These Days
There’s a simple and beautiful song that you all may or may not be familiar with called “These Days.” It’s a throwback for sure. Written in the mid-1960s by Jackson Browne (and later re-popularized by Nico), it’s the mental wanderings of a person sort of in a moment of pause and reflection. The lyrics make me feel pretty seen, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s something about the place I’m in currently – raising a nearly 4 year old – that calls for pauses and reflection and I am so very there “these days.”
Being present for Finley and Ryan (and WITH Finlay and Ryan) has been my primary task this last 18 months and that has its rewards, even for a working woman with goals and a sense of purpose. I know I am where I’m supposed to be, and when my motivation wanes, I’m reminded that it’s OK. These days are about watching life unfold and noticing what would have been missed were I staring at the computer screen all day.
We have been doing life, you guys, spending lots of time outside, escaping to the arms of family, working on home and farm projects, stealing away to the movies, and trying not to worry about what isn’t getting done.
I heard a great quote the other day about nostalgia. The conversation was about going back to relive your life once you knew you’d survived into an advanced age. You could enjoy moments more because you knew the outcome was good. You’d enjoy sitting next to the cute boy on the bus instead of wondering if he thought you looked stupid or had bad breath or whatever. You could truly BE IN THE MOMENT. The author said, “nostalgia is all of the memories, but without the anxiety of not knowing what happens next.” You got the reverie without the flop sweat, stomach aches and sleepless nights. I’m choosing to be present now, even though I don’t know how this movie I’m in actually ends. I rely on my faith and put one foot in front of the next.
None of us knows how it’s all going to turn out. But I’m here for it. I’m here for every busy, exhausted, up at dawn, running all day, forgetting things, remembering others moment of these days. Hang in there and be gentle with yourselves, gang! There is hope and joy out there; it may just not look like you thought it would.
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 License All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Baby’s First Year Photography Packages
We recently reminded you fine people out there about our Referral Program, and Pixels clients should take advantage of it! But now is also a great time to remind those of you who are thinking about starting a family, newly engaged or just married. We have a package created just for you that nearly all of our maternity or new parents avail themselves of: the One Year Baby Package. I chose a beloved family for whom we captured maternity, newborn, 6 month and finally the first birthday of their adorable daughter.
Our package covers newborn portraits, a 6-month portrait session and then a One Year Birthday session. Maternity portraits can be added if you desire. Even if Pixels did not photograph your engagement shots, your wedding or any other portraits, you can still take advantage of this package. Parents tell us over and over again how grateful they are that they made this a priority. These images make not only great memories and heirlooms, but baby and family portraits are perfect gifts for grandparents or relatives. Often clients create canvases for their children’s bedrooms or for the family wall of images. Ryan and I will even create and install these.
I’m sharing two blogs with more details about why I’m passionate about covering a baby’s first year, and even more details about what each session captures. Give me a call and let’s start planning.
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 License All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
It Pays to Refer
Did you know that showing gratitude causes a release of dopamine – a trigger of the neural circuitry in our brain stems – and makes us feel good? It does. So let me just send myself a shot by saying THANK YOU to all of our clients these nearly 20 years. WE LOVE YOU. One of the ways we show our gratitude year round is our Referral Program. So if you are, or have you ever been, a Pixels on Paper photography client, listen up!
Any existing client of Pixels (you’ve hired us for a wedding or portrait session of one type or another) who refers us to someone who then books us for a wedding, will receive their own FREE portrait session PLUS $250 in print credits from us.
Any existing client of Pixels who refers us to someone who then books us for a portrait session, will receive their own FREE portrait session that year PLUS $50 in print credits from us. For every additional referral they send us, they will receive yet another $50 print credit. The more you send others who book with us, the more rewards we’re happy to lavish on you.
We want our existing clients to make sure to tell the folks they are referring to us to mention them, so MENTION THE REFERRING CLIENT’S NAME, so that they get the rewards they deserve. If someone books a wedding or portrait and doesn’t mention that they heard about us from you, how will we be able to shower you with some love? Don’t you want everyone to experience the dopamine rush of happiness?
*This program offer EXCLUDES limited edition and promo session referrals. Contact us if you have questions!
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 License All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Introduction to Pixels Graphic Design – Pt. 3
The final leg in our three-legged stool is graphic design. Ryan is not only a photographer, but a skilled graphic designer who’s been helping brands for nearly 2 decades. He’s got IT, if I may say so.
Not only does Ryan create logos for businesses of all sizes, he understands branding and the visual vocabulary that goes along with creating a culture and a fully conceived brand. Some favorites are included in this blog, but if you are an entrepreneur looking for branding help, or a business in need of a brand update, my guy is your guy!
In the process of creating each of these logos and treatments, there was a conversation (think: several) between Ryan and the client to set goals, discuss the business, the target markets, and the best way to represent who they are and what they do through products or services.
We love graphic design, architectural photography and commercial photography whether logo design, brochure design, head shot photos, architectural photography or product shots. At Pixels On Paper we pride ourselves in listening to a broad range of clients and customizing our photography and graphic design services to meet each individual request. Our skills, styles, and visions come together to be a permanent record that either reflects an identity or delivers a message that speaks to thousands. We would be honored to meet with you, learn about you and your business needs. Email us at mail@pixelsonpaper.net or call 336.990.0080 to learn more, receive a quote or to let us know how we can put our skills to work for you.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Introduction to Pixels – Pt. 2
Our photography portfolio is robust, because we began incorporating commercial photo shoots into our services years ago. Ryan is our point person for those and whether it’s to highlight the work of a builder, architect or designer or capturing images of a new enterprise, we use our nearly 20 years of professional experience to achieve the desired results.
Real Estate & Architectural Photography
Supporting Local Business
If you are a start up, a community organization or established business, regardless of industry, Pixels can be your photographers for website, promotional and other business related photography. And yes, we take headshots!
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 License All photos are ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.