Stories like this one, you guys [……deep breath, holding back tears], and opportunities to witness what generosity and unbridled love looks like …. they slay me. They humble me. And I am so happy to share this experience with you, my dear readers and friends. This wonderful little boy in the center of the image below is Michael, and he was in foster care for almost 5 years in Wilkes County. But not any more. The Roche family in Charlotte adopted him as their own child, and I was asked to come document the day on his actual Adoption Day. To say it was an honor doesn’t begin to cover my feelings about this.
More frequently, families choose to adopt infants or babies for any number of reasons, both practical and personal. Older children are often overlooked. This is why I so admire the the Roches for their generous hearts and belief that this little boy is theirs.
We met up early on the Monday of his official adoption proceedings at the Wilkesboro NC courthouse where so many people were a part of making this day possible. There were papers to sign and papers to be stamped, and Michael wanted to be a part of every second of it. He even mentioned that one day he might want to be an attorney, so we found time to slip into an empty courtroom where he could sit in the judge’s chair and pretend to be a litigator.
Throughout the morning, Michael and his new Mom and Dad were smiling and I loved seeing how the administrators were fully present and proud to be a part of such a special day.
I would love to be a part of many more of these moments, so if you are aware of an opportunity to capture an adoption, a special reunion of family or military, an important graduation or milestone, I’m your girl. I love the hearts of the people I get the pleasure of photographing and would love to capture your special day too.
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.
Sometimes we need a reminder of the “why” behind Thanksgiving and I’m pointing a finger at myself here too. I dug into my files, category “Uplift Me, Please!” and thought I’d share a few with you as we approach the big day of food and revelry.
There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it’s wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices.
Elizabeth Gilbert
To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.
Johannes A. Gaertner
We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.
Neal A. Maxwell
Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.
W.T. Purkiser
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
John F. Kennedy
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.
Our garden grows the most interesting blooms and recently presented a new one: we call it “the Gracelynn.” It’s bright, delicate and you cannot stop looking at it.
Gracelynn came to our outdoor garden studio to celebrate her first birthday and it was the perfect spot to grab photos of this lovely little flower. We created a boho setting for her to smash her very first birthday cake, but some of the real gems from this shoot are from her interacting with her fellow blooms.
Gracelynn’s mom chose a palette of pink, pale rose and neutrals and we just let this girl shine. She did not need any coaching!
Happy Birthday, Little Girl! You felt like a burst of spring in our midst. We hope that you’ll come back to see us any season that suits 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 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.
This little maiden is Astrid and she’s currently a perfectly delightful little one year old. I can personally attest to this. We captured her parents, Macy and Jesse, for the maternity shoot and they were so excited, so beautiful, and my time with them showed me, especially during the height of Covid, how much hope was still in the world. I love it when my job reminds me of that.
We photographed Astrid’s newborn session in the studio, met up with the three of them for the 6 month session in the same location as their maternity photos and finally again for her one year session in our outdoor portrait garden. I love the lighting and the setting we chose. Babies in the outdoors just please me.
As with Astrid’s six month photo session, I pulled Mom and Dad away for a couple of shots just of them. It’s important to see yourselves as a couple too and not just parents. I’m so excited to see this little nugget grow into the girl she’s going to be.
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.
The leaves are rapidly changing and families are pulling out their sweaters, boots, scarves and hats and engaging us for fall family photos. It’s a gorgeous time of year and with the holidays upon us soon, you can be sure that it’s time to create wall portraits, photo holiday cards, calendars and gifts. It’s also ALWAYS a good time to capture memories.
If you’re in the area or from the area, contact us for ideas and scheduling fall photos in the North Carolina Mountains.
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.