Posts Tagged: Charlotte NC family photography

Winter Outdoor Family Portraits ~ the Graybeals

Experts say repeatedly that couples should remember to put their marriage first, even when kiddies come along — sometimes especially when the kids come along. You have to remember why you fell in love and what you give each other and that marriages that last come from a unified couple. Ryan and I totally embrace this concept and demonstrated it recently when we photographed the Graybeal family. We made a point of capturing just Mom and Dad. They were once, after all, just Crystal and Adam.
outdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photo

We last photographed Crystal and Adam Graybeal for their wedding. Now, seven years later, there are two boys, big brother Colton and seven month old Landon. It’s pretty special to see and photograph them now as a family unit. As I mentioned though, getting new photos of just Crystal and Adam together again was a must. So many couples once they become parents neglect having photos with each other. We think it’s just as important to document the heads of the household for future generations as it is to photograph the unit as a whole.outdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photooutdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photooutdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photoIt didn’t feel like 7 years had passed since we got to hang with Crystal and Adam. The fun, laughs and teasing seemed to pick back up right where we left off. This time we were able to make friends with the new “little Graybeals.” Colton was a little shy upon first meeting us. After a few clicks of the shutter though, Ryan took him on a little exploration adventure through the nature trails, and that kid was shy no more. We were now a part of his entourage. As for wee one Landon, he won us over with his drooling grins and very expressive eye brows.outdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photooutdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photooutdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photooutdoor family portraits lenior nc by pixels on paper wilkesboro photographers family pictures child photos portrait photography photo

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We love a winter photo shoot and seeing the strength of good couple and their growing family out in it. Much love to burgeoning family units out there and forget the seven year itch! Love that works never gets old.

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.

Family Photos from the Porch | Welcome to the Community

The intersection of the Barnes family with the story of another young boy, Drake, who is battling cystic fibrosis can only happen when there is community. Ryan and I care very much about ours and we put our money where are mouths are as often as possible. For the 3rd consecutive year, we’ve donated a family portrait session to a silent auction for Drake, more specifically the Drives for Drake Charity. In 2014, the VanMeter family were the recipients and we shot photos of 3 generations on their horse farm. The Barnes were the winners from last fall’s auction and we took their photos in May of this year. Their young sons, coincidentally, are around the same age as Drake.

Wilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photo

Wilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photoWilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photoWilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photoTrisa and Brandon, along with their sons Tristan and Tucker, just recently moved to Wilkesboro so both the area and their home were new to them. Trisa told us that her most memorable family portraits were taken on or around the family front porch over the years and their lovely new home had a perfect front porch where we could continue the tradition. The flag colored bunting helps, but between the house, the landscape and the boys’ scrubbed faces, it made for a fairly Rockwellian type of Americana. If you close your eyes, you can almost hear July 4th fireworks.Wilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photo Wilkesbor NC photographers outdoor family portrait photos by Pixels On Paper photo

We wrapped up the session with a view of the sunset on the putting green at Oakwoods Country Club where “Drives Fore Drake” takes place, bringing the day and that sense of community full circle. While the Barneses are still new to Wilkes, we hope that inaugurating this chapter with photos, especially ones earned through charity, will make this place feel more like home for them. Welcome, you guys! We hope to see you around and take photos of your family as the boys grow and you all become more a part of the community.

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.

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introducing “tiny bubbles” ~ Newborn Matthew Minick

Pixels on Paper photography matthew minick newborn photoMatthew Clark Minick is his official name, but he was known as “Bubbles” (by EVERYONE while in utero) and “Matthew Cutie Pants” (since his birth in mid-May) – both monikers given by his older sister, Amelia. At just 9 days old, we photographed Matthew in our Wilkesboro studio. His debut was just what we expected – sweet, loving, cuteness overload.wilkesboro nc newborn baby portrait photographers photowilkesboro nc newborn baby portrait photographers photowilkesboro nc newborn baby portrait photographers photoThe Minicks are the family that we’ve photographed the most over our 11 years in business and they are now a part of our family. There are those people who show up outside of our family blood line and gene pool and feel like members of our tribe. Well the Minicks are these people for us and have been since we met Ryan and Rachel Minick 6 years ago for their engagement portraits. A quick check of our digital files show numbers of photos in the tens of thousands.
Matthew Minick newborn portrait photography photoMatthew is the newest member to join their growing family – and ours – and we know he’s going to steal our hearts the way his sister has. The kind of longevity we have with the Minicks is, to us, a sign that we’re doing something right, both as business owners and people. Fostering relationships means more and more to us with each passing year. We love our clients and we love this family more than we can possibly say.

