Posts in Category: Kids
Exploring Family in Photos
Ryan and I love being parents and so much has shifted in our brains, lives and focus since the day our son arrived. It started earlier than that of course, when we knew we were pregnant, but the amount of time and effort needed to be present definitely caused a pivot – and it has been a beautiful one. We’ve always thought of our clients in totality – seen them in chapters once we’ve gotten to know them. They fall in love and become engaged, they marry, some start families and at each juncture, we hope to be there with our cameras.
More recently, we’re seeing The Cycle of Family, as I’m calling it today, with more clarity and joy, and the result is that we would like to spend even more time capturing YOUR FAMILY on film. Not just special monumental occasions, but doing life. We want to focus more on the babies and dogs together, the outdoor play, family in casual settings, you guys in the middle of being together, raising kids, enjoying the community of family and friends – cradle to retirement and everything in between.
99.2% of life is not set-up, well-lit and complete with wardrobe changes and while I totally made up that statistic, I feel pretty good about it. Life isn’t always getting to wear the new shoes or have your hair cut and curled. It’s just life and what we love so much about that fact is that daily life is actually gorgeous. Maybe not the oil changes or diaper changes, but I promise that if you spend it with those you love, the results on film will speak for themselves.
One option – bring your family together for a reunion.
Plan a Day in the Life session or two.
Invite us to your home during the holidays.
More than anything, we’re finding that the details, the fun little off moments are what make the stories. And what goes better with stories than pictures.
Consider a “just because” or Day in the Life photo session this year. We’d love to make it happen for you!
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 ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
ellis family outdoor portraits – elijah turns one
Isaiah – One Year!
For this most recent portrait session with newest member Elijah, the Ellis’s wanted to be outdoors again, but the constant rain earlier this season caused us to reschedule this session three times. Mom Ashley joked that Elijah might turn two by the time the rain stopped. But as always, everything happens for a reason. When we finally got to photograph them, it was gorgeous out and Ashley’s Mom was visiting from out of state so she was able to be a part of the day. We all met up at a park in Statesville, NC where Ashley once played as a child.
This pic below cracks me up. How much would you pay to know what Elijah was thinking? He looks so suave and cute and the curls on the top of his head are just too much.
“On the road of life together.”
This photo – all of these photos – give me so much joy and hope for the future. Family continues to be the institution we all turn to the most for inspiration, comfort and hope. Cheers to the Ellis’s. Keep holding together you four. Keep chasing each other around and hugging and bonding. We hope to see you again soon.
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 ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
First birthday portraits & cake smash among the blooms
We made good use of the orchards again this spring and one such case was a session featuring newly crowned one year old Gavin Mendieta. His outdoor portraits and cake smash were a treat, especially with his big blue eyes and guileless gaze. He is so serene and sweet and has just started walking. Accompanied by his mom and gramma, we loved watching him toddling around the orchard. Fresh air is good for all of us, but it was especially nice on this day to be following him around.
Gavin’s six month session was also outdoors and he’s a natural – so to speak – in these settings.
Gavin’s grandmother was in town and came to the orchard with him and his mom and she had to help coax him into messing up the cake. When does that ever happen? Kids seem to be preternaturally determined to get their hands dirty in frosting, but he was a little gentleman until finally digging in… sorta!
First birthday – CHECK.
Walking – CHECK.
Loves the outdoors – YUP.
Watching Gavin grow up is going to be so much fun. Here’s love to ya buddy!!
Want to see more Pixels portraits of kids? Start here!
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 ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
our children – photos of the 21st century community in the making
We don’t preach politics from this blog. We don’t preach, period. Our core values, we hope, show up in our work and the way we live our lives. Even if we weren’t parents, the loss of the lives of children is a heartbreak like no other. I cannot imagine racing to a schoolyard with Ryan to wait to see if our kid emerged from a building…. if Finley James would appear on a list later to be read at a memorial. And I’ll just stop there. Our prayers have been sent to Florida since we heard the news last week and my mind wanders the way a new mother’s does when kids make the headlines…
We want, with this particular blog post, to celebrate children. They will forge and become the true 21st century and what community feels like. They may wriggle around, or show shyness, diffidence, disinterest, be squirrelly, silly or just distracted during portrait sessions, but WE LOVE taking photos of children – of all ages. [Our apologies to the teens in this blog who are cringing at the “children” header.]
Here are some favorites from over the years that spring to mind.
One of the greatest joys really is watching from behind the lens as kids navigate all phases of life. I look at each of these faces and can remember the photo session, but also the child/kid/baby/graduating senior and how she or he was that day. I especially love knowing that I’ll see some of them again … older, wiser, goofier, figuring whatever of life’s puzzles is in their lap that day.
God’s gift of Finley to us has heightened this for me as a photographer. Any of those kids could be Finley and all of these kids could have been in that school in Florida. They’re all precious. They all deserve our love and care and it’s a distinct pleasure to be the one to make sure their families have portraits of them to remember each precious moment.
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 ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
“remind me what he looks like…”
A story that a friend shared with me that a chaplain once told her … sort of a parable – and a sweet one that comes to mind sometimes when I look down at my own son’s face – is about a little girl, aged 5, being told that she was going to be a big sister. No joy in Mudville for her, so to speak. She was not interested in the role or title of sister, not interested in a new companion, in sharing, in change and let her parents know it with her scowls and body English. She became disobedient and/or quiet and lost her own excitement about simple things. The couple hoped it would pass when the new baby arrived.
The baby was born – a little boy – and when the pair was introduced, she gazed at her little brother but wasn’t affectionate or warm. She mostly just stared at him.
Because the parents were trying to be good parents and had read books about siblings and parenting and the struggles that come with introducing a newborn to an established 5 year old with opinions and agendas, they kept an eye on her and were always careful to be near her when she was with her little brother. She never showed affection or interest; she was just watchful. She was always staring at him, they noticed. She never spoke to him.
One day, she asked her Mom and Dad if she could be alone with him in his crib, and warily they finally said yes. They cracked the door, though, so that they could watch her in case she decided to hurt him.
Through the crack in the door, they watched as she stood silently by his crib and gazed through the slats. Nothing happened for the first several minutes. Then she leaned in and they heard her say, “Hi, baby. Will you tell me what God looks like. I don’t remember.”I love this story and the idea that babies are heavenly makes perfect sense to me. But it’s also a reminder that when we are far from God, we sometimes forget His face and His love for us. It’s in those times that a perfect little creature is sent to remind us.
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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.