Posts in Category: Pets
The Gift of Photography
Do you want to give the gift that keeps on giving? Give someone a pet.
OK, that is not the point of this blog, but this blog is indeed about giving.
Madelene and Gary Johnson are best buddies with Pixels’ clients Janet & Mike Martinez, the owners of North Carolina Mountain Investments. Janet and Mike wanted to give their friends something that they would love for Christmas last year, and happily for us, it was a gift certificate for a photo session. You know what this means: happy givers, happy receivers and happy photographers.
Madelene and Gary asked that we photograph them at their home away from home outside of Jefferson, NC, so we met them and their family there and it was spectacular. Their family consists of their two beloved dogs and as dog owners, we are always excited to be around and photograph animals.
Ryan photographed this family along and even in the New River and around their lovely home and outdoor seating areas and we cannot wait for the Johnsons to be able to display these and share them with Janet and Mike.
Gift certificates make wonderful holiday, birthday, anniversary or just because presents, so if you have someone you’re not sure what to buy for, consider this a reminder!
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 LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Pets & Babies – Photos of Life
I feel like I’m in a little series of sorts – about life vs. posed photography. Just recently – casual family portraits and more about day in the life sessions.
Don’t get me wrong. I love weddings. But more and more Ryan and I are enjoying the Not Formal. So today, it’s about dogs and babies. Or pets and kids. We’re flexible.
Can’t we all just agree that dogs and babies – pets and children generally – are the tonic we need these days? Can you count on them to pose? Nope. Can you count on them to want to wear something that they don’t want to wear? Not really. Are both pets and children happier running around naked? Welllllll…. yes, generally. We aren’t endorsing the nude approach, but we do want the photos we take of your pets and your Littles to be honest, real, endearing and fun. There is time for posing your kids in their later years. For now, let’s celebrate asymmetry. Let’s enjoy a little unstructured time and play and let’s get it on film.
That’s our Chelsea (“she said, trying not to sound like a bragger”) catching a ball mid-air. I know….. she’s fab.
Whether it’s Day in the Life photos, pet photos or photos of babies, call us to discuss ideas! Our outdoor portrait garden is a great spot, but there are parks galore that make perfect backdrops.
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.
fur babies ~ our first kids in photos
We are dog lovers. We love animals. Our dog Chelsea and cat Sulley were our children before Master Finley hit the planet and they are now his siblings, Chelsea in particular is minder and sellout fan. She’s done. She met him, signed the papers and they are bonded for keeps.
You don’t have to tell us about loving pets, peeps. We soooooooooooooo get it and we relate to clients who want their beloved animals included in holiday cards, engagement portraits, kid and family photos, as part of celebrating rescue centers and pet adoptions. Why leave them out? They are there – day in and day out – in our lives, during meals, giving love, making requests with their voices and paws, comforting us and “doing life” with us. We say: INCLUDE YOUR PETS and we also take portraits just of them, should you want to have a great memory captured for posterity. If it matters to you, it matters to us, you know?
So here’s to our fur babies!
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – Anatole France
“If I could be half the person my dog is, I’d be twice the human I am.” – Charles Yu
“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs. But I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.” – Ron Burgundy
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” – Charles Schulz
“When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend. I feel a soul.” – A.D. Williams
“Whoever said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend…never owned a dog.” – Author Unknown
“We have more to learn from animals than animals have to learn from us.” – Anthony Douglas Williams
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” – James D. Miles
“Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet.” – Colette
“Surround your children with animals, for they are the teachers with purity of heart.” – Anonymous
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.
Summer, Summer, Summer – Great Time for Professional Photos
Every year there is the song of the summer. It gets played over and over and we make it part of that year, that season and that time. Those of us who grew up in the 80s listened to Bananarama (“Cruel Summer”), Billy Idol (“Hot in the City”), Brian Adams (“Summer of ’69”), U2 (“Indian Summer Sky”), Don Henley, Van Halen and others. The 1990s brought us DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince – or Will Smith’s “Summertime,” Len’s “Steal My Sunshine” (remember those scooters in California?), Smash Mouth and Janet Jackson. I hear summer songs this time of year everywhere, including in my head whether I want to or not. Don’t judge – you know you do too. And it makes me think of the little movies we have running in our minds. Our lives to music, with friends and family, children, engagements, new jobs, pitfalls and adventures. There’s a soundtrack and loads of mental images. This year, make sure there are some concrete images as well. Summer photos are keepsakes and we love taking them.
Ryan and I find that summer photo sessions aren’t just about weddings and engagements or Merlefest. We’re asked to capture families, children and any event that matters when the sun is high and people are gathered. Summer outdoor photos capture not only place and people, but specific aspects of where you are in life. What was going on in your family? How old are your kids? What sports or instruments are they playing? Do you have hobbies and pets you want to include? Do you take an annual trip to our part of the Carolinas every year and want to commemorate it? We find that our friends want to show off everything from their kayaks to their dogs, great grandchildren, new homes, summer vacations, gardens and just about everything else.
We’ll help you with location, should you need it and then make sure that the photos are perfect for gifts or family heirlooms.
Give us a call to book a summer session that you’ll have to remember forever. You don’t have to be getting married to want to commemorate the summer of 2017.
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.
Defining Family | Dogs and Humans
We define family as weirdly and idiosynchratically as we define ourselves. No kids. 1 kid. 8 kids.
“We adopted,” “we foster,” “we just want to be auntie and uncle.” You name it.
And then there are our pets. If you own one, you get it. They are a completely different kind of family, with their unconditional love, guileless expressions, stinky breath, midnight BTUs and snuggling.
Our friend Carol has been a breeder for years, but also rescues and fosters dogs for new forever homes. If ever someone “got it” with regard to what dogs can add to your life, it’s Carol.
She asked that we photograph her with 2 brothers she’d been fostering, who were about to meet their new family and of course, we said yes. When we arrived the family that was adopting them was there too and the exchange of comments, advice and love started immediately.
Finding a family for two dogs isn’t easy and Carol bonded with both dogs until she found the right home. Watching them interact was beyond special. What started as a portrait session turned into a lifestyle shoot with the adopting family sitting in Carol’s backyard playing with the dogs while we just captured the fun and excitement. The kids played with their new brothers, threw the ball and watched the dogs play. We saw the dogs rescue the kids in the same way that this family was taking the pair into their home.
After the family left to go buy some last minute items they needed to be ready for their new family members, we had some extra time with Carol and the pups to do a little mini-session in her backyard. It gave her time to say goodbye and us time to capture them together and celebrate what an amazing person she is.
We’ve said so many times that pets save us as much as we save them and it’s true. Carol: we love you! And to all the families out there rescuing new family members: we celebrate you too. Pulling together, no matter what it looks like, is the best of who we are.
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.