Posts in Category: Families
Taking Things to Heart
“We are saved only by love — love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.” – Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams….. sigh. He nailed it – and by “it” I mean life – in so many of his plays. And he certainly captured the feelings and perceptions of love, something we need more of.
A blog that focuses on love as Valentine’s Day approaches – when it is truly already the foundation of every photo shoot we do – seems like overkill. If you’ve been following us for the last 15 years, you know that we start with curiosity, work with clients to create and achieve a vision and then apply our skills and experience. But ultimately, it’s always about love.
We love what we do. We love capturing people’s love for each other. I would urge you, if you haven’t recently, to check out our blog categories, most particularly Families, Babies, Engagement and Maternity. You’ll see love baked right in.
During a year when we cannot hug everyone we love, and during Valentine’s Day, I hope you’ll call your mom, hug your nearest and dearest and take to heart what you are most grateful for.
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.
Styers Family Portraits
We could call this blog “When the Ends Meet and Something Beautiful Happens.” For years, Pixels has been participating in a local fundraiser for a child named Drake. Drake has cystic fibrosis and for the last decade or so we’ve been providing a photo session to the silent auction that raises money for Drake and for cystic fibrosis. There is also a golf tourney to raise money and I encourage any of you who are interested to learn more at Drives Fore Drake. We love to give and are happy to help raise money for a good cause.
Being a part of Drives fore Drake is one side of the story. The other side is that our child Finley has developed a real affection and friendship (we all have actually) with a lady named MarySallie Steyers. She SHOWERS him with attention, humor, and snuggles and was until recently one of the teachers at his Play2Learn. MarySallie just happens to be Drake’s grandmother. So after years of supporting his cause, we were actually able to meet the Drake behind the cause. MarySallie said she wanted a photo session with the entire clan and that’s just what we did!
At the end of 2020, MarySallie, her husband Rick, their children Sallie and Sammy along with their spouses and children all gathered for portraits. We’ve photographed members of this family before, when we met up with Emily VanMeter Styers and part of her clan at the VanMeter family farm. Emily married into the Steyers family and well – let’s just say, it’s a small world.
MarySallie has been so generous with her hugs to Finley (see beginning of blog) that we wanted an image of her with all of her grandkids heaping hugs and love on her. Mission accomplished.
This mom and grandmother knew it was going to be difficult getting everyone together so she and I have been planning a portrait gallery for her home not only with these images, but with others we’ve taken of their family in groupings. I cannot wait to see it completed.
Not only did Finley have his photo taken with MarySallie, he took a few of his own with his camera.
Easter and Mother’s Day are coming up, gang. What mom wants more than anything besides time with you are photographs. So let’s talk!
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 newborn and baby portraits, engagements 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 License
All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Sibling Love – Part 2
We’re celebrating siblings again and remembering what it was like to be young, to have enough energy to fight and make up, and reviewing some of our favorite images of kids with their brothers and sisters who were brave enough to jump in front of our cameras.
“A sibling may be the sole keeper of one’s core identity, the one person with the keys to one’s unfettered, more fundamental self.” – Marian Sandmaier
“Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.” – Susan Scarf Merrell
Siblings often become good friends, and because they know each other so well, they can provide each other a deep sense of comfort. Laura Markham
“I don’t believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.” ― Maya Angelou
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Sibling Love – Part 1
It’s hard not to notice the kids, and especially the siblings, when scrolling through our library of images, as I want to do. We’ve been professional photographers since 2005 and when I’m organizing portrait galleries or brainstorming for our business, the faces of these munchkins jump off the screen. So I’m showcasing some pretty cute ones for you guys. We all can use a little pick-me-up.
“A sibling is the lens through which you see your childhood.” – Ann Hood
“Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring – quite often the hard way.” – Pamela Dugdale
“You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. – George R.R. Martin
“Having a sister is like having a best friend you can’t get rid of. You know whatever you do, they’ll still be there.” – Amy Li
“Be nice to your siblings, they’re your best link to your past and the most likely to stay with you in the future.” – Baz Luhrmann
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Spring Outdoor Portraits
Yes, it’s January and yes, it’s a little brisk out, but as night follows day, spring follows winter, so let’s get ready for outdoor photo sessions.
Families have told me more times than I can count that they wish they had made time to gather everyone in one spot for portraits, if not each year then every couple of years. Time passes quickly.
Milestones are important but “just because” photo sessions with a photographer, one who knows how to pose, use light and equipment appropriately and can retouch and package your images is ALWAYS a good idea. I live to make the wishes of moms and grandmas come true. They know that photos today become heirlooms tomorrow.
Parks, mountain trails, private home backyards and porches, and certainly the Pixels outdoor portrait garden – all make great locations for family portraits.
We are ready when you are and can help plan the place, date and time. If you begin letting your family factions know that it’s time for a group photo session, they will be ready when the temperatures are premium.
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.