Posts in Category: Families
conner tevepaugh – a summer peach turns 6 months and works the orchard with zeal
SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER!
While it’s almost officially the end of summer (like it or love it), we took Conner Tevepaugh’s 6 month portraits in July of this year at his family’s orchard. [For those who follow this blog closely, and we hope you all are!!], Conner’s newborn pictures were captured at our outdoor studio in Wilkesboro, NC. This time, since it was in the height of the picking season, we went to them at Tevepaugh Orchards. All of the Tevepaugh kids and grandkids have been photographed as babies and toddlers in those wooden gathering crates along with apples or peaches and their photos hang in the family’s orchard house. The basin Conner’s in just below was one used by his great-grandmother to hold fruit that were being peeled for canning or cooking. Family members vividly remember her using it frequently. Pretty sure she would love to know that her family is still using this heirloom in photos of the next generation. Connor certainly cutes it up!
On the left: possible peach thief. On the right: busted for stealing. “It’s ok…. I’ll just sit here and look cute.”
As with all newborn to 6 month, or 6 month to 1 year sessions with babies, the change in them is subtle but still recognizable. Connor, our little “backdraft baby” was tucked into his father’s fireman’s helmet and gear as a newborn (and in a basket of apples just below). This time around, he was hitched to his grand-dad, Armit.
Because this session took place in their orchard, Armit was keen to participate and had lots of ideas and props and energy. Everything was perfectly ripe and sweet (the color of those peaches was not enhanced, by the way, and the smell of ripe fruit was heavenly). Conner was game to be placed in baskets and all over the orchard.
That July harvest time kept everyone in the family busy working day after day on a multitude of tasks and while Connor isn’t walking, much less “pulling his weight” just yet – he was interested in sampling the goods and being a part of the mix. Just as the photos of the kids in the Tevepauch orchard house are treasures for their parents and grandparents, these photos will be priceless for Connor and his family someday. And he can show the basin and the crates, maybe even walk the land with his own kids and talk about how fun it was to be a kid among all of that beauty and deliciousness.
“I just want to go on record to say that this finger is not nearly as tasty as that peach I was slurping on earlier.”
Basket of joy – brock rollins – newborn and 6 month photos with the family!
Becky and Jackson Rollins were wedding clients of ours and we took their newborn son, Brock’s first professional portraits, so when it was time for his 6 month portraits session, the family – including their beloved Weimaraner, Shelby, made the trip from SC to our indoor and outdoor studios in Wilkesboro, NC. It’s always so interesting (and entertaining) to see how infants have changed in only a few months and baby Brock was no exception. Maybe it’s the bow tie, hard to say really, but he looked like a little man compared to teeny creature we first met in late 2014. The child on the left looks like he’s hanging on for dear life until his next nap and the boy on the right looks like the maitre d at one of Brooklyn’s finest Italian restaurants. “For you – the cannoli are on the house!”
Becky, like several of our client moms, always brings great outfits for Brock and at this session, the little dude was dapper. In fact the whole family was coordinated and they are such a handsome group, photographing them was the best. Brock was animated, the dog stood still, the weather was perfect and the laughter was constant.
The Rollins’ also love black and white photos, and display them prominently throughout their home, so we take time to make sure that there are images that translate well to black and white for them. We’re thrilled that our portraits are not just given away and stored in albums but prominently hung.
We’re looking forward to seeing this family again soon, with their pup in tow!
engagement photos from a first date …… sorta
Last October, Pixels participated in the Pumpkin Patch (I’ll pause here so you can wipe the spittle off of your face). The Pumpkin Patch was designed and hosted by the Midtown Garden Market in North Wilkesboro, NC and we loved being a part of its inaugural year. At our photo booth, we were able to see former and current clients and met new ones. Jamie Goforth and Daniel Harrison were two new people we met and we took a pic of them that included Daniel’s young son. We loved them immediately! 5 months later, we saw them again at the Wilkes Wedding Expo and after chatting, it sealed our desire to work with them and them with us to capture their engagement photos.
Jamie and Daniel met in middle school, but found each other again many years later. Their first date was fueled by nerves that led to Jamie spilling a drink (a story they now tell through laughter) and they reminded us of us. [QUICK DIGRESSION: When Ryan and I first started dating, we went to The Landmark – still our favorite diner in Charlotte, NC – and the ketchup bottle exploded as I was doctoring my fries and I basically baptized myself with ketchup. You never know when a moment of mortification is going to be a story for your grandkids. Take that to heart, gang!]
Anyway, …. after that first date, there was a time of chasing and distance and then their paths crossed and they decided to go out again. What truly cemented it though was a trip to Asheville, NC and where they stayed at the famous Grove Park Inn.
At Grove Park, it was Daniel’s turn to spill a drink all over himself, Jamie, the waiter and the people next to them. Just kidding.
