Posts Tagged: Asheville NC Family Photography

baby, baby, baby ~ professional portraits of those first, sweetest moments

“The Angel that presided o’er my birth
Said, ‘Little creature, form’d of Joy and Mirth
‘Go love without the help of any Thing on Earth.'” – William Blake 

Baby, baby, babies. They are awesome, and noisy, and smell great, and then stink up a diaper. They can make you feel like you won the lottery and make you want to yank your hair out – in between naps – and feedings and trying to find your way back to normal with a new human around. There are so many important milestones in a life, but the entry of a new person is one of the biggest. We always encourage new parents to consider getting portraits made of their newborns. We know you’re tired and we know there is some effort involved, but here are some things to think about:

  1. We’re good at it. We’ve been doing this for well over a decade (nearly 2) and we have the props, places to nurse in private, a changing room…. we’re ready for you.
  2. You’ll never be able to capture these moments from the first 10 days again. When they are over, they’re over. There will be other moments, but not during these first, fresh, tender few days.
  3. You’re tired and need a hug. Let us get Little Miss or Little Mister photographed while you rest, even for a moment. If you need to feed, no problem. If you need to change him or her, no worries. If you need that hug and an understanding nod, we have those in spades. You’re not alone. We can make it fun.

“When you were born, beloved, was your soul
New made by God to match your body’s flower,
And were they both at one same percious hour
Sent forth from heaven as a perfect whole?
Or had your soul since dim creation burned,
A star in some still region of the sky,
That leaping earthward, left its place on high
And to your little new-born body yearned?
No words can tell in what celestial hour
God made your soul and gave it mortal birth,
Nor in the disarray of all the stars
Is any place so sweet that such a flower
Might linger there until thro’ heaven’s bars,
It heard God’s voice that bade it down to earth.” – Sara Teasdale
Aaron Schlinsog Newborn Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography

Anya Parry Newborn Portrait Photography photos

These little miracles will be smashing their first birthday cakes after a single trip around the sun. Then they’ll walk, if they aren’t already and talk, and start reading and you’ll find them upside down in a hamper or wanting to jump off the front porch barefooted or flushing something valuable down the throne…… and suddenly, it’s their first day of kindergarten and then senior prom.

Do yourself a favor if you are expecting and think about newborn portraits and photo shoots for your soon-to-be-born baby. If you hired Pixels for your engagement and wedding portraits, then you may have already chosen to have us capture newborn photos when the time comes. We do have a package that many of our clients have taken advantage of. Regardless, you’ll love these images. We’ve designed walls around children and family portraits and would love to do the same for you.

See this little princess wrapped in pink below? That’s Berklee. Just below her image is a recent one of her, now nearly 3 years old, with her new brother Wyatt. Pretty sweet, huh?

Pixels on Paper newborn photo of Berklee Arnold photo


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

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.

8 Photographer Tips: What to Wear for Portraits

More from our mini-series of expert advice, and by the way, for those of you with score cards at home,… we don’t run around referring to ourselves as experts. We try to live humble lives where we work hard to be good at what we do. We just happen to have done this for so long, we know “some stuff.”

So today, I’m giving the 8 key pieces of info about what to wear to a professional portrait session. When it comes to what to wear for portraits, pretty much anything goes. But we know lots of Moms and teenagers stress when it comes to planning what to wear when in front of the camera.

1. Don’t be afraid to wear color. Colors in outdoor portraits that coordinate with the season look better than a wardrobe of black and white.
Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photoThe Arnold family dressed perfectly during their spring, orchard portrait session. And the Church family’s autumn session is coordinated perfectly too.

pixels on paper, portrait photography, family portrait photography, outdoor portrait photography, family portraits, wilkesboro, north carolina, photo

 2. For adults, stick with wearing solids rather than prints. Leave prints, stripes and florals for young kids.
Pixels on Paper Photography outdoor portrait garden photo
 3. Not everyone needs to wear the same color. Write that down! Hee!
Complimentary colors and shades work great especially for large families.

4. Wearing black or white along with khaki or denim are best in studio portraits or outdoors if you want a classic, traditional and timeless look.
Keeping it neutral allows personalities to shine through.
Allen Outdoor Family Portrait PhotographySticking with the white, here is sweet Sawyer in his 6 month portrait session.

5. Shoes can most often date a photo more than any other piece of wardrobe. If the weather and surroundings lend itself, considering going with bare feet or stick with classic solid leather styles for adults and children. Children’s tootsies are so delicious (Ryan and I routinely munch on Finley’s….. his are just right for snackin’), if they can be outdoors and shoe-free, do it!
pixels on paper charlotte nc outdoor family portrait photographers photo

6. Women, don’t forget accessories such as scarves or fashion jewelry. These items work great to tie in your color choices.

