Posts Tagged: outdoor baby portraits studio

Meet the New Case – our newborn son

Well, it’s happening. A blog about our own child. I’d say “finally” but God’s timing is always perfect and if it had been any other way, Ryan and I wouldn’t be parents to Finley James Case. We’ve welcomed a son into our lives, our space, the 100+ year old home we fixed up, and absolutely into our hearts. “Into our hearts” is a phrase that can sound cheesy when you don’t have kids the way we didn’t until recently, but I soooooooooo get it now. It’s a feeling of completion, if that makes any sense. He’s ours in every way. We’re transformed because he’s here.
And it’s surreal too. Our lives are now riddled with surprises, joy, moments of “WHA???”, exhaustion and daily revelations. So, as we introduce the newest Case to you guys – our sweet followers, clients, supporters and friends – here’s a little bit about what’s been on my mind.

Pixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoI’m obsessed with his cheeks. I know, but I ask for no leniency, Judge! From the moment I could see them in the ultrasound pics, so plump and round, I was enamored. They’re even more adorable in person. Close runners up are his lips, fingers, toes… well everything. So there’s the love affair portion of this which is the vast majority of it when I intellectualize it.

But there’s the exhaustion too and it’s what we all think about with newborns: the absolute lack of sleep. We’ve learned how much a person can do with so little sleep. It’s astonishing, really, but I don’t want to make a habit out of it. I’m amazed at how quickly days turn to nights and the nights are so very very hard. But when he’s awake and serene – God help me, he’s perfect.

Pixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoWhat is not serene and perfect is postpartum depression. I thought about not mentioning it, but what is the point of sharing if I’m not going to be honest and forthright. It is a very real thing and the internal struggle of hormones, body, intellect while tired and wanting to remember who you were and who you now are is dicey. I’m still very emotional and my body hasn’t healed. I’m not yet able to do everything I was doing before and pick up life where it left off. I know I’m only 41, but I’m 41, you know? There are times when I feel that God is taking this opportunity to show me how little in control I actually am. And for a person that’s always strived for independence and perfection this is a situation where I can do neither. It’s a hard lesson. I know I’m growing, but the patience part is not easy. If you’ve been through it, I send you a hug in my mind. I get it. Thank God for perspective and knowing how to take the long view.Pixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoProfessionally, this session was a study in insight. We’ve been photographing babies for a long time and wanted to capture our own portraits of Finley. For once I felt what every Mom who comes into our studio with a newborn must feel. Anxiety when he cries and doesn’t cooperate, frustration when you are so close to having him settled for that perfect shot only to have him abruptly need to be fed; discouragement because you would think it would be easy to swaddle my own child… it’s harder. If anything, being a new Mom has helped me be a better newborn photographer rather than the other way around. Pixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoPixels On Paper Photography outdoor studio Newborn portrait photoRyan and I never thought we would see each other in these roles. It’s showing us sides of each other and our marriage that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise. The few hours (never sequential – ha!) that Finley is awake and alert are my favorite times of day these days. His eyes wander all around taking in every sight and sound. We are at the beginning and it’s crazy, but the Finley shaped hole in our lives was filled just in time and perfectly by this little dude.

Thank you for loving us. We know that that love extends to our son and it means more to us than we could ever express.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll just bzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Save

Save

Gavin’s 6 month baby portraits

Just a couple of weeks ago, this little half-year old showed up in our portrait garden for his 6 month portraits and he was kind enough to bring his Mom. He even let her drive this time. [He enjoys a Harley, but that’s another blog.] Jessica and little Gavin Mendieta visited with us and I shot her son’s portraits and, man! do I wish there were photos of me crawling around on my hands and knees taking photos at 38 weeks pregnant. Alas, our minds were on the job…. you know – professionalism and all that.

Pixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoIf there was a monetary payout for blue eyes, this kid would be the richest man in town. COME. ON!! Pixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography Photo

Jessica and I met years ago at girls beach trip getaway and have been friends ever since. I was so happy to get to be the one to photograph Gaven’s adorable gummy smile and capture him at this age, because we all know how fast it goes. I’ll blink and he’ll be getting his senior portraits taken.

Normally all smiles and flirtatious, on this day Gavin was a bit more serious when the camera was on him. We pulled out all the stops behind the camera including Ryan jumping up and down and running in circles, which he was going to do anyway. Might as well do it for work. <I’m ducking as I say that. HA!!> We randomly discovered that what Gavin enjoyed most was Ryan’s very loud whistle. Hey, any port in a storm and it worked!

Pixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoPixels On Paper Photographers Six Month Outdoor Fall Child Portrait Wilkesboro NC Photography PhotoOne of the great things about shooting the photos of newborns and babies is that Ryan and I get to make new friends and family members and those amazing creatures give us guidance now that we’re expecting. Because our sons will be so close in age, Jessica is kindly giving me boy-mom advice and a ready shoulder and I’m so grateful.

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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.

Save

Save

Save

Save

5 Years of the Pixels Studio | A Tale of 3 Places (and dozens of stories)

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

From the day we found the property in 2011 to the day we celebrated our closing and received the keys on June 11, 2012.

This is where it all began. Not our business certainly, but the journey of the Pixels studio and the place we lay our heads each night. This place has three stories, if you will. One of them is ours. This home is our shelter and houses our personal lives and our day-to-day, holds many memories, celebrations and even more sweet, albeit mundane moments. Ryan, our sweet Chelsea and I love living here. You’ll see her in several of these images, by the way.

The second story is that of a living library. It contains the stories and moments of every newborn, every first birthday portrait, lots of teens dressed for prom or graduation, children and their parents, pet and holiday portraits and a hundred other stories that happen in a photography studio and outdoor portrait garden. This space houses our clients and friends. It houses all of you – in part. You show up at our studio to have a moment in time captured forever and you leave a little bit our yourselves behind for us to remember. It’s pretty awesome when you think about it.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

After landscaping

The third story this place tells is that of an active, creative working business. It’s our portrait studio inside and portrait garden space outside and we worked hard to make this place inspiring for our clients while you’re here and inspiring for us when we’re setting up and after when we’re editing. “Place-making” is something that architects talk about a lot and we believe in many of those concepts. It’s important to us as creatives seeking inspiration and critical for our clients because we want comfort and ease for you. There was a lot of work, but it has really paid off.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Entrance foyer before and after.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Portrait studio lobby before and after.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

The lobby walls and throughout the studio display wall art collections, canvas wraps and our full selection of frames.

With a house that is over 100 years old, there were plenty of renovations and we had a vision for our home spaces and certainly for the Pixels spaces. Rooms were remodeled, re-envisioned and repurposed and our equipment was housed and our work – and the possibilities for clients – were showcased. Looking back, it was a lot of labor done with a lot of love. We created an elegant space for client consultations and photo previews, a dressing room & bathroom (wardrobe changes happen, people) with a baby-changing station, and we transformed a large room into our portrait studio itself.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Client bathroom, changing room, and baby changing area.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

The indoor portrait studio and shooting space underwent a major transformation.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

The indoor portrait photography studio contains 3-4 hand-crafted photo backdrops that rotate seasonally.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Before and after transformation of our client preview and consultation room.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Our clients can see their images projected during their PreView sessions along with useful size aids to help during their ordering process.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

The Pixels On Paper office work stations before and after.

And that is just some of how we transformed the inside of Pixels. We also have amazing outdoor spaces and getting them synced up with our vision took some doing. Seriously. Cutting, pruning, planting, mowing, sewing seeds: you name it, it happened. The best part is that we have captured some of the most memorable moments of families, babies and kids in these spots. And we celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary out here too.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Landscape cleanup was a huge effort in order to create the outdoor portrait garden

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Summer sunflower portrait garden from start to finish

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Our colorful outdoor portrait wall changes with every season

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

Unique outdoor garden spaces are ever-changing and being created for new photography backdrops.

Pixels On Paper Wilkesboro NC portrait studio wedding photographers outdoor garden photo

At the risk of bragging, Ryan and I have created an amazing business space separate from but housed within this glorious old manse. It’s like no other portrait studio we’ve ever seen. It’s where modern work and technology meets a century of memories lodged in every board and room… with some updates.

NOTHING happens overnight and we were never on our own during this transformation journey. I could never name everyone in and outside of our families who’s worked tirelessly with us these last 5 years. There’s just no way. The boards inside and the dirt surrounding our home have been touched and trod on by so many. We’ve been blessed beyond expression and we love that we get to live in this place and that we are able to share it with all of you – even for a few hours during a session. It’s a magic spot where love and creativity lives, where laughter is encouraged, and where everyone is welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

Baby, baby, baby photos | Full Year of Portraits

Someone once said that “the days are long, but the years are short” and it’s true. It’s usually repeated by those of us over 40 who still feel 24, but I won’t go there. This blog is about babies. Big, round, gushy, adorable, cooing, cuddly, pooping, burbling bundles of life and hope. Some parents want to document way more than babies first newborn portrait and we love that we offer a way to do this.
But first… here’s Holden. Soak up that deliciousness. I mean seriously – WHAT ON EARTH is he dreaming about to be making a face that awesome?

