Posts Tagged: Charlotte Family Photography
outdoor family portraits ~ some late summer fun
I giggle a little every time I hear people opine that they just don’t have time for a portrait session. It’s not condescension, I promise. I understand busy. I “do” busy myself like plenty of other folks. This is life. But I also know that with a plan and a little will, you can pull off a photoshoot with you and your loved ones. Exhibit A: the Mendelson and Hon families we photographed recently.
We photographed Caroline and Andrew Mendelson’s wedding April 6, 2013. They found us through two referrals and were married in NC even though they lived in Boston at the time and still do. Caroline contacted us just a few weeks ago to find out if we were available to photograph her family along with her Mom and Dad, Mr. & Mrs. Hon while they were visiting them in NC for a week. OF COURSE, we made time in our schedule to make it happen. 
The sweet Mendelson family has increased by two since we last saw them 4 years ago. Big sister Julia and little Hannah were so much fun to get to watch, tickle and photograph. We loved getting to spend a few hours in Dobson, NC catching up with everyone and celebrating Mr. Hon’s birthday, which just happened to be that day. I suspect he’ll love looking back on photos of his two grand-daughters – a couple of little cupcakes – who came to celebrate with him and his wife. These latest memories will soon decorate the walls of their homes.
We do our best to accommodate requests for family portrait sessions because we know how much they matter. We’re spread out in this enormous country and time together is at a premium. Creating heirlooms for families like the Hons and Mendelson’s is our distinct pleasure.
We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the NC 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.
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Outdoor Photo Shoots – It’s About Location
In my recent blog about summer photos, I mentioned that you don’t have to be getting married to plan a photo session with us during this gorgeous time of year. Although….. look at these two below. Pretty fab standing in the Church of Mother Nature. Potential outdoor shots are practically everywhere.
The Blue Ridge Parkway, The Biltmore House and Grove Park Inn in Asheville, The Piccione Vineyards in Ronda, NC, trails and fields in Blowing Rock, your own family property, camps and cabins, and any number of beaches in North or South Carolina, state parks or favorite neighborhood recreational spots make perfect destinations for a photo shoot. 
Our own portrait garden at the Pixels Studio is often the best option for those who want a beautiful outdoor shot but cannot travel too far. And honestly, we have more than a few clients who DO make a long drive to us BECAUSE they love our gardens and the relaxed feeling of the place.
Contact us about your summer adventure and if you’d like to commemorate it with photos!
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.
Love Your Mama! | Celebrating Motherhood
No matter what it looks like, motherhood is profound. Mothers declare – with this first amazing act of carrying a child and then giving birth to it – that they will forever share their food, put their immediate needs aside, hold their child’s head above the rising water, look for sacred lost things, and provide comfort, perspective, structure, laughter, physical and emotional affection, joy and support till the very end.
– Sylvia Plath
Family Vacation | destination photos
There’s a reason why the baseball team in Asheville, NC is called the Tourists. North Carolina, from pretty much west to east, is a gorgeous part of the world. So every year, families from all over head to the mountains, piedmont and beaches to explore and relax. Ryan and I love destination photo shoots, especially of families who’ve come from all over the state and country to our Blue Ridge Mountains and parkway, Blowing Rock, rolling Wilkes county, the high country, the Biltmore House and elsewhere. Some are on vacation, some are at family reunions, others are couples getting engaged, but they all want portraits in this lush landscape that’s our backyard. Of course, we’re happy to oblige!
Hobens at the family vacation camp
Hoben family reunion on family property in Roaring Gap NC.
Charleston SC engagement portraits
The Picard family descended upon the NC Mountains to celebrate Easter together.
The Ellis Family visits from Charlotte for portraits together.
McCoy Outdoor Family Portrait Photography near the Blue Ridge Parkway
The entire Poland family together during a rare occasion in Boone NC.
The Allen family on vacation at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock NC.
Rogers Outdoor Family Portrait Photography in Charlotte NC
The Perry family together for portraits at their vacation home in Grandfather Mountain Country Club.
Some families, like the Hobens who all met up in Roaring Gap last summer, have property they own and want portraits celebrating them in that place. Others are just traveling through for the summer fun in our area and choose a site or ask for our help (we’ve got tons of ideas) while they’re together, relaxed and enjoying the views. We also have families who live close by and summer break is the first opportunity they have to coordinate a portrait session. They come to our outdoor portrait garden or we meet them on the parkway or in a special location and go from there. One thing we hear – sadly too often – is that people regret not having more photos of the entire family together. So if you’ve been thinking about it, contact us. We’ll help get you started and you’ll have a summer 2017 memory or two to frame!
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Christmas at Home | An Evening with a Young Family
Describing a family and what family symmetry is, as it turns out, much harder than capturing photos of the chaos that is actually very beautiful, symmetrical if you will. Does that make sense? I showed up at the Minick’s house to photograph a Day in the Life session – a holiday at home session – with this family I’ve been photographing for many years and through many seasons of life. And it was all there … all of that insanely beautiful chaos that makes family life so glorious.
We started photographing the Minicks’ Christmases in 2012, when daughter Amelia was brand new. Now, there are 4 in this family, as little Matthew was added just 6 months ago. When we discussed a Christmas at home session, mom Rachel said they weren’t organized and hadn’t decorated and weren’t sure how they would pull it off. My answer: don’t worry. It’s your life and your holiday too. It’ll look however it looks – most likely, it’ll look like love. 
I think people believe that holiday photos, any photo sessions for that matter, have to be buttoned up and the house has to be spotless and everything is ironed and there’s no nonsense or pets racing around, or dust or ……reality. I promise that I couldn’t care less as a photographer documenting a day in your lives. When I arrived at their house, husband and father Ryan was just pulling into the drive with Amelia and they did what families do: they all greeted each after being separated all day and dumped bags and removed shoes and picked up where they left off: doing life together.
Amelia (4 years) loves to be in the kitchen cooking with her mom and wanted to do breakfast for dinner. Who doesn’t want breakfast for dinner???!!! But I digress. They prepped the table and food, cutting strawberries and Amelia made the perfect little sous chef, although she took the time to taunt little brother Matthew who was in charge of banging bowls and being cute. 
After dinner and chatter came pajamas and, on this day, tree decorating. Like MANY busy couples who work and have young kids, they don’t get the tree up the day after thanksgiving nor do they try to have IT all pulled together. After reading stories and pulling out ornaments, they decorated and all of the day — all of the chaos that wasn’t really chaos melted into beloved family time. At one point, Rachel turned to me and said, “this is what our ‘real life’ looks like!” To me, it was gorgeous. The dishes, the kitchen noise, the constant chatter and love, the diapers and pullups, tree stand and step stool, glitter and magic, just all of it. It was beautiful. 
I want people to see the beauty in the every day. We say this all the time and then we go running right passed the park, if you know what I mean. Amelia in her pjs putting the star on top and Matthew lying in the floor like, “what is this crazy ritual I just walked into?” So much love and perfect symmetry. 
I hope families who feel that every photo shoot has to be crisp and perfect and clutter-free will call us. I can assure you that those gorgeous and sacred family moments happen all the time and our job is to capture them for you. There is symmetry in the chaos of family. Our job as documentarians is to help point it out so that you can celebrate and remember it.
I want to thank the Minicks and other families who’ve said “come over. This is our home.” We get it and appreciate it and couldn’t love you more.
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.