Macy and Jesse are now the brand spanking new parents of a pretty spectacular little girl. Meet Sweet Astrid Jane.
If you follow this blog, you’ll remember the maternity shoot we shared of this young couple, taken what feels like yesterday, outdoors near some great views. They were excited and expectant, and Macy looked gorgeous in a blue maternity dress.
Well, she gave birth in November and is already such a loving and attentive mom. Father Jesse also impressed me with his gentleness. He’s always that way with Macy, but watching him gingerly and so quietly attend to his newborn daughter during the photo shoot was a reminder of the importance of dads as comforters and loving caregivers, not just breadwinners and protectors.
The quiet, gentle, easy nature of both mom and dad is clearly a part of their new love. Astrid was so sweet and calm and compliant. It was a wonderful portrait session, even with the social distancing and key protocols, the world fell away and we could all just revolve around this new little being.
The name Astrid, for those of you who’ve never heard it before, is a Scandinavian name that combines a “god” with “beautiful” or “fair.” This little girl is definitely a fair beauty and absolutely worshiped by her besotted parents. We’re pretty crazy about her too.
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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Wrapping up a full year baby package meant that we got to see little Miss Sofia again just a few weeks ago. I cannot believe these newborns I welcome to our studio are now no longer new earthlings. I understand the concept of time and who DOESN’T want this year to be over but still…… you cannot stop a baby from just doing its thing and growing!
We photographed Sofia’s newborn sessions with her siblings and 6 month “Milk Bath” portraits in our studio and this one was in our portrait garden. This may be a first – hosting the family and baby each time in our Pixels space vs. meeting the family at another location.
Mom Jessica is a nurse and did not want a cake smash but definitely wanted to be outside, and that worked for us, because that’s how we roll during Covid-19. Sofia got new outfits for this day due to unseasonably warm weather. She was absolutely adorable and even mom got into a few of the shots.
I had already been hoarding fall and Halloween props, so I set up the portrait garden with pumpkins we grew in our pumpkin patch, mums and other little props, and off we went.
We will be creating a one year photo album for this family and I am really looking forward to it. Sofia: take your time with the growing up bit, please.
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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Gracelynn is a new citizen of Planet Earth. First time parents Caitlin and Matthew Triplett brought her to our studio, along with first time grandparents – all socially distancing and crying. It’s part of the gig… taking pictures and watching happy tears. Tears are welcome, you guys, I mean it. If there was ever something to celebrate in a time of uncertainty, it’s new life.
This perfect little girl barely slept during the session, and while that can sometimes be an issue with babies who cannot get comfy easily, Gracelynn was just as eager to be cozy and camera-ready as any newborn I’ve ever seen. It didn’t matter what position I put her in, she was “thumbs up” and ready to pose.
A few months ago, I photographed the Triplett’s maternity portrait session. Grandmother Tabitha is a friend of mine and reached out to make that session happen after the family experienced several losses in a short amount of time. Gracelynn is the antidote for that pain and loss, bringing with her hope, light and joy.
These photos are going to hang in both Caitlin and Matthew’s house and Tabitha’s as well. Before we even started the shoot, we discussed wall arrangements, so I was already familiar with the rooms themselves in both houses, what they wanted, their wishes, color palettes and themes.
For Caitlyn, the gallery/collection will be made up of maternity and newborn portraits with 6 month and 1 year portraits to come.
For Grandma Tabitha’s home, we are creating an entire wall made up of images of Gracelynn, Caitlynn and Matthew, and Tabitha’s other child Zach. When we are able, we will take family portraits of everyone together. I am so looking forward to that.
I felt a calling once again during this shoot to do this type of photography. New moms need whispered prayers, encouragement and a reminder that what they are doing is right. I think we forget how anxiety-producing it is to bring home a teeny human who needs absolutely everything. Being a loving and stable presence, even during a few hours for a portrait session, or for a year of sessions, gives me the opportunity to share a little love and support. I’m grateful for this.
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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
She’s here and she’s here early! Meet Angelina James. Her parents Jessica and Bobby are a couple we’ve known for a while and a family we love dearly. Adding to their ranks was completely approved by everyone who knows them.
This sweet girl was born 3 weeks early, but she is a healthy baby, weighing in at 8 lbs and 11 oz. The new parents and baby came to our studio and it was an easy, fun and safe shoot.
We shot Jessie and Bobby’s maternity portraits and this couple comes to PLAY. They love outfits and themes and for Angelina’s first portraits, they did not disappoint.
Purple is one of Jessica’s favorite colors and with the various and adorable outfit changes, that color still factored in.
Dad Bobby is a lacrosse coach in Charlotte and he wanted to incorporate some gear in the images. What a stitch!! This little doll fit perfectly into the goalie stick’s netting. She was equally delicious dressed up as a little elephant (another of Bobby’s choices). This child………. what a dream!
Love this image of Angelina – the wee elephant, snuggling her “lovey” and fellow elephant.
Only newborns and their parents are being hosted in our studio at this point, due to Covid-19, and our need to follow strict protocols. We will be welcoming this crew back very soon. Jessica and Bobby bought our one year baby portrait package, so we look forward to more cute outfits, more laughs and more celebration of this sweet little girl.
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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
If there was ever a time when an enormous dose of hope would come in handy, it would be about now. I see hope in the natural world which just cannot help itself. Spring follows Winter and the poets get busy. We suddenly remember that renewal, rebirth, letting go of the past and embracing what is next is good for us – body and soul, good for the individual and for the community.
I hesitate to project my silver linings on other people during a pandemic. There has been loss and struggle and heartache enough in every direction, but I TRY to deploy gratitude at least in equal measure to anxiety. We’ve been joking in our circles that there may be a spike in the curve when it comes to new faces on the planet. Quarantine has made time to – ahem – get reacquainted. If in 2021, we see babies born of a pandemic (please, let’s all agree not to call them “Covid Babies”), that would be just fine with me. Babies mean motherhood and parenthood, and I know what a gift that is.
Maternity sessions are perfect opportunities for using props, adding a theme or exploring a character. I have seen more than one mom-to-be dress up, don flowers, wade into springs, etc. They never disappoint.
One of the best parts of the gig: watching families add to their sweet ranks. Getting siblings involved before the new baby and after is a blast for this mom/photographer. I love it.
They arrive and nothing is ever the same.
And that, my friends, is a good thing.
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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.