Posts Tagged: NC wilkesboro family portraits
These Days
There’s a simple and beautiful song that you all may or may not be familiar with called “These Days.” It’s a throwback for sure. Written in the mid-1960s by Jackson Browne (and later re-popularized by Nico), it’s the mental wanderings of a person sort of in a moment of pause and reflection. The lyrics make me feel pretty seen, and that’s not a bad thing. There’s something about the place I’m in currently – raising a nearly 4 year old – that calls for pauses and reflection and I am so very there “these days.”
Being present for Finley and Ryan (and WITH Finlay and Ryan) has been my primary task this last 18 months and that has its rewards, even for a working woman with goals and a sense of purpose. I know I am where I’m supposed to be, and when my motivation wanes, I’m reminded that it’s OK. These days are about watching life unfold and noticing what would have been missed were I staring at the computer screen all day.
We have been doing life, you guys, spending lots of time outside, escaping to the arms of family, working on home and farm projects, stealing away to the movies, and trying not to worry about what isn’t getting done.
I heard a great quote the other day about nostalgia. The conversation was about going back to relive your life once you knew you’d survived into an advanced age. You could enjoy moments more because you knew the outcome was good. You’d enjoy sitting next to the cute boy on the bus instead of wondering if he thought you looked stupid or had bad breath or whatever. You could truly BE IN THE MOMENT. The author said, “nostalgia is all of the memories, but without the anxiety of not knowing what happens next.” You got the reverie without the flop sweat, stomach aches and sleepless nights. I’m choosing to be present now, even though I don’t know how this movie I’m in actually ends. I rely on my faith and put one foot in front of the next.
None of us knows how it’s all going to turn out. But I’m here for it. I’m here for every busy, exhausted, up at dawn, running all day, forgetting things, remembering others moment of these days. Hang in there and be gentle with yourselves, gang! There is hope and joy out there; it may just not look like you thought it would.
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 newborns and families, 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 ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Vermeal Family photos
This lovely – and big – family contacted us prior to planning a vacation and birthday celebration for the matriarch Liz. Three generations gathered in Boomer, NC, at a gorgeous rented mountain home. Boomer is a perfect halfway point (pretty much) for this clan that is scattered up North in NY/NJ and all over the South.
Funnily enough, the Reid family from NJ rented this house around this same time last year for a large reunion and we captured those images as well. It’s a beautiful spot with amazing views, most of the time! The Vermeal’s kindly placed Pixels’ contact info in the guest book for others who might want portraits taken. They are a thoughtful bunch!
To that point, we think turn-about is fair play, so we were happy to play concierge and help Liz and her daughter Jessica. The family secretly planned a surprise celebration. We suggested caterers, florists and other services in area in addition to helping them coordinate color schemes for the photos that would look good in this setting.
Even though it was a foggy morning the day of the shoot, everyone looked wonderful, and there was a lot of laughter and levity. We know that not all families or individuals love to have their photos taken, but Ryan makes it so relaxed and fun. He created groups, and clusters of the family members, since there were multiple generations. The grandchildren range in age from 6 months to 16 years and Liz wanted to make sure she had a photo of just them.
I love the way these images turned out and know that the families are keen to have these as keepsakes. The icing was this wonderful note we received from Liz afterwards: “Ryan, thank you so much for all your patience and humor dealing with our family during the photo shoot. We thoroughly enjoyed the process and the photos look great. We are so lucky to have found you both!”
We loved being found, Liz! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special birthday gathering!
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 newborns and families, 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 ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Best of Father’s Day – Part 2
Part 2 of 2 in our Best of Father’s Day blogs continues with a look at images we adore of dads and their kids and families. There’s just something about the scale of fathers and their children. I love it.
