Posts Tagged: documentary christmas portraits

Christmas Portraits at Home

… as in YOUR home and yes, we are offering this again this year. We’ve received a few queries from those interested and we have a health and safety plan in place we have been using with summer and fall shoots. If God is willing and the creek don’t rise, we can do this. Who’s in?

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers York In Home Family Christmas 2019 Photo
Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers York In Home Family Christmas 2019 Photo
Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers York In Home Family Christmas 2019 Photo

Above are just a sampling of the sweet York family from last year after welcoming their daughter Tinleigh into a home filled with boys. But this idea originated a few years ago when Ryan and I were reminiscing about the fact that some of our favorite childhood photographs are taken at Christmas. We’ve celebrated this idea since with documentary and in home holiday session, and in more than a few blogs.

Pixels On Paper Photography Spillman Family Christmas In Home Portrait Photos

The Spillmans (above) welcomed son Barrett a few years ago and we loved capturing his first Christmas at home.

So what is involved?
First, we are not changing our prices nor have we since this idea took off.

Second, we will of course follow all CDC and local protocols with regard to safe distancing during the entirety of the session; we will wear masks, and shoot images outside if the weather continues its warm trajectory. If you have specials requests in terms of safety, please let us know.

The fee of $125 is due when you make your reservation. We will provide 5 digital images for families with up to 3 children. This includes the printing rights along with the option to purchase prints, cards, and gifts. Pets and additional children or family members are welcome for an additional $25. Call 336-990-0080 to reserve or email inquiries to mail@pixelsonpaper.net.


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.

Holland Family In Home Christmas Photos

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC Photographers Holland In Home Family Christmas 2019 Photo

This is not a first and it certainly isn’t a first with this gorgeous family. In 2016, we visited the Holland family at their home to shoot Christmas holiday portraits and we were delighted to return this year to repeat the fun.

Holland in home portrait session, 2016

It was wonderful to see parents Kevin and Tram and their three children, Colton, Ava and Sophia. Relaxing and decorating the tree were an easy part of the day. Their home is lovely and we always enjoy this slice of life, documentary style of photo session.

Not only are the kids continuing to grow before our very eyes, the family has added a new puppy to the mix. Seriously? The only thing that can improve upon the beautiful setting, the season and the family is the addition of a little snuggle-bun in the form of a Jack Russell.

Merry Christmas to EVERYONE out there! Ryan and I wish you nothing but joy, health and peace this season.


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.

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.

Schedule Your Christmas Portraits 2019

Season’s Greetings! <ducking>
I know some of you are decidedly not ready to go into holiday mode, so consider this just a gentle nudge. At Pixels, I am in the process of decorating our portrait studio for the 2019 Christmas season. It’s going to be gorgeous, if I say so myself, and when I’m a little closer to completion, I’ll start sharing the color palette and some details.

Your task, should you choose to undertake this adventure, dear reader – AND YOU SHOULD – is to get out your calendar. It is time to schedule your portrait session and time to order cards and gifts.

Pixels on Paper Photography 2017 Studio Christmas Minick photo

For $125, we will provide 5 digital images for families with up to 3 children. This includes the printing rights along with the option to purchase prints, cards, and gifts. Pets and additional children or family members are welcome for an additional $25.
Our fee is due when you make your reservation. Once again, I saw no need to raise the price. We want you all to make this an easy and affordable priority this year. These portraits last a lifetime, you know.

Pixels On Paper Photography Wilkesboro NC photographers Andrews Family Christmas In Home Portrait Photos

For those of you who want a more documentary feel for your holiday portraits, we recommend a family in-home session. These have become really popular over the last 4 years and we love doing them too. Parents want to capture what it looks like “doing the holidays” with their kids and family members and this doesn’t mean you have to have your entire house redecorated or even that pulled together. I PROMISE. We just want you to be present, focused on the holiday and enjoying yourself.

Whether your tree is decorated yet or not, whether you’ve figured out an activity yet or not, whether you even know yet how you’re going to celebrate: don’t worry. Just give it some thought. At home photos are special.

Pixels On Paper Photography Spillman Family Christmas In Home Portrait Photos

Be thinking about your holiday plans and then, after you’ve finished with Halloween, give us a call and let’s get you scheduled! Weekend slots fill up quickly.

The Pixels’ studio is located at 1198 Curtis Bridge Rd. Wilkesboro NC 28697.
Call 336-990-0080 to reserve or email inquiries to mail@pixelsonpaper.net.


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 LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Day in the Life Photography

The longer that I’m in this business of being a photographer, the more I’m interested in the non-posed sides of life. In fact, while I still love portraiture that is structured and more formal, documentary style photography that allows the mundane, the small moments and the realities of life to shine through has captured me.

If you follow Pixels on Instagram, you’ll know that I share our work and our lives in a kind of story mesh that feels authentic to me, and that is by choice. It’s silly, it’s real and it’s who we are as we do what we do as professionals. And, of course, it celebrates our clients and friends and our adventures too. Posting allows for more sharing of our lives and values.

A summer family picnic or images of Finley playing or asleep or dressing up are current faves. We’re just doing our thing and other families deserve this to, but with an eye to quality. So for today’s blog, I thought I’d share a few of the images I’ve taken that are favorites in this area of people just “doing life.”

Pixels On Paper Photography Wilkesboro NC photographers Andrews Family Christmas In Home Portrait Photos

Nothing would make me happier as a photographer and as a human than to be asked to do more day in the life images. I’m not talking about the stuff you get with a cell phone, or even the stuff you get with an expensive camera and an untrained eye. A professional photographer brings more to the table than her tools. I bring the experience of all my work, my trained eye and a quality that snapshot photographers cannot.

Day in life portraits have another equally important advantage: they let you be present. We’re busy and over-scheduled so being present for our kids and partners is a tall enough order. And people may sometimes resent being asked to be the designated photographer during a day out, a family reunion or holiday season. It falls to someone and that someone is missing from nearly EVERY photo. Having a photographer document the day allows you to focus on what’s happening instead of on composing images, trying to get people’s “good side” or chasing the day light.

I hope more families will consider day in the life photo shoots. You should enjoy the moment and let us capture the memories.


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 LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Day in the Life photography

We love the real real. Not the online consignment enterprise, although I know it’s fab – but rather, the sense that life is not airbrushed. Our Day in the Life sessions were born from that desire to capture families doing what they do without unnecessary makeup and wardrobe changes. We just blogged about how much we’re diving into this part of our business and how much we love living the real and photographing the real. Here are a few of our favorites.

Keeping it Real! Meet this little goof-ball who joined our tribe last year. Mercurial? Yup!
Here’s the baby of one of our favorite families just enjoying the tree most of us haven’t for decades.

Our photographer pals and peers, the Guerrants with their kiddos hanging out in a park was another favorite day. There was no major holiday – no one got married (pretty sure…. the kids are still under age) and they just fished and picnic’d and spent time together.

We’ve loved holiday portraits sessions, especially when kids are jazzed about Christmas.

Day in the Life and documentary style photo shoots are something to consider if you want to capture images of your family, but not worry about the posing or any stress some may feel around a portrait session. This is just fun – with photo reminders that don’t look dumb. Repeat that to yourself and call us.


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.