Posts in Category: Personal
Happy Anniversary … to a couple we know
It has been a year. A whole, big, replete, exhausting, fun, “where are my keys”, “doesn’t she look amazing?”, “I can’t believe we survived”, “oh holy moly, that was the best!!” year since our 10th anniversary in business as Pixels on Paper.
The calendar tells us that there is a beginning of every new year and it’s January 1. But the thing is…. your birthday, your anniversary is the beginning of YOUR new year and Pixels On Paper was birthed in June of 2005. It’s our birthday. It’s Pixels On Paper’s 11th anniversary. We did it – AGAIN!
Minick Outdoor Maternity Portrait Photography
During the last 12 months, we’ve photographed siblings holding onto each other. We focused our lenses on businesses we love, vendors we collaborate with and admire, taken post-wedding photos with mountains in the distance….. families gathered and smiling… orchards in bloom, brides lit with joy, new husbands unable to stop grinning, kids racing around and babies, babies, babies. We have loved every single minute.
Prom girl in bloom thanks to Bridal Traditions and beYOUtiful Proms
Boondocks Brewery – the installation of new tanks for yummy brews
Bridal bouquet by Edenhouse Floral
Private home ready for sale (and it sold… quickly)
Hoben family reunion on family property (and that’s just 16 of them)
Quinceanera photos for a gorgeous young woman
a Southern Belle to end all Southern Belles
Charleston SC engagement portraits
We also got to send some love to locations where we shoot weddings and events. The Holiday Inn City Center in Charlotte, Leatherwood Resort and Winding Creek Wedding Barn are merely 3.
the rooftop at the Holiday Inn City Center Charlotte
Leatherwood Mountain Resort is scenic, elegant and rustic
from a photoshoot at Winding Creek Wedding Barn
It was our second year as official photographers for Merlefest. We were completely rested about a month later.
WE LOVE THAT GIG.
And we captured loads of babies…. some were reaching out for “kid-dom” but they’re still babies.
Here’s to the next 12 months, the coming autumn (2 weeks away) and holidays and thanks to you all for an amazing 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.
never underestimating the importance of gratitude
The story behind this note from famous children’s author Roald Dahl is pretty simple. You know Dahl even if you don’t think you do. He penned many books for kids, but the standouts are Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and BFG (Big Friendly Giant). A little British girl, Amy, sent Mr. Dahl a letter after reading BFG, where the Giant catches dreams in a net. Along with her letter Amy sent a bottle with “a dream in it.” To make the dream, Amy and her father combined oil, colored water and glitter. You can see from Dahl’s response that he thought it was special. His note to her was too and she still has it even now in her 30s.
We race through life, always planning to stop to say the BIG THANK YOU. We thank vendors, clients, strangers, friends, and God every day. We write thank you cards. That’s how we were raised.
But then the next thing needs doing and the next. Yes, we’re busy. Yes, we have photos we need to upload so that we can share them with the clients who are waiting excitedly. Yes we want to share them with you all. We’ve worked weddings, waited on weather and nursing babies, schlepped up mountains and light poles, tiptoed through churches and orchards. We always want that 25th hour, that 8th day,
but regardless of the where, when, who or how
of our photography business, the one theme always present is gratitude.
You all send us your dreams in the form of ideas of how you want to remember your family, your wedding day, your children, your celebration on film. We shake the bottle of color and glitter and try to deliver. But make no mistake, it’s all of us together that make the dream and we cannot thank you enough for making our life of dream delivery possible.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you ALL OF YOU who’ve made our life so much richer. We hope to keep working with and enjoying you all for many years to come. And we also pray that only the best dreams blow through your windows each night.
With love from,
Misty & Ryan
Summer 2016 ~ or some of it
This summer, Ryan and I are working, of course. But we’re also “having a summer” and so far it has been filled with some travel, 2 birthdays, a storm that sent tree limbs through the roof of our 100+ year old house and watching our small but mighty (MIGHTY, I SAY) garden yield glorious veggies. Here are some highlights (and lowlights). We love you guys. Hope your summers are safe and fun and plentiful, as well.
lovely enough to be fake, but they’re not. … squash. LOVE IT.
late spring, when we started to get excited
for spaghetti sauce, BLTs, caprese salads or just with a dusting of pepper…
sauce for spaghetti squash supper
Late July and the garden keeps giving.