Holden Gray Newborn Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography photo

Little Holden is no longer the teeny-weenie newborn or the 6 month old above, and we know because we photographed him several times as part of the Brand New Baby Collection, a package we offer to families who want to capture the first year of their child’s life and then some. We feel like we not only get to know the family even better, but are able to see and record even minuscule changes in each baby’s growth.
Below are a couple of goodies from Holden’s 1st birthday portraits and cake smash photo session.

The Brand New Baby Collection is something we love to do for parents, because it allows us to start with maternity (if Mama wants those shots) and takes us through the first year of the child’s life: newborn portraits (within the first 10 days of your babies life), 6 months, 1 year/birthday photos and with discounts on cards and a variety of package options including digital files, prints, image selections, etc.

Pixels On Paper, photo studio, 6 month portrait photo

Little Miss Harper Huffman… “I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille!”

Pixels On Paper, photo studio, 6 month portrait photo

Harper Huffman, 6 months

Harper, Carson and Ivy are 3 more kiddies whose parents chose from this package and watching them transform was so much fun.

Outdoor one year old child portrait photos and cake smash in Yadkin Valley NC by Wilkesboro NC family photographers Pixels On Paper Photography. ©2015 Pixels On Paper Photography http://www.pixelsonpaper.net Do not copy, print, crop or remove watermark.

Carson Mathis, One Year and rocking the bow tie.

Carson Mathis one year portrait photography photo

Carson’s Cake Smash

Harper Huffman’s baby announcement

pixels on paper wilkesboro nc outdoor family portrait photography photo

Harper Huffman and her proud parents

Harper Huffman, 6 months

Ivy Myers Newborn Photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography photo

Ivy Myers, Newborn

Ivy Myers 6 months child and family portrait photography by Pixels On Paper Portrait Photography

Ivy at 6 months

Ivy Myers, 1 year

Contact us with questions about Brand New Baby packages or consider giving this package as a gift to expecting mothers and fathers. We photograph at our studio in Wilkesboro, where we have an outdoor portrait garden and lots of props and set ups or at a location that’s meaningful to you.

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.

 

Save

Save

Save

Save

spotlight: our own outdoor portrait garden

One of the greatest pleasures of owning a century old home and the land surrounding it is the maintenance.

Maybe not.
One of the great pleasures of living where we do is that we were able to turn this place into whatever we wanted. We knew when we first began searching for a studio location that it had to accommodate both indoor and outdoor backdrops. What we found is part home, part studio, part offices and when you step outside, you’re surrounded by beauty. Shooting in our outdoor portrait garden is a favorite of ours and we thought – now that summer is on – we’d share some favorite shots we’ve taken there. Some babies, some sunflowers (see just below), some woods and benches, color with natural light and lots of green. We’re truly blessed. And we don’t mind the maintenance…pixels on paper photography Colburn Outdoor Family Portrait garden photo

Pixels on Paper photography Outdoor Portrait Photography Senior Portraits photoBrock's 12 month baby photography, pixels on paper studio family portrait photography photoPixels on Paper Berard Wedding, Jessica Upchurch Bridal portrait photo

Pixels on Paper Photography Outdoor Portrait garden photo

What nature doesn’t create for us in the surrounding landscapes, we are creating ourselves. From old tin and barn wood that we’ve rescued and harvested ourselves to antique and ReStore treasure finds that we’ve re-purposed. Our outdoor portrait backdrops are constantly changing based on need and our desire to create more options for our portrait photography clients. All within a few steps outside our studio’s front door.

Pixels on Paper Photography Outdoor Portrait Garden photoPixels on Paper Photography Outdoor portrait garden babyMeade Outdoor Family Portrait Photography photoPixels On Paper Photography All About Prom 2014 PhotoPixels on Paper Photography outdoor portraits garden photo

Pixels on Paper Photography outdoor portrait garden photo

Souther Prom portrait photography by Wilkesboro NC portrait Photographers Pixels On Paper photoPixels on Paper Photography outdoor portrait garden photo

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 babies and kidsengagements 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.