On Paper Photography has designed an outdoor portrait garden at our photo studio in Wilkesboro NC that even in the middle of winter is still ideal for portrait photography. Aaron and his Mom wanted modern portraits for the dedication in his 8th grade yearbook and that’s exactly the style of portraits we delivered. Photographing guys allows us to be a little more edgy, use more dramatic lighting, and create masculine images that are representative of their character. Interested in scheduling a portrait photography session or family portrait photography in our Wilkesboro photo studio, outdoor, or on location near you? Contact us to learn more and see our website at www.pixelsonpaper.net.
Watch the video created by Pixels On Paper Photography to see even more of Aaron’s portrait photography during this session in our photo studio and in our outdoor portrait garden in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. All photos are ©2014 Pixels On Paper Photography.