Posts Tagged: wedding photography pictures
15 Years of Pixels On Paper – Pt 1
It’s true. We’ve been at this professional photography thing for 15 years! Feels like we should celebrate, huh? It’s hard to know when some part of your childhood will help define not only your developing passions, but also your professional life. With hindsight being what it is, I can easily look back and say that Ryan and I were meant to open Pixels On Paper.
What we both experienced as kids was a parent who always had a camera in one hand. My mom loved photography and took courses, learned to develop from 35 mm film to prints and took the time to experiment with it when I was a girl. I remember her waking me before dawn to hike to a vista where she would photograph waterfalls, the sunrise and the views at first light. Those are such fond memories.
A tradition from Ryan’s childhood was a posed shot on the stairs on Christmas morning of him with his siblings. In the Case family, his dad was the documentary photographer and loved the tradition of getting an updated image each holiday.
In the early 2000s, Ryan and I lived in Charlotte and were active leaders with our church youth group, acting as chaperone’s and guides for activities and big trips. We also photographed everything, but with no agenda really. During a conversation with a good friend, Sandy, she mentioned that she loved our pictures and asked that we photograph her upcoming wedding.
We thought she was joking.
She wasn’t. We came home early from a youth group mission trip (our one little rolling camera bag pre-packed and in tow) to capture Sandy’s big day. Before long we were taking courses, going to conferences, and being asked to shoot more and more weddings. Suddenly, a few weddings became weddings in the double digits and we booked sessions for folks who wanted a milestone captured or a family portrait done.
Out of state conferences allowed us to travel and expand our understanding of light in new settings, hone our business skills, and learn from fellow and veteran photographers. I’m so grateful for both the theoretical and hands-on education we got during the those first 4-5 years.
It wasn’t long before we realized that Pixels really was a business and a passion that needed nurturing as we moved forward. Pixels might provide a way for us to move out into the country and be closer to family. More on that to come in part two! Meanwhile, I’m beyond nostalgic thinking about these beginnings and how far we’ve come…
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.
Remembering Virginia Ruth Roberts
Today, instead of our usual blog about trends, the business of photography, our lives and beloved clients, we’re going to pause to remember a spectacular human being: Virginia Ruth Roberts. For us, this blog is truly personal, because this lady was loved by everyone.
Virginia passed away merely 4 days ago on December 6th at the age of 87 at her home. For the full obituary and some other details, you can go here.
To Ryan and me, this special lady was someone we got to know through photographing the bridal and wedding of her grand-daughter Meghann Roberts Clawson and the engagement and wedding of her grandson Preston Roberts.
Virginia was loving and inspiring and, as a former teacher – she shined and brought that bright light to shine on everyone she met. Her love of life and others was contagious, so each time we were hired to photograph these big family milestones, we relished knowing that we were going to get time with her. She really was a jewel.
When I text her family through tears and asked what I could do, they were eager to hear that I would provide photos and it was an honor to send them. I know looking at them brought me enormous joy and smiles and did her family too. She touched all of us and Ryan and I are beyond grateful that we were able to orbit around Virginia as long as we did. She wasn’t our family, per se, but she felt like she was.
We’re missing and loving you today, Virginia Ruth.
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 ©2018 Pixels On Paper. Do not copy, crop, or remove watermark.
betsy + scott {married at st. mary’s chapel} wedding photography images
It is always a great thing for us when we get a referral from a couple we have already photographed to friends of theirs who are getting married. Scott and Betsy were just that couple. They followed up on the tip and gave us a call and quickly booked us to capture their wedding photography images. Their wedding was an intimate affair at Saint Mary’s Chapel in Charlotte, with lots of friends and family coming from all over the country (and some from other countries) to celebrate.
We loved that Betsy was organized to the point of knowing exactly who needed to be in what photos. With such a rare opportunity to have all their family together in the same place at the same time, their top priority was for us to capture traditional family photos that both they and their friends and family would treasure long after the wedding day was over. Betsy and Scott took full advantage of having everyone together and even had us capture more casual family photos an hour after the wedding rehearsal at the Chapel the night before the big day.
We love it when a couple decides to do a “first sight” before the wedding ceremony. We get to help organize and photograph that intimate moment before the wedding ceremony when the Bride and Groom privately see each other in their wedding attire. Not only are those few moments ones that the couple will remember forever, but it helps in situations where there is no daylight after the ceremony and also allows the Bride and Groom to arrive at the reception much sooner than they otherwise would.
Fitness and the outdoors are an integral part of Scott and Betsy’s life. We of course had to get photos of the Bride and Groom with their road bikes as well as with medals they earned the morning of the wedding by running in the Thunder Road half marathon! Taking most of the posed wedding pictures at their home before going to the Chapel made it possible to take the bike photos and pics with their dogs, images that truly represent their character and a part of their every day environment.
This wedding was not about tradition, it was about their relationship, marriage, and about all the friends and family that will play an important role in their marriage. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen but there were 5 adorable children that walked down the aisle in front of Betsy and Scott as they walked down the aisle together. Family and friends played a prominent role in the ceremony with Betsy and Scott’s parents standing at the altar with them. A reading by a close friend and a poem by Scott’s brother left few eyes dry, simply touching moments.
The reception was at King’s Kitchen in Charlotte and featured some of the most candid and expression filled reception wedding images we’ve photographed this year. Every detail was thought of from the fingerprint tree signature art, the bike centerpieces, a magician for entertainment all the way to the ice cream cake. Water bottles and home made granola trail mix were created for guests to take home as wedding favors.
Congratulations to Scott and Betsy! Please leave them and us some love, our blog loves comments!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
laura + chumah | wedding pictures | creative photography by pixels on paper
Words can’t even begin to express how awesome it was to photograph Laura and Chumah. From the moment they won our Charlotte Future Trophy Bride contest with 467 facebook votes we knew there was a lot of fun in store. Laura is quiet and shy with stunning discreet beauty and is passionate about art. In front of the camera she is high fashion, confident, and a risk taker. Chumah, a native of Kenya, is outgoing, always in motion, a scholar soccer athlete, and always the jokster. In front of the camera he is GQ, serious and intense. The combination of these two and their love for each other was our ultimate dream. They delivered killer engagement pictures which you can see here, and their wedding pictures were even more amazing.
We understand that these photos may not be everyone’s preference for wedding photos but it was exactly what Laura and Chumah wanted. They did not want traditional wedding photos. They wanted creative photography, high fashion portrait photos, and wedding images that captured the moments. It’s our job as wedding photographers to make sure that we are a good match for our clients, then to make sure we understand and can deliver and exceed their expectations. And all the while we get to have a blast doing what we love.
Enjoy this little sample of their wedding photo gallery!
Wedding Photography: Pixels On Paper
Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Big Chill
Rentals: Extravaganza Events & Props
Flowers: Flowers of Charlotte
Cake: Cloud 9 Confections
Invitation & Guestbook Design: Inspire Design Studio
DJ: Split Second Sound (Rashaad & Michael)
Bride’s Apparel: Oleg Cassini
Groom’s Apparel: Men’s Wearhouse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.