Posts Tagged: Outdoor family photography
York Family Outdoor Spring Peach Orchard Portrait photos
Heaven is getting to see faces you love after an absence, and aren’t we all experiencing a version of this these days? Families call us to take annual photos in the orchards, but when the York family contacted us, we were especially thrilled. We’ve known this couple Lindsay and Mitch for what seems like forever and they have three pretty awesome kids.
Ryan and I have had the privilege of photographing this wonderful family for family reunions, outdoor portrait sessions, Christmas at home sessions, the birth of children and again in the peach orchards. Lindsay and Mitch, along with sons Tate and Turner and their youngest, daughter Tinleigh, met us on a gorgeous day and I was amazed at how much those kids have grown. We had perfect weather and it was a blast letting the kids climb trees and dance beneath all of the blooms.
It’s the season for graduation portraits and family reunions, but it’s also a great time to simply update your family portraits. There are so many changes in kids and in life, make a point of capturing this moment in time on film.
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.
Holbrook Family – Spring portrait photos
This outdoor portrait session at the peach orchards was an absolute treat. Mom Rebecca and I have been in the same women’s Bible study for years. Eldest daughter Maycee and Finley are just a month apart, and I have fond memories of those two rolling on the floor as our group unpacked scripture together and supported each other through all the joys and trials of early motherhood.
When discussing getting together for these portraits, Rebecca mentioned that the family had not had a portrait taken of all of them since son Preston was around a year old. Time flies, to say the least and they are now a family of five. Their third and youngest child Everley was born during the pandemic, so this was our first chance to spend time with her as well.
You’ve never met parents more fun or chill than Rebecca and Brian, and with the warm weather and perfect scenery, we struck out to remedy the “no family portraits” situation. I loved every single second of it. I adore this bunch and was thrilled to spend time with them, camera in hand and heart open.
It was a beautiful day with this beautiful family and while the trees will lose their blooms, this family is a reminder that, with portraits, the memories will last.
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.
Giving Trees
I suspect when Shel Silverstein wrote The Giving Tree, he felt about trees the way I do, the way I always have. His was a story of a little boy so loved by a tree that it provided for him from childhood through old age. I am a 40-something little girl who is living her version of this story. For me, trees are friends. I’ve been mesmerized by them my whole life, love how their stories are told along side ours. I love to plant them, climb them, smell them and rest underneath them. When Ryan and I bought this house 13 years ago, the trees were as big a selling point as the house for me. I could see stories in and around all of them. They have become like family and over the last few years, we’ve lost some members.
This property was blessed with ash trees, not a tree usually found in this area. We knew many of them were old and some were dying, but as we worked on the house, even before moving in, we had favorites. We also had limbs falling around us. I can still hear that cracking sound and mobilize like a ninja to get out of the way. So after damage to our roof, our kitchen and because of general safety, we brought in an arborist to help us make decisions.
In January of 2020, we had three trees removed and I cried. I did. I knew they wouldn’t live forever, but having them go on my tenure in this house was upsetting. We’d made memories with them and they were markers of both difficult and beautiful times in our family’s life. In January of 2021, we had two more cut down. This time, we lined up someone to salvage the lumber to be milled for us. Six ginormous logs were taken to the sawmill, while we made a list of wants from the reclaimed wood.
Both of our families have history with lumber. Ryan’s grandfather bought lumber for furniture makers. Like him, Ryan has become skilled not just with carpentry, but design as well. My dad and granddad worked in logging and my great-grandfather established one of the first hydraulic sawmill businesses in the area. My first job was working in the equipment office as a teen. I’m so accustomed to the sound of planers and saws and the smell of wood. My favorite type of lumber (for those of you who want to buy me a birthday present) is walnut and I am always looking for character grade walnut for projects. When it was time to redo the hardwoods upstairs in our house (the previous update was during the 1920s), instead of oak like the downstairs, we chose walnut that was filled with character.
Our giving trees have truly given. From the salvaged wood, we’re making live edge tables from the 9′ slabs and several round live edge tables and mantles for Finley that he can one day place in a house of his own. Ryan hopes to create a desk and bedroom furniture for Finley as well, so he can remember that the trees he played on, in and around are now in his room. Heirlooms.
Finley was involved in the whole process and I explained my sadness and tears as trees fell and were hauled off. But he also got to go to the sawmill to see the next steps and he’s in on our plans for the wood, now resting and air drying for the next year. Their story is not yet over and that makes me so happy. New trees are already being planted with Finley and his shovel digging the holes by our sides. Maple, red buds, cherry, river birch, and sassafras trees all have a new home on our property. Fellow tree-huggers: enjoy this season. Hike among them, sit under them, climb them, eat their fruit and if you are able to use the wood once the tree has fallen, I hope you will.
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.
Spring Outdoor Portraits
Yes, it’s January and yes, it’s a little brisk out, but as night follows day, spring follows winter, so let’s get ready for outdoor photo sessions.
Families have told me more times than I can count that they wish they had made time to gather everyone in one spot for portraits, if not each year then every couple of years. Time passes quickly.
Milestones are important but “just because” photo sessions with a photographer, one who knows how to pose, use light and equipment appropriately and can retouch and package your images is ALWAYS a good idea. I live to make the wishes of moms and grandmas come true. They know that photos today become heirlooms tomorrow.
Parks, mountain trails, private home backyards and porches, and certainly the Pixels outdoor portrait garden – all make great locations for family portraits.
We are ready when you are and can help plan the place, date and time. If you begin letting your family factions know that it’s time for a group photo session, they will be ready when the temperatures are premium.
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 ©2021 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
A Fall Day with the Senter Family
Ryan, Finley and I got a break from world-weariness and responsibilities to hang out with our dear friends and clients, the Senters. Mom Judy, Dad Travis and little Ava who is two met up with us at an orchard in Morganton we’d recently visited.
Even though this orchard was no longer yielding apples and picking was over, we loved the trials so much from our last visit that we returned to let the kids play and wander, while we enjoyed the sunshine. It was a gorgeous fall day.
Seeing how big Ava has gotten was a joy and she and Finley had fun together climbing and playing. We’ve been photographing this little monkey since before she was born. Judy’s maternity portraits are favorites, Ava’s newborn, 6 month and one year photos were taken by us and our friendship with them has just continued to grow.
After our time in the orchard, we shifted to a more adult theme and headed to a vineyard, also in Morganton.
We spent a good part of the day with the Senters, which means that along with wardrobe changes for the shoot, there was a real sense of relaxation and chill. We don’t have to ask these guys to “hold your daughter and smile” for photos. These three are such a playful unit and it was just our job to have fingers on shutters.
I don’t know what I love most about the photo just above: the fairytale princess gown paired with mussed hair, the wistful stare into the mid-horizon or that all three of these sweethearts are in the frame.
Here’s to friendship. Here’s to family and here’s to getting away for a day of play, rambling, conversation and escape to the great outdoors.
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.