Allena is a new high school graduate and our recent rambling photo shoot was such a treat. This girl is cool, artistic, fun, and creative, and she’s the daughter of a dear friend of mine. Home-schooled and smart, bohemian and earthy, I loved being around her energy.

Allena was extremely close to her maternal grandfather, and while he’s passed away, he lives on in her memories, their shared interests and time together exploring, and her total adoration of him. The hat she’s wearing belonged to him and is a nod to their time together. She loves to be outdoors and so we chose to wander, chatter and explore while capturing images. No studio portraits for her!

The pick up truck was passed to her from this same granddad. Allena restored it and is incredibly proud of it so of course, we incorporated it. Check out the name plate on the front. The truck is named Jolene (thanks, Dolly) and was a song that Allena and her grandfather would sing when driving around together in that truck. Their bond is just another reason we love this independent, spirited young woman. Her old soul shines through everything she does.

By the end of the shoot, we had officially chased the sun, and ended our time at an old home place where the flowers were in bloom and Allena could don her cap and gown. Unlike her sister Macy who wanted a big party when she graduated, Allena wanted to celebrate with family and keep it simple, so her dad loaded up with photos from this shoot. Pixels created a custom photo album as well as prints for them to frame or give. We also created her graduation announcement cards. Allena: We wish you only the best in the years ahead!

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.

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