Our summer has also included a usual southern visitor – storms. North Carolina (both the piedmont and mountains) have seen daily thunderstorms in the afternoons and evenings for days on end and often with the fanfare of thunder and lightening as well. I love what rain does to our garden, but the more harsh storms in Wilkes County have been doozies. One in particular, in early July hit the Pixels homestead. Our neighbors were without power and sustained lots of damage. I thank God for a sturdy husband, no loss of power, crews ready to come in and no personal injuries. It could have been worse, but it wasn’t.
Ryan on the roof checking for damage and creating quick fixes
Food, storms, repair, recovery and …… birthdays. We both have summer birthdays and celebrated with great food and time together away from deadlines.
Of course, we’ve been wandering and spending time with friends as well.
Our lovebug – Chelsea, a Southern girl hanging out on the porch during my birthday and while we were shooting an engagement portrait session in Charleston.
We love to travel all over the states, but southern summers are pretty wonderful. We’re grateful for each other, for our family, friends and clients, for getting to do what we love and for 4 seasons and all they bring with them. Autumn is still “a ways off,” so we’re going to stay in the good company of summer for now.
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 babies and kids, 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.
Pixels on Paper Wins WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award®
For those of you who don’t live and breathe wedding photography, WeddingWire is the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace and it named Pixels On Paper as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® for photography.
“The WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism. The esteemed awards are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their professional achievements from the previous year.”
We are humbled and excited by this, you guys. And we are incredibly proud.
We’re proud of our first successful (and thrilling and experiential, experimental, exhausting, gratifying and zany) decade in the business.
We’re proud of the partnerships and relationships that are the result of our business.
We’re proud that, while working as a team and as a married couple has its challenges, we have grown as people, as a husband and wife and as artists and photographers.
We’re proud that this is our 7th consecutive year winning this award, thanks to you guys!
Finally, we are incredibly proud of our work. Being recognized for being one of the best at what you do is a shot in the arm to say the least, and a fantastic way to start 2016. So, thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Award winners in our industry are often selected by the host organization, but the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Pixels On Paper. This means a lot to us! WeddingWire’s award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients.
Additionally, Pixels will be highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of more than 200,000 wedding professionals all over North America and abroad and includes leading wedding sites beyond WeddingWire, such as Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee.
We wanted to share a few of the reviews that helped us win and help tell our story. It goes without saying that we love and appreciate our clients so sincerely, but hearing them describe us in these reviews shows that the feelings are mutual. Not only is it very, very cool, but it’s professionally satisfying. The reviews mean even more than the award. If you are a client of ours and would like to add a review to WeddingWire for us, we welcome it and would love it!
“Pixels On Paper Photography is more than just a couple who takes pictures (amazing pictures!) Misty and Ryan got to know me and my husband so that they were able to capture the special moments between us on our special day. Anyone can take pictures and yes some have “special eye” but the amount of talent and special techniques they have as a team are unbelievable. Taking the time to get to know your clients before the event and even stay in touch after makes the biggest difference. We have found our family photographers for life!! I would highly recommend them to anyone for any event.”
“We used them for both our engagement shots and wedding. We were 100% confident that the pictures would turn out amazing and did not have to worry about a thing.”
“It was important for us to have photographers that we got along with because we knew that they’d be with us for the entire wedding day! Misty and Ryan were so much fun to work with and be around. They were also very prompt in delivering our proofs! Our photos were posted online 12 days after our wedding! We came back from our honeymoon and were able to enjoy our photos– it renewed all the warm feelings that we’d had on our wedding day. Thanks to Pixels On Paper for capturing our special day!”
Here we are …. on vacation out west. It’s not ALL photography and graphic design, y’all.
“My daughter was running late getting to the remote mountain venue from having her hair done in the nearby town. Misty and Ryan were purely professional and seemed to not have a care in the world. They gave my daughter time to get her make-up done and began taking her preparation photos. They know exactly what moments to capture and they do it well. Misty noticed during the ceremony that my daughter’s veil was on backwards and positioned most photos in a way that it wasn’t so noticeable. She immediately corrected it before taking the after ceremony shots. I felt more like my best friends were taking the photos that day. This incredible husband and wife team made everyone feel at ease. We were all able to relax and enjoy the moments. I am a memory fanatic and take tons of pictures at any event that I attend. I must say, I started the ceremony with a camera in hand but quickly realized this was something I didn’t need to do. I really could count on Misty and Ryan to capture every single moment as well as all the small details. Amazing team even more amazing photos!”
