Posts Tagged: outdoor mountain portraits
Fall Portrait Sessions
While we’re all still trying to decide between a tank top and shorts or to pull out the sweaters we know we’ll need, it’s time to think – if only late at night when you have a few minutes of peace – about setting up fall portraits. Families gather for camping retreats around crackling fires, hikes and reunions. Kids play in the leaves. Friends want to dress up before going out for parties and get more than selfies, but mostly fall is the perfect time to get photos to use for Christmas and holiday cards, to give as gifts, and to celebrate another new season together.
This little vagrant above was trespassing (unnoticed at first), but once spotted we picked him up, reported him to authorities and then took him to wait at our place when, oh wait……….. that’s my son.
Senior year portraits that aren’t strictly cap and gown, family time and events, even personal milestones, all of these are perfect opportunities for a photo shoot. The temperatures are also premium in North Carolina as are venues.
If you’re even just thinking about an autumn portrait session in the NC mountains or at a private and favorite spot, contact us to start planning. We look forward to capturing a moment in time with people you love!
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 LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
merlefest 2019
Another year in the books and we returned with more great memories, stats and gratitude that being Official Merlefest photographers is a part of our business profile.
At this year’s festival, Ryan and I shot approximately 30 bands and performers. We’re always amazed by the talent… never surprised, but amazed, you know? I get why there are so many television shows dedicated to singing, songwriting, finding musicians with talent and the like. They are everywhere. Each year the line up is diverse, but 2019 seemed more so than ever before. It was incredibly inspiring to see and hear bands of all different cultures, races and genres. Traditional bluegrass, Americana, Afro funk, Celtic, blues, country, Indy rock, etc.
Merlefest is a little bit like going to camp. You get there and remember the things you love about your time spent and see faces you love that you’ve missed all year. I realized how much I missed the work itself, and how much I love the crew we work with throughout the event. Seeing them only once a year feels like being cheated, but it makes it more special when we’re all together again.
For Ryan’s part, he missed the atmosphere of live music and live performances. Like me, he can get lost in the sounds on stage while capturing both performers and ambient crowd fun. He also said he missed the late night editing sessions when he and other official photogs would process and laugh and swap stories.
I also felt a bit of remorse for how “out-of-focus” I was last year while juggling being a new mom to Finley. There’s some negotiating when trying to breastfeed between photographing stages, getting the work done but then wanting to make it home to tuck the little guy in by bedtime. Whoa it was hard! This year held much less pressure and felt normal again.
And on that front: Finley is no longer content riding on my back in the carrier for 10-12 hours. He attended the fest on Thursday with Grandma KeKe. He spent the majority of his day on the playground, in the kids area sand box and playing with rocks in the VIP seating. What we became even more aware of because of this kid is just how incredibly family-friendly the fest is. With an entire kids area, activities and even stages of entertainment specifically for children, it’s a huge draw for families.
Another revelation was realizing that I was approaching an A-list performer with a pre-conceived notion only to have that perception completely changed for the better after watching, listening and meeting that artist. I love those personal shifts that come with professional growth.
For Ryan – it was about being up close and personal, on stage even with musical talents and feeding off their energy during a performance. That’s what turns him on.
Each year, the fest challenges our photography skills and takes them to a level of creativity and demand that’s unlike anything we do all year. We love how much our relationship with other photogs on the team has grown. It’s fun to be in the upload room together throughout the event comparing our work, sharing experiences, laughs, and exhaustion. It truly feels like summer camp.
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 LicenseAll photos are ©2019 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
now scheduling: fall outdoor mountain portraits of families, children, engagement & bridal
Driving around yesterday, I rolled down the windows for a few minutes and experienced that first smell of fall. Leaves are falling and changing and the smell was that welcome first sense of the next season. Where did summer go? ALL of our seasons in NC feel like transitions to the next and I love it. We never have 10 months of summer or 9 months of winter like other parts of the country – thank the Lord. Autumn is coming. Start layering your clothes and adding a sweater to the back seat when you head out.
This means that it’s also time for fall portraits and we’ve planned a limited number of outdoor sessions for family, child and engagement portraits. We want to capture these while it’s gorgeous, but in specific areas, because this pregnant first time mom-to-be has her eyes on the prize when it’s not pressed against a lens. Book now! Details below.
We’ll be photographing fall portrait sessions from September 30th until the second week of October (or until Little Man Case arrives) in Boone, Blowing Rock, Jefferson or Wilkesboro. Based on the lack of rain, history and the handy-dandy Farmer’s Almanac, we anticipate the color change in the NC mountains to be earlier this year. We encourage anyone who wants photos to reserve their session as soon as possible. Session fees start at $150 and are due at the time of reservation. Call 336-990-0080 or email mail@pixelsonpaper.net for more info or to reserve your session. 
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 ©2017 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
The Hills & Valleys are Alive | 4 seasons for photos in the Carolinas
It’s taking ALL I can do not to bring up Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons. And now I’ve done it, so if you like any of the 4 movements, or Vivaldi or classical music, it’s now stuck in your head. You’re welcome.
Meanwhile, our autumn portrait sessions booked up (THANKS EVERYONE) and I’m reminded that we shoot year-round because we can. North and South Carolina provide an embarrassment of riches for portraiture, not just for nature photographers. Mountains, gardens, farms, barns, fields, streams, valleys, the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway and any number of purpose-built resorts and views surround us. We find ourselves consistently tramping through the woods, climbing rocks, on ATVs and by moving water capturing memories. Here is a small sampling of locations in our distinct seasons. If you need a reminder of the dizzying array of options, enjoy. We’re here and we’re always ready!
Late Summer Wedding in West Jefferson – rustic, by the river and UP ALL NIGHT at the reception
Leatherwood Resort
Winter Wedding at Elkin Creek Vineyard
Sunset on Beech Mountain
Hoben family Summer outdoor portrait in Roaring Gap NC
One of our favorite Spring spots: an extravagantly beautiful orchard in bloom
And the same orchard peopled with the lovely Arnold family
Autumn Blue Ridge Mountain Club Blowing Rock NC outdoor wedding
Rain or shine…… love wins, right? Blowing Rock NC
Gorgeous Quinceanera portraits in a mid-summer field in Wilkesboro
Warm Winter bridal portraits after snowfall in Moravian Falls NC
Wedding at Twickenham House and post reception vista portrait in Jefferson NC
Charleston SC engagement portraits
Botanical garden bridal portraits
Engagement session at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville
From the back “porch” at the Biltmore Estate
A fairy portrait session – expecting mother and big sister wade in
Winter Family Portrait of the Allens at Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock NC
Summer engagement photos in the NC Blue Ridge Mountains
Scottish highland wedding – bridal portraits
Delicious Brock at his 1st birthday portrait session in Pixels’ Portrait Garden in Wilkesboro.
Portrait of a Young Woman | Quinceanera
In 2015, young actor Lily James lived many girls’ dream by playing Cinderella and donning a gorgeous blue dress and glass slippers. On September 17th, Vanessa celebrated her own enchanted evening surrounded by friends and family: her Quinceanera, or coming of age. We’ll share photos from the event in a blog to come, but for now, let’s just revel in how absolutely lovely she is.
Youth, the promise of the years stretched out ahead of her and that dress all came together that day.
We adore this girl and loved spending time romping around in the fields with her. It gave us an opportunity to explore the juxtaposition of the gauzy fabric with the setting’s natural elements. 
This shoot was a true departure from her Quinceanera announcement photo session, where she seems more of her time in urban settings and street clothes. These images capture a moment in a Vanessa’s life, but they are also timeless.
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.