Posts Tagged: NC wilkesboro family portraits
The Coffey Family Outdoor Portrait Photos
Capturing Timeless Moments in the Brushy Mountains of Moravian Falls, NC
As the leaves begin to turn vibrant hues of orange, red, and gold, there’s no better time to photograph a family’s love and connection than during the breathtaking fall season in North Carolina. This was precisely the vision behind the Coffey family’s outdoor portrait session with Pixels on Paper Photography. Nestled in the serene beauty of the Brushy Mountains in Moravian Falls, the setting created a picturesque backdrop for unforgettable memories.
The Magic of Fall in Moravian Falls
Moravian Falls, NC, is one of the hidden gems of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Its rolling hills, majestic views, and colorful fall foliage provide the perfect canvas for capturing the essence of nature and the warmth of family. The fall season adds an extra layer of charm to this already beautiful area—crisp air, golden sunlight, and the smell of autumn leaves filling the air. It’s as if nature herself was inviting the Coffey family to step into a scene straight out of a storybook.
Pixels on Paper Photography couldn’t have chosen a more stunning location for the family’s portrait session. With the Brushy Mountains as a backdrop, the fall colors provided the perfect complement to the family’s vibrant personalities. From the golden yellows of the oak trees to the deep reds of the maples, the landscape itself seemed to celebrate the Coffey family’s bond.
The Family Connection: Capturing Moments of Joy
The Coffey family, full of love and laughter, was a joy to photograph. Their close-knit relationships and natural connection were apparent from the moment the session began. Whether it was a shared laugh between siblings or a loving embrace between parents, Pixels on Paper Photography worked with them to capture these candid moments that truly reflect their story.
One of the most beautiful parts of family portraits is seeing the genuine expressions of love and affection between family members. As the sun dipped lower into the sky, creating that warm, golden hour light, the Coffey family shared moments of joy in front of the camera. From playful interactions with their children to tender moments between the parents, each frame told a story of togetherness and affection.
A Family’s Legacy in Nature
Outdoor portraits in the mountains are not just about taking a picture; they’re about capturing the essence of the family in a place that means something special to them. The Brushy Mountains are more than just a beautiful backdrop—they are part of the Coffey family’s story. Whether they’ve spent years living there, hiking the trails, exploring the woods, and simply enjoying the beauty of this area, these portraits will forever be a reminder of this special time in their lives.
The combination of nature’s splendor and family love resulted in photographs that transcend time. These portraits will be passed down through generations, each one telling the story of the Coffey family and the beautiful autumn day they spent together in the Brushy Mountains.
The Final Frame
Whether it’s the stillness of the mountains or the warmth of autumn sunlight, the Coffey family’s outdoor portrait session is a perfect example of how photography can capture not just a moment in time, but the emotions, connections, and beauty that make family memories unforgettable. For those considering family portraits that blend nature’s beauty with authentic connection, a portrait photography session with Pixels on Paper Photography could be just what you need to create your own timeless memories. Contact us to schedule your family photos for any season of the year.
We love family portraits whether they are set in the studio, the great outdoors, a specific location like the NC mountains or high country, or on our property in our outdoor portrait garden. Pixels On Paper photographs, engagements and seniors, babies 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 ©2024 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
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.