Parker Outdoor Family Portrait Photography

Allen Outdoor Family Portrait Photography photo

7. We prefer to have a consult to discuss your portraits prior to when they occur. We can help you coordinate your wardrobe taking into consideration where the photos will take place as well as where you will be hanging portraits in your home. Don’t hesitate to lay out your clothing options all together and send us a cell phone photo. We will help approve or make suggestions!

8. We also have a helpful “What to wear” Pinterest board for inspiration. Bear these in mind and you’ll look brilliant!


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

arnold family maternity portraits ~ a surprise gift

The Arnold family is special and so is the impulse behind this photo session. We had the pleasure of photographing Meghan and Jeremy’s wedding and capturing the first photos of their daughter Berklee as a newborn and 6 month old. Our newest session with this family was in February of this year and was engineered on the down low by husband Jeremy. Wife and mom, Meghan is due with their second child, a little boy they plan to name Wyatt and Jeremy decided that he wanted to surprise Meghan with the maternity photo session as a Christmas gift.

Arnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photoArnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photo

[Note to husbands: Mother’s Day is coming – May 13th. So if your mom needs family photos or your pregnant wife would love some maternity photos – you have time to get in touch with us to schedule a session.
Note to wives: I know you know how to drop a hint. Enough said.]
Anyway, Jeremy contacted me in October to begin planning. We collaborated on everything and it was a lot of fun. Jeremy purchased both Meghan and Berklee’s beautiful outfits after sending me lots of web links with ideas. He wanted to make sure they would look perfect for photos. He then wrapped them up for Christmas. The session was so much fun and the results are spectacular. Perfect colors and venue and Jeremy’s ladies looked gorgeous.

Arnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photoArnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photo

I’ve gotta insert a flashback here. We sort of recreated a moment we captured in an orchard photo session from a couple of years ago. I love seeing Berklee’s little hands touching Meghan’s belly in between her parents. It’s perfectly reminiscent of her seated between them when she was just about a year old.
Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photos

As we approached the holidays, Meghan wanted to schedule fall family photos and of course Jeremy and I had already begun the planning, so we had to come up with a variety of delaying tactics to keep her at bay. I’m so glad it worked.

Arnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photoArnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photo

As they prepare for the newest Arnold to show up, he was included in the shoot – beyond Meghan’s belly. The baseball with Wyatt’s name was one of Jeremy’s while he played baseball for UNC Chapel Hill. We look forward to meeting this little man and seeing his resemblance to his sister and parents and what parts of his personality shine.Arnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photoArnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photo

It’s hard not to include another photo from the orchard where we tied the two sessions together. Although Berklee is bigger, she can still be tossed in the air and loves it! I saw the same sweet smiles and same crazy joy on their faces.

Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photo

We just LOVE having them as clients and cannot wait to meet new addition Wyatt. We feel confident that Berklee is going to be a wonderful big sister. Thanks, Arnold family! See you soon, we hope, with member number four.

Arnold family outdoor maternity photos by Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Portrait Photographers photo


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

All photos are ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Orchard Portrait Photos – Spring in the NC Mountains – time to book!

Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photoAs the exclusive photographers at one of our favorite places – a nearby orchard – we look forward to gathering there with families, couples, prom goers and the like to capture them among some pretty gorgeous blooms. Yes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but at some point during that crazy change-over, this orchard is magic. The weather can and does affect it but we stand at the ready to photograph.

Tevepaugh Outdoor Family Portrait Photography photo

To see the kinds of photos we’ve taken in previous years – have a look! And gang, it’s time to book. So consider this your official reminder and contact us to schedule your session.

Pixels on Paper photography blog, Charlotte family photography, Outdoor family photography, Easter photography, Children photography, Photographers in North Carolina, Wilkesboro photography

Pixels on Paper photography blog, Charlotte family photography, Outdoor family photography, Easter photography, Children photography, Photographers in North Carolina, Wilkesboro Family photography

Stacie in repose

Pixels On Paper Senior Photography Portraits Wilkesboro Boone Blowing Rock Charlotte Photographers Photo


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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

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.

Brides, brides, brides …… photos of beauty

There’s a saying that all babies are beautiful. I agree. I also think the same is true – for the most part…….. I’ve seen some messes – but never through my lens. A bride is lovely because she is not only wearing the dress of her dreams and marrying the partner of her dreams (WE HOPE), but she’s often times fulfilling a childhood dream to be the center of attention, surrounded by family, friends and lots of love. Brides glow. They represent the future and traditions, new and old, and they always represent hope. I’ve never photographed a bride who wasn’t shining with an inner light – even when mixed with nerves.
Pixels on Paper Berard Wedding, Jessica Upchurch Bridal portrait photo

Cowboy boots, girlie girls, princesses, tomboys, women shielded by veils, mountains in the background, surrounded by lush botanical gardens, brides – sheathed in gowns – are absolutely gorgeous.

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 weddingsbrides, 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.

88x31 lucy & glens valle crucis wedding photography | pixels on paper boone wedding photographers

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.