Posts Tagged: NC Outdoor photographers
Kendra & Nathan Wed at Elkin’s Barn at Blueberry Hill
On May 20th, we photographed the wedding of Kendra and Nathan as they tied the knot at The Barn at Blueberry Hill in Elkin NC. It was the first time we’ve ever shot a wedding at this venue and we LOVED it. It’s a real barn with a real barn feeling, but with air conditioning (!!) and the owner, event coordinator, setting – everything – was perfect.
What was also perfect was the couple. Even the groom’s goof made the occasion memorable.
Kendra is a lot like me: a Type A personality who wants every single detail to be perfect. She looked gorgeous and so did her bridesmaids in this setting. The weather turned out to be perfect (it rained for 5 days straight after the couple left for their honeymoon) and the guests were so much fun. There were no dull moments!
Groom Nathan teared up watching Kendra walk down the aisle. Kendra: “Most people might have needed a tissue after seeing Nathan become a little emotional as I walked in. I luckily, did not. I had the biggest smile on my face that nothing could wipe away. Why? Because I knew I was moments away from marrying the man of my dreams. Sounds cliché; I know, but it’s true. I had waited on that day for many years and that day, the day I had dreamed about for a long time, had finally arrived.” 
A highlight for the couple (and a laugh moment for the guests) was when the little groomsman just wandered across the aisle while vows were being said. Super cute!!
These two told us that Nathan’s performance really hit the high point when he kept messing up repeating his wedding vows. The pastor finally had to turn the page with the written vows so Nathan could just read them instead of trying to repeat them. 
Other memorable moments, according to the bride, groom and family include: when Nathan’s young cousin Ava walked up to the bridesmaid who’d caught the bouquet and snatched it out of her hands; when the groomsmen took over the photo booth to get shots of them wearing only their underwear and suspenders and when, coming back from their honeymoon, the TSA officer at the airport opened Kendra’s bag and those same underwear shots of the groomsmen were on display. They confiscated her belongings.
Kidding!
The barn vibe was so much fun, along with their photo booth, DJ, barbecue and amazing desserts. There was a LOT of laughter and silliness, dancing, chatter and sheer joy. Between Kendra & Nathan’s family members, there are 303 years of marriage experience surrounding them. This bit of info was shared at the ceremony and we thought it was so lovely. We hope that Kendra and Nathan add a minimum of 50 years to that total and enjoy every moment of it. 
Kendra & Nathan’s wedding vendors:
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Wedding & Reception Venue: The Barn at Blueberry Hill
Flowers: Richard Hincher
Photographers: Pixels On Paper
DJ: Kevin Carter of Dirt Road Entertainment
Caterer: Brushy Mountain Smokehouse
Summer, Summer, Summer – Great Time for Professional Photos
Every year there is the song of the summer. It gets played over and over and we make it part of that year, that season and that time. Those of us who grew up in the 80s listened to Bananarama (“Cruel Summer”), Billy Idol (“Hot in the City”), Brian Adams (“Summer of ’69”), U2 (“Indian Summer Sky”), Don Henley, Van Halen and others. The 1990s brought us DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince – or Will Smith’s “Summertime,” Len’s “Steal My Sunshine” (remember those scooters in California?), Smash Mouth and Janet Jackson. I hear summer songs this time of year everywhere, including in my head whether I want to or not. Don’t judge – you know you do too. And it makes me think of the little movies we have running in our minds. Our lives to music, with friends and family, children, engagements, new jobs, pitfalls and adventures. There’s a soundtrack and loads of mental images. This year, make sure there are some concrete images as well. Summer photos are keepsakes and we love taking them.
Ryan and I find that summer photo sessions aren’t just about weddings and engagements or Merlefest. We’re asked to capture families, children and any event that matters when the sun is high and people are gathered. Summer outdoor photos capture not only place and people, but specific aspects of where you are in life. What was going on in your family? How old are your kids? What sports or instruments are they playing? Do you have hobbies and pets you want to include? Do you take an annual trip to our part of the Carolinas every year and want to commemorate it? We find that our friends want to show off everything from their kayaks to their dogs, great grandchildren, new homes, summer vacations, gardens and just about everything else.
We’ll help you with location, should you need it and then make sure that the photos are perfect for gifts or family heirlooms.
Give us a call to book a summer session that you’ll have to remember forever. You don’t have to be getting married to want to commemorate the summer of 2017.
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 weddings, brides, 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.
Allison – Class of 2017 Outdoor Senior Portraits
Allison Elliott is at the very end of the road…. the road of high school. She’s done.