“Ryan and Misty Case are AMAZING. We purchased a photography package that included engagement photos, bridal portraits and wedding day photos for a great price. We shot our engagement portraits along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the bridal and wedding portraits in Charlotte, NC – the flexibility that they have to travel where we wanted was great and very easy to coordinate. Both photographers were professional, creative and absolutely incredible to work with. Immediately we felt like we’d known each other for years. On the day of our wedding, Ryan and Misty were completely organized, kept us on schedule, made us laugh and captured so many beautiful shots throughout the day that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. Pixels on Paper rocks!!!!”
“These photographers are true artists and can really do some creative things when you let them do whatever they want! I wanted non-traditional and just let them have at it. Best decision of my life (well, second best–after accepting my husband’s marriage proposal!)”
“I love that [Misty & Ryan] work so well together. It’s like they read each others minds.”
[Quick aside: honestly, we do read each others minds on photo shoots… for the most part. Other times – we’re like everyone else who’s married. You think you’re communicating seamlessly one minute and the next you’re saying, “wait – WHAT?!!“]
“As MOB [mother of the bride], my job was to show up in a field, carry cold water and a dress train through a field. Little did I know, I was about to meet two exceptionally talented and excited people who wanted our daughter’s bridal photos to be even more spectacular than she imagined. Misty & Ryan’s enthusiasm and vision have provided our families with moments we all will treasure … They not only took superb photos, but also blended into the fabric of the day, making being comfortable in front of their cameras as natural as can be. The hardest part is choosing which photos to keep! I would highly recommend their elegant style and innovative ideas to anyone.”
Another favorite from a High Country wedding with a thoroughly Scottish vibe (rain included).
Believe it or not, it’s the start of the season and we’re looking forward to the proposal, engagement, bridal and wedding sessions we’ll have in 2016 and 2017. We’re booking now, so call (336.990.0080) or email us and let’s get started.
What it’s all about: faith, togetherness, inclusivity, collaboration, creativity, joy and good lighting!
For more information about Pixels, please check us out at the WeddingWire Storefront and if you want to learn more about the Couple’s Choice Awards®, please do!
About WeddingWire
WeddingWire, the leading technology company serving the $100 billion wedding and events industry, is the largest online vertical marketplace connecting engaged couples with event professionals. With more than two million consumer reviews, it is the industry leader in consumer reviews. The site enables engaged couples to search, compare and book from an extensive database of more than 200,000 recently reviewed event professionals, from venues to photographers. WeddingWire provides event professionals with the technology they need to serve their clients, including a SaaS platform, which powers advertising, marketing, and CRM needs of local wedding and events businesses nationwide.
pixels 10th anniversary ~ an accomplishment celebrated with gratitude, a big party, reflection & magic
Being married AND being in business together is hard work. It’s a balance of being a wife and husband and being bosses. Trying to maintain a household and a relationship while growing a business adds an enormous amount of pressure and stress. Because of this, we felt that 10 years was an even bigger accomplishment than most and we wanted to celebrate. – Misty
Ryan & Misty Case – Owners of Pixels on Paper
Ryan was always artistic as a kid. The problem was the he was artistic on the walls and mom didn’t like that so much. He spent a lot of time in time-out.
Misty manages to dance between creative and chaotic fun and precise technical skill. It shows up in her pictures. Crazy, chaotic fun during a photo shoot is perfectly framed, perfectly lit, and beautifully captured.
The secret to a magical marriage is not to merge with the other person and become one. It is about each member of the marriage learning to honor, respect, and embrace the differences of the other. There is strength in those individual differences that allows a couple to see and experience things better than either individual alone. Ryan and Misty understand that in their own marriage and it is particularly evident when they photograph an event together. Each brings a unique perspective to their photography and when their perspectives are combined, ordinary events become magical and magical events become memories that last a lifetime.
– Ryan’s brother Scot
Misty and Ryan are salt of the earth kind of people. They are honest, caring, witty, and have become like family to us. Misty has inspired me to become a better version of myself through her friendship.
