I know a lady who likes to say, “these are the things I’m thinking about instead what’s bothering me.” She’s not burying her head in the sand or failing to solve problems or face challenges; she practicing what she says the Buddhists call “good thinking.” It takes practice – like most things worth getting good at – but it can change your mood when the world feels all wrong or the people around appear to be on hiatus from being kind.
So here’s what I’m thinking about instead of what worries me about our world.
Spring is here and summer is coming. There’s a great thought. Cooking and eating the food I grow in my garden, cutting flowers, relaxing on my front porch. Yes to that.
And I’m thinking about family. I love mine and we love to photograph families of all sizes. Each one contains a library of stories, memories, legacies and shared laughter, pain and joy. Family is always a happy thought for me.
Babies. Think about a baby you know or one you’ve raised and your mood will shift immediately. I love thinking of babies. Babies in tutus. Babies wearing hats. Babies in overalls. [Digression: babies in overalls is a HILARIOUS concept to me. They are 20-ish inches tall! “They ain’t driving no tractor!!!” “They ain’t bailing no hay!!” But, there they are… in their denim and buckles and it’s just the funniest, sweetest thing. The only way they are being helpful is that you’re belly laughing at the cuteness. Just saying…] Pick your favorite baby image and ponder. You’re happier, right?
Twinkling lights at night and summer evenings spent by a fire pit, on a porch swing, in a tent or hammock or playing cards by lantern at an old picnic table. I love that kind of light at night.
Mountains. Dance with the one who brung ya, right? I love our mountains and if you’re a hiker, hike. If you have a view, sit back and take it in. I love living in a state replete with mountains and mountain views.
Love that lasts. Who doesn’t want to remember that? Give brain power and care and thought to that; you’ll thank yourself. I love thinking about lasting love: some of it is as new as a baby but will last a lifetime and some already as old as a steadfast marriage. It’s all good.
Going away. I love thinking about travel – allowing myself to escape to my favorite memories and then get excited about the possibilities of travel in the future. Ryan and I have done and seen a lot in our marriage and thinking about that journey makes me smile, regardless of locale.
Home. I think about home and am more full than I could ever describe to you guys. We host you there when you come to our indoor studio or out in the garden, but it’s the center of our world. It’s comfort, it’s creativity, it’s food, it’s gatherings …. our “workin’ week and Sunday rest,” as Auden put it. God blessed us big time with our over-a-century-old home.
Whatever is potentially weighing on you, … take the time – make the room for “good thinking.” List your happy places, people, pets, memories, foods and let that happy into every artery you have inside of you.
We define family as weirdly and idiosynchratically as we define ourselves. No kids. 1 kid. 8 kids.
“We adopted,” “we foster,” “we just want to be auntie and uncle.” You name it.
And then there are our pets. If you own one, you get it. They are a completely different kind of family, with their unconditional love, guileless expressions, stinky breath, midnight BTUs and snuggling.
Our friend Carol has been a breeder for years, but also rescues and fosters dogs for new forever homes. If ever someone “got it” with regard to what dogs can add to your life, it’s Carol.
She asked that we photograph her with 2 brothers she’d been fostering, who were about to meet their new family and of course, we said yes. When we arrived the family that was adopting them was there too and the exchange of comments, advice and love started immediately.
Finding a family for two dogs isn’t easy and Carol bonded with both dogs until she found the right home. Watching them interact was beyond special. What started as a portrait session turned into a lifestyle shoot with the adopting family sitting in Carol’s backyard playing with the dogs while we just captured the fun and excitement. The kids played with their new brothers, threw the ball and watched the dogs play. We saw the dogs rescue the kids in the same way that this family was taking the pair into their home.
After the family left to go buy some last minute items they needed to be ready for their new family members, we had some extra time with Carol and the pups to do a little mini-session in her backyard. It gave her time to say goodbye and us time to capture them together and celebrate what an amazing person she is.
We’ve said so many times that pets save us as much as we save them and it’s true. Carol: we love you! And to all the families out there rescuing new family members: we celebrate you too. Pulling together, no matter what it looks like, is the best of who we are.
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.
We love our dads and Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th, so we want to celebrate fatherhood. The golf membership, neck tie, new leaf blower gift clichés were tired 40 years ago, so we’re skipping them.
And you’re welcome.
