Posts Tagged: pixels on paper outdoor portraits
Love among the vines ~ Piccione Vineyards Engagement
Kendra and Nathan love The Avett Brothers, wine, wineries and each other. The end.
Ok, there’s more to them than just that. We met Kendra at a bridal show this past March and loved chatting with her and hearing about her engagement to Nathan. They met in high school and began dating when he left for college at ASU. Before long, he was coming home A LOT and they became inseparable and still are. These two love to go to NC wineries when they have down time and they knew that a vineyard would be perfect spot to photograph their engagement session. On November 4th, we all met at Piccione Vineyards, armed with a blanket, our equipment, and sunshine and proceeded to wander among the vines. 
The Piccione Vineyard boasts amazing views of the rolling landscape of the Yadkin Valley and NC mountains in the distance and they didn’t disappoint us that day. Watching these two crack up was especially fun. Kendra mentioned that Nathan ribs her mercilessly and said that she “usually deserves it.” The couple will be getting married at The Barn at Blueberry Hill on May 20th of 2017 and we’re looking forward to the day, the ceremony and watching them make it official. 
We really like this couple and seeing them with the expanse of vineyards behind them is metaphor enough for us. Here’s to lifting a glass and toasting years and acres of laughter, teasing, harmony, prosperity and many good vintages.
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.
Katie’s Senior Photos | A Bright Star in the making
I love photographing young girls and women, particularly when I can capture them in a way that others see them, in a way that is clear to me – that reveals them, but maybe not in a way they normally see themselves. There’s something about watching the revelation that happens when you show a young woman a photo of herself that is not a selfie – that is not frivolous (no offense to selfies and selfie-lovers) and they see a shade of themselves they’d missed. They see a character arc, another aspect of themselves they’d never noticed before. It’s both surprise and recognition and I love it. The experience of photographing Katie Waddell for her senior pictures was a ratification of this for me. It happened all over again.
Katie is a senior at Wilkes Central High School in Wilkesboro NC and she has completely touched my heart. She is the typical teenage girl – with her particular insecurities – but she doesn’t live in them. This girl manages to make sure that everyone around her feels loved. I’ve watched her make others comfortable, make them laugh and that’s what struck me and endeared her to me immediately.
When she wanted some photos taken for her senior year, I was thrilled to do them. Katie is so lovely, on top of her generous spirit and bright lit personality, she’s a perfect subject!
Katie is an amateur photographer herself and particularly loves black and white photos, so when we found a dead tree trunk we both thought was textural and cool.
We love to create short slideshow videos for clients to watch and share with friends and family. It’s just nice way to pull all of the great images and moments together into a dynamic album.
One thing she wanted help with for her senior portraits was WHAT TO WEAR. Oh……if I had a nickel…
It’s one of those crises women vacillate between loving (so many fun choices) and hating (too many choices). I offered to let her run her ideas and choices by me and one night I got a ton of texts with photos of her favorites under consideration. She, and I, had so much fun and she chose well for the setting she’d selected.
I told Katie to choose a spot that had meaning for her or that she particularly loved being in. Those of us with sand or mountains in our veins tend to gravitate to those locations again and again. Initially she wanted the woods near her house, but there was an overlook she loved as well, so we took photos of her in both.
When Katie and her mom reviewed all of the photos from her day, they both cried. She really SAW herself and I loved being able to give this gift to her. This young lady is just pure potential and I couldn’t be prouder of her or more excited about her future. My money is on you, Katie!!
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.
best friends | sydney & cherokee’s beach portraits
Friendship, like romantic love, has been celebrated in song lyrics, novels, movies and theatre. It’s been featured in paintings, operas, television shows, you name it. You can buy mugs, cards, plaques and t-shirts that speak to the importance of strong, lasting friendship. We even name our pets and offspring after dear friends. And most of us believe that the person we marry is usually our best friend, or ends up in that role.
I had the pleasure of co-hosting a beach trip with my mom when we took my “baby cousin” Sydney Wooten Chambers and her lifelong best girlfriend Cherokee Church to Crescent Beach in North Myrtle during fall break in October. I promised portraits of them months in advance and it gave them something to look forward to besides being on break at the beach.
Sydney is indeed my cousin, even though I have 20 years on her. She looks like a child of the 60s – free, happy, always showcasing a guileless smile and sweet face, with her long Joni Mitchell hair – and she feels more like a niece than a cousin. Cherokee has the same long hair, but her’s is a killer shade of red. These two have been hitched at the hip and soul sisters through thick and thin their entire lives. In fact, they’ve probably been friends since they could walk. To wit: Sydney had cancer when she was only four years old and Cherokee lost her mother to cancer when she was seven. The two can now look back with empathy and forward with hope – together. They have ridden the waves and at times been wiped out, but they’ve always gotten back on the board to chase the next tide, always by each others side.
The night before we left to return home, around sunset, we all went out and I took shots of them separately and together. These images are something they’ll have to remember their friendship, the trip, their history together and the strength of their bond. Seeing the love between these young women reminded me and my mom of our lifelong friends (my mom happens to be one of my best friends, in fact) and how, regardless of the chapter in your life, regardless of age, turmoil, victories, health, whatever, your best friends hold you close. They lift you up, they ground you, and they remind you that you matter. 
As we approach the holidays, if you have a friend or group of friends you’d like photographed in Christmas garb or if you want portraits taken “just because” – please contact us! We’d love to capture your nearest and dearest with you and create a new and lasting memory.
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.
Sarah and Daniel | Just Because portraits
This shoot of Daniel and his long-time girlfriend Sarah is one such example.
Daniel was one of our All About Prom models in 2013 and he’s been a Pixels and photo enthusiast since. [WE LOVE YOU TOO, DANIEL!!] So, when he approached us and asked if he had to be engaged to have an “portrait session,” we said of course not! You don’t have to be married, engaged, or even in a relationship to have photographs taken by a professional.
Life is short. If you have a person (or pet) you love, an event, an important time in your life you want captured forever, get a pro involved. We met these two in Elkin, NC just as the seasons were changing from summer to autumn and after we made them comfortable in front of the camera, they fell into their own groove and their personalities really shined through. The image of Sarah above looking at Daniel is an example. There’s a lot going on in that look and smile, I think.
Not only are we photographing Daniel’s sister’s wedding to his best friend in December, but Daniel decided that he and Sarah would like photos taken of them during each of the 4 seasons at places near home and others that they love. We’re looking forward to photographing them again, just because.
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.
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.