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 babies and kidsengagements 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.

happy father’s day 2016 ~ a little look back with humor and heart

We love our dads and Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th, so we want to celebrate fatherhood. The golf membership, neck tie, new leaf blower gift clichés were tired 40 years ago, so we’re skipping them.
And you’re welcome.
Instead of pablum, how about some photos we took of dads being dads with quotes that convey the depth and humor of fatherhood?
Here you go……
Arnold family outdoor spring peach orchard photos by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photographers photo“There should be a children’s song: ‘If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your dad sleep.’” – Jim Gaffigan

“Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you’re 12, but every day.” — Mike Myers

“Be a dad. Don’t be ‘Mom’s assistant.’ Fathers have skills that they never use at home. You run a landscaping business and you can’t dress and feed a 4-year-old? Take it on. Spend time with your kids and have your own ideas about what they need. It won’t take away your manhood; it will give it to you. I did that. I spent more time with my kids. And I found out that I’m a pretty bad father. I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t know what I’m doing. But my kids love me. Go figure.” – Louis C.K.

“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” — Harry S. Truman

“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” — Umberto Eco

Pet Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography PhotoAnya Parry Newborn Portrait Photography photo

“You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life, because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out.” – Jerry Seinfeld

“It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” — Friedrich Schiller

Church Outdoor Family Portraits photo

“The only way I can describe [fatherhood]—it sounds stupid, but—at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you know how his heart grows like five times? Everything is full; It’s just full all the time.” — Matt Damon

“I gave my father $100 and said, ‘Buy yourself something that will make your life easier.’ So he went out and bought a present for my mother.” – Rita Rudner

“My daughter got me a ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug. So we know she’s sarcastic.” – Bob Odenkirk

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain

Clampett Wedding, Sarah Crisp, Danny Clampett, Wedding, Chetola photoBishop Boone and Blowing Rock NC wedding photo“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” — Jim Valvano

“Having children is like living in a frathouse – nobody sleeps, everything is broken and there’s a lot of throwing up.” – Ray Romano

Castillo Newborn Photography, Family portrait photography by Wilkesboro NC Photographers Pixels On Paper photo“Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.” –Red ButtonsMeade Outdoor Family Portraits photo

“When you have kids, there’s no such thing as quality time. There’s just time. There’s no ‘Ooh, his graduation is better than going to the mall.’ It’s all kind of equal. Changing her diaper and her winning a contest – – it’s all good.” – Chris Rock

“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” – Billy Graham.

We agree. Looking through these photos was a walk down memory lane as we thought about our clients and friends with kids – – – just how much these dads feel the responsibility of their children’s futures resting on their shoulders at the same time they want to enjoy every micro-second. This fathering thing is not for boys and we celebrate you men.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there!

3 generations of family – Picard

Featured just below are 2 sweet sisters, cheek to cheek at their grandparents’ house. This is one of those shots (we hope) that will end up on their father’s office desk or on a wall at gramma and grandpas or someday packed up and transported to college with either or both of them. These two are in that age range that is entirely transitional – almost constantly so. Isn’t that one of the definitions of spring – the constant change? It’s the sweet, blooming, green and pink tunnel we pass through to get from winter to summer. You think you want summer, but the ride through spring is the magic.These are the Picards. We photographed 3 generations of this family during Easter weekend at their home in North Wilkesboro, NC. The senior Picards moved from the north a few years ago when they retired. They wanted to escape the cold, but we know they love the southern warmth (people and climate). Getting everyone together is never easy, since some family members serve in the military and others are scattered, so it becomes a priority to get together as often as possible, and then to make sure a portrait is taken.
We had fun with this gang and especially enjoyed watching them all interact. 3 generations together, especially when they don’t see each other all the time, is something to see. They are all remembering each other and how to be together, cracking each other up, posing, hugging, etc. It’s a departure from some of the families we photograph who are so accustomed to constant contact that we have to deploy the Please Focus Now, People playbook. Not so with the Picards.

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 babies and kidsengagements 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.