This is where they fell in looooove.
They sat out on that awesome porch, nay, veranda and Jamie played songs from her phone and they talked well into the night. At one point, they started dancing and it began to pour rain. Jamie said, “it was my kind of perfect.”
Shooting their engagement portraits where they had their first date – The Cody Creek Depot – was a blast.
When we asked them what they were looking forward to most on their wedding day (in Roaring Gap, NC in October of this year) they – these two are seriously cute – both said first seeing each other when Jamie comes down the aisle.
Grounded by their faith, their supportive families and each other, the pair has way more than a good shot at a golden anniversary someday.
In the meantime, they are dreaming about their next trip to the Grove Park Inn.
fotos de una familia amorosa que celebran su miembro más reciente (photos of a loving family celebrating their newest member) photographing newborn baby Isabelle
Spaniard Diego Velazquez painted many, many portraits in the 17th century, but Las Meninas (The Bridesmaids) may be his most famous. It’s a painting of a painting and Velazquez even painted himself painting in it. It’s smart and layered, playful and beautiful, but it’s interesting to us because it’s not a portrait of the bride – but of all the others that surround a big event. It’s about the community of family.
Now flash forward 400 years or so and Pixels gets a call from the Castillio family asking us to take photos of their precious new daughter Isabelle. You know how much we love newborn photo sessions….. the babies are so snuggly and cute (and pliable! remember we often fold them into baskets, buckets, pots, etc.), so we were ready with all of the goods in our studio to show off Isabelle’s sweetness. The Castillios place a higher value on family though, so a coterie of loving family arrived with mom Vanessa and dad Henry. In tow were big sister Jasmine, 3 grandparents and 2 uncles. Family reunion meets celebration meets new baby portrait session.
We so admire these cultural differences, all the while knowing that family is universal, regardless of continent, language, or century. It just seems easy to forget during our busy current lives until it spills happily into your studio. The entire time we were behind the camera, there was constant conversation (all in Spanish), laughing, smiling, and hugging . They never stopped and while we understood little, it was easy to see that they were two families brought together as one, celebrating their newest edition. Our studio was awash in their joy.
There is no doubt that this little bundle will be surrounded by love every day. Her portrait session ended up including many of those who will love her and have her back for the most important moments of her life. Just look up and you can see that they all have eyes for her, are already grateful for her and making plans to celebrate, protect and cherish her. The pic of Isabelle with her big sister Jasmine snuggling her and grinning really touched us. How many stories will they share? How many late night laughs will they have? How will they lift each other up, store the others secrets and make each other better?
For the millionth time, we’re grateful for the ways we get to envision and capture families and what the word family means.
Dios bendiga a las familias que rodean unos a otros con amor. (God bless families who surround each other with love.)
for Pixels, one family = engagement + wedding + newborn + 6 month old baby photos + whatever is next….
The brilliant Nat King Cole sang, “When I fall in love …. it will be forever.” For Meghan and Jeremy Arnold, this is absolutely true and demonstrated daily. It began when they fell in love (we photographed their engagement portraits and their amazing wedding in Charlotte in 2012) and that love continues in their unreasonably cute daughter, Berklee. 
Since their wedding, they’ve driven from Virginia to have us shoot Miss Berklee’s newborn session and later, back in Charlotte, asked us to capture her 6 month portraits. This is a couple with deep family traditions and a strong sense of the way they want to create their own family. They think of loving details for every event in their lives (a bag-piper played as part of their wedding recessional for instance, and we saw more than one pair of argyle socks as a nod to their Irish heritage) and we love complimenting those details with our own suggestions. In keeping with this, Meghan brought her wedding veil and Celtic inspired headpiece which we included in our newborn shots of Berklee.
We received this trio to our outdoor studios in Wilkesboro last month for Berklee’s 6 month session. Once again, we collaborated and Meghan brought a yellow dress that she wore during her own 6 month portraits back in the day. The results melted all of our hearts. We had so much fun setting up with them outside and watching the many faces of Baby Berklee. Apparently, Jeremy was accused of making funny noises to elicit expressions from his little girl. It worked.
The pictures just above – especially the one on the right – are funny, darling, delicious … and we all cracked up upon review. Meghan said, “She really worked the cam!” If we could caption her in repose, it would be something like, “Mmmmm. Feels good to put my dogs up, relax, lean back and I may need a beverage. Anyone interested in finding a bottle with my name on it?”
Meghan thanked us for our patience, but we love this work or we wouldn’t do it. Also, thank you!
“I’m Queen … of, um …. THE WORLD!!”
We are an organized, but laid back and relaxed studio and want that vibe for our clients and guests during shoots. We ask questions and chat and laugh. Planning is such a big part of what makes us successful, but we’re nimble and love to improvise. Learn more about us and be in touch.