Posts Tagged: Pixels On Paper Photography

Portraits make PERFECT Christmas Gifts

While a picture may or may not be worth a thousand words, it IS most decidedly worth a thousand hugs of gratitude, a thousand THANK YOUS and a thousand days of the recipient feeling loved by you. The gift giving season is upon us and one of the best gifts (it makes the list every year) is a photograph.
Weddings, births, graduations, family reunions, bridals, engagements, baby’s first birthday……. you get the idea. If Pixels has photographed you, now would be a great time to make one of those portraits into a gift for someone. Electronics are great. Clothes are great. Cookware, robes, ties, subscriptions… all of that stuff is great. Who doesn’t love a new leaf-blower? Well, not me, but I get it. But stuff breaks down, gets upgraded, lost, used up or simply outlasts your care for it. Photos of people you love do not. Trust me.
Birthdays, anniversaries, and certainly Christmas – portraits of milestones and important memories make the best gifts. Give it some thought and get in touch!


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.

Courtney + Cody’s wedding photography | Family, Nature + Love

Courtney & Cody’s wedding was one that featured so much family heritage throughout and that impressed me once again about these two. It was also very much about the excitement of the day – which was September 22nd at Gambill Estate in Roaring River NC. The ceremony was simple and the day was incredibly special.
For this blog, we chose to use the photo pages directly from their wedding album. Couples rarely get wedding albums anymore. I think it’s important to note that these become heirlooms where a USB thumb-drive does not.  Everyone thinks that they will make a slide show, but they don’t, or they forget to share it, or the older relatives cannot access it. An album lasts and we custom design each album around the couple’s favorite images. Both sets of parents also ordered replica albums.Parker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding Photo

According to the couple, their favorite moment was just after the ceremony, when they realized “we really are married – the dream is real” and could bask in it. A close second and third were being with their families before the ceremony and the reception where everyone could chat, mix, mingle and eat afterwards.

What we loved was how they incorporated so much heritage. Courtney did this for her bridal portraits as well. Generations of family china patterns from both sides were used as the place settings during the reception and the decor used featured orchard and farm elements including homestead doors, ladders, and apple crates.

Parker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoBoth Courtney and Cody were relaxed and excited throughout the entire day and Cody in his normal comedic fashion caused a roar of laughter when he wore a head lamp to remove Courtney’s garter.

Parker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoParker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding PhotoCourtney told us how quickly they felt it all went by, but that – if given the chance for a do-over – they wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Parker / Tevepaugh Pixels On Paper Photography Gambill Estate Outdoor Wedding Photo

Here’s a little more about their vendors:
Wedding Gown: Bridal Traditions
Wedding coordinator /planner:  Cathy Snipes
Wedding and reception venue: Gambill Estate
Videographer: Our Story Video Creations
DJ or band: Block Party Productions
Caterer: Michelle and Mike Mizelle
Flowers, Cake and Desserts: Family


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.

Our Finley Turns One with a Cake smash

America’s beloved Walt Disney said, “I think of a child’s mind as a blank book. During the first years of his life, much will be written on the pages. The quality of that writing will affect his life profoundly.”

I don’t know what was more profound this last year of our lives and the first of Finley’s. Everything he poured out, we soaked up… some of it we consumed lovingly with no sense of what the heck was going on, but more of it with the greediness of parents who understand that time is flying. I hope we filled the pages of his blank little being with the imprints of love, care, tickles, laughter, confidence and some unspoken knowledge that we have his back till our last breaths.

That’s heavy. I know, but I’m his Mama and I get a pass. Want the sweet stuff? See below. We celebrated his first birthday with the traditional cake smash and he did not disappoint.

one year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photo

I’m amazed at the amount of growth and change I saw in Finley in just 12 months. We opted to photograph his cake smash portraits during his birthday celebration while he was surrounded by family. A few days prior, Ryan and I sat in the middle of the floor creating his one year backdrop while he played around us in the balloons. I made his birthday cake, following a tradition where my Mom always made my birthday cakes while growing up. When he is able, he will be able to request what kind of cake he wants just like I did. Traditions run thick in our blood! It’s what memories are made of.

With Ryan behind the camera and family filling our studio, little man could not contain his excitement as I carried the cake in and placed it in front of him. In mere seconds he dove in – first with a hand and followed promptly with his his entire mouth. At one point when looking around to see that everyone was laughing and cheering and no one would stop him his arm was in the cake up to his elbow getting as big a handful as possible. He definitely likes chocolate and cake!

one year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photoone year cake smash photographers photo

After eating literally 1/3 of the small cake and covering himself in icing he got a bath. Here’s a little funny but gross note…. the next morning he sneezed chocolate. I’m not kidding.
Happy Birthday, Sweet Finley. What you’ve given us far outweighs any birthday or other gifts we’ve given you. We love you, Son.

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.

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.

Time to Schedule you Christmas & Holiday In-Home Portraits

As you print out the Butterball turkey hotline number to put on the frig, iron bedding for out-of-town guests (I have a friend who ACTUALLY does this, but she told me she’d kill me if I shared her number), stock the pantry, sharpen your knives, throw out the old bathroom soap, and get everything else pulled together for Thanksgiving, I want to give you a loving tap on the shoulder and remind you that it’s time to be thinking about your holiday portrait session. This year, we’re doing in-home sessions only, because not only do we love doing them, more importantly, YOU GUYS told us you love them too.
We made this decision also because we remember the best things about Christmas happen at home. Here’s a little excerpt I wrote about our reasoning from 2016:

For us, this year has been hectic, challenging and rewarding all at the same time. Through it all I’ve been very reflective and God has been incredibly forthcoming in showing me direction and insight all along the way both in my personal journey and the path of our business. I want all the work we do to be done with intention and relevance.

Nothing is more important during the holidays (or anytime for that matter) than family. When trying to create the concept for this year’s Christmas theme “family” and “home” continued to resonate in my mind. I wanted a way to create a personal experience for each of our clients, so my resolution is to offer in-home Christmas sessions.

I want to capture families gathered around trees with handmade ornaments, trees where all the fragile ornaments are at a height away from little fingers, stockings are personalized and tree toppers are those that have been passed through generations. I’d love to capture children in their Christmas PJs while they show me an ornament they made at school. Children years from now will recognize their surroundings in a photograph. What it looks like is different for every single one of our clients.

The same is true two years later. We want to be in your world during one of the most important holidays and seasons each year.
In-home sessions allow you to be more relaxed while we document the season, your family, playing games, eating and “doing life.” Some families want to dress up and make it more festive, others hang in their pjs. It’s ALL good.
Our prices have not changed since 2016! Give us a call or send us an email and let’s get you and your in-home photo session on the calendar.


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.