Posts Tagged: charlotte portrait photographer
Summer Rooftop Wedding in Center City Charlotte
Summer is done, at least by the calendar, but we never tire of celebrating a summer event and Sherea Jones and David Johnson’s wedding was absolutely awash in summer light. They were married on the rooftop of the Holiday Inn at Center City, Charlotte on a beautiful day in June. This teacher & head football coach and his gorgeous girl gathered along with their dearest family and friends – most from out of town – to celebrate a union, tell stories and dance.
We shot their engagement photos in March of 2014, so seeing them again and watching them seal the deal surrounded by so much love was immensely satisfying.
We’re always interested in high points from the day, naturally, and the best memories from their point of view. They told us that included in their favorites were seeing each other for the first time, dancing with friends and family (and THEY ALL DID; it was party people!!), how gorgeous the food looked and how yummy it tasted, the weather and the overall sense of happiness everyone shared. Sherea and David also shared that one of their biggest laughs came when they were discussing all the things that COULD have gone wrong, but didn’t.
Their day was amazing and we loved being a part of it! We have more summer wedding stories and events to share, but this continuum from engagement to the day itself was a blast!
newborn portraits, siblings in the orchard, warmth and kid pictures
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. – Albert Camus
There’s something about this little lamb in that hat. She could be a newborn arrival during a winter in Newfoundland, all cozy indoors, but soon to be ready for her first pair of snowshoes and later for her first real spring. She sort of embodies that phrase “long winter’s nap” and we loved scooping her up from pose to pose as she dreamed spring dreams (maybe).
The pink bonnet worn above, by the way, has been handed down over 3 generations in her family and was one of the special touches they brought with them to the session.
This little ones siblings are showcased in what looks like a spring dream – our favorite orchard – the first of April. Only a week before their little sister was born, we took these portraits of them. The family owns tons of gorgeous antique pieces of furniture and we incorporated several into the photographs of the kids. These two are so bright-eyed and photogenic; working with them was too fun.
Two weeks after the orchard session, they all returned to our studio and seeing the three of them together was truly special. They were so calm and gentle with their new sister. We can only imagine the adventures this trio is going to have in the years to come. At Pixels, we use the word gratitude often and that is not an accident. New lives, expanded families, the beginnings of marriages, milestone occasions waltz into our lives and studio every week and we are overcome with gratitude. Grateful we get a glimpse into the lives and joys of others and that we’ve been tapped to document those moments. It is an absolute blessing in so many ways.
engagement photos from a first date …… sorta
Last October, Pixels participated in the Pumpkin Patch (I’ll pause here so you can wipe the spittle off of your face). The Pumpkin Patch was designed and hosted by the Midtown Garden Market in North Wilkesboro, NC and we loved being a part of its inaugural year. At our photo booth, we were able to see former and current clients and met new ones. Jamie Goforth and Daniel Harrison were two new people we met and we took a pic of them that included Daniel’s young son. We loved them immediately! 5 months later, we saw them again at the Wilkes Wedding Expo and after chatting, it sealed our desire to work with them and them with us to capture their engagement photos.
Jamie and Daniel met in middle school, but found each other again many years later. Their first date was fueled by nerves that led to Jamie spilling a drink (a story they now tell through laughter) and they reminded us of us. [QUICK DIGRESSION: When Ryan and I first started dating, we went to The Landmark – still our favorite diner in Charlotte, NC – and the ketchup bottle exploded as I was doctoring my fries and I basically baptized myself with ketchup. You never know when a moment of mortification is going to be a story for your grandkids. Take that to heart, gang!]
Anyway, …. after that first date, there was a time of chasing and distance and then their paths crossed and they decided to go out again. What truly cemented it though was a trip to Asheville, NC and where they stayed at the famous Grove Park Inn.
At Grove Park, it was Daniel’s turn to spill a drink all over himself, Jamie, the waiter and the people next to them. Just kidding.
This is where they fell in looooove.
They sat out on that awesome porch, nay, veranda and Jamie played songs from her phone and they talked well into the night. At one point, they started dancing and it began to pour rain. Jamie said, “it was my kind of perfect.”
Shooting their engagement portraits where they had their first date – The Cody Creek Depot – was a blast.
When we asked them what they were looking forward to most on their wedding day (in Roaring Gap, NC in October of this year) they – these two are seriously cute – both said first seeing each other when Jamie comes down the aisle.
Grounded by their faith, their supportive families and each other, the pair has way more than a good shot at a golden anniversary someday.
In the meantime, they are dreaming about their next trip to the Grove Park Inn.
fotos de una familia amorosa que celebran su miembro más reciente (photos of a loving family celebrating their newest member) photographing newborn baby Isabelle
Spaniard Diego Velazquez painted many, many portraits in the 17th century, but Las Meninas (The Bridesmaids) may be his most famous. It’s a painting of a painting and Velazquez even painted himself painting in it. It’s smart and layered, playful and beautiful, but it’s interesting to us because it’s not a portrait of the bride – but of all the others that surround a big event. It’s about the community of family.