Remember that feeling? Oh sweet joy! Oh freedom! Oh life!
And OH YOUTH! Her pal, Paiton Roberts, referred Allison to us for her senior portraits and like Paiton, she’s filled with that glow that comes naturally when you’re under the age of 20. Sweet, buoyant, beautiful and very artistic, Allison is ready to step onto the road to whatever is next. On Friday, May 26th she’ll be graduating from Millers Creek Christian School. She’s already taking classes in graphic design at the community college and she’s an avid photographer. Her friends count on her to get the fun candids for memories and posts. She is eager to learn and go places.
She may look comfy sitting in these outdoor settings, but this country-raised girl is less outdoorsy, preferring instead the idea of big city life, and all things fashion, beauty, sparkle and glitter. You’ll see when we get to shots of her in her prom dress.
One wonders if the big city can contain this girl. LOOK AT HER! We loved all the costume changes and designing her graduation announcement as well. Her prom gown, from the BeYoutiful Prom Boutique at Bridal Traditions, was edgy and cool and she looked lovely in it.
The 1954 Chevy belongs to her dad and he’s had it since his high school days. Watching his face while she sat in it for her portraits was priceless.
Good luck Allison! And to all the graduates out there, go get ’em!
And pace yourselves……………
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 weddings, brides, 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.
Merlefest 2017 | 30 Years of Exhilarating Music | music festival photos by Pixels On Paper
Another Merlefest is in the books, you guys and it was epic. Hot as one of the circles of Dante’s Inferno, if you’ll permit me to put too fine a point on it <smiling>. It was epic. So much to see and so much to share. This was the 30th anniversary and our 3rd year as official photographers. We covered 26 bands, plus the 12 who performed in the annual Chris Austin Songwriter’s Competition and we each walked 15 miles over the 4 days we were there. Frankly, we loved every second of it.
As previously mentioned, the temperatures were not springy. It was always a minimum of 80+ with two of the four days posting at just below 90 degrees, because Mother Nature has an audacious sense of humor. We usually layer clothing and then put items back on in the evenings. Nope. This year, a couple of morning showers added to the humidity and we wore just what we needed. The weather wasn’t going to stop us and it did not stop 80,000 other visitors from coming to enjoy the festival atmosphere we were all basking in. God Bless water and sunscreen. 
The crowd size for this celebration of 3 decades of music and merriment was comprised of every age from infants to 80 years olds and the age range of the performers was expansive too. The youngest performer was 8 and of course there were veterans of Merlefest who’ve played every year since 1987, like Sam Bush and Peter Rowan. 
Highlights for Ryan were seeing James Taylor (who drew one of the biggest crowds) and the Avett Brothers (who also attracted the hoards) and he relished the Bass Workshop with Bob Crawford, since he’s fascinated by all things bass. (Their combined set with the Avett Brothers blew the place up.) Finally, the crowd noise as they announced that Linda Jean Stokley was the winner of the Chris Austin songwriter’s competition was a thrill. Linda Jean – of The Local Honeys – played her winning song for grateful fans. “Cigarette Trees“ is about the destruction of coal mining and is positively beautiful.
For me, the top moments were watching and listening to Sam Bush, who’s not only an incredible musician, but loves to surprise the audience with guests he brings on stage. And Sarah Jarosz is another performer that I looked forward to seeing for months. I’d listened to her streaming online, so I was jazzed to see her perform and she did not disappoint!
We both always enjoy seeing Chatham County Line, the Avett Brothers, Mandolin Orange and Scythian. This year we discovered Sierra Hull, Mountain Heart, Mipso, and The Steel Wheels. We hope to see them again next year.
Every year, we try to store up our energy and prepare to throw ourselves into Merlefest. We are fans. We were fans before becoming official photographers in 2015 and have enjoyed the experience more than we can say. It’s hot, it’s busy (we’re working from when the first eye opens until we crash late at night), it’s exhausting and it’s a blast. We come home spent but grateful and with songs, notes, riffs and phrasing in our heads to remind us. It’s one of the coolest gigs we work all year. Till 2018, Merlefest fans!
Love Your Mama! | Celebrating Motherhood
No matter what it looks like, motherhood is profound. Mothers declare – with this first amazing act of carrying a child and then giving birth to it – that they will forever share their food, put their immediate needs aside, hold their child’s head above the rising water, look for sacred lost things, and provide comfort, perspective, structure, laughter, physical and emotional affection, joy and support till the very end.
– Sylvia Plath