– friend and client, Rachel
Before the party began, our friends Stephanie & Brad Huxter prayed with us. They prayed for our marriage, for the past 10 years, for our clients and even for those clients we haven’t met yet. They prayed strength, creativity and for grace for the next 10 years as Pixels. It all happened outside on the studio property and was the BEST way to begin the evening. – Misty
Prayers for the past 10 years, the big day ahead, our family, our clients, and the next 10.
There was such build up to the event for months before and loads of work went into the preparations. From doing house projects, fire pit stone work, sunflower garden planting, yard work, general sprucing up, to working with the vendors on all the big and little details, …. then the day of was such a good time. We have always heard brides and grooms say that they don’t remember all of the little details of the day, and that we captured things they never saw. Well Mike Anderson did that exact thing for us.
– Ryan
Ryan and I didn’t even see the food on display much less get to eat it. The caterers brought us plates of food after they had packed everything away but after a bite or two we would be distracted by being with our guests. We still talk about the disbelief that it even happened. One day the entire property looked like a carnival and in less than 24 hours there wasn’t a trace that it was ever there.
– Misty
I loved seeing and hearing 30+ kids playing together or being entertained at the kids tent. That brought the biggest smile to my face and even now brings tears because of the tremendous blessing it is to watch them grow. Having so many families together in one place at one time was/is inspiring. I wish I could have given every guest the amount of time and attention that they fully deserved and that I could have personally told each one thank you for making my dream a reality, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life and for being a part of mine, thank you for allowing me to preserve your memories.
– Misty
I feel that through all the weddings, portraits and designs we have been a part of over the last 10 years, that we have made more than just clients, we have made lasting friendships. We love to see them grow as well, both as families and as individuals. We have been fortunate enough to celebrate good times with them, as well as a few really hard times, and have built memories to last lifetime.
– Ryan
It was such a pleasure working Ryan and Misty on this event as the planner and as their friend. As business owners it is inspiring to see their inspiration and innovation for their work with clients and vendors alike. I don’t think any vendor who knows and was a part of this event did not leave inspired to do something new/different with their own business. Their studio is like no other and is the reason they have the amount of continued business….from senior portraits to weddings to first born sessions. The repeat business speaks volumes of this husband and wife team!
– vendor, client and friend, CeCe
What a well designed, well executed party. The love that went into ensuring every detail was perfect made the evening flawless. The entertainment was great, atmosphere was comfortable, and the dance floor was awesome. It is sometimes hard to attend a party when you only know the hosts, but that was not the case. Everyone we met was friendly and engaging and I expect nothing else from the circle that surrounds Misty and Ryan.
– friend and client, Rachel
We so appreciated having family come in from Pennsylvania, Raleigh and Charlotte to help us celebrate meant a lot. It was awesome to see them interacting with our clients and have them understand why we have been as successful as we have from someone other than us.
-Ryan
The days after the party were almost depressing. After such a build up and such excitement, when the tents were down and gone, the dance floor was taken up and the yard was empty it was sad. It truly seemed like a dream since there was little evidence that anything happened (other than being sore from dancing and having such a good time). But the comments from those that were able to make it only makes me want to do it again at our 11 year anniversary.
– Ryan
Watching the magician perform …. there was disbelief, head shaking, surprise and laughter.
We are more than just a photography and design studio. We are creative and caring people, and we pour ourselves into what we do and give our all to make our clients’ memories special. – Ryan
This business is about sharing the blessings that God has given us. Opening our home and hearts and honoring the talents and opportunities that God has granted us. We hope our clients realize that they are precious and beautiful and loved. – Misty
Click here to see more photos from the day, where you may view and download.
Special thanks go to those who served our guests and us at this party. We could not love and appreciate you more!
Event Coordination & Design: CeCe Hampton Events
Invitations: Stephanie Huxter
Floral Deisgn: Lily Bee’s Floral
DJ: Gordon Hensley, Digital DJs
Face Painting: Fun & Creative Expressions
Magician: Jay Spry, Spry Guy Magic
Deserts: Indulge Bakery
Produce, Meats, & Cheese: New Appalachia
Appetizers: Jared Yelton, Boondocks Brewing Tap Room & RestaurantBeer , Wine & Bar tending: Kirk Irish & Boondocks Brewing
Catering: Reids Catering
Rentals: A&J Rentals
Linens: Party Reflections