Posts in Category: Kids
our children – photos of the 21st century community in the making
We don’t preach politics from this blog. We don’t preach, period. Our core values, we hope, show up in our work and the way we live our lives. Even if we weren’t parents, the loss of the lives of children is a heartbreak like no other. I cannot imagine racing to a schoolyard with Ryan to wait to see if our kid emerged from a building…. if Finley James would appear on a list later to be read at a memorial. And I’ll just stop there. Our prayers have been sent to Florida since we heard the news last week and my mind wanders the way a new mother’s does when kids make the headlines…
We want, with this particular blog post, to celebrate children. They will forge and become the true 21st century and what community feels like. They may wriggle around, or show shyness, diffidence, disinterest, be squirrelly, silly or just distracted during portrait sessions, but WE LOVE taking photos of children – of all ages. [Our apologies to the teens in this blog who are cringing at the “children” header.]
Here are some favorites from over the years that spring to mind.
One of the greatest joys really is watching from behind the lens as kids navigate all phases of life. I look at each of these faces and can remember the photo session, but also the child/kid/baby/graduating senior and how she or he was that day. I especially love knowing that I’ll see some of them again … older, wiser, goofier, figuring whatever of life’s puzzles is in their lap that day.
God’s gift of Finley to us has heightened this for me as a photographer. Any of those kids could be Finley and all of these kids could have been in that school in Florida. They’re all precious. They all deserve our love and care and it’s a distinct pleasure to be the one to make sure their families have portraits of them to remember each precious moment.
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.
“remind me what he looks like…”
A story that a friend shared with me that a chaplain once told her … sort of a parable – and a sweet one that comes to mind sometimes when I look down at my own son’s face – is about a little girl, aged 5, being told that she was going to be a big sister. No joy in Mudville for her, so to speak. She was not interested in the role or title of sister, not interested in a new companion, in sharing, in change and let her parents know it with her scowls and body English. She became disobedient and/or quiet and lost her own excitement about simple things. The couple hoped it would pass when the new baby arrived.
The baby was born – a little boy – and when the pair was introduced, she gazed at her little brother but wasn’t affectionate or warm. She mostly just stared at him.
Because the parents were trying to be good parents and had read books about siblings and parenting and the struggles that come with introducing a newborn to an established 5 year old with opinions and agendas, they kept an eye on her and were always careful to be near her when she was with her little brother. She never showed affection or interest; she was just watchful. She was always staring at him, they noticed. She never spoke to him.
One day, she asked her Mom and Dad if she could be alone with him in his crib, and warily they finally said yes. They cracked the door, though, so that they could watch her in case she decided to hurt him.
Through the crack in the door, they watched as she stood silently by his crib and gazed through the slats. Nothing happened for the first several minutes. Then she leaned in and they heard her say, “Hi, baby. Will you tell me what God looks like. I don’t remember.”I love this story and the idea that babies are heavenly makes perfect sense to me. But it’s also a reminder that when we are far from God, we sometimes forget His face and His love for us. It’s in those times that a perfect little creature is sent to remind 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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Gavin’s 6 month baby portraits
If there was a monetary payout for blue eyes, this kid would be the richest man in town. COME. ON!! 
Jessica and I met years ago at girls beach trip getaway and have been friends ever since. I was so happy to get to be the one to photograph Gaven’s adorable gummy smile and capture him at this age, because we all know how fast it goes. I’ll blink and he’ll be getting his senior portraits taken.
Normally all smiles and flirtatious, on this day Gavin was a bit more serious when the camera was on him. We pulled out all the stops behind the camera including Ryan jumping up and down and running in circles, which he was going to do anyway. Might as well do it for work. <I’m ducking as I say that. HA!!> We randomly discovered that what Gavin enjoyed most was Ryan’s very loud whistle. Hey, any port in a storm and it worked!
One of the great things about shooting the photos of newborns and babies is that Ryan and I get to make new friends and family members and those amazing creatures give us guidance now that we’re expecting. Because our sons will be so close in age, Jessica is kindly giving me boy-mom advice and a ready shoulder and I’m so grateful.
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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
York Family portraits – 4 generations & the gift that keeps on giving
I have a pal who finds hilarious pictures of her family from old portrait sessions and gives them as gifts each year, along with NEW portraits. It’s sort of a repurpose, re-gift, re-laugh about it. The time progression is its own reward along with her Mother’s laughter and recollections.
The York sons did something similar for Christmas last year, minus the goofy shots from the 1990s. These three men bought a family portrait session – a gift card from Pixels actually – and presented it to their parents, Mark & Denise York. The gift card was good for a family portrait of the entire York family, something they knew that their Mom had been wanting for a very long time.
Listen up, sons and daughters, especially if you’re looking for a Christmas or anniversary present for your parents: your mom and dad did all of that laundry, schlepped all of that sporting equipment, sewed quilted ballet bags to carry your point shoes, baked untold dozens of Toll House cookies, worked with paper mache, checked homework after 11 pm, wiped your rear end, taught you to drive and throw a football in a tight spiral and stood in line to buy toys you’ve long forgotten about …………… you with me? THEY EARNED IT.
Mrs. York cashed in her certificate at the end of August after undertaking the kind of coordination that would make the Pentagon cringe. She had 15 family members (4 generations) to pin down and she stuck the landing. On a gorgeous day at a picturesque family farm in North Wilkesboro, we met up with this crew and thank goodness for perfect weather. Finding another date would have been many more months in the making.
When we photograph families, extended families and multiple generations, we always capture a variety of combinations for the individual family units and the matriarchs and patriarchs who want everyone and all the time. Gift cards for photography are available for any occasion at all times but are especially popular at Christmas. If you’re interested, please contact us and we’ll start planning.
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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
A day in the life with the Guerrant family | documentary lifestyle photos
The Guerrant family asked us to photograph them with their 2 children on a single day – documentary style. We LOVE this type of photography, because it translates the desire to take selfies and snapshots and indulge in the every day, but into photos that are professionally shot and set up. You get the best of both worlds – the seemingly mundane with the magic in details and broad strokes, the togetherness, but with a trained pro behind the lens who is keeping an eye on light, shadow, scenery and all the options. 
Ryan photographed Suzie, Matt, Leven and Ira at W. Kerr Scott Lake in Wilkesboro a few weeks ago. We met Suzie and Matt at Merlefest a couple-few years ago and, as fellow photographers and Merlefest team members, we instantly connected with them.
We love their down to earth personalities and they are talented and fun photographers.
We were honored that the two of them would ask us to photograph their family. As photographers, we know so many others they could have chosen, so it was a huge compliment to be chosen for the task. What’s even better is that we knew we would soon be needing our very own family photos. We LOVE Suzie’s documentary style, especially her black and white photography. The timing was perfect for a trade.
This family was so much fun. They were so open and children – with their own curiosity and agenda, their own internal storytelling – made it a fun process. They were happy with the results and we couldn’t be more pleased.
This year Merlefest was like a reunion for us and they both showered us with joy and excitement over our pregnancy. We made sure to stay in constant contact after the fest this year.We spent half a day with the family as friends hanging out at the lake with camera in hand. Documenting the kids running, playing, fishing and eating watermelon gave us, we hope, a preview of what our life will be like when we add our son to the mix. There was very little posing, just natural lifestyle interactions and sugar highs.
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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.