“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” – Sigmund Freud
“Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it.” – Mike Myers
Photo by: Suzie Guerrant Photography 
“Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice.” – Charles Kettering
“One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” –George Herbert
“Some dads liken the impending birth of a child to the beginning of a great journey.” –Marcus Jacob Goldman
Happy Father’s Day to all of the Dads out there. We love and appreciate all that you do, the big and the small, the tender and mighty, and how much we translate that into love for 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 newborns and families, 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 LicenseAll photos are ©2020 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
Kate & Otis celebrate 50 years together
So a couple of things stuck with me after this recent photo session (read: party). One, I love it when people understand the true value of a printed photo. It’s not because it’s my profession to take pictures, it’s because I feel like I’ve met a landsman… someone from “my homeland or country” who appreciates what I appreciate. I value printed images. I love seeing framed photos at people’s homes when I’m there. I love thinking of them deciding that that particular image was so wonderful, they printed it, framed it and put it on a mantel, office desk or bedside table. They thought, “I want to see this as often as possible and to be reminded.”
Two, it stuck with me that lovers of printed photos know that images are not only daily pieces of joy, they can last longer than a life.
When Ryan photographed the celebration of 50 years of marriage for Kate and Otis McNeil, Kate said “Not to be morbid, but truly a complement to your work: These are the photos we are proud to have displayed at our funeral whenever that day comes.” And she wasn’t morbid, or sad or even wistful. She meant it and that means the world to us.
Kate & Otis McNeil celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 8th of 2018 (their actual anniversary is December 22, 1968) with a massive party at The Event Center at Summit Square in Winston Salem, NC. So much thought, effort, preparation, coordination and love went into making this a special evening.
Family and friends came from all of the US to reunite and celebrate.
In speaking with Kate during the months leading up to the event to coordinate the photos it was obvious what a momentous occasion this was for her and Otis. We loved that it was not lost on them how important marriage is and what a triumph of love, commitment and fortitude 50 years is.
Kate wanted to make sure that we captured the party atmosphere, but she was especially keen that Ryan took plenty of posed and candid images of all their family that would be in attendance. So we coordinated family members photos prior to the event start time, much like a wedding.
After the event, Kate and Otis ordered images of their kids, grandkids and themselves and many members of their extended families have also ordered photos of themselves with their children’s families. It fills me up thinking of all those family members, spread out all over the country, seeing the same images from that day hanging somewhere in their homes.
If you take the time to celebrate a life, a marriage, a graduation, a birth – and you plan a gathering or party around it with guests and family, really make it an event – we encourage you to hire a photographer to capture those images that you’ll want to see on your desk and look at daily and those you’ll want people to remember you by later.
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.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License
All photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
The Parker Family’s Day in the Orchard
Recently, we blogged about a newly engaged couple – Courtney and Cody. They were engaged in this very orchard and on the very same day that we shot photos of the now bride-to-be’s family. The Parkers were all part of the “engagement plan” that allowed Cody to get down on one knee while Courtney was distracted.
This family not only cheered when she said yes, they wanted us to get photos of them as well. It was a gorgeous day, the right occasion and the perfect setting. I love it when a plan comes together!
The Parkers already planned to have us photograph their family portraits in the Tevepaugh peach orchard, and Courtney believed that was why they were all present. After Cody popped the question and got a YES, we were also able to celebrate and get the groom-to-be and family portraits as well. Mom Kim especially wanted to carpe diem because all of the lives of her kids are going in different directions. [Aside: You guys know how this story goes… and it’s why family portraits – from first birthdays to reunions decades later – matter so much.] With Courtney’s engagement, they are gaining another son in Cody; they have a son who is away at college, and the youngest daughter just turned 16 and is now driving and will be the next out of the house. What better time to capture everyone together!
We will have the pleasure of being Courtney and Cody’s wedding photographers in the fall when they tie the knot and we’re already so excited. Between the planning and anticipation, we’re encouraging these two to take time to enjoy all the elements of this chapter of their lives. Courtney is going to be a beautiful bride and these photos below are the proof. 
Mom is happy to have recent portraits of her other two kids as well and we were happy to oblige. It doesn’t hurt that this is a very photogenic family.
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.
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.