Instead of pablum, how about some photos we took of dads being dads with quotes that convey the depth and humor of fatherhood?
Here you go……
“There should be a children’s song: ‘If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let your dad sleep.’” – Jim Gaffigan
“Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you’re 12, but every day.” — Mike Myers
“Be a dad. Don’t be ‘Mom’s assistant.’ Fathers have skills that they never use at home. You run a landscaping business and you can’t dress and feed a 4-year-old? Take it on. Spend time with your kids and have your own ideas about what they need. It won’t take away your manhood; it will give it to you. I did that. I spent more time with my kids. And I found out that I’m a pretty bad father. I make a lot of mistakes and I don’t know what I’m doing. But my kids love me. Go figure.” – Louis C.K.
“I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it.” — Harry S. Truman
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.” — Umberto Eco
“You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life, because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out.” – Jerry Seinfeld
“It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” — Friedrich Schiller
“The only way I can describe [fatherhood]—it sounds stupid, but—at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you know how his heart grows like five times? Everything is full; It’s just full all the time.” — Matt Damon
“I gave my father $100 and said, ‘Buy yourself something that will make your life easier.’ So he went out and bought a present for my mother.” – Rita Rudner
“My daughter got me a ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug. So we know she’s sarcastic.” – Bob Odenkirk
“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” – Mark Twain
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: he believed in me.” — Jim Valvano
“Having children is like living in a frathouse – nobody sleeps, everything is broken and there’s a lot of throwing up.” – Ray Romano
“Never raise your hand to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected.” –Red Buttons
“When you have kids, there’s no such thing as quality time. There’s just time. There’s no ‘Ooh, his graduation is better than going to the mall.’ It’s all kind of equal. Changing her diaper and her winning a contest – – it’s all good.” – Chris Rock
“A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” – Billy Graham.
We agree. Looking through these photos was a walk down memory lane as we thought about our clients and friends with kids – – – just how much these dads feel the responsibility of their children’s futures resting on their shoulders at the same time they want to enjoy every micro-second. This fathering thing is not for boys and we celebrate you men.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there!
Featured just below are 2 sweet sisters, cheek to cheek at their grandparents’ house. This is one of those shots (we hope) that will end up on their father’s office desk or on a wall at gramma and grandpas or someday packed up and transported to college with either or both of them. These two are in that age range that is entirely transitional – almost constantly so. Isn’t that one of the definitions of spring – the constant change? It’s the sweet, blooming, green and pink tunnel we pass through to get from winter to summer. You think you want summer, but the ride through spring is the magic.These are the Picards. We photographed 3 generations of this family during Easter weekend at their home in North Wilkesboro, NC. The senior Picards moved from the north a few years ago when they retired. They wanted to escape the cold, but we know they love the southern warmth (people and climate). Getting everyone together is never easy, since some family members serve in the military and others are scattered, so it becomes a priority to get together as often as possible, and then to make sure a portrait is taken.
We had fun with this gang and especially enjoyed watching them all interact. 3 generations together, especially when they don’t see each other all the time, is something to see. They are all remembering each other and how to be together, cracking each other up, posing, hugging, etc. It’s a departure from some of the families we photograph who are so accustomed to constant contact that we have to deploy the Please Focus Now, People playbook. Not so with the Picards.
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 babies and kids, 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.
Environmentalist and philosopher, John Muir once said, “the mountains are calling and I must go.” WELLLLLLLLL gang, the orchards are blooming and we are booking sessions for Thursday March 31, Friday April 1st and Saturday April 2nd. Sessions and the peak orchard bloom times are fleeting and limited. These photos are not only great as Easter portraits or for proms, bridals and engagments, they make wonderful gifts for Mother’s Day or to hang in your home. Click here to RESERVE TODAY and please make sure that you select your preferred date and session time.
COUPLE OF QUICK NOTES:
+ These sessions will last one hour.
+ We will provide you with unlimited images photographed.
+ Your pre-paid $135 fee reserves your session and is NOT refundable.
+ No digital files or prints are included in this session. All finished images will be available for viewing during your PreView Order session. You can purchase prints or digital files of your choice. Prints start at $12.
+ All orchard sessions are in Wilkes County.
+ For additional details email Misty at mail@pixelsonpaper.net or call 336-990-0080
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 babies and kids, 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.