Now flash forward 400 years or so and Pixels gets a call from the Castillio family asking us to take photos of their precious new daughter Isabelle. You know how much we love newborn photo sessions….. the babies are so snuggly and cute (and pliable! remember we often fold them into baskets, buckets, pots, etc.), so we were ready with all of the goods in our studio to show off Isabelle’s sweetness. The Castillios place a higher value on family though, so a coterie of loving family arrived with mom Vanessa and dad Henry. In tow were big sister Jasmine, 3 grandparents and 2 uncles. Family reunion meets celebration meets new baby portrait session.
We so admire these cultural differences, all the while knowing that family is universal, regardless of continent, language, or century. It just seems easy to forget during our busy current lives until it spills happily into your studio. The entire time we were behind the camera, there was constant conversation (all in Spanish), laughing, smiling, and hugging . They never stopped and while we understood little, it was easy to see that they were two families brought together as one, celebrating their newest edition. Our studio was awash in their joy.
There is no doubt that this little bundle will be surrounded by love every day. Her portrait session ended up including many of those who will love her and have her back for the most important moments of her life. Just look up and you can see that they all have eyes for her, are already grateful for her and making plans to celebrate, protect and cherish her. The pic of Isabelle with her big sister Jasmine snuggling her and grinning really touched us. How many stories will they share? How many late night laughs will they have? How will they lift each other up, store the others secrets and make each other better?
For the millionth time, we’re grateful for the ways we get to envision and capture families and what the word family means.
Dios bendiga a las familias que rodean unos a otros con amor. (God bless families who surround each other with love.)
renewal wedding photography ~ it’s about “again” and “more” and “us” ~ photographing the next chapter of a marriage
20 years ago, Kelly and Chris Shumate became a couple. They eventually created a new life as husband and wife: Kelly started a new business – Bridal Traditions – and they lived happily ever after.
And scene.
Actually, there’s more. 20 years more and they did live happily, but as their wedding anniversary approached, Kelly decided that she wanted the photos that they never had when they first tied the knot. She contacted us to take them, since she now wanted the more artistic style that wasn’t an option on their wedding day. We were happy to help them commemorate and really celebrate. And Kelly – who’s in the bridal business – had a very specific vision.
Part of what made this shoot fun for us, other than the fact that they were celebrating a momentous wedding anniversary, was the theme. Kelly loves gothic architecture, the antebellum era (think: Gone With the Wind), bare landscapes and an era gone by. We chose a cemetery near the River Arts District in Asheville, NC, during winter. The results were just what she wanted: sparse, real, gothic and graphic. And we loved the juxtaposition of new and old. A renewal of their marriage and an opportunity to capture them in themed clothes and as a couple who were invested in each other for better, worse and the whole nine yards.
Ok – so some notes. How do you like the dress? This is the gown that Kelly was married in originally. It still fits.
IT. STILL. FITS. In fact it was actually too big and had to be altered smaller. (no jealousy……… well maybe some)
Another fun fact: this gown is the first one she bought for her bridal shop, which is pretty auspicious.
Kelly was also specific about setting, which is why this cemetery worked so well for the shoot. In the bareness of winter in the cemetery, she and Chris stand out like a couple of players from a Civil War play or Ken Burns’ mini series. She – Scarlett O’Hara or Melanie Wilkes – and he Captain Rhett Butler or Ashley Wilkes.
They truly look their parts. He comes home from war (brother against brother, people!!! lest we forget) and there she is, after waiting, praying and keeping the farm afloat despite major setbacks. You can almost see the letters from Corinth, MS:
“My dearest Kelly Emeline,
The war does not go well. I can scarcely remember the curves of your lovely visage….”
Pardon the digression, but seriously – look at them and watch this slideshow of their portraits.
This photo shoot was literally a year in the making. It took a little time to plan, but it mostly took will and faith and perseverance. As all marriages do, the Shumate’s union was ebbing when Kelly contacted us. They were struggling as a couple, wondering about the future, trying to understand what to keep in their relationship and what to jettison and whether or not the “us” in them was still alive. Digging deeply, they moved forward, but 99.9% of the success in their marriage was their faith in God. They knew marriage was hard, but giving up was not something either of them was interested in. So this photo shoot was about WAY more than grabbing pictures of great clothes in a cool setting. It was an actual celebration of making it for 20 years and looking forward, with renewed hearts, to the next 20.
And the 20 after that.
Not only were we thrilled to be a part of capturing this day, Pixels created a wall of photos for Kelly’s shop office. Something she could point to that says, “we did it and we’re still here.”