Posts Tagged: in home family portraits

Christmas is Coming – Time to Schedule Your In-Home Portraits

So much to do, so much to plan, so much to organize… and folks, I am right there with you. The mind reels during the holiday season. No sooner have you taken the surplus Halloween candy to work, than you’re gearing up for Thanksgiving. But we hope that you find time for making memories and capturing them for posterity. We managed to get out with our little pumpkin – Finley –  to enjoy some warm temps.

But here is one task you can check off your list in 5 minutes: scheduling your Christmas portrait session. While you may not know exactly what you want your holiday portraits or cards to look like, or what you want your family to be wearing, or if you want to include pets, it’s time to call and schedule your in-home portraits session.
Pajamas and tree decorating. Check.
Wrapping presents around a fire. No problem.
Playing touch football in the yard. Sure.
Decorating cookies and destroying the kitchen. Why not?
Playing board games or lying in a pile watching the Grinch or reading The Night Before Christmas. Absolutely.

… whatever the tableau, we’re in to brainstorm, laugh with you, help with the idea and document it. At home sessions are WAY MORE FUN than you know, unless you’ve booked us for a one in the past. Families have told us how thrilled they are to have these specific memories forever.


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

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.

the love of parents – portraits of grace in the 21st century

Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photoHow’s that for a grand title? Parenting has been on my mind for a minute: certainly years ago when I realized the sacrifices of my own parents, and absolutely again when becoming a parent myself with Ryan, my partner in all things.

Parenting is a full library. It contains every journal about how to do it, parenting magazines showing it in all its shades, every map of potential adventures with a child, every poem or bit of wisdom from the Kahlil Gibrans, and every scrapbook showcasing the memories of parenting. I imagine rows of volumes about life with a child – in good times and bad, on bikes, on camping trips, in boredom, during downtime, at holidays, recitals, studying, first days of school, and all the random but well-captured calamity that “just happens.” The layers of thought, work, imagination, terror and self-analysis that go into the concept of genetically forming a child and then physically raising that child, while trying to impart and protect them are frankly endless and would fill shelves – and do.

But honestly, especially these days of division and acrimony on cable news 24/7, what is most valuable to me as a new mom of a nearly one year old are the examples and illustrations of parenting with LOVE. I read and seek counsel, believe me – from the doctors and psychologists and from the Bible, but when I have nothing left to metabolize mentally, I return to simply providing love for Finley and looking to my friends, and clients, for proof of it. It’s not over-intellectualized or over-wrought, it’s easy and natural and primal and perfect.

Seeing that love through my lens is restoring me, ya’ll. Thought I’d share.

Listening. Spending time. Including them in preparing for the new baby. Picnics and time together. We’re photographing memories, but we’re also watching our friends and clients be “show up” parents. We’re watching them be present.

Parenting through showing others how to care for the least among us, including adoption dogs.

Parenting through some friendly competition.

And being the protective parents during some much needed downtime.

Anya Parry Newborn Portrait Photography photoOur time with these families gave us some insight into what we might expect with Finley, and looking back at some of the photos I’m reminded about what matters most: sticking together and showing love and grace. Starting at